Singer Confidence 7470

Let me start by saying that I had not sewed a stitch on a machine in almost 20 years. Then my daughter comes to me to say she is getting married and needs me to sew children's bridal dresses, wall panels,… table runners, etc. I didn't even own a sewing machine! I fired up the computer and after a bit of research decided to give Singer 7470 Confidence Electronic Sewing Machine a try. I was a nervous wreck when I sat down to try it out the day it came. BOY, was I surprised. It was so easy I was shocked. The instruction manual is very well written. Self threading the machine turned out to be a breeze. Selecting the stitch was super simple. I was particularly taken with the weight of the machine. Some have said it's a bit too heavy, but that is what I really liked. When you step on the gas the machine stays put instead of bouncing away from you like the light-weight machines tend to do. In the end it took me less than two months to make two children's bridal gowns (with long trains,) 21-13'x4' wall panels (all edges hemmed,) and 8-9'x2.5' table runners (all edges hemmed.) I would most definitely recommend this sewing machine to anyone as I totally love it.

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My husband bought this sewing machine for me for our anniversary. I'm simply delighted every time I sit down to sew a project or do the humdrum, mending, primarily because of the variety of stitches… available to meet my various needs. You see, I've had a bargain-priced Singer with only straight and zigzag stitches since 1972. Though to date I've only used three different stitches, this machine has lit the fire of creativity in me. Equally important are the cost of it, the ease of use and its many features. A woman who has sewn for 40 years, I never thought I could be so thrilled about a machine. This is like stepping out of my Oldsmobile station wagon and into my new Honda Accord. I can't wait to start my Chrismas sewing project, patchwork tote bags.

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This is a versatile machine, not as smooth a feed as my older one, and has so far proved itself unreliable. The bobbin-winding mechanism has already frozen up, and the electronics are of no help in… diagnosing what the trouble is. I have now been on hold for Singer Customer Service for over 30 minutes. I upgraded to this from my 25+-year-old Singer workhorse of a machine, and now I can even get a bobbin loaded, nor can I get thru to a person on their help line.

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I received this in December 2008 as a Christmas present. Before that, I'd been making due with an entry-level Euro Pro that jammed consistently. It was also a gift, and I didn't have the money to buy one… myself. I was always afraid to sew anything ambitious on that machine, so right off the bat, the Singer is a 1000% improvement. It hasn't jammed once. Pros: -I love the drop-in bobbin. I don't even mind having to adjust the thread myself while it's winding, either (as another reviewer pointed out). It's just so much easier than on my old machine. -It handles all fabrics, thick and thin. Just make sure you're using the right needle (of course)! -The buttonholer and button sewer are marvellous - soooo easy! And I used to *hate* sewing buttonholes. Lowering and raising the feed dog is a snap, too. Very convenient instead of having to use a special plate. -Despite that this isn't an "embroidery" machine, the stitches it does are very lovely, practical, and it doesn't have so many fancy stitches that I'll never use. I didn't buy this to be an embroidery machine, but the decorative stitches it has are very nice. -The see-through bobbin plate is very handy. -The blind stitch works wonderfully! My old machine would only do a reverse blind stitch. This simply wouldn't work with the blind hem foot I had for that machine. Hemming is super easy now. -If all the little prongs on the automatic needle threader are in just the right spot, it works like a charm. (see cons) Cons: -If all the little prongs on the automatic neeled threader are NOT in just the right spot, it won't work at all. The center of the three prongs is the one that hooks the thread. It must line up just so, so that it goes into the hole on the needle. Once it's through the needle hole, hook the thread, and pop it through. I had to manually bend mine a little bit to get it in the right spot. -I've started making my first quilt. I know this isn't the best quilting machine out there, but I somewhat expected better results. I bought the correct walking foot for the machine, but it just doesn't feed the material while I'm quilting. I have to manually pull the quilt through. This is frustrating, and I can't quilt as accurately as I'd like. Perhaps I'm just doing something wrong here, but it's like there's not enough pressure being exerted by the walking foot to make the quilt advance through the machine. -The rolled hem foot isn't all that great, either. It's easier (seriously) to just press and pin a narrow hem myself. And even that's a great challenge - but easier than the rolled hem foot. Overall, this is a great machine that I've already used on dozens of projects (clothes to curtains), and I plan to keep it around for a long time.

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