Sewing

AHA has four sewing machines.

• A Husqvarna Viking Emerald 116
• A Brother 2010
• A Singer Merritt 3013
• A Singer Fashion Mate 252

The Husqvarna Viking Emerald 116 dates to the mid-2000's, and is still in production. The Brother 2010 and Singer Merritt 3013 are discontinued, early-model modern sewing machines that date to the early 1980s. The Singer Fashion Mate 252 is a discontinued, vintage sewing machine that dates to the early 1970s.

General Information

AHA's sewing machines are heavy duty, domestic, general use, mechanical sewing machines.

• Heavy duty sewing machines can sew fabrics that range from very light weight to heavy weight, provided the correct needle size, presser foot, thread type, and thread weight are used.
• Domestic sewing machines can sew at speeds that generally range from 650 to 1000 stitches per minute. Domestic machines are not suitable for industrial level bulk output.
• General use sewing machines can create most types of sewing projects, but are generally unsuitable for specialized sewing like machine embroidery or machine quilting.
• Mechanical sewing machines use manual, mechanical means (e.g., knobs, levers, dials, pedals) to select and adjust settings rather than digital displays.

What Our Machines Can and Cannot Do

AHA's sewing machines can handle:

• Beginner to intermediate garment construction techniques
• Beginner to intermediate fashion accessory (e.g., bags, scarves, gloves) construction
• Light to medium weight home decor projects (e.g., pot holders, pillow covers)
• Cloth toy making (e.g., cloth dolls, stuffed animals)
• A limited number of decorative hem stitches
• Quilt construction techniques like piecing, sashing, binding, and edge top stitching
• Sewing up to four layers of heavy weight fabrics (e.g., denim, corduroy, suiting), provided the correct needle size and thread weight is used

Our machines may handle:

• Advanced garment construction techniques, though we cannot guarantee that we will have the specialized presser feet often needed for these techniques
• Sewing no more than two layers of very heavy weight fabrics (e.g., upholstery fabrics, canvas), provided the correct needle size and thread weight is used
• Twin needle techniques, though we cannot guarantee that we will have twin needles available

Our machines cannot handle:

• Machine quilting
• Machine embroidery
• Serging/over-locking
• Machine leather-working

Machine Accessory Availability

Some types of fabric require special tools, accessories, or machine needle sizes that are not commonly included in the default sewing machine accessory kits that came with our machines. If you would like to know if we have certain needle sizes available, or if we have a specialty presser foot, please email info@allhandsactive.org.

Repair & Maintenance Note

All four of our machines are repairable, but replacement parts are more difficult to locate for the Brother 2010 and the Singer Merritt 3013. If you are on a strict deadline, it would be better to use either the Husqvarna Viking Emerald 116 or Singer Fashion Mate 252, as replacement parts for these two models can be purchased direct from their manufacturer's website.

Our machines must be cleaned and oiled regularly. Sewing machines use a minuscule amount of oil, but that oil can still sometimes get on the machine and contaminate the thread or fabric. If you have a fabric that might be stained by oil, like silk, please wipe down the machine prior to using it.