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Love to Sew Studio Uses
Brother Project Runway Sewing Machines |
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Sewing Machine Companies & Brands

by Jessica Harris /
Love to Sew Studio Manager/Instructor/Costume Designer/Fashion Show
Director
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If
your trying to decide which sewing machine is right for you, I’m sure
you’ve come across several different brands. If you’re new to sewing (and
even if you’re not) the company names may mean little to nothing to you,
except having heard of them before, which isn’t very much help. Hopefully
the, this page will be! Below is a brief review of the major different
sewing machine companies. You will learn a bit about their history, where
the products are made, and the current types of sewing machines that they
sell. The list is in alphabetical order.
Bernina
Bernina
is the name brand of a Swiss made sewing machine company called Fritz
Gegauf AG. It was founded in Steckborn, Switzerland when Karl Friedrich
Gegauf invented the hemstitch sewing machine 1893. Before then, hems
could only be sewn by hand, and his machine could sew 100 stitches per
minute. In 1932, Fritze Gegauf, Karl Fridrich’s Gegauf’s son, invented
the first household sewing machine, called the Bernina.
Today,
Bernina’s high-end models are still made in Switzerland (they also have
a factory in Thailand) and are considered to be elite, with machines
sold in high price ranges. Most of their machines are computerized, and
either are both a sewing machine and an embroidery machine, or can have
an embroidery machine attached later, can be connected to a computer to
download software for embroideries.
Bernina’s more affordable line of machines, the Burnette for Bernina
consists of both electronic and computerized models. It is considered a
quality line, however, it is said (but unconfirmed by the company) that
the Burnettes are not made by Bernina. Bernette sewing machines are
rumored to be made by Janome and their sergers (overlock machine) by
Juki.
Read
this page to learn about, read reviews, compare several different
Bernina and Bernette for Bernina Machines.
Brother
Brother sewing machines are
made by the Japanese company Brother Industries, which was established
in 1908 and originally called the Yasui Sewing Machine Co. In the
early 20th c., sewing machines in Japanese were mostly made by Singer
(an American company). However, in the 1930s, the Brother company (now
named after the founder’s two sons--brothers--inherited the business)
made improvements on the sewing machine and began to successfully mass
produce. Now, Brother machines are sold all throughout the world, with
the European head office in Germany. The United States Corporate
office is located in Bridgewater, NJ and was established in 1954.
Brother Industries also make printers, fax machines, typewriters, and
knitting machines. Brother sewing machines are made in Japan.
Currently, Brother offers a wide range of electronic machines for
sewing and quilting. The Brother Project Runway machine model
CE5500PRW won the Consumer’s Digest Best Buy award. Most Brother
machines are sold at a mid-ranged price.
Read
this page to learn about, read reviews, compare several different
Brother Machines, including the different Project Runway models.
Husqvarna Viking
Husqvarna Viking is perhaps the oldest company in the sewing machine
industry, with its routes as a Swedish royals arms factory in 1689.
It began to make and sell sewing machines in 1872. The first model
was called the Norsdjernan, or Northern Star. From 1883-1925 the
Freja model was a great success, as it’s mechanical parts were
placed internally, and it had superior stitching quality. One
hundred years after the Northern Star, in 1972, the company produce
the first lubrication-free sewing machine, and the first sewing
machine with letters in 1980.
Presently, Husqvarna has the Sapphire and Emerald lines of sewing
and quilting machines, both electronic and computerized, as well as
overlock machines. Most of their machines will be in the higher end
price range. Husqvarna Viking is owned by SVP Worldwide, which also
owns the Pfaff, Singer, and White sewing machines brands.
Read
this page to learn about, read reviews, compare several different
Husqvarna Viking machines.
Janome
Janome is a Japense company founded in 1921 by Yosaku Ose,
originally called the Pine Sewing Machine Company. The name Janome
was chosen because it means “eye of the snake,” which was the look
of the new bobbins the company was using at the time of its
founding.
Today, Janome makes quality sewing, quilting, embroidery, and
overlock machines at a high to mid price range. They are made in
Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand. Janome provides information about
their factories here: http://www.janome.co.jp/e/e_corporate/qca.html#factories.
Read this page to learn about, read reviews, compare several
different Brother Machines, including the different Project Runway
models.
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Juki
Juki is
a Japanese sewing machine company that was founded in 1947. Juki opened
its first U.S. home office in 1974 and continues to market sewing
machines all throughout the world. The company is noted for developing
the fist automatic thread trimmer and needle threader in 1978. Juki is
perhaps best known for its distinguished line of industrial sewing
machines, but the company also sells mechanical, electronic, and
computerized home sewing machines.
Read
this page to learn about, read reviews, compare several different Juki
home sewing machines.
Kenmore
Kenmore is the brand of a variety of household appliances sold by
Sears, including home sewing machines. The behemoth department store
that we all know has its origins as a mail-order company called Sears
Roebuck & Co, which was found in 1893. Sears Roebuck & Co. began
selling Singer sewing machines early on, and were able to market them
significantly cheaper. Despite being identical to the products
currently on the market, the Sears catalogue described the machines as
improved versions.
Kenmore brand machines were first marketed in 1913 Fall catalogue, and
as of 1926, Kenmore machines were made by White Sewing Machine
Company. Kenmore machines did not reappear on the market again until
1934, when they sold steadily until the start of WWII. This is because
the White company stopped its production of machines during the war
because of lack of supplies and the need for developing products for
war. In 1958, White and Sears parted ways, and Sears switched the
production oversees to Japan.
Sears
still sells the Kenmore brand home sewing machines, which are
currently made by Janome or other companies. Kenmore brand currently
has a mechanical, electronic, and serger (overlock machine) on the
market.
Read
this page to learn about, read reviews, compare several different
Kenmore home sewing machines.
Pfaff
Pfaff
was founded in 1862 in Kaiserslautern, Germany by guitarist and
instrument maker Georg Michael Pfaff. In 1885, Georg Michael’s eldest
son, Jakob, opened up the first Pfaff sewing machine shop in London.
After 50 years of production, Pfaff was selling machines in sixty-four
countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
Today,
Pfaff’s top line products are still made in Germany. Pfaff is owned by
SVP Worldwide, which also owns the Singer, Husqvarna Viking, and White
sewing machines brands. The first Pfaff sewing machine can be found at
the Munich Museum of Technology.
Read
this page to learn about, read reviews, compare several different
Pfaff home sewing machines.
Singer
The
Singer Corporation was founded by Isaac Merritt Singer in Boston in
1851, then called I.M. Singer & Co. Singer is credited with
inventing the first motorized sewing machine. His was the first mass
produced sewing machine, and the first machine wherein the needle
moved up and down, rather than side to side. The company soon
expanded and opened factories in Canada, Germany, Russia, with the
largest sewing machine factory in the world in Clydebank, Scotland,
which closed in 1980.
Now,
Singer Corporation is owned by SVP Worldwide, which also owns the
Pfaff, Husqvarna Viking, and White sewing machines brands. They have
a wide range of models, including mechanical, electronic, and
computerized machines. All Singer machines (except the earliest
models, from 1851-1870) have serial numbers which you can use to
look up the year your machine was were. Presently, most Singer
products are made in China.
Read
here to learn about, read reviews, and compare several different
Singer sewing machines.
White
The
White Sewing Machine Company was founded in 1858 in Massachusetts by
Thomas White, and moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1866. Thomas’s son
Rollin convinced his father to allow him to build an automobile in
one corner of the sewing factory, which soon turned into The White
Motor Company, which built automobiles, trucks, bicycles, and more
from 1900-1980. Later, these companies were called White
Consolidated Industries. In 1909, President Taft chose a White
automobile as the first official car of the White House.
During WWII, White temporarily stopped production of its machines to
help manufacture war-related items. In the 1960s, the White sewing
machine brand merged with the Husqvarna Viking brand, after it
became increasingly difficult for American-made machines to compete
in the foreign market. In 1986 Electrolux, a Swedish appliance
company, purchased White Consolidated. In 2006 the White line of
machines became consolidated with the lower end of Husqvarna
machines.
There are no longer White brand machines on the market. From a
personal point of view, this is quite sad, as Love to Sew studio’s
first machines for our students were mechanical Whites that were
sturdy, excellent starter machines for children.
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