Best sewing machine for a beginner under £100

[McKayz]

What sewing machine would you recommend? I have a budget of £100 and would like to make clothes for the DCs, blankets, cushion covers etc.

I have a little one from Hobbycraft which is ok but I really want something a bit better.

Thanks

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

I think the John Lewis ones are meant to be more than acceptsble.

[McKayz]

Oooooh they do a purple one.

[QueenOfToast]

I started sewing last year and have a Janome 2050 that cost £99. It seems to do everything I need it to do and is very easy to use.

Happy shopping.

[PeterParkerSays]

I recently went on a local adult education sewing class. The teacher there recommended getting a serviced 2nd hand older sewing machine, 1970s Singer etc. as they are far more robust and sturdy than modern machines and will last you well until you need something more advanced.

[patchworkchick]

I know a few people with the John Lewis machines and they are brilliant.

[wetsand]

To be honest, it's probably not worth it. Better investing slightly more to get a much better machine that will be powerful, able to do everything you want it to do, and last many years.

[McKayz]

I don't have much more I can invest in to a machine at the minute though.

[DalaHorse]

Janome are very good steady workhorses, can't go wrong with one of those. If you can get one for £99 it will at least be reliable, it just won't have as many features on such as buttonholes or whatever but if you are just running up some basic stuff you won't need more than straight and zig-zag stitch anyway. You can always upgrade in the future if you get really good and you have a bit of spare cash.

[DalaHorse]

PeterParker interesting what your teacher said, as I would tend to disagree... I had a (fairly decent model of its time) 1980s Singer and it wasn't anything like as good as the new cheaper machines of today, even when thoroughly serviced. It was clunky, extremely heavy and hard to work. Even little things like operating the handwheel at the side was hard to turn, which becomes irritating over a period of time.

It's comparable to buying a car built in the 1970s - some might say they were built to last in those days, so they are technically robust, but they don't have power steering and electric windows and traction control which come as standard on newer (cheaper) cars today.

Also, OP will get a guarantee if she buys new.

Each to their own opinion of course and that's just mine!

[McKayz]

My Mum has an old singer which is pretty impossible to use.

[fossil971]

I've got an old Elna from the 1980s. I would compare it to a vintage car like Morse's Jaguar (guess who's been watching Endeavour!)
But it's had several major services and repairs to keep it ticking over. At the time it was top of the range so its reasonably well featured but those features are on entry level machines now.

You can get a good machine secondhand but I think it's only worth it if you are getting one that was very good in its time and built to last.

My local sewing shop has some of the lower priced Elnas on offer for not much over £100 -the explore 220 for example? Perhaps if you shop around?