**~~>>Second Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatchathon<<~~**all poultry welcome!

[NotAFarm]

Thank you Ron for the great job you did for us!

 

[wolftracks]

Thank you Ron for the great job you did for us!

 

[mrshaggie810]

HEchicken...I know you didnt ask me, but ive been sewing for some 18 or so years now, so I thought i'd chime in. I highly recommend getting a good quality second hand machine...a good quality !achine that has been well maintained will just keep on trucking! You also want one that has metal gears...especially if you are going to sew heavier materil. I have a euro pro craft and sew, and i love it!!! Singers, and Kenmores that are a little older are usually good too. Make sure you get a real machine, and dont get duped into buying a little crafting one for a low price...you will get what you pay for. I think i paid $50 including shippinv for mine, and its been worth every penny!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

To both of the above....do you have a machine you would recommend? I had one I really liked but it got broken in a move and I finally gave it to a thrift store last year. I'd like to get another but don't need anything fancy. If I could sew through feed bags, that would be a bonus but other than that, something that threads easily, and does straight and zigzag reliably is about all I need. Every time I start to look I get overwhelmed by all the options out there, so a recommendation would be great.

I haven't been sewing that long but I have a Singer Simple. It came with a DVD which goes over certain things for you, like how to thread the machine. I'd play it a few times, pause it, do that part... repeat on the next part. It was helpful. I did run into a bobbin issue when I first got the machine - my mom took the whole area apart and it took us about an hour to get it back in. I'm terrified to go back in that area again. I can thread the bobbin of course, but I think I'm supposed to take it out and oil it and I know if I do that I'll never get it back in there.

It doesn't sew in reverse without holding a button down, so it only backstitches to close the edge, really. That's the only downside. I saw a lot of videos on youtube while trying to figure out how to do things (sleeves, for one... *cough*) where they had nice machines that could sew in reverse after flipping a switch.

It has an automatic needle threader which is pretty easy to use if you've got the needle at the right height (and the video goes over how to use it in incredible detail). It only comes with 2 bobbins, so you need to buy more and of a specific size. Learned that the hard way. It has 23 stitches, which is about 21 more than I need.

I would certainly buy that one again if I had the chance and for being someone that hates change and new things, and had never sewn before (even by hand), it made it fun because it was easy.




A few years ago we had someone hatching for new years that had chicks hatching 4-5 days after everyone else, and they were set at the right/same time. I think she also had low temps. I wouldn't intervene unless they've pipped themselves and have sat for at least 12 hours without progressing.

 

[wolftracks]

I used on old old Singer when my mom taught me to sew. I was supposed to get that machine, but didn't. But on my 19th birthday my 2 oldest girls' dad bought me a heavy duty Morse. I have a curse of legs being to long for more pants. I can finally find jeans sometimes, but slacks or jackets are hard. Long legs = long arms. My mom couldn't find things to fit right when I was a little girl, so when I was 9 she sat me down at that singer and I made my first pants with a zipper after making a few other things.

I have 5 machines. Not even sure what a couple of them are. LOL No room here, so they are in storage. I think the only one that's here is my Brother. It's not heavy duty, but runs great. We got lots of looks the day my husband bought me that thing. We only had the Harley at the time and it was on sale. I balanced that sucker on one knee all the way home. Then we made a second tri for the case. LOL At least that was lighter and much easier to hang onto out of the box and using the handle. hehe

I have 3 machines that are OLD! They run better than any machine I see these days. Sergers?? Yeah I had one, but I only pulled it out when I wanted to get something done and was too frustrated to learn. As cool as they are and the things I've seen that people have made on them are very nice, I figure I can usually figure out a way to get the same results or close. Guess I'm too old to learn now.

 

[Arielle]

HEChicken-- I have used many machines over the years. The Grandmothers machines stay in the cabinets--being antiques and foot tredle types. My best machine is a PFaff. Bought it when I inherited some money. About $1000. BEfore the Pfaff we bought old used machines at yard sales because they are made better than most anything on the market 10-15 years ago. I have one fancy stitch machine and I don't use it. 99% of all my sewing is straight or zigzag. I have looked at the new models at the sewing stores and just walk away. They look flimsy in thin plastic. Hopefully someone else has a different opinion.

My suggestion is to look for a simple machine without too many things that can break.

Also-- The Germans have better engineering in their house hold goods because they have been running out of landfill space and want to keep durable goods durable and out of land fill. Other European products fit the same high quality criteria. Be willing to pay good money for it--it will last a lifetime.

( Sorry for the lecture.)

 

[yinepu]

OOh! frizzle cochins...I just love them....I had 2 bantam frizzle cochins last year, and they both died. I need more.

Remind me next year (or later on this year) and I'll add you to the egg list when these guys are old enough to start laying!

 

[HEChicken]

HEchicken...I know you didnt ask me, but ive been sewing for some 18 or so years now, so I thought i'd chime in. I highly recommend getting a good quality second hand machine...a good quality !achine that has been well maintained will just keep on trucking! You also want one that has metal gears...especially if you are going to sew heavier materil. I have a euro pro craft and sew, and i love it!!! Singers, and Kenmores that are a little older are usually good too. Make sure you get a real machine, and dont get duped into buying a little crafting one for a low price...you will get what you pay for. I think i paid $50 including shippinv for mine, and its been worth every penny!

I haven't been sewing that long but I have a Singer Simple. It came with a DVD which goes over certain things for you, like how to thread the machine. I'd play it a few times, pause it, do that part... repeat on the next part. It was helpful. I did run into a bobbin issue when I first got the machine - my mom took the whole area apart and it took us about an hour to get it back in. I'm terrified to go back in that area again. I can thread the bobbin of course, but I think I'm supposed to take it out and oil it and I know if I do that I'll never get it back in there.

It doesn't sew in reverse without holding a button down, so it only backstitches to close the edge, really. That's the only downside. I saw a lot of videos on youtube while trying to figure out how to do things (sleeves, for one... *cough*) where they had nice machines that could sew in reverse after flipping a switch.

It has an automatic needle threader which is pretty easy to use if you've got the needle at the right height (and the video goes over how to use it in incredible detail). It only comes with 2 bobbins, so you need to buy more and of a specific size. Learned that the hard way. It has 23 stitches, which is about 21 more than I need.

I would certainly buy that one again if I had the chance and for being someone that hates change and new things, and had never sewn before (even by hand), it made it fun because it was easy.




A few years ago we had someone hatching for new years that had chicks hatching 4-5 days after everyone else, and they were set at the right/same time. I think she also had low temps. I wouldn't intervene unless they've pipped themselves and have sat for at least 12 hours without progressing.

I used on old old Singer when my mom taught me to sew. I was supposed to get that machine, but didn't. But on my 19th birthday my 2 oldest girls' dad bought me a heavy duty Morse. I have a curse of legs being to long for more pants. I can finally find jeans sometimes, but slacks or jackets are hard. Long legs = long arms. My mom couldn't find things to fit right when I was a little girl, so when I was 9 she sat me down at that singer and I made my first pants with a zipper after making a few other things.

I have 5 machines. Not even sure what a couple of them are. LOL No room here, so they are in storage. I think the only one that's here is my Brother. It's not heavy duty, but runs great. We got lots of looks the day my husband bought me that thing. We only had the Harley at the time and it was on sale. I balanced that sucker on one knee all the way home. Then we made a second tri for the case. LOL At least that was lighter and much easier to hang onto out of the box and using the handle. hehe

I have 3 machines that are OLD! They run better than any machine I see these days. Sergers?? Yeah I had one, but I only pulled it out when I wanted to get something done and was too frustrated to learn. As cool as they are and the things I've seen that people have made on them are very nice, I figure I can usually figure out a way to get the same results or close. Guess I'm too old to learn now.

HEChicken-- I have used many machines over the years. The Grandmothers machines stay in the cabinets--being antiques and foot tredle types. My best machine is a PFaff. Bought it when I inherited some money. About $1000. BEfore the Pfaff we bought old used machines at yard sales because they are made better than most anything on the market 10-15 years ago. I have one fancy stitch machine and I don't use it. 99% of all my sewing is straight or zigzag. I have looked at the new models at the sewing stores and just walk away. They look flimsy in thin plastic. Hopefully someone else has a different opinion.

My suggestion is to look for a simple machine without too many things that can break.

Also-- The Germans have better engineering in their house hold goods because they have been running out of landfill space and want to keep durable goods durable and out of land fill. Other European products fit the same high quality criteria. Be willing to pay good money for it--it will last a lifetime.

( Sorry for the lecture.)

Wow, thanks all for the advice. I'm so glad I asked as I was picturing going down to Walmart and looking at the available offerings

. My last machine I bought at a yard sale for $25 and used it for years without any issues and made so many things with it. If only it didn't get damaged in a move (international move so it was in a shipping crate for weeks). I don't tend to stop at yard sales very often, especially when I'm not looking for anything in particular but maybe its time I stopped at a few and see what I find. Love the tip on metal gears - I never would have thought to look at that.

 

[JD4570]

Wait a darn minute! This hatch ain't over just yet! Four tutors hatched out overnight and the first of my BR turkeys is pipping!

 

[ronott1]

Wow, thanks all for the advice. I'm so glad I asked as I was picturing going down to Walmart and looking at the available offerings

. My last machine I bought at a yard sale for $25 and used it for years without any issues and made so many things with it. If only it didn't get damaged in a move (international move so it was in a shipping crate for weeks). I don't tend to stop at yard sales very often, especially when I'm not looking for anything in particular but maybe its time I stopped at a few and see what I find. Love the tip on metal gears - I never would have thought to look at that.

Kitchenaid mixers have plastic gears now too. Mine broke after 25 years so I bought a new one. It broke in 6 months so I sent it back and a new one was sent to me--one that had broken for someone else. The refurbished ones get metal gears. This one has been working fine for three years now.