Those who sew...

[BubbleBoy12]

Can anyone point in me in the right direction for a sewing machine for ABSOLUTE beginners?

I haven't sewed (if that's even how you spell it) since I was in high school, and even then I wasn't very good. However, I need a new hobby and really want to start.

I actually have no idea what I'm doing, I'm heading to hobby craft later for some books etc.

Anyone have any advice/ideas?

Other than practicing baking a cake for my sons 1st birthday I have no hobbies at all. I'm a student nurse, so I'm sure I'll get busy once my placements start but I've got quite a bit of time on my hands lately so I can't wait to get stuck into something

I borrowed a Janome machine in lockdown (hadn't used one for 40 years). It was great & I've just bought one. John Lewis do a cheap own brand one (made by Janome) which is a great starter one. I think it's the JL110 or JL111, I can't remember.

Ive got this one. Basic and easy to use. I learned mainly through youtube and trial and error

@Winterfellismyhome

Ive got this one. Basic and easy to use. I learned mainly through youtube and trial and error

Same. I have a Brother ls14s sewing machine. I'm new to it too so have followed lots of sew-along tutorials on YouTube where I've made pillowcases, drawstring bags and zipped pouches. I'm currently attempting to make a dress but it's not going well!

Janome.

Or Singer if you want just want try it and not sure its something you want do. It’s a really inexpensive.

No advice to offer but Aldi have sewing machines in their special buys at the moment... Might be a good starting point for beginners? I’d love to teach myself to sew but not entirely sure where I’d find the time or the patience haha!

I’d go to John Lewis for a chat with the staff there. There can recommend the best for you and you can even try the machine.

If you can get to a John Lewis they will let you try some out. You can see which ones are easy for you to use.

Singer are now very poor quality.

Be ready to break lots of needles (or maybe that's just me).

John Lewis it is!

I'm in Liverpool and soon to be facing a stricter lockdown by the looks of things, I'm basically staying in daily anyway so this will be a great hobby.

Thank you ladies x

Also, ask about the right foot for whatever it is you’re sewing.

The right foot can be as important as the machine, maybe even more so.

As you're in Liverpool - Jaycotts in Chester are very helpful, they have a showroom (if it's open?) Check their website for model selection before you go and they might have them set up to try and compare.

Lots are out of stock in JL at the moment. Honestly I found the Janome so easy to use compared to the 1970s machines I battled with last time I had a go.

I wrote this on an arts and crafts thread in May - hope it helps:

I learned to sew on a singer from 1963! Damn they're sturdy! I've had three new Janome in my lifetime, one in 84 (bells and whistles), one in 1992 (compact and basic) and one in 2000 (sturdy and all the extras second hand it's still worth near what I paid- £250). They've all been good but need looking after - good cleaning & maintenance regime. At very least you would want an convertible flatbed to freearm, really good buttonholes and twin needle capability as well as dog- free darning I wouldn't care much about embroidery stitches but you might you need to look at the top of the range and go "ooh" at every feature then knock off all the expensive ones til you get to your level. Be aware that in this market place different brands are owned by same company. So the all singing and dancing super sturdy features of top of line brand X model SL may be also available in their midline brand Z model ST at a cheaper price with just a couple fewer features. Think buying a Skoda instead of VW Once you've found your model of choice you can go online to eBay - lots of smaller brick shops wouldn't survive if they didn't have an online shop. My janome xc50 came from a little mom'n'pop in Lancashire on eBay and they were helpful with questions before and after sale- I got it £100 less than RRP at the time. (I made my wedding dress on it, children's clothes and costumes, upcycling and repairs, lingerie, tailoring, curtains and upholstery and now doing scrubs very versatile) I can also recommend Jaycotts in Chester for helpfulness with selection - they have a website.

Agree John Lewis in liverpool for the machine itself.

Have you heard of Abakahn OP? It's a huge 3 story haberdashery round the back of TJ Hughes. Hobbycraft pales to insignificance in comparison. Don't think they sell machines but by god they sell EVERYTHING else you could possibly need for crafts. It is wonderful.

Oh yes, Jaycotts are excellent! But at the moment best to call first.

@NationalShiteYear I've never heard of there! But it sounds amazing, I'll definetly be paying them a visit

Oh and I use a basic Janome from john lewis. I've hammered it and it's not let me down once, although I do go through a lot of needles

www.abakhan.co.uk/stores

Thanks a lot @nationalshiteyear ! I'd forgotten about Abakhan but now I just went and dropped £50 I shouldn't have in their online shop.

I've got a brother lk14s. I hadn't used a machine since school (20+ years ago) other than a handful of times on my mums. It's easy to use and does everything I need. (a friend tried to persuade me i needed one that did embroidery stitches, but i love doing that by hand).
The only downside is i now want to spend more money than I have on fabric

I know Menai means well, but that excerpt she wrote would make me quit without even trying. Too much to think about. I've done a lot of sewing and I don't know 80% of what she's talking about. OP is a beginner.

Following. Because DD has requested one for Xmas. So something good value for a beginner is what I'm after

I have Janome 4400 from Hobbycraft, it's sturdy and perfect for beginners. not the most basic but not too complicated either. There is a sewing event in Lidl starting from tomorrow, they also have a sewing machine on offer and some other bits and bobs you will need, threads, etc.

Second Janome. They are quite sturdy machine and I have a very basic version, aimed at children and absolute beginner. I have used it to sew too many types of fabrics and it’s still ok. Get the one posted above. It’s a step ahead of my machine and should do the job perfectly. I bought mine about 8 years ago. Still going strong.

I have a John Lewis Janome which has been going for a decade now and is still fine.

I would describe myself as an intermediate seamstress - I have made dresses and patchwork quilts etc but am not an expert. I haven't ever used twin needles or anything like that - a zipper foot or a dual-feed foot (that pulls fabric along from below as well as above) is about as far as I get in terms of specialist tech...

When I started out I made fabric bags to start with: I was able to practice patch pockets, adding poppers, seams etc. I made them nicely and lined them and started doing things like putting a gusset in so the bags had depth. That or something like cushion covers might be a fairly simple starting point where you also get something genuinely useful out of it?