Singer Stylist 457 User manual

As the owner
of the Stylist* Zig-Zag Sewing
Machine by SINGER, you
are about to enter a
wonderful new world of sewing!
From the
moment you begin to sew on your Stylist sew-
ing machine,
you will be delighted with its
easy, dependable
operation .
" Perfect straightstitching .
" Timesaving blindstitching .
" Practical and decorative zig-zig stitching .
" Twin-needle stitching for thoseextra fin-
ishing
touches .
" One-way needle
insertion makes it impos-
sible to insert the needle
incorrectly .
May
we recommend that, before you begin to
sew,
you discover all the many advantages of
your Model 457
by going through this instruc-
tion book step by
step while seated at your
machine .
SINGER* service is always
close at hand . If
your sewing machine should
need servicing,
call your local SINGER
CENTER to
be
sure of
warranted SINGER parts and service .
You will
find
the address under THE SINGER
COMPANY
in the
telephone directory .
*A Tidemark
of
THE SINGER COMPANY

Copyright -1968 THE SINGER
COMPANY
Form K45700968)

All rights reserved

Printed in Great
Britain

CONTENTS
Page
Getting to Know Your SINGER Sewing Machine . ................... . .

2
Principal Parts . . ........................ ... ...................

2
Accessories .........................
. . . . . ................ ... . ...

6
Threading Your Sewing Machine ......... . ...........................

8
The Bobbin Thread ............. . . . . . ................... .
. .....

8
The Needle
Thread ....................... . . ................... 11
Raising the Bobbin Thread ............ . . ................... . . .
12
Straight Stitching . ... . . . . . ..................... . . . . . . ...............
13
Positioning the
Needle ........... 13
Adjusting for Your Fabric .......... . . .................... . . .
14
Sewing a Seam . . . ................... . . . . . . . . ...............
.
. .
20
Zig-Zag Stitching . . . .
...................... . . . . . . . . ................ . . 23
Setting Pattern Selector
.............. . ...................... . . 23
Setting Stitch Width and Needle Position ............. . . . . . ...

23
Setting Stitch Length and Needle-Thread Tension .... . . . . . . . . 24
Twin-Needle
Stitching . . . . . .................. . ............... . . . . . ... 25
Setting the
Machine .............. . ... ................... . . ....

25
Inserting the Twin Needle ............ . .................. . .....
26
Threading the Machine ............. . .................... . . . . . 26
Clothes and Home
Decorations ............ . .................. . . . . . . 27
Seams ...... . . . .  ...... . . ................ .... . . .
. . . ......
. . ...
27
Top Stitching . . .... .................... ... . ............ . . . . . . 36
Shell Edging . . ...................... . .
. ....................
. . .
36
Darts ................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............. . . . . . . . . ....... 37
Blindstitch Hems ................. . . . . . . . . ................ . . . . . 38
Buttons ......... .
. . .
.
. . . . . . ................
.
. . . ........
. . ... ...
39
B utttonholes ..................... . . ......... ............. . . .... 40
Zippers . ........................ . . ... ..................... . . . . . . 44
A pplique

. ..................... . . . ..... . .................. . . . . . .

46
Free-Alotion Stitching .............. . . . . . ................... . . 48
Script Lettering . . . . .................... . . .... . ............. . . 49
Keeping
U p
Appearances

. . .....................
. . . . .................

50
Mending . . . . .......... . . ...... ........ ... .................... . .

50
Darning . ... . . .......... . . . . ............. .................... . .

51
Caring for Your Sewing Machine ............. . . . . . .................. 53
Every
Week
or So
..... .
.
.
..................... . . ............ . 53
Every Alonth or So ........... ................ . . . . . . . . ......... 56
Changing the Light Bulb . . . . . .................... . ............

58
Replacing the Slide Plate . . . . . . . . . . . ............. . . ... . . .......

58
Performance Check List ...... . . . . . .................. . . . ......
59
Fashion* Aids ....................... . . . . . ............... . . . . ........ 60
Index . . ................ . .. . . . . .. .
.. .
. ....................... . ....... .
62

PRINCIPAL
PARTS
15 Presser
Foot
Lifter
2
16 Pressure

17
Take-up
Lever
Regulating
Dial

3 Hand Wheel
1 Spool Pin
9 Slide

\

1 6 Feed
Regulating
Plate

Knob
8 Needle-Thread Tension Dial
5 Power and Light Switch

. . . AND WHAT THEY DO
1 .
Spool
Pin - Holds thread spools of various sizes .
2 . Spool Pin Felt - Helps
thread unwind smoothly .
3 . Hand Wheel - Turns totcard
you
to move take-up lever and
needle up and down .
4 . Bobbin Winder Tension Disc - Regulates thread tension for
bobbin
winding .
5 . Power and Light Switch
-'turnson the power and the sewing
light simultaneously . NVhen machine is
not in use, the switch
should be in OFF position .
6 . Feed Regulating Knob-Regulates the feed dog height for sew-
ing on regular or fine fabrics and for darning .
7 . Sewing Light -
Pours light onsewing area .
8 . Needle-Thread
Tension Dial - Numbers allow for exact, easy-
to-duplicate tension settings .
9 . Slide Plate - Opens easily
for removal and
replacement
of
bobbin .
10 . Throat
Plate - Numbered guidelines help you keep seams
straight .
11 . Feed Dog - Moves fabric as
it is being stitched .
12 . Presser Foot - Holds fabric against feed
dog .
13 . Needle Clamp - Holds single and twin needles . It is designed
to make needles self-setting and eliminatethe possibility of
incorrect insertion .
14 . Thread Cutter - Guts thread conveniently and safely .
15 . Presser
Foot Lifter - At back of machine, raises and lowers
presser foot and bar .
16 . Pressure
Regulating Dial --Regulates degree of pressure ex-
erted on fabric
by presser foot .
17 . Take-up Lever - Releases
needle thread for forming the stitch
and pulls it taut for setting the
stitch .

PRINCIPAL
PARTS (Continued)
18 . Bobbin Winder Switch and Spindle - Lets you fill the bobbin
with thread quickly
and
easily .
Bobbin stops winding when
full .
19 . Needle Position Selector - Places the needle in either left, cen-
ter, or right stitching position . Center (C) position is used
most often . Left (L) and right (R) settings are for special
stitch placement .
20 . Pattern Selector
- Lets you select
plain
zig-zag stitching
(HNM4M)
or blindstitching (A---- A---- ) .
21 . Stitch Width Selector - Settings 1 through 5 allow for a variety
of zig-zag stitch widths . Setting 0 is for straight stitching .
22 . Stitch Length Selector - Lets you stitch forward
and
in
re-
verse . Numbers indicate number of stitches per
inch ; FINE
area is for zig-zag satin stitching
.
4
20 Pattern Selector
1111111111011001
19 Needle Position
Selector
18 Bobbin Winder Switch and Spindle
21 Stitch Width Selector
22 Stitch Length Selector

23 . Plug - Before plugging in the
machine, be sure that the volt-
age and number of
cycles
stamped on the
plate under the
hand wheel
are within the range
marked on the electric meter
installed by your power com-
pany . To connect the machine,
push the machine terminalplug

23 Machine Terminal Plug
into the receptacle at the right

^
~- f
end of the machine . Then in-

` '
t
sert the wall plug into an elec-
trical outlet .
24 . Electrical Speed Controller -
Controls speed of the machine ;
the harder you press, the faster
it will sew .

24 Electrical Speed Controller
25 . Transparent Bobbin - Shows
thread supply ; is easily re-
moved for bobbin winding .
26 . Bobbin-Thread Tension Screw -
Seldom needs adjustment .
A
very slight turn
produces a
noticeable change
in tension .
25 Transparent Bobbin
5
26 Bobbin-Thread Tension
Screw
27
.
Stop-Motion Screw - Directs
power to the needle . Loosen the
screw for bobbin winding .
27 Stop-Motion Screw

ACCESSORIES ... And When To Use Them
The accessories that come with your Stylist sewing machine will
help you to sew with ease and comfort . They are simple to use and
place a variety of sewing effects at your
fingertips .
General Purpose Foot
The general
purpose foot is in place
on the machine and can be used
for
both straight or zig-zag stitching .
It is also used when placing a line
of stitching to the left or right of
center, or doing twin-needle stitch-
ing .
General Purpose Presser Foot
6
Zipper Foot
Zipper Foot
The zipper foot makes it easy to
place stitching close to a raised edge .
Thus, it is useful for corded seams
(page 34) as well as zipper inser-
tion (page 44) . It can be adjusted
to either the right
or the left side
of
the
needle ; and the hinge allows
it to ride over pins, heavy layers of
fabric, or across seams .

Special Purpose Foot
The special purpose foot is designed
for zig-zag satin stitching, button-
holing, and applique . This light,
flexible foot has a raised center sec-
tion that allows closely- spaced zig-
zag stitches to feed evenly . The small
eyelets at the front of the foot hold
a
filler cord when desired .
Changing Presser Feet
1 . Itaise the presser foot .
2 . Loosen the presser foot screw .
3 . Slip presser foot from around the
presser bar .
4 . Hook new presser foot around bar .
. Tighten presser foot screw .
Twin Needle
The twin needle makes it possible to
place
two
parallel,
closely
spaced,
decorative lines of stitching simul-
taneously . Either straight or zig-
zag stitching can be used . For in-
structions, see page 25 .
Needles
One needle is in your machine .
There are three extra needles, cata-
log 2020 (15x1) size 14 .
Bobbins
One transparent bobbin is in place
in your machine . Three extra bob-
bins are among your accessories .
Screwdriver
One small screwdriver is for turn-
ing the screw in the bobbin case on
the rare occasions you have to ad-
just the bobbin-thread tension .

III Cauilry
YUU1 Jwvu1y
iiidUNIV
Like all sewing
machines that pro-
duce what is
called a "lockstitch,"
your Stylist
sewing machine sews
with two
threads . The upper thread
comesfrom
the spool and is threaded
through the eye of the needle
. The
lower thread comes from
the bob-
bin, the small plastic
spool that you
wind using the
machine . It is best
to wind
the bobbin before threading
the needle .
Removing Bobbin
THE
BOBBIN THREAD
Winding the Bobbin
1 .
Turnhand wheel toward
you until
needle is at its highest
position .
2 . Open the slide
plate and lift out
bobbin
.
3 .
Loosen the stop-motion screw - with
your right hand while holding
the hand wheel with your
left
hand .
4 . Place bobbin
on spindle .
Loosening Stop-Motion
Screw

Pass Thread Through
Hole in Bobbin
5 . Place spool of thread on spool pin
over the spool pin felt and lead
thread
through top cover and
tension-assembly
threadguides
and around
tension disc . OFF
ON
6 . Pass

thread,

from

the

inside,

Bobbin Winder Switch
through hole in bobbin .
7 . Move bobbin winder switch to
ON position, hold thread end as
shown, and start the machine .
8 . Cut off thread end after a few
coils have been wound on the
bobbin .
9 . When required amount of thread
has been wound (winding will
stop when bobbin is full), move
bobbin winder switch to OFF
position, and cut thread .
10 . Tighten
stop-motion
screw by
turning it away from you with
right hand, while holding the
hand wheel withyour left hand .
9

THE BOBBIN THREAD
(Continued)
Threading the Bobbin
Case
1 . Hold
bobbin so that thread un-
winds
in direction shown, and
insert
bobbin in bobbin case .
L . Pull
thread into notch, draw
it
un-
der tension spring and
back into
slot .
:3 . 1)ra%v
about three inches of thread
diagonally across the bobbin .
4 . Close slide plate with the
thread
in slot between the
throat plate
and slide plate .
10

THE NEEDLE
THREAD
1 . Turn hand wheel toward you to
raise needle to its highest posi-
tion .
? . Make sure spool pin felt is on spool
pin at top of machine .
.3 . Place spool of thread on spool pin
and lead through threading
points shown . Thread the needle
from front to back .
4 . Draw about three inches of thread
through eye of needle .

12
RAISING THE BOBBIN
THREAD
-1o«- that You have wound the bob-
bin and threaded the needle, you
will need to raise the bobbin thread
through the needle hole in the throat
plate .
1 .
Hold
needle thread lightly with
left hand and
turn
hand
wheel
slowly toward you so that needle
enters the hole in the throat plate .
2 . Continue turning hand wheel and
holding needle thread until needle
rises and brings up bobbin thread
in
a
loop .
3 . Undo the loop with your finger .
4 . Place both needle and bobbin
threads under presser foot, and
lay them diagonally across the
feed dog .
. . . You are now ready to sew

.JLICriy«c Xiit iuiiy
Needle Position : C
Stitch Width : 0
Stitch Length : To suit fabric
Presser Foot : General Purpose
Feed Height : R or F to suit fabric
POSITIONING THE NEEDLE
Before you set your Sf,dist sewing
machine for any kind of stitching,
turn the handwheeltoward you un-
til
the needle is above the throat
plate . Then, to set for
straight
stitching, simply move the needle
position selector to center (C) posi-
tion and the stitch width selector to
O position . These settings locate
your needle and control its move-
ment so that it stitches straight up
and down in the center of the
needle
hole with no sidewise movement
.
When alternating between straight
stitching and zig-zag stitching, set
the pattern selector at (WMMrJVIMI) .
For instructions on setting the stitch
width selector and needle position
selector in other positions, see page
23 .

STRAIGHT STITCHING (Continued)
Needle Bar

Changing the Needle
ADJUSTING FOR YOUR FABRIC
As you get ready to sew, take ad-
vantage
of the flexibility of your
sewing
machine . With a choice of
needle sizes and
four easy-to-use
selectors for stitch length,
pressure,
feed height, and needle-thread
ten-
sion, you can adjust the machine
to
sew
perfectly- on a wide variety of
fabrics .
The table on page 15 will
guide you
in selecting the correct
thread and needle
sizes and stitch
length according
to the weight of
your fabric .
1 . Turn hand wheel toward you until
needle is at highest position .
2 . Loosen
needle-clamp screw and re-
move needle .
3 . Insert new needle
in clamp with
the flat side of the needle to
the
back, and the long groove
toward
you ;
push it up as far as it will
go .
4 .
Tighten needle clamp screw
.
This
machine uses needle
catalog
2020
(15x1) available in
sizes 9,
11, 14,
16 and 18 .

FABRIC, THREAD, NEEDLE, AND STITCH LENGTH TABLE
FABRICS
DELICATE - tulle, chiffon,
fine lace, silk, organdy
LIGHTWEIGHT -
batiste,
organdy, jersey, voile, taf-
feta, silk, crepe,
chiffon vel-
vet, plastic film
MEDIUMWEIGHT - ging-
ham, percale, pique, linen,
chintz, faille, satin . fine
corduroy, velvet, suitings,
stretch fabric
MEDIUM HEAVY - gabar-
dine, tweed, sailcloth,
denim,
coatings, drapery
fabrics
HEAVY -overcoatings, dun-
garee,
upholstery fabrics,
canvas
tUse with SO mercerized or "A"
silk in bobbin .
ALL WEIGHTS - decorative
top stitching
1 5
THREAD
NEEDLE
STITCH
LENGTH
SIZES SIZES SETTING
Fine mercerized,
9 15 to 20
Fine synthetic
thread
50 mercerized,
"A" silk, 11
12 to 15
Synthetic thread
(8 to
10 for plastic)
50 mercerized,
"A" silk,
14 12
to 15
,Synthetic thread,
60 cotton
Heavy-duty
mercerized,
16 10 to 12
40 to 60 cotton,
Synthetic thread
Heavy-duty
mercerized,
18 6 to 10
24 to 40 cotton
'D' silk t
18 6
to 12
(buttonhole twist)

STRAIGHT STITCHING (Continued)
tz'
8,
Locked Setting
6,,,,~
Reverse
Forward
Stitch Length Selector
To Tighten
Adjusting Stitch Length
The stitch length
selector does two
jobs : it controls
the number of
stitches per
inch, and it lets you sew
either forward
or in reverse .
The numbers
on either side of the
selector
represent the number of
stitches per inch : the higher the
number, the shorter the stitch, .
Gen-
erally, shorter stitches are
best for
lightweight fabric ; longer ones
for
heavy fabric . The FINE area, which
represents over 20 stitches
per inch,
is used for zig-zag
satin stitching
only .
Setting
Stitch Length
"
Loosen thumb nut by turning to
left .
" Position lever for desired stitch
length .
" Tighten thumb nut by turning to
right .
For reverse stitching, raise
the se-
lector as far as it will go . Do
not
loosen the thumb nut to reverse
unless you are using the No . 6
set-
ting in the very bottom position
.

Adjusting Pressure
The pressure dial regulates the
pressure that the presser foot ex-
erts on the fabric . Correct pressure
is important because it means the
fabric feeds smoothly and evenly,
without being marred . Generally,
heavier fabrics require a high num-
ber setting (heavier pressure) ;
lightweight fabrics,
a
lower setting
(lighter weight
pressure) . But fab-
ric texture must also be considered ;
soft fabrics, for example, require
less pressure than crisp fabrics .
When darning without an embroi-
dery hoop, you should set the dial at
the lowest setting, D .
" Lower the presser foot .
" To increase pressure, turn dial to
higher number .
" To
decrease
pressure, turn dial
to lower number .
Adjusting Feed Height
The feed can be placed in any one
of three positions-R, F, or D-by
rotating the feed regulating knob .
R (Regular) is used for sewing on
most fabrics .
The
feed is raised
to
its
highest point .
-F (Fine) is used for sewing on deli-
cate or lightweight fabrics such
as silk, batiste, crepe, and fabrics
that will mar easily . The feed
is
lowered slightly .
D (Darn) is used for free-motion
darning and embroidery
and
button sewing .
The feed is low-
ered below the
throat plate and
does not
move the fabric .
Raise the
presser foot .
Turn the feed regulating knob to
align
R, F, or D with index mark .
Pressure Dial
Feed Regulating Knob
1 7

STRAIGHT STITCHING (Continued)
Adjusting Needle-Thread Tension
The tension
dial regulates the degree
of tension on your needle
thread .
Set it according to the
type of thread and fabric you use .
The
numbers eliminate
guesswork in duplicating settings .
Correct tension is important
because too much
or too little will
weaken your seams or
cause your fabric to pucker .
Make a test
sample with the
fabric and thread you plan to
use, and examine it .
A perfect
stitch will have the needle and
bobbin threads locked
between
the two layers of fabric with
no loops on top or bottom
and with no puckers .
1 8
Tension Dial
If stitches look loose,
increase
needle-thread tension
. If the fabric
puckers,
decrease tension .
(For detailed instructions on ad-
justing zig-zag satin stitch tension,
see page24 .)
" To increase tension, turn
dial to
higher number .
" To decrease tension,
turn dial to
lower number .
Tension Too Loose
l
Tension Too Tight
Balanced Tension