Christmas Present help - Sewing Machine

[Liondoesntsleepatnight]

My DD is very good at textiles and has requested a sewing machine. Her teacher is delighted, however I know nothing about sewing.

I know Singer is a big brand, is Brother good too? I want to make sure that her home sewing machine will have all the features of one in school/college.

Help please!

I love my Janome. But yes both brands are well known.

My mum has two brothers (a normal and an overlocker) and loves them. They seem to do everything for her.

The overriding view on the sewing forum I'm on is that Singer machines are nowhere near as good as they used to be. Most people there seem to go for Brother or Janome; I'm really happy with my Brother. What's your budget?

I have a Janome 220xt but I'm more into sewing small things I've seen on Facebook and YouTube. It's easy to use and if I was more experienced eg making clothes then I'm sure it would be a perfect all rounder.

Another vote for Janome

I have a Janome and an inherited Singer machine. If they still have their own brand, John Lewis sewing machines are made by Janome and can be cheaper. You can also buy reconditioned secondhand machines, which can be a great way of getting something which might otherwise be unaffordable brand new.

Singer is mass produced rubbish these days so avoid at all costs along with the basic machines from Aldi & Lidl. Fine for sewing the odd hem or alteration but their internal components are plastic and they won’t last long with any serious use.

What’s your budget? If you buy a decent brand even secondhand, it will sew through most fabrics, last a while and you can always p/ex it if she wants to trade up later.

Janome, Brother and Husqvarna, make good entry level machines. Otherwise, you could look at buying second hand from a specialised sewing store (not Hobbycraft) if you want something more robust or with more features such as Juki, Pfaff and Bernina.

I teach sewing and run a local sewing group. Here are my recommendations for a good beginners machine:

Janome 725s
Janome 230DC
Juki HZL H60
Brother Innov-is A16
Brother Innov-is A65 (I use this one in my classes)

Happy to answer any questions. 😊

I like my Husqvarna but as others say Brother, Janome and Singer are all well known reputable brands.

If she's really into textiles then an over locker would be a good present in the future.

Thank you! Can I get something decent for £350? Black Friday offer?

How about these?

In my experience the more bells and whistles it has, the more it goes wrong. The one with lettering looks good if that’s what she wants, but TBH, the letters are small and so she might not want/need them.
I would buy a decent standard machine and maybe next step is an overlocker if she’s making clothes.

my best machine is still my 1970s singer semi industrial machine.
Also don’t buy cheap thread.

I love my Brother innovis 10a. Also got an entry-level Brother LS14s for DD. Both are good but the Innovis is more solid with extra features.

https://www.sewingmachines.co.uk/innov-is-a60/

These are a good place to buy from and have excellent customer service too.

The Brother machines you’ve listed are older designs and the Innov-is range is their current modern range. As the previous poster mentions, the letters on the FS100 are very small and not really worth paying for.

I’m thinking this one