I’ve had a VSM blog for a good few years on Googles Blogspot but recently had many irritating problems with it, just signing in is frequently chancy, & I will now transfer my main content to my own website here: ) I’m in charge here & Google can do one; ) Nothing ‘free’ is ever really free IMO. No ads/pop ups here, no BS, & I have a Contacts Page if you want to ask a question or comment.
Starting with the amazing & wonderful Necchi machines I have recently discovered. Better late than never? I have a long term affection for 400 series Slants & certain Berninas & Elnas, but Necchis are my latest discovery: ) Intended as a Winter Project, but I started early: )
I have 4 Necchis currently. A brief overview of each here.
This is a Lycia 522 freearm from 1955 on. Pictured here ‘as found’ out of the box 6 months ago in late July 2024. Beautiful I say.
Next is my 1958-63 Supernova Ultra, with cams this time, delving a little deeper.
Close to immaculate flatbed as found. Took a chance on this one & I reckon it paid off: )
Next is a Necchi 535 from 1964:
Another flatbed, but came with all its original Accessories/cams, everything. One owner from new & it is quite rare. It has a rotary hook (the other 3 have oscillating hooks) & stitched beautifully as found!
So there are my 3 (now 4) Necchis in brief. All have their own story & I will explain all I currently know about each, individually, warts & all, here on this site anon: ) All 4 are on the menu above if you choose to look.
Latest, & last for now, is a Supernova Julia found online & arrived just before Christmas. Looks to be 1963/4 & in nice condition with its Camset/Accessories.
Clean & tidy & was stitching from the outset: ) No faults discovered yet, nothing seized, quiet in use & has all the later Supernova ‘extras’ like the automatic switch off & fine adjustment for the cam stitches.
All these machines were my Winter Project & on 24th January I’m reflecting on the whole project to date!: ) I’ve learnt a lot about Necchis! Very impressed overall. Got 3 that are doing very well, the ‘dud’ is the 535. It turned out to have a plastic gear in the hook drive which was badly cracked & it shattered when I removed it for possible replacement… After much searching I did manage to find out that the actual unit had been available recently in Italy. I was doubtful it would be available at all to begin with. But I hadn’t located one a couple of weeks ago & then discovered it also had a badly cracked plastic worm gear on the stitch length controller… That was the final straw for me & it is now definitely a spares machine.
The best of the four is now definitely the Julia, followed by the Supernova Ultra. The Lycia is running very well but (another but: ) I discovered last week that it has a minimal crack in the stitch length spiral & how long it will last is unknown right now, unfortunately. I do know that the plastic spiral can be replaced with a custom made brass unit on Ebay USA, but it costs circa £70, plus shipping from USA. Around £100 in total. Not sure I want to spend that amount on this machine… The Julia & SNU have perfect worm/spiral gears on the stitch length controls & I have photos to prove it; )
I guess 2 or 3 out of 4 isn’t bad for my efforts for machines of this age, 1955/1965? Still got a lot to learn obviously, especially about the cams & the embroidery side of it, but at least I know two machines are mechanically & cosmetically excellent & a real pleasure to use: )