machine vs hand sewn

[wyldathart]

I see, thanks for clearing that up

[wyldathart]

Singer has a little "Quicksew" handheld machine that uses only one thread. It looks like a series of knots from the back, normal machine stitches from the front. The stitch is made (AFAIK) with a small knot that keeps the stitch from coming back through the fabric. They're fairly strong, but if you forget to tie it, then pulling the loose end of thread unravels the ENTIRE stitch, so you have to remember to tie it.

Otherwise it's okay, but you can't sew a kilt with it, the arm is too small. Maybe hemming?

That sounds like the little machine I've used to sew up feed bags. You can pull on the tag end of the string to open the bag with one hand

[Bugbear]

I still like my Six-Million Dollar Machine idea.

Hmmm, a machine that literally goes through the motions of hand sewing... I wonder if we have the technology, robotics etc, to create such a thing...

A steel needle,points on both endes and threaded in the middle; a powerful electro magnet of some sort, both above and below the fabric that can grab the needle and coordinately move; arms to take up the slack in the thread; a computer with softwear to control it and a human to guide the fabric... You would think it could be done.