Singer materials seem to brag that the needle and area there is
easier to see than a regular low shank machine. Think they
just needed a new gimmick but hard to argue with how wonderful
it is to sew on a 401, 301 or a 500! Some great photos still
up on my old webpage:
http://home1.gte.net/res0yk6g/taria/401a.html
hasn't been updated in a long time but the machine photos are still
good ones.
BTW, 301's are about my favorite machine but won't work with the
monogrammer.
Taria

wrote:

Singer Monogrammer for slant needle

(Tom Farrell)
snip
Incidentally, can you shed any light on what's the *point* of the slant
needle machines? From an engineering perspective it would seem like a
bad idea to me...
---
At this point, I have a stable of slant needle Singers, and have
always found them to be reliable, easy-to-use machines. Snap-on feet,
in-casing bobbin winding, and I can change the stitch with the flip of a
dial of two. The slant foot does make it easier to see one's work, and
makes it easier to work in small areas of stitching. I do a lot of
alterations, and, like you, don't want to thread a needle unless I have
to.
Being able to stitch right up to within an inch of turning something
before reversing it to hand-sew is a bennie. (linings, for example, and
beneath-the zipper fly-front crotch repairs.)
Loads of clear nylon specialty feet are available to make seeing the
stitches easier, although when I get in a go-mode, (time=money and all
that blab-blah, 90% of the time, I sew with either the relatively narrow
straight-stitch foot, or the zig-zag.
Didn't know there was a monogrammer available, though. Sounds
interesting. I have monogramming cams for 2 of my slant-stitch Singers.
Cea