Sewing on the road
- Thread starter Sofisintown
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Well, it's those pesky gray/black water tanks I don't have...so I'm set up near the vault toilet by the pavilion at LPS. There's room for more at this spot, if other YARCers have the same issue.Cammalu said:
I'll be in Cali visiting family for the next couple days, then back here.
What's your ETA here? Glad you're on the way...
Malamute
Well-known member
Cammalu said:Oh I forgot. I have noticed that there are quite a few RVers that use Singer Featherweight 221s and 222s. They are small, light weight (11 lbs) and tough as nails. They have a huge following especially among the quilters.
Pic stolen off the net. That part of the base to the left of the needle folds up so it’s even more compact. Singer made 3 to 3 1/2 million of them from 1933 to 1969 so there are still lots to be found.
They measure 15” wide by 7” deep by 10” tall. Small enough to pack along no matter the size of your rig!
I understand with the correct needles for it you can even sew thru leather.
Well great. Just flippin fabulous. Thanks a lot. Here i am minding my own business, reading along on the forum, and YOU have to throw out this post about Singer 221s and 222s. I had no idea they existed until then, and now Im cruising ebay and other places trying to figure out how i can afford one. Had no idea I needed one so badly until I saw them, now I have to have one.
Truly. I keep needing to sew stuff and dont want to do it by hand. Need garage curtains, need stuff altered, need things patched, need to make some things. Id make a vest if I had a machine. I wore out the one I really liked and cant find another one like it. A grey and black herringbone tweed suit jacket from goodwill could be the new vest material.
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treesprite
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My machine is 20-something years old - I need a new one really bad. I've been really tempted to take it on trips (sometimes go to things where costumes are involved), but am afraid of someone getting angry about the noise. Once I've got my van together and have an adequate power source, I'll be really happy being able to see wherever I go in the van. They are small enough to store easily in an under seat cubby.
Your sewing machine can'[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]t possibly be louder [size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]than a genera[size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]t[/font][/font][/size][/size][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]or, which are plen[size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]tiful in any kind of campground or camping area.treesprite said:
Also, i[size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]t's no[size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]t louder [size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]than an ATV or a big [size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]truck or a diesel pusher, which are also [size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]plen[/font][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]tiful in campgrounds or camping areas.[/font][/font][/font][/size][/font][/size][/font][/size][/font][/size][/font][/size][/font][/size][/size][/font][/font]
eDJ_
Well-known member
Just before Thanksgiving each year ALDI's seems to offer these small sewing machines. They are around $15 dollars, work on 110 AC or battery power. The unit has a foot pedal and would be OK for
mending and small projects. They are rather small. See what you think. This one is at Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Machine-Hous...t=&hvlocphy=1028357&hvtargid=pla-902315189414
https://www.amazon.com/Machine-Hous...t=&hvlocphy=1028357&hvtargid=pla-902315189414
mending and small projects. They are rather small. See what you think. This one is at Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Machine-Hous...t=&hvlocphy=1028357&hvtargid=pla-902315189414
https://www.amazon.com/Machine-Hous...t=&hvlocphy=1028357&hvtargid=pla-902315189414
A sewing macine needs to be test driven to see if it is truly useful for van life. Preferably with a task such as sewing through at least 2 and preferably 3 layers of blue jean fabric. If the motor is not up to that you might want to take a pass on buying it.
treesprite
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Mine is a Singer. I don't know how they are made nowadays, but the old ones seem to hold up pretty well if you keep them clean and oiled. I think the components in mine are just too worn down, so I have to keep adjusting it every time I use it. I'd like to be able to just sew without having to fiddle with anything first. I want a machine that has an auto buttonhole maker.
I had an issue with my Bernina last yea, cant remrmber what exactly it was, been a very hectic year, but I was sble to resolve it with the help of a youtube video a pro sewing machine repairman posted on my particular machine. It was a general video that pretty much went through adjusting everything on the machine. I am mechanically inclined so it was fiun for me to give it a try.
Super_Dave
Member
I say absolutely yes. I plan on bringing mine when I get mobile. Me thinks the more tools and skills you can offer, the better off you'll be for yourself and for making an extra buck.Sofisintown said:
brandywinemylove
Member
Sewing on the road. I have a Baby Lock, Unity, embroidery machine. It can everything. I have over 1500 designs that I can do. But when I get solar, I think I am to have about 1000 watt. Anyone know with all what I need. About how money r we talking about it. Kinda got to keep my unity, price tag when I got it, was 8k..The money I had up for me to do solar, but when tranmission went out, there went my solar. But I'm going to keep trying. Thanks for any help I can get. Have a beautiful day, and let's all keep our chins up, trust in our Lord...
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brandywinemylove
Member
Thank you, let me ask about a micowave, and later I plan on getting some kind of ac. But first the solar. Can anyone tell me what to get, I know the solar panels so what else?
Thanks
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Thanks
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brandywinemylove
Member
I thought if I could do 1000 watt. I remember on one of bobs vidio he was saying santonia (spelling wrong)Cammalu said:
Said we could get a big discount on them
But what all I need, I need a list. Kinda not real high end, but not the cheaper end either. I rather wait a little longer and save up for what I need. Where it will last a long time. Thanks so very much.
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nature lover
Well-known member
The first thing you need is a very long vehicle something like one of those double trailer trucks to hold 1000 whats of panels. OK that’s a bit of an exaggeration but not too much. Good luck. And even at 1000 W you’re not gonna have enough solar to run air conditioning all day and all night. Bob did a video a while back of a guy who had a travel trailer with enough solar on it to run his air conditioning for a couple hours to cool the place off he had solar panels hanging from the side tilt up he had the roof covered and still he could run it just to cool the place off and then had to turn it off. in addition to all those panels your battery bank will be huge you’ll be glad you have a tractor trailer to have the room for the solar panels because you’re gonna need that kind of truck to pull your batteries. That’s a bit of an exaggeration but hey it’s been thought about many times but no one that I know of has done it.
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