IKEA SY Sewing Machine!

My new machine from IKEA! a gift from my sweet daughter for Mom's Day. All I did was mention it, and it was mine (I do love her a lot...).

I am super fortunate because IKEA is 8 miles from my house. But I almost did not find the machine. No one I asked knew anything about it. Heart flutter. So I wandered through likely places, you know, aisles with textiles on them. At last, back behind all the kitchen linens and curtains, almost to the rugs - a short aisle of fabric bolts and 6 feet of shelf space with boxes of cotton thread, zippered sewing kits, and on the bottom, 3 smallish boxes. I almost missed them!

Thrilled. Only stopped for cookies in the market on my way out (if ever you can, try IKEA's cookies, oh my...).

This iconic white/yellow/blue machine was designed by Henrik Preutz. It is made of ABS plastic with an aluminum frame and various metals in its parts, similar to my Brother. A few stats:

• Price $59.99
• Width: 11 3/4"    
• Height: 7 1/8"
• Length: 14 5/8"  
• Weight: 13 lbs.

Accessories:

• Seam ripper
• Straight stitch, zipper, buttonhole feet
• 2 Thread spool felts
• Lint brush
• 4 Needles
• 6 Bobbins
• Additional spool pin
• Screw driver tool
• Combo control foot and power cord

I am ridiculously happy about the generous number of needles and bobbins. More than I have ever received with a machine. 

Side view...the hand wheel is conventional for non-computerized machines. It is pulled out to fill a bobbin, pushed back to re-engage gears for sewing. The two spool pins are visible here as well. I chose mine randomly. On the front is a view of the reverse stitch lever.

And a very nicely wound bobbin, easy peasy to do, very even tension.

The storage compartment slides off to provide for free-arm sewing and access to the bobbin case.

And it's a great bobbin case area. I mean it! It's fully accessible and well-lit by my IKEA bendable lamp. The bobbin case itself is standard and accepts most (not all) bobbins.

Also, take a peek at the metal throat plate. It is scribed in front in metric and in back in inches! Wish my other machine had this. My Brother combines the two behind the pressure foot - a lot of lines.

  

A view of the thread cutter, shank screw, foot release lever, and the dogs. Now to sew...

I'll comment first so you can look: the machine has 13 stitches, including straight, zigzag, decorative, and blind hem stitch variations.  (Blind stitch is not on my sample - oops). Not a purring machine, but not a jackhammer either. It has a steady feed, sews very evenly, and the control foot feels just like my others. It is very sturdy and does not budge - at 13 lbs. it is not going anywhere! but to add to that, the rubber feet are good size and quality.

Here's a front view. (The straight stitch is very good. Just not straight, which is my not being used to the machine!)

And here is the view I hold my breath over - the back view, the one that tells me whether the tension dial is working! Nothing ruins a machine for me faster than poor tension - I tossed a Singer over this issue. I used a lighter thread in the bobbin so that I could really see how the tension behaved - it got very good marks!

IKEA provides a very well-written manual with pictures that are large enough that one can actually see the part being discussed! And a separate folder on oiling and cleaning the machine, which I think is very thoughtful. Generic oiling on a non-sealed machine without directions makes me nervous! but it has to be done.

So that is the new IKEA sewing machine. I am excited to have it. I now have a backup and can sleep at night knowing a breakdown will not keep me away from my favorite activity. And my daughter is thrilled because I have a machine that can go with when I visit her.

I don't normally name my machines, but will share that this one has been called Priss since I picked up the box in the store. Good lines...

Edited with a little update, October, 2014: So many of you have gotten this machine! How wonderful, I continue to enjoy mine.  And I've gotten so many requests and inquiries for an English version of the User Manual. Regrets - but the Manual is under copyright, I simply cannot scan it and distribute it. I can only refer you to IKEA for help. I also have had questions about presser feet and bobbins. Well, I can tell you what works for me - I use low shank snap-on presser feet and Singer Class 15 plastic bobbins.

Happy sewing! Coco