The of Upside of ‘Everything Is a Computer'
Saying no to features can mean yes to progress.

Working in infosec suggests everything is broken. APTs roam, companies big and small get pwned, and that tech-startup is probably leaking your health data. Now that everything turns into a computer, this also applies to things like cars, dishwashers, and toothbrushes. It’s easy to forget the positive side when everything turns into a broken computer.

Overlockers and coverstitchers are considered a special type of sewing machine that produce beautiful seams and finishes, especially for stretchy fabrics such as your t-shirt. It’s a feat of engineering in itself: The machine cuts off excessive fabric, closes the seam and finishes it in one go. Magic! Regular sewing machines can achieve the same results, yet not as fast and as beautifully. I have been sewing on such a regular, medium-priced sewing machine for many years. The results are okay for most projects, but for me who sews most of her clothes by now, this was not enough.

As always, there’s a “but”. First, overlockers and coverstitchers are two separate machines in most cases. Both take up space, a precious commodity I lacked for a very long time. Second and most importantly, they are challenging to thread. Even if there’s a system that supports you in the process, it takes many steps until the thread passes the needle. You need to thread several spools, and after a couple of months without sewing you will have forgotten a step and break your machine. Oh, and if you change thread colors, you do the whole process again. An initial demo by the brand that invented overlockers left me in doubt. It looked fiddly, error-prone and cumbersome. I could easily wait.

A while ago a Swiss sewing machine company announced a new model. It was a combo-machine, promising to achieve both overlocking and coverstiching. Reviews were good. I was intrigued. And gulped at the price tag. In terms of cars, think of a Tesla minus the CEO. So I waited.

As I of course foresaw prices to drop drastically because I absolutely did not admire the machine for two years, the combo-queen finally landed in my home.

This is not just any machine, it’s the machine of all machines - the peak of what’s possible on the market right now. A feat of engineering, of deliberate design and care. One example: Most smart things have terrible user interfaces, with menus that are hard to navigate. It generally fosters a deep dislike for embedded devices. Not this machine. Its crisp screen supports you on every step when and if you need it. Little abstracted animations display each action for the thread to reach the needle. Various illustrations of a single stitch type help you understand where and how each thread passes. It helps you choosing the correct stitch, the correct settings, and, oh, the firmware update went as smooth as my Linux updates usually go (well).

The absolutely bestest thing? No connectivity.

I have seen premium sewing machines by other vendors which feature access to some online content. The second I saw a login screen with a password, my infosec heart contracted in horror. Also, every smart device now comes with an app. An app that sends data somewhere, divulging anything from your period data to your air-frying habits. In three years, it won’t be supported anymore.

My machine, however, may be smart in any way, but it is not connected. It is its own universe - which implies that this combo-queen will run no matter if a server goes down or not (provided a firmware update does not brick it, ahem). It makes me want to hug the company: Quality can also mean saying no to the latest fad and sticking to your core business and principles. There is no Internet, no app, no Bluetooth. Dear engineers, thank you for not connecting this machine to anything but electricity.

To me, this machine represents the good side of “every thing is a computer now”: Its use of current technology smartly supports all who previously struggled to use overlockers or coverstichers. Its (deliberate?) non-connectivity assures me that it will probably run for many years to come. Last but not least, the first sewing attempt away from the seller’s eyes was also successful: I followed the screen’s instructions, threaded, sewed, finished my first t-shirt. One small project, one big leap ahead in my sewing journey.


This is an engineering appreciation post, not an ad: The sewing machine company is not named on purpose, but let’s say it’s a famous Swiss brand that’s known for quality and prices. And no, my previous machine stays: Like Windows and Linux, both complement each other beautifully in their own way.

Image source: “a sewing machine surrounded by a halo on top of a snowy mountain”, Nightcafé/Fluently XL. The AI was not able to imagine an overlocker (or serger, for that matter).


Last modified on 2024-11-07

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