Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Arts and crafts

Discover knitting, crochet, scrapbooking and art and craft ideas on this forum.

starter sewing machine

7 replies

Sleepyfergus · 24/10/2015 19:49

So I think I might like to venture into making things such as cushion covers, non fussy curtains, drawstring bags etc for personal use (not for selling).

What's the best starter sewing machine you all recommend that can cope with this sort of stuff but that will cope with more complex stuff should I get the knack for making things. TIA

OP posts:
Sleepyfergus · 24/10/2015 19:51

Oops, just seen another thread which is pretty similar to mine so I follow that. Sorry, I usually check to see if a similar question has recently been asked but missed this one!

OP posts:
JimmyCorkhill · 24/10/2015 19:54

In case you still check this thread - I have a Janome J3-24 to do everything you mentioned and i really like it.

Slugonthewindow · 24/10/2015 19:55

I just got a singer 1409. It's great. Easy to use once you've read the instructions. I'm a total beginner and I've made a costume for my toddler son and a dress costume for me - hardly perfect but homemade!! It's brilliant and I'd recommend it.

Tarzanlovesgaby · 24/10/2015 19:59

I have 2 left thumbs and was given the ikea mashine.
it was great for shortening curtains and making bags out of old towels.

Duckdeamon · 26/10/2015 07:01

Which is the thread sleepyfergus?

OP posts:
JoffreyBaratheon · 26/10/2015 23:31

And just to repeat what I've said before on these threads - if the weight of a machine isn't an issue, vintage Singers, Jones, etc are a very good buy. I've paid around a tenner at car boots for them. They are far better engineered than modern machines - very little to go wrong on them, and loads of YouTube videos and blogs etc to tell you how to clean & maintain. Spare parts easily available and very cheap. They only sew forwards and in a straight line as a rule, but many come with - or you can get - attachments.

I do almost all my sewing on a 1956 Singer 221K (Featherweight) which is a miniature machine that many think has the best straight stitch ever. That one can go backwards as well - which many vintage machines can, post 1940s.

My machine was re-wired and serviced before I bought it on eBay and came with most of its original attachments, spare bobbin and a carrying case. I've had it since summer and have made about a dozen dresses on it, a set of caravan curtains, new living room curtains, some cushion covers, two coats and currently am making a dressing gown - it's a really, really fun machine to use. A reconditioned 221K might set you back around £150 (they can go higher) but it is bombproof and will never let you down. Also it doesn't make the horrendous noise of many modern entry level machines.

I have hand cranks and a treadle as well. All incredibly straightforward and as they were engineered to do only one thing - a straight stitch - they do it incredibly well.

My newest machine is a 1970 Brother (my mum's) which does zig zag and loads of fancy stuff etc but if I'm honest I prefer my own Featherweight. They are being snapped up by Americans though and will get harder and harder to find as quilters rave about them.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread