Sewing machines for a total beginner...

[waxweasel]

I'd love to learn to sew basic things - I'm pg with DC2 and would love to be able to make basic shift dresses, skirts, shorts etc for the baby and 2 year old DD (and probably her dolls....). I learned to knit when pg with DD but never really took to it as it just takes too long to finish a garment! So I feel like sewing may be more for me, as I can make the sort of stuff I tend to buy for the kids and get quicker gratification

There's a 6 week beginners sewing class starting by my house, which I'm eyeing up. Then after that, I will need a sewing machine. What's a really good basic sewing machine that even a total sewing idiot like me could use, but which does everything I might need it to?

Are you near a John Lewis? Their entry level sewing machines are re-branded Janomes and I have heard good things about them. www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-jl110-sewing-machine/p527345?colour=Dusky%20Pink

Otherwise Janome and Pfaff are good, Pfaff are generally very expensive though. Stay away from Singer as the new ones are not as good as they used to be, and don't buy from Lidl as I know lots of people who bought those and the tension was never right and they jammed up very easily, which is dispiriting for a newbie.

Great tip, thanks - the JL one looks ideal. I love the colours too! We're in London so easy to get there and I can browse the materials too...

My mum keeps trying to palm off her old 30 year old Singer on me, but I'm trying to resist because it's ENORMOUS and looks really complicated. Am I being ridiculous? Or am I right in thinking nowadays they're a bit less massive and clunky and a new one might be easier to get to grips with? The money isnt an issue as it's my 30th soon and have nothing on my list so far, so DH would be thrilled to not have to think of something himself...

Your mother's old Singer is likely to be very sturdy and would be ideal if you are likely to do anything heavyweight, for instance curtains. It almost certainly needs to be serviced before using though. The simple JL machine would definitely be easier for a beginner though as the dials are very straight-forward and the threading would be fairly easy too. It also depends on where you will be sewing, if you will need to put the machine away every time (for instance if you are sewing on the kitchen table) then a lighter machine would be less effort but if you have a permanent sewing table then weight and size doesn't matter.

If your Mum nearby to help you get started on the Singer and able to help you with any problems then it would probably be worthwhile taking it from her, even if you get a newer one as well. You might decide you want to do bag-making or sew up oilcloth or something heavy like that and basic machine wouldn't cope with it.

I would do the course first anyway and see what you think of their machines. You'll know then what features are most useful to you. For instance, I like having a needle-down button (which means that every time you stop sewing the needle automatically stops in the down position) but some people find it annoying.

John Lewis do a janome model that is good but strong enough to handle curtains and jeans too. Janome after sale care is great too.

Have a look at the Danamadeit website to mat leave sewing inspiration!

I bought my DC the John Lewis model, it is great value at £99.

Freecycle often have sewing machines on offer.

I have used my JL machine for shorts, skirts, a quilt and many bags. It is easy to carry around. Absolutely brilliant. Comes with some spare needles, bobbins and an unpicker.

Thanks everyone! Really good advice. I won't buy one until I've done a few weeks of the course and know what suits me. A small lightweight one would be best as I won't have a permanent sewing place - will just be doing it at my work desk or on the kitchen table. I can't imagine I'll want to do anything heavy duty like oil cloth or curtains either, just basic cotton things.

Be careful with new machines, a mechanic I know nick-names them 'clam shells' as they are so hard to get into if a part like a gear breaks.

A mechanic might charge a lot to fix it, due to the time it takes to get into the machine to fix the part. They are really designed not to be fixed! A basic service is fine, fixing things a lot more difficult.

I have an old 70s Bernina Record 830, bought off Ebay. It is stronger than my old 'modern' cheap Janome..so can go through canvas, denim very easily. They are designed to be really easy to access everywhere, to repair parts and service. You can buy accessories and parts too, they are available.
Any of that age group of Bernina are really good IMO..here is one on Ebay:-

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bernina-807-sewing-machine-with-original-case-and-foot-control-/191665426535?hash=item2ca0265067

google old Bernina models as some have a problem with the foot control overheating. Bernina has admitted this so it will be on their website.

I learnt to sew 4 years ago and bought a basic machine from JL. The only thing i regretted was it had a 4-stage button hole not a 1-stage. If you're intending on making clothes eventually you'll do buttons and will curse if you got the wrong machine.

I've since upgraded to a fully automatic computerised machine but wouldn't recommend that until you definitely know sewing is more than an occasional hobby.

Good luck!

amarmai you are right that old Bernina foot pedals can overheat. It's just the Capacitor, which can be easily replaced by an engineer with a new Capacitor (I have fixed one myself).

Where are you OP?
I have a basic Janome in the loft, virtually unused if you are interested
Would need to collect though as weight would cost a lot to send by post

hi Gourmet Gold. I've been trying to get mine fixed and given up as they only want to sell me a new pedal. Can you tell me how to get a Capacitor and how to do it myself?