Mastering the setup on the Husqvarna VIKING Onyx 30 Sewing Machine

What do you think so far? The Husqvarna VIKING Onyx 30 is an excellent sewing machine at first glance, but we need to dig deeper. I was going to dive right in and stitch some decorative stitches, but that’s like trying to run a marathon without learning to walk!

Today, we’ll review the Stitch Control Panel. Then, those decorative stitches will be a piece of cake.

After quickly browsing through the User’s Guide and pushing or locating all the buttons as I came across them, I was ready to wind a bobbin and start sewing. It’s good to wind the bobbin, thread the machine, and test the tension BEFORE you start stitching anything.

That needle threader worked like a charm. I noticed in the User’s Guide that they indicate it works with Size 70 and larger needles, not the Size 80 and larger that I recommended yesterday. But I’ve heard some technicians state that Size 70 is pushing the limit of the threader. If you struggle to thread the Size 70, you might want to consider threading those by eye.

The thread path on top of the machine made it easy to thread the machine to wind a bobbin.

Threading the machine was easy, and I discovered a cutter on the side. One thing about the cutter is that the thread tail will always be long enough to start the next row of stitching and prevent the needle from coming unthreaded. Yes, there’s also the Automatic Thread Cutter, but I prefer the manual cutter on the side. Experiment with both to see which one you like.

Here’s another tip. At the beginning of any sewing, grab both the top and bobbin threads as you start to sew. If you don’t, you’ll end up with a thread nest on the underside of your work. That happens because of how the feed teeth move, as they want to bring that thread to the bottom to form the next stitch. The nest is NOT pretty, and the easiest way to eliminate it is to hold both threads in your hand. I grab the threads, chain piece, or use an ender/leader to prevent this.

I grabbed a couple of muslin strips and loaded some dark thread to experiment with the tension and see how well it sewed. WOW – the tension was perfect. You can’t see any stitches after I pressed the seam. That’s a sign of excellent tension.

It’s now time to explore the screen and the stitch menus. There are over 150 stitches in the Onyx 30, including two sewing fonts – a block and an outline. That’s pretty impressive!

Menu 1 is Utility Stitches, which you’ll find details of in the User’s Guide, and it’s a good idea to review it. You’ll see the name of each stitch, the recommended foot for each, and a description of what it’s for. There are stitches for woven and stretch fabrics. On page two of this overview, you’ll see the NINE different buttonholes and where you would use each one. That’s excellent information and worth a few minutes to peruse.

Pictures of the other three stitch menus are also in the User’s Guide, but using the pull-out Stitch Charts at the base of the Onyx 30 is much easier. Two stitch charts list all the decorative stitches in M2, while M3 (block font) and M4 (outline font) appear on the final Stitch Chart.

Here’s a quick peek at all three of the cards. They easily slide in and out, and the number of each stitch is easy to read, so finding the correct stitch or letter is a snap. We’ll be chatting more about this tomorrow.

Look at that screen – I LOVE it. It’s not overly large as the machine is not large, but the screen is crystal clear and easy to read. I found it super easy to maneuver to see the stitches and make changes.

Here’s a close-up of the screen. It’s easy to see which menu I’m in (M1) and which stitch is selected (1). The length of the stitch (2.5) is also easy to read, and it’s easy to increase or decrease the length by using the + and – buttons (not pictured) just below the screen. You’ll also see the suggested presser foot for this stitch.

I’m using a straight stitch at the moment, so it isn’t possible to change the stitch width. However, I can move the needle position, as we can see on the bottom left of the screen. The needle is in the right-most position at 7.0.

There are 15 different needle positions, ranging from 0 (left-most) to 7.0 (right-most), with a maximum stitch width of 7 mm.

I also love that if I change the stitch length, currently set at the default of 2.5, the box surrounding that number disappears, letting me know that I’m no longer at the default setting. If I wish to return to the default, I just change the stitch length until it returns to the default. I don’t have to remember that!

The last thing we see on this screen is the Needle Stop Position. I’ll discuss this in greater detail in tomorrow’s post.

In this screenshot of the same stitch, two things are different. The needle is in the center position at 3.5, and the bobbin winder is engaged, as seen by the small icon on the right. It’s all super clear and so easy to see. Other icons will appear in the empty spaces on the right, and when I come across one, I’ll highlight it for you.

Switching between the four menus is easy using the M button on the left side below the screen.

I can’t say enough times how easy it was to learn this screen by sitting down, spending about 30 minutes with the User’s Guide, and touching all the buttons. Super easy!

This screenshot shows the entire Stitch Control Panel, and I’m now in Menu 2 using Stitch Number 5. The stitch width is 7.0, and the length is 2.0. Notice there’s NO box around either of those numbers, so I’m not at the default setting. I love how easy it is to read this screen.

You’ll find the first nine stitches in the Utility Menu (Menu 1) beside the numbers 1 – 9. Press 0 to get the basic buttonhole. Quickly tap the two-digit number for the stitch you want, and it will appear on the screen. Not only do you see the width and length, but you also see a picture of the stitch! That is so helpful.

There are some other buttons on the Stitch Control Panel. They are related to manipulating decorative stitches, and I’ll go over these tomorrow, along with the Needle-Up/Down function.

Before we go today, I wanted to share what the Sewing Chart looks like when installed on top of the Onyx 30. You wouldn’t need to keep it there, but it’s handy when learning to sew or trying new techniques or different fabric weights. Depending on the fabric type and the sewing technique, it provides guidelines for the stitches, recommended presser foot, tension setting, and the width and length of the stitches. It’s handy and easy to put at the top of the machine when you’re learning.

I have to say that I’m pretty impressed with the Husqvarna VIKING Onyx 30. The screen is super easy to read, the buttons are in logical positions, the amount of flexibility you have for certain things is enormous, and I can’t wait to get back to more stitching tomorrow.

As I explore decorative stitching, I’ll review the last few buttons that relate directly to decorative stitching, so be sure to come back for that. And don’t forget to take a few minutes and sit by the Onyx 30 with the User’s Guide – it’s so easy to learn!

Have a great day!

Ciao!

This is part 2 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 1: Meet the Husqvarna VIKING Onyx 30: Stylish, Smart & Ready to Sew!