Sewing machine help please

[DEMum101]

I am a virtual complete beginner at sewing but I would like to get a machine to make simple things on - cushions, bags etc. - maybe progressing to more elaborate projects eventually.

I have seen this machine in Aldi online today: //www.aldi.co.uk/easy-home-sewing-machine/p/094259103532900 and it seems to have everything I might need to get started for a very reasonable price. However, I wondered if it is actually as good a buy as it looks? Obviously, it doesn't have a name I recognise and I wondered about getting parts and accessories if I need them. Does anyone have any experience about this brand or Aldi machines generally?

Thanks

[Summerdiamond]

I have a Lidl machine, its grand for the few little things I want to do at home, shorten trousers, make simple curtains etc - I'm sure this will suit your needs but maybe someone else might tell you otherwise.

[lljkk]

just one word... broken needles. Where will you buy spare needles & bobbins? Are they some kind of standard compatibles (like with Janome) or their own? That's what I would try to figure out.

[user1477282676]

My MIL bought me this one for my birthday

franklinsgroup.com/product/janome-525s/

It's the one used on the Great British Sewing Bee and it's so good. It's basic and easy for a beginer but it has the capacity to do more if you get good...so for cushions etc it's so easy to use, even the threading is simple and I'm a technophobe!

[DEMum101]

Thanks so much everyone. llijkk the availability of spares is the thing that bothers me as you say, so I have emailed them about that and will see what they say.

user1477282676, that machine looks fantastic but sadly is way out of my price range at the moment, although if I end up not buying anything beforehand, I will definitely think about asking for it for my next birthday.

[user1477282676]

It's not that cheap but it's quite cheap compared to some machines. It's worth it though as I've had cheaper ones and they break easily.

[NotMeNoNo]

It's a clone of the basic John Lewis machines and the Janome J3 series so is most likely a Janome in disguise, maybe with a few different features. You could ask whether it will fit Janome needles/bobbins/feet but most machines use a few standard ones. I'd go for it.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

If you want a reliable, strong machine that will sew in a straight line, how about a vintage Singer hand crank? You can pick them up for under £20 - they take standard modern needles, and there are plenty of YouTube videos on how to clean and oil them. Pretty well all the spare parts are still available (and cheap). They also tend to be quieter, and sew a much better stitch than a cheap contemporary machine. You can always sell it on if you graduate to more complex things and need a bells n whistles machine - by which time, you'll have a better idea what you might need.

Although I've been sewing over 30 years and still prefer a vintage machine every time. They're reliable and don't have built in obsolescence. You're not going to have a motherboard go up in smoke 5 years from now.

[lljkk]

omg, is a hand crank one like a foot treadle one?
My Ma tried so hard to teach me to do a foot treadle one. That's all she ever used. She made many of our clothes.
I couldn't do it, I have the world's worst sense of rhythm.

If no one mocks your attempts at music or dance, then maybe trad is for you.

[NotMeNoNo]

Vintage machines are lovely but the a modem lightweight machine that does zigzag, buttonholes etc might be more versatile if it's your only machine.