The New Toy

[Coffee Em]

I mentioned this over on the Truly Victorian forum, but you all suffered through me whining about not being able to find a ruffler. So take your well-earned sigh of relief! (Now I have to finish TERRITORY: THE ROAD AGENTS so I can play with it!)

Cheers,
Coffee Em

[Blazin' Cali Rose]

See now whatcha've gone and dun. Now I want a ruffler. I only haver a regular pressure foot and a zipper foot. Besides a ruffler foot, what other attachment can you all not live without? And where does one find a ruffler?

Thanks,
Cali

[Coffee Em]

Cali, great sig!

I've got an Elna, so I started at Elna's web page. According to the handy checklist they post, Elna never made a ruffler foot for my machine.

I sent e-mail to darn near every sewing machine supply place that came up when I Googled "Elna 9000 ruffler foot." And every one of 'em said, no, sorry, that won't fit your machine.

Finally, finally, I pulled up Elna's web page (for the umptieth time) and searched for local dealers. Ely's Vac and Sew, on 22nd. I called them. I asked the nice lady on the phone if anyone made a ruffler to fit an Elna 9000.

"Oh, yeah."

"They do?"

"Hang on, I'll look it up in the book." (flip, flip, flip...) "Yep, there it is. Forty dollars. I can order it for you, be here in a week and a half."

After six months of frustration, I had it in a week and a half. Sometimes the old ways are the best.

Cheers,
Coffee Em

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

feet I can't live without...one step button hole foot...your machine has to also recoginize thats what you are doing also.
blind hem foot...nice neat professional hems
rolled hem foot....ruffle the top of Ruffle and serge but what to do with the bottom?? rolled hem! ( only one way ...but a good one)
I have a pin-tuck foot...Oh lala vintage undie treatment. ;phone

[Desert Jewel]

I've got those and a few more......(shame on me)...... bought a bunch of them for my Viking over the past few month and I have been having so much fun. My favorites are the pintuck and rolled hemmer, gathering foot, candle wicking foot, edge/joiner foot (to join flat lace edge to edge of material for those frillies) and I like the mimi pearl foot too. Makes putting the pearls on quicker! They even have an elastic guide foot! You can tell I've just been having way too much fun!! Any new gadget and I think I need it! My husband just loves taking me to a tool store..........just love the gadgets, and of course the GUNS! I buy him his stuff, he gets me my dresses or sewing stuff. Works for us!
Whatever machine you have just ask your dealer..........they make so many different feet now to do just about anything easier.

:wv

[Ima Sleepin]

OK I have a question...is a ruffler foot the same as a gathering foot?

[Desert Jewel]

No, not for my machine anyway.
The ruffler foot makes tiny pleats that are uniform.
And the gathering foot just gathers and attaches the fabric in one step. The gathers are not uniform.
For my machine, the ruffler is a more complex little gadget, and more costly to buy, but does a nice job. I am still a novice with it but I think it is worth the cost.

Anyone else out there know more than I do, please speak up! :re

[Ima Sleepin]

Thank you-- I was wondering about these 2 attachments. The past month I have wanted something that can make ruffles.

So today I bought a ruffler foot for my Singer at my local store. So far I have had a heck of a time trying attach it..when I did get attached it broke a needle when I tried to sew a piece of material. After that I could not remove the foot from my machine...I was at the point of screaming. :cry

After I finally removed the foot which took sometime to do...I did not want to try and attach it again..I was afraid I might break my machine.

I am wondering if the attachment is for my machine--- the store said it would work. I am going to take the ruffler back to the store and explain what happened...maybe it was something I did. I hope I can get this cleared up...I really want to make ruffles.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Try to set your stitch length to a wider one ( mine is on 4) then slowly hand crank the needle down a few times and make sure everything is moving smoothly without hitting...when you get the fabric in there do not keep any tension on the fabric you will miss and have an inconsistant ruffle. make sure the foot is tightly attached to the presser foot bar if it is at all lose it will hit, check this after you use it a while there is a lot of motion with this foot and it will loosen over time. Keep your speed slow...you are still saving mounds of time, but, rush this foot and it looks for the opportunity to act badly.
Hope that helps

Gypsy

[Ima Sleepin]

OK... I will attach this little creature onto my machine again---and I will watch everything it is doing. I hope this works...I was getting frustrated with it today.

But I will try it again.
Thank you

[Ima Sleepin]

:) Gypsy thanks for the advice about the ruffler, I finally got it to make ruffles. :)

I had the machine set up like you posted but the needle was the problem--It was my stitch width which was off just a smidge...which was causing the needle to hit the plate at times..like a zig zag stitch. I changed that setting and the ruffler does a great job. I will agree that it is a complex tool & you can't rush it...but the rufflles are pretty. Thanks again for your advice. :)

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

I love it when a plan comes together! :bow :bow Wahoo...I am lad you are happy with it! Rufflers are a great tool!!