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+<p>Those of you who have followed this blog for a while will know that I&rsquo;ve
+collected a few sewing machines over the years. I have a modern Janome DKS100
+and a Brother overlocker which I use for most of my sewing, and two vintage
+Singer machines (<a href="https://www.rousette.org.uk/archives/sewing-1911-style/">hand-cranked</a> and <a href="https://www.rousette.org.uk/archives/singer-201k/">treadle operated</a>) that I use when I just need
+a beautiful straight stitch and I want to enjoy the serenity of non-motorised
+machines. Actually, I have another tiny <a href="https://www.rousette.org.uk/archives/old-and-new-but-both-classics/">Singer 99</a> which was the first I bought,
+but I don&rsquo;t often use that one these days. When I learned more about the unique
+features of different brands, I really wanted to try a <a href="https://www.pfaff.com">Pfaff machine</a>. Sewing
+enthusiasts tend to have their favourite brands, but Pfaff (and Bernina) fans
+tend to be very loyal to their chosen machine maker. However, when I bought my
+Janome, the problem with that plan was that both were <em>really</em> expensive to buy
+new. I think I made the right choice with my Janome at the time. It is a very
+capable and well-made machine for the price, and I have thoroughly enjoyed making
+a wardrobe of clothes on it. However, I&rsquo;ve kept an eye on eBay from time to time
+to see if any used Pfaff machines came up at reasonable prices, and about a week ago,
+I spotted one. Reader, I bought it.</p>
+<p>It&rsquo;s a <a href="https://www.pfaff.com/en-US/Machines/performance-5-2">Pfaff Performance 5.2</a>, and it&rsquo;s an absolute beauty. Pfaff make some
+machines which are oriented more towards quilters, some which have machine
+embroidery features, and some which are all-rounders and great for garment
+sewing. This model is one of the latter kind. The thing which makes Pfaff
+machines unique is the Integrated Dual Feed (IDT) system, which they have had on
+almost all their machines for more than 45 years. Most sewing machines feed
+fabric under the moving needle from the bottom, using toothed plates called
+&lsquo;feed dogs&rsquo; which rise up and forward in time with the needle to move the fabric
+forward and make the next stitch. This works well enough, but since
+you are almost always joining two pieces of fabric when sewing, it means that
+the bottom piece of fabric can shift relative to the top piece as only the
+bottom is in contact with the feed dogs. If you don&rsquo;t hang on to the fabric
+(with your hands, or with careful pinning or basting), the top layer of a seam
+ends up being longer than the bottom, even if the fabric length of both pieces
+is the same.</p>
+<p>You can (and should) counteract this tendency for the pieces to shift with
+careful handling, or you can use what&rsquo;s called a &lsquo;walking foot&rsquo;. I&rsquo;ve got one
+and use it sometimes on my Janome. It&rsquo;s a rather large attachment which grips
+the fabric from the top while the feed dogs move it from the bottom, and it
+helps to keep things from shifting. It&rsquo;s quite a wide and generic presser foot
+though, and doesn&rsquo;t help when you need to insert a zip or do something else
+which requires a special foot. The IDT is built-in, and can be engaged to sew
+with most of the feet that you can get for the machine. It works beautifully.
+You barely need to hold the fabric, as it feeds evenly and precisely. The stitch
+quality is lovely too. It&rsquo;s one of those things which is hard to quantify, but
+sewing on the Pfaff feels smooth and almost effortless. There are a lot of nice
+features which make it less of a stop-start activity, and help to keep you in
+the flow. You can set it so that the needle stops in the down position when you
+stop sewing. Lots of machines (including my Janome) let you do that, and it&rsquo;s
+very helpful to be able to pivot the fabric without moving the needle position.
+However, the Pfaff also automatically raises the presser foot slightly to hover
+when you stop, so that you don&rsquo;t have to raise and lower the presser foot
+manually when you want to pivot. In fact, when you press the foot pedal, the
+presser foot lowers before the machine starts sewing, and when you stop, the
+foot hovers. Once you&rsquo;ve got used to this, it makes for a lovely, flowing way of
+sewing, and you can concentrate more on manipulating the fabric and keeping an
+eye on the accuracy of your stitching.</p>
+<p>I&rsquo;ve only had time to make a couple of face masks as a test this weekend, but
+that went very smoothly. I&rsquo;ve got some denim to make another pair of Ginger
+jeans to replace <a href="https://www.rousette.org.uk/archives/ginger-jeans-2/">this pair</a> which have now worn through on the legs because (as
+predicted) I wore them to death. I&rsquo;m hoping to start those next weekend. I&rsquo;m
+looking forward to all that top-stitching which I think will work out well on
+the Pfaff with the IDT. It also has a bit more fabric piercing power, which is
+always welcome when you are sewing seams in denim through multiple layers.</p>
+<p>So, I seem to have become a sewing machine collector. I did think hard about my
+purchase, but I&rsquo;m really glad I took the plunge as it was a real bargain. We
+don&rsquo;t really have the space for six (yikes!) machines in the house though, so my
+plan is to sell the Janome and the Singer 99 so that someone else can enjoy
+them. I do like using the other two vintage Singers though. There&rsquo;s something
+about the contrast between a very hi-tech sewing machine (which does a lot for
+you) and a very low-tech but beautifully built machine (which does very little
+for you) that I enjoy. They both challenge my brain and hands in different ways,
+and switching between the two is refreshing.</p>