QUILTsocial Issue 12

Husqvarna Viking Designer Ruby deLuxe with optional extension table
Designer
Ruby
deLuxe
Elaine Theriault
NOT your grandmother’s sewing machine
It’s so exciting to be back and I’ve got
another great articles of super sewing
tips and ideas to share with you.
I’ll be using the Husqvarna Viking Designer
Ruby deLuxe. Just a quick note, the most
recent model of the Ruby family is the
Designer Ruby Royale which has a few
additional features.
I’ve been using the Designer Ruby
deLuxe for about five years (it’s probably
longer than that). Not only is it a sewing
machine, but it’s an embroidery machine
as well. Do I love it? It’s never let me
down and while I don’t do a lot of
machine embroidery, I’d be lost without
the ability to do embroidery.
You can read my sewing machine review
of the Husqvarna Viking Designer Ruby
Royale, it’s a 5 day blog posts with lots of
great stuff!
This sewing machine resides in a small
portable table with a cutout to give me a
larger surface. I don’t need the extension
table or the accessory box. However
when I went to find the accessory box
to take a picture, it was not to be found.
What does that tell me? I’ve put it in a safe
place which I haven’t found yet. But the
picture above shows you how much of an
added advantage the extension table is
whether you’re piecing, quilting or doing
applique. If I didn’t have a set-in table, I’d
always have the extension table attached.
I’ve had a feature-rich sewing machine
for the past 20 years. I decided that if I
was going to get serious about quilting/
sewing that I needed to get a serious
Q
34 .com| issue 12
UILTsocial
sewing machine with some helpful
features. It’s not that I take these features
for granted, but I’ve become so used to
them that they’re second nature to me.
These features have definitely made my
sewing life a whole lot easier. I certainly
notice this when I teach a class of
beginners with less feature-rich sewing
machines. It’s a bit of an oxymoron
actually – they’re struggling with things
that would be so much easier on a
different sewing machine, however, they
haven’t made the commitment (yet) to
want to upgrade their sewing machine.
I was teaching a class and one of the
students was working on her project and
the bobbin ran out. She hadn’t noticed
it immediately and lamented “wouldn’t
it be nice to have a sewing machine that
told you when the bobbin ran out?”
Matter of fact that feature exists! I
provided a quick rundown of some of
the features that are available on sewing
machines today. As a result, I thought
I would share some of what I think are
the more helpful features built into the
Designer Ruby deLuxe.
Are these features necessary to make a
quilt or a garment? Are these features
necessary to do a good job on your
project? The answer to both is NO.
However, I must say that these features
will certainly make life a whole lot easier
for you. Some of them help to control
the sewing machine functions, some of
them provide a helping hand to you the
sewist, while others are time savers.
Let’s dive right in and I’ll show you some
of my favorite features.
The Function Panel
Many of the features and functions that
I’m talking about are easy to access right
on the Function Panel which is situated
right above the needle. Lights will
indicate whether that particular feature
is activated (if necessary).
The Function Panel on the Designer Ruby deLuxe
Needle Stop Up/Down
This is one of my favorite features. When
I bought my first sewing machine with
this feature, I thought I had died and
gone to heaven. It’s like having a third
hand to help you.
Essentially, when I stop sewing and this
feature is engaged, the needle will stop
in the fabric and prevent the project
from moving. The the presser foot raises
ever so slightly when you stop with
the needle down and that’s definitely
like having a third hand. If you want to
pivot your work, insert the next pieces
of fabric to sew, or whatever, it’s a MUST
HAVE feature.
Photos by Elaine Theriault