How do FOSS enthusiasts sew? What hardware do they buy?
How do FOSS enthusiasts sew? What hardware do they buy?
I think I need a sewing machine that can do a variety of different kinds of stitches. One use case is to repair holey socks by cannabalizing fabric from other holey socks. Thus the stitch needs to be the kind that can stretch and ideally not create an awkward feeling on the foot.
Some sewing machines have a fixed number of stitches they can do. Would it make sense to get an embroidery machine and use #inkStitch (an Inkscape variant)? I’m not sure if that’s strictly for embroidery -- or does that give the ability to do a variety of stitches using FOSS?
The inkstitch.org website steers people toward taking a basic sewing machine and modifying it using 3d printed parts. That’s too ambitious for me. I don’t want a hardware project. I just want to buy hardware that’s ready to go and use free software to control it. Is that possible with things that exist already?
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Software to control your sewing machine?
Are you looking for a sewing machine or a computer controlled embroidery machine?
Those are WILDLY different types of machines. Sewing machines are for constructing/repairing fabric items with the option of manually performing very tedious embroidery style work. Embroidery machines are specifically for create designs and art on the surface of fabric.
For that VAST majority of projects (including fixing your socks) a standard "dumb" seweing machine is the way to go. Our Singer Heavy Duty 4452 is entirely mechanical and has 32 built in stitch profiles. Standard stitches, stretch stitches, decorative stitches and automatic button hole stitching. You can dial in a range of threads per inch for your project. It's not going to give you a setting of choosing the exact perfect TPI setting but doing experiments and test pieces with your fabric and thread will let you dial in what you want.
Fully computer controlled embroidery machines can be insanely complex and can cost a couple of hundred up to obscene amounts of money. The only experience we have with one like that is the monster machine we rent hours of use on at our local sewing store.
I know both brother and singer have good reputation with the computerized embroidery machines. Between the two (in our experience at least) singer has had the better hardware and brother has had better software. Sort of related note: Brother is the only company I would by a computer printer from because SO FAR they haven't participated in the obscene practices the rest on the industry has.
These are the interesting tasks I can think that I need regularly:
- reattach buttons (thanks for telling me this is an option)
- hem rigid pants (denim)
- hem stretchy pants
- cut stretchy pants off at the knees and introduce zippers (so they function as shorts or trousers) as complex hemming alternative
- patch holey socks
- fix tears
- maybe make new designs
- embroider over stains
Considering embroidery apparently complicates things and presumably bumps the price up substantially, I would nix the last item on that list.
Some machines have a mechanical dial that shows different stitch symbols. I’m not sure how to look at that and know if my needs are covered. This is why I thought in principle I would like to have it software controlled¹. But maybe that’s overkill for my need. I’d like to avoid buying something that falls short of my needs. E.g. if none of the preset stitches can work on stretchy material it’s underkill.
I saw a Signer on liquidation but did not buy it. It had ~4 or so dials with just digits. Not sure if that was for different kinds of stitches, or other factors like speed.
I’m a bit torn because the modern cheap ones look like they will do the job, but they’re plastic and I wonder if the gears are plastic.. which I suspect means short life.
1: regarding software control, someone told me not a single FOSS sewing machine exists. The firmware is always proprietary non-free. But I was told Inkstitch can be used to create patterns that are loaded onto a proprietary machine. I’m fine with that compromise. But IIUC, that’s purely for the embroidery use case not for straight stitches, correct?
All the gears on our Singer are metal and it can perform all the of the requirements that you have listed. I should mention however that seeing on buttons is done by hand. There are way to many variables for a machine to do it. The feature I was referencing was the ability to see the edges around the hole for buttons when creating garments and the like. You use the machine to sew the edges and then a blade to cut the hole in the middle where the button goes through.
The exterior is plastic but it has a fully metal internal frame that in images looks rather robust.
For embroidery over stains/holes in clothes I recommend looking into hand embroidery. There used to be a subreddit specifically for exactly that: Hand embroidery over stains and holes. It was super fascinating to see the beautiful things people could do by hand.
I recommend browsing the singer page for this machine. It lays out nicely all the features and shows an internal shot of the all metal construction. https://www.singer.com/heavy-duty-4452-sewing-machine
Anecdotally the Mennonite who runs the sewing machine repair store in my area recommends Singer. He repairs them less and when he has to it's easier to get parts for.
edit: You are correct regarding the FOSS software workaround. Inkscape would be used exclusively for embroidery and not at all needed for straight stitches.
You seem like you'd be much better served by a dumb sewing machine that doesn't have any software, and either hand embroidery or saving up for an embroidery machine someday for embroidery tasks
Yeah that’s what I’m thinking now. I just have to make sure it has the zigzag/stretch stitch pattern. And guess i’ll be doing buttons by hand.