Pfaff Creative 1.5 Review

The long awaited Pfaff Creative 1.5 is a basic sewing and embroidery machine that was designed with the person who is adept at sewing but new to machine embroidery in mind.

I first saw the Pfaff Creative 1.5 while visiting Cynthia’s Fine Fabrics in Tamarac, Florida and saw it again when I drove to Jensen Beach, Florida to check out the newly re-designed Stuart Sew and Vac.

At A Glance

The Pfaff Creative 1.5 is smaller than most sewing and embroidery machines, but large enough to handle nearly all sewing and embroidery tasks with ease.

Pfaff Creative 1.5

At a Glance

There is a monochromatic LCD screen, a series of numerical buttons which are used to dial up stitches, an on board stitch selection guide is located beneath the lid; and there is a large dial on the left side of the machine which controls the presser foot pressure.

Stitch length and width are adjusted by buttons next to the LCD screen and sewing speed is regulated by a slider that is located on the column.

The large needle plate has seam guides all around and the user friendly see through bobbin cover makes it easy to determine when it is time to replace the bobbin.

On the right side of the machine is a USB port where the user inserts the flash drive that comes with the machine.

Features

• 150 on board utility and decorative stitches
  • 2 on board alphanumeric fonts
  • 101 built in embroidery designs
  • 2 on board embroidery fonts
• On board stitch selection guide
• Free arm
• On board threading guides
• Adjustable stitch length and width up to 7mm wide
• Embroidery area up to 240mm x 150mm
• Start/stop button
• Monochromatic LCD screen
• LED lighting
• Adjustable presser foot pressure
• Needle up/down
• Adjustable needle position
• Integrated on board needle threader
• Exclusive Pfaff IDT feed
• Free embroidery software
• Free motion sewing
• Personal stitch settings
• On board thread snips
• Updatable software
• Mirror image
• Drop feed
• Stitch sequencing/sequence memory
• Automatic thread tension
• Info button/help function

Monochromatic LCD screen

Working on the Pfaff Creative 1.5

The easy to follow on board guides make the Pfaff Creative 1.5 very easy to thread, wind the bobbin and properly insert it. In the sewing mode, the stitch selection process is equally as easy.

On board stitch selection guide

All that is necessary is to simply refer to the on board stitch selection guide and dial up the desired stitch.

When adjusting the stitch width, it is important to remember that unlike most sewing and embroidery machines that have a 9mm maximum stitch width, the maximum width available on the Pfaff Creative 1.5 is 7mm.

Maximum stitch width

Although the stitch width is smaller than nearly every other sewing and embroidery machine I have reviewed, the quality of the decorative and utility stitches produced by the Pfaff Creative 1.5 is excellent.

Excellent quality of the decorative and utility stitches

During my visit at Stuart Sew and Vac, owners Randy and Dolly showed me how the standard memory stick can be inserted to give the user access to the on library of on board embroidery stitches.

Randy also pointed out that with the Pfaff Creative 1.5, users have access to the standard embroidery designs that come with the machine. The most interesting thing about this machine is the fact that the machine itself is the dongle.

Standard embroidery designs

Everyone who purchases a Pfaff Creative 1.5 is given a special key code which allows them access to all of the software and the 200 preloaded embroidery designs and an almost unlimited number of alphanumeric fonts.

According to Randy, the software package includes all of the Microsoft fonts, giving you access to all of the fonts available on the Microsoft Word menu.

The really good news is that although the workspace and stitch width dimensions are a bit smaller than other sewing and embroidery machines, the quality of the stitches produced by the Pfaff Creative 1.5 are perfect in every way and there is almost no noise at all.

Fabrics

• Natural fibers/cotton-linen-wool
• Fine fabrics/silk-satin-taffeta/velvet
• Knits
• Synthetic fabrics/blends-rayon-polyester
• Denim
• Upholstery
• Leather/suede
• Fur
• Reptile skin
• Canvas/Twill
• Plastic/Rubber
• Extra thick fabrics or multiple layers

Accessories

• 8 Snap on presser feet
  • Standard foot
  • Fancy foot for IDT
  • Fancy stitch foot
  • Blindhem foot for IDT
  • Zipper foot
  • One step buttonhole foot
  • Manual buttonhole foot
  • Embroidery/free motion foot
• Embroidery Intro PC Software
• Thread net
• Edge guide
• 2 Felt pads
• Screwdriver
• Auxiliary spool pin
• Seam ripper
• Lint brush
• 5 Bobbins
• Screwdriver for needle plate
• 2 Spool caps (1 small/1 large)
• Embroidery unit
• USB embroidery stick with embroidery designs
• PFAFF® creative™ 1.5 embroidery collection booklet
• Multi-purpose tool
• Embroidery hoop 240mm x 150mm
• Owner’s manual
• Hard cover

Accessories

Maintenance

Tying Off The Loose Ends

I like the way sewing on the Pfaff Creative 1.5 feels. It runs smoothly and is quiet. While in the sewing mode, the first Pfaff Creative 1.5 that I reviewed at Cynthia’s Fine Fabrics seemed to have a little bit of vibration, but not enough to make a difference in the machine’s performance.

However, when I sampled decorative and utility stitches on an identical machine at Stuart Sew and Vac, the vibration was imperceptible.

I suspect that the vibration was due to the fact that the first machine was resting directly on a table and the second one was on a quilted mat no more than ¼ to ½ inch thick.

I never thought about it, but the addition of a mat beneath the sewing machine really made a big difference, not only in the level of vibration, but the noise level as well.

This is definitely something to keep in mind when working with a portable sewing machine in an actual sewing room.

The Pfaff Creative 1.5 is the first Pfaff embroidery machine that comes with a larger bobbin, making it possible to sew for longer periods of time without having to stop for bobbin changes or to rewind a bobbin.

Extra Accessories

It also has a seven point feed dog, Pfaff’s exclusive IDT system which guarantees even feeding of fabric from the top and bottom and a brand new cutter system that finishes seams and embroidery designs more cleanly than before.

The needle to column distance is only eight inches – two inches less than most other machines of its type and the largest stitch width setting is 7mm as opposed to 9mm on full size sewing and embroidery machines.

This difference is significant only for those who are already accustomed to working on large sewing and embroidery projects. The Pfaff Creative 1.5 is the fastest sewing and embroidery machine in its class.

It was designed for those individuals who have never worked on a sewing and embroidery machine, or for those whose machine embroidery experience is limited and are in the market for a brand new sewing and embroidery machine that they use to expand their expertise to the next level and develop their machine embroidery skills.

The fact that each machine is assigned a separate key code eliminates the need for a dongle altogether. Therefore, the possibility of losing, damaging or misplacing a dongle is a major advantage over every other machine of this type.

Until now, every Pfaff sewing and embroidery machine that was manufactured in recent years required a dongle in order to access the manufacturer’s software, designs and upgrades.

Without the hassle of needing a separate flash drive, updates to the Pfaff Creative 1.5 are automatic, requiring no real actions or effort on the part of the user.

This one feature is a major advantage for anyone who decides to purchase the Pfaff Creative 1.5. In fact, I could easily recommend this machine, not only for the person who is beginning to explore the world of machine embroidery, but the seasoned machine embroidery enthusiast as well.

The Pfaff Creative 1.5 is smaller, but also easier to transport and therefore, more accessible for the sewing and machine embroidery enthusiast who likes to travel.

It is larger than most portable sewing machines, but not so large that it is cumbersome. In fact, the convenient hard cover is an excellent accessory for transporting the machine to and from sewing class, to the college dormitory or to accompany you on vacation or an extended trip away from home.

Convenient hard cover

The Pfaff Creative 1.5 is designed for people who are new to machine embroidery. I also feel comfortable recommending it for individuals who are new to sewing altogether. It is easy to thread.

Winding the bobbin is equally simple. In the sewing mode, the stitch selection process is as uncomplicated as I could possibly be.

It is not possible to sew with the embroidery unit in place, but when in the embroidery mode, the Pfaff Creative 1.5 offers more than almost any machine embroidery enthusiast, regardless of skill level, could possibly ask for.

I am somewhat concerned with the type of plastic used for the shell and I am very unhappy with the placement of the drop feed control. It is impossible to bar tack or sew on a flat button without lowering the feed dogs.

In addition, if you like free motion sewing, it is necessary to remove the accessories case which doubles as the work surface in order to get to the drop feed control lever.

This is a design flaw that I have complained about for a long, long time and will continue to complain about until sewing machine manufacturers realize that the drop feed control level or button really needs to be easily accessible on every sewing machine that comes off the assembly line.

The issue with the material used for the shell is a concern because it is made with a very hard type of plastic that could easily crack after years of normal use.

The type of plastic used on the outside of the Pfaff Creative 1.5 reminds me of the same type of material used to make certain toys.

It may actually be more durable than I suspect, but this is one of those questions that will only be answered after several years of use. No doubt, the lower quality exterior materials were used to keep the Pfaff Creative 1.5 within the budgets of more people.

Aside from the fact that the machine is smaller and the fact that it has a smaller maximum stitch width I could not detect any other cost saving shortcuts on this machine.

Randy, who services all brands of sewing machines, but especially the sewing machines he sells, is very excited about the fact that the folks at Pfaff are beginning to pay more attention to what goes inside their new sewing machines, resulting in a line of better quality sewing machines and sergers than Pfaff produced in the recent past.

It handles like a larger, more costly machine and the stitch quality is comparable to that of a far more expensive sewing and embroidery machine.

If I were in the market for a new, low cost, efficient sewing and embroidery machine, I would definitely give the Pfaff Creative 1.5 lots of very serious consideration.

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