Sewing machines...

[MagnaQuestion]

So child 1 does textiles at school and child 2 wants to "make things"

I suspect our funds don't extend to the type of machine child 1 has at school sp her project work will still be done at school....

But for home are any of these any good? (Seen in hobby craft!)

I think mini and child sized machines are very pot luck - some of them can be good , but in general they can be an overpriced compromise.

I had a Toyota sewing machine and it worked well for 20 years until I tripped carrying it down stairs and it fell down the stairs (Better it than me!). The bobbin system was quite old fashioned, you put the bobbin in a case thing, waggle the thread in a special way and then put it in the machine.

I now have a Husquvarna E20 - nice basic machine, has the main stitches you need (straight, zig zag and triple stretch stitch) and a needle threading gizmo that works most of the time. You can use the generic feet that you buy off ebay on it. It does however have the same faffy bobbin setup as my Toyota.

I think you can't go wrong with a Janome - they are solid, have a wide availability of spares (both legit and generic) and they are widely used.

I am a professional costume maker for a specific sport. I would not use a Janome even it it was gift.

For entry level look at Brother.

All my equipment is Juki

What is it you dislike about janome machines? That would be really useful info.

The thing is that sewing machines are like cars. Some are like a Rolls Royce. Some are really cheap and peform accordingly. But most of the mainstream brands are OK, and they all offer machines from entry level to heavy duty to fully computerised specialist ones.

Spend £100-150 and you will get a Ford Fiesta of a sewing machine ideal for a young person. You don't want a toy car, a racing car or a HGV.

Singer, Silver, Janome/John Lewis, Brother all have options in that price range. Spend a bit more and you can get a Husqvarna, Pfaff, Bernette or Juki which would be a bit more refined/robust. Buy the Aldi/hobbycraft own brand and you take your chances.

I wouldn't buy a Janome either as I have older and newer machines that are better quality but I still think they have good affordable machines for people that want them.

My DM has a similar machine to the Janone - I think she actually bought it through a Radio Times offer, it was so good that I bought the same for me.

DM has an old 1970s Elna but that's old and this one is lighter.

For day to day sewing this will be fine for both your DD's but also for you.

The computerised ones you see are great but can be hard to get the hang of.

@Baldieheid why not Janome: because so many makes over the years have been Janome under a different badge. Because every ‘Janome’ I’ve ever had has had issues particularly jamming. Hate front loading bobbins, fiddly things.

For a new sewist I would look for a full metal body machine. A drop in bobbin. Fully adjustable stitch width and length. One step button hole.
Then I would think about add ons. What additional feet are available? Is there a walking foot compatible with the machine. Can a second spool holder to added for twin needle sewing?

Then there are the nice to haves but not essential. Automatic cutter and build in needle threader. Adjustable stitch speed. Auto lockstitch. Adjustable presser foot pressure.

I have a Janome which I got over 25 years ago and is still going strong despite huge amounts of use of it.
I got a Janome overlocker a couple of years ago and I absolutely love it too.

@fortifiedwithtea thanks for the detailed answer, it's always interesting to hear different experiences.

One tip is to buy a sheet or duvet cover in a charity shop to use the material for practice. A double sheet is over 2 metres of fabric and a double duvet cover is 8 metres.

The advice about using good quality thread is spot on - can save a lot of frustration!

Janome have been making a “heavy duty” model recently. I don’t know what they are calling the latest incarnation. It’s a good buy.

Will it be a machine that lasts forever? No.

Is it a perfectly decent machine that gives your kids a good start? Yes.

i am on my 3rd janome low to mid level machine since I made my first purchase 30 years ago. Would I still be on my first machine if I had invested in something higher quality? Possibly. Would I have spent more money if I had invested in a better machine 30 years ago? Yes. 3 machines still doesn’t total the cost of one more expensive machine.

The difference is that I might have had an easier time sewing. I would still like to invest in a better machine some day, but each time I have needed a replacement has been a bad time for an upgrade.

If you buy sheets for practice they need to be extremely low thread count. Most Sheets and duvets have a much higher thread count than most sewing fabric and that will be a challenge for beginners.

I teach sewing and I've put hours into researching and using different entry level machines. You can't beat the brother LS14 for price vs quality. It's a full size, capable machine that won't overwhelm the beginner and it'll take generic snap on feet, which you can buy cheaply online. It's got decent resale value too if your dcs decide they don't like sewing. I've seen them sold for £50 second hand.

I recently brought this machine link

I upgraded from my basic machine as I wanted to have automatic button holes (struggled with my JL machine to get them the right size) and I do quilting so needed a bit more oomph.

I like:
the flat bobbin - very easy to use.
standard easy change feet - same size as janome/JL
button holes are much easier
fancy stitches - not that useful but very fun, the ‘overlocker’ stretch stitch has been very good.
you aren’t paying for a ‘name’

Second this. Mum has a mini John Lewis machine. It was £50. It lasts forever. It works on heavy duty fabric such as upholstery and leather.
Brother L17S is selling for £89 in John Lewis. It is a solid machine with 3yr guarantee.

Same except mine was £40 on FB marketplace!

OP as long as it also does a zigzag stitch it'll be fine but I'd go for a decent brand and use really good thread (i like gutermann). Check FB first because people are always selling them!

My Mum is a prolific sewer/quilter/dressmaker.... she only has Janome machines... yes.... machines :P one of which cost her nearly a grand... who know you could get sewing machines that exspensive?! :P she says they're the best brand of machine.
Although I suspect it's similar to anything.... personal preference!

Having just seen £149 would be a stretch - definitely go for the Brother LS14. it's a good basic starter machine. I appreciate your DD is doing textiles GSCE but not many children will have access to one at home to help them, it's not a essential piece of kit for parents to get, and I think it would do just fine for what you need at this point, and it's almost half the cost.