iSew. How many of you wouldn't like to have one of these? This goes along with inventing a better mousetrap.
Seen in Metropolis, Itay Potash, a 26-year old designer from Tel-Aviv, created the Flat Mode Sewing Machine last year and won top honors from the Manufacturer's Association of Israel for his handiwork.
Flat Mode is made of aluminum, stainless steel, plastic and rubber, comes equipped with a Bluetooth foot pedal and can be folded flat and carried in one hand. Itay is working on gettting these mass produced this year. MGR
This is amazing! I would love to have this product. It seems so functional. Especially for us "straight line" only sewers! Perfect for curtains and table cloths, etc. And just perfect for NYC apartments (who has room for a gargantuan sewing machine and with how much they weigh, who wants to be pulling it out of the closet each time they want to use it?!
The best thing is it seems to have plenty of room on the right side of the needle which is frequently a problem. My only question just from looking at this photo is where does the spool of thread go?
This makes me want to take up sewing.
I make handbags out of my one bedroom Brooklyn apartment. I have an industrial machine, a home machine and a ton of fabric. I desperately want this machine and the blue-tooth pedal is perfection. Sewing machines may take over my personal space, but who cares. I would take this with me everywhere.
That's one of those "I could have thought of that if I were brilliant" inventions! Instead, I just dust my hulking sewing machine that I barely use and that takes up so much space.
Hey, Fiona-- didn't someone here on AT want some pillows run up not too long ago? Dust off that Singer and start make some bucks, baby!! And with the money, you can buy this sweet uber-style model!
Oh man, I want one--but I already have three sewing machines!
ooh, I like. Actually I'm not keen on the orange but the design is amazing. Blue tooth pedal - genius!
Patrick, you are too funny. I am actually the sewer of the household because my mother refused to taper my trousers (I grew up in the 80's) when they were perfectly fine when I bought them so I had to learn to do it myself. I have been eyeing a sewing machine for a while but did not want to deal with storage issues. This would solve that problem.
Hmmm, Patrick (the other one), I like the way you think! Although I admit I've having a hard enough time just getting motivated to knit at night now that I've finally learned how--but maybe the incentive of this machine is enough to make me start sewing again...
I don't even know how to sew, but this thing is extremely cool.
Great design - assuming it works!
I'm in line to buy one. A sewing machine that will fit in my junk drawer!
Question to all...what IS a "blue-tooth pedal"?
PAS--
I'm guessing it's a wireless pedal.
Yep, wireless pedal.
The reason I think that this is so significant is due to the history of Blue tooth. In terms of awareness WiFi (think wireless access to internet from your pc) and bluetooth seemed to both come out at the same time and promise the same wireless connectivity. With the rapid adoption of WiFi in its various forms, many ppl in the tech industry thought that WiFi killed the need for Bluetooth before it had even gained a foothold but they did not see its real benefit - that of short range cable/wire elimination in battery powered devices where power consumption had to be very carefully controlled. WiFi is useless for wireless mobile phone headsets, wireless mice or keyboards, or sewing machine pedals. Suddenly ppl started to see that WiFi and Bluetooth were not competing technologies but complentary. This realization came over a year after Bluetooth was launched with great fanfare (quite a few obituaries for bluetooth were written in that period) so seeing all the ideas popping up that properly utilize its strengths warms the cockles of my heart to coin a phrase.
And we like warm cockles.
Where do I find the blasted thing?
WOW! Beautiful! Sexy! reminds me of the Ettore Sottsas Valentine Red Typewriter for Olivetti.
Hi MJ, I'm not trying to be argumentative but your comment interested me enough to look up said typewriter. It looks like the U shaped section in front of the space bar doubles as the front part of the base as well as becoming a carrying handle once the unit is inserted into its case.
I think that the separate unit and case and standard form is more in line with standard sewing machines today that also have cases. Sottsas' design did not significanly change the form of the typewriter but it did include a matching case with a clever dual role handle. This sewing machine does radically change the form with a very clever folding mechanism that is integral to the function rather than simply being a means to make the unit smaller.
yeah, jamie pup, another thing that's hopefully different about the two objects is that the Valentine did not sell very well when it was made, and Sottsas, who said, "design should be sensual and exciting" poo-poo-ed it; saying the Valentine was "too obvious, like a girl wearing a very short skirt and too much make up"
But, I think the Valentine is sexy in a MC Mod way.
And so is this Flat-Mode (I wish it had a better name) Sexy-- in a twenty-first century way!
Oooo, I desperately want one of these so I can better fulfill my dreams of curtain/pillow/duvet cover making. I agree with everyone else - where would I put a big ol' fugly sewing machine?
Fiona, come to the Stitch n Bitch on Tues. night; we'll get you motivated on that knitting.
It reminds me of a MeWa. That was a folding sewing machine made in East Germany when the country was divided. They made, as far as I know, two versions. One, made of Bakelite, folded over like this one does, while the other folded up, and has "wings" on either side. Perhaps this inventor was inspired by one. Stellar design, and a must have.
Perfect! I want one too. Will it plug into one of those car transformer unitss that transforms to AC power? I could sew while I am waiting on my son from various sport events! Whats better than that, or even on my lunch hour! WOW!!
Is this a chain stitch machine or is there a bobbin? How is it threaded? I assume if it sews, it does use thread?
WOW cute machine... wonder how well it sews??? I think I could make space for it if I move my 30 something machines around... Currently have 4 industrials, and as many heavy class 15 type machines as I can rescue....can't beat the older heavy 15s..... But this is just CUTE! Cat
How much does this cute little machine cost?
What about the thread? When where and how do I get one of these?
Too cool!! ANOTHER machine to collect; this one I'd have room for. Wonder if it is loud our jumps around while you are trying to sew?
Someone said they would like one but already have 3 SMs, to that I say, soooo?!? I have 13 SMs, and I want one of these, too! Will they come in other colors, I wonder? I'm not a big fan of orange.
Oh, well, here I go being the wet blanket, again.
In order to sew, the needle (on the cute arm) MUST pass near the shuttle (or equivalent) at a rather precise distance and placement - and MUST continue to do so through numerous sessions.
That "sexy" arm is going to get knocked out of alignment by minor bumps AND the swivel will quickly get sloppy AND whatever swivel-limiting mechanism it has will also wear with routine use.
This thing aught to be yellow (lemon).
Paul
Hm....seems it would be cheaper and better for the enfironment to just buy a used, old, straight-stitch Singer at the thrift shop. It would hold up longer and be more versitile in terms of various materials that could be stitches.
A sexier name for the Flat-Mode would be Skippity-Doo-Dah, named for the way it's going to stitch. Too flexible, too foldy-uppy to form a consistant stitch or maybe any stitch. A lot of the antique machines had skinny arms like that, but they were made out of stiff metal and didn't swivel.
I would like to buy the flat mode when it is available. How can I be informed? Estelle Thank you