Sewing machine help

[Winterlove]

I’ve been looking for a creative hobby for a while and have settled on sewing. I got some money for Christmas and would like to put it towards a machine. My budget is around £150.

I’m mainly hoping to make fleece jumper for my dog as these are expensive to buy all the time. I’d also like to make festive table runners, take up trousers, make scrunchies, pencil cases and book pouches etc.

I’m also interesting in quilting further down the line after much practice but I understand I need a quilting foot and a machine that can handle this.

Would the Janome 4400 be appropriate for my needs?

Yes, Janome are great machines. Walking feet are available for all their machines.

Thanks for the reassurance. I don’t want to spend a fortune on one as a beginner, but also don’t want to have to upgrade it in a year or so because it doesn’t do what I need.

I just opened a singer traditional 2259 and it is amazing. £150.

It’s technically not actually mine it is for my 6 year old as she desperately wanted a sewing machine for Christmas and the ‘toy’ ones had appalling reviews, but as until now I have been using my great grandma’s singer hand sewing machine for all sorts of things (curtains, cushions, dressing up outfits etc) I am astounded with all the different stitches and just how easy an electric machine is to use.

Here is her first ever wheat and lavender pillow we made earlier, now heated and being cuddled.

That should last you a good long while. I sewed on my first machine for about 5 years before upgrading and it wasn't as good as that Janome!

I bought a Janome as a beginner machine as I wasn’t sure how I’d get on with sewing. I’m an avid sewer now and still use the same machine. I’ve found it a really reliable brand. I quilt a lot and even on my basic machine it does a great job

Sorry meant to say six years on and I’m still using it. Ive not even considered an upgrade

@adagio what a lovely gift and a great outcome for her first project!

@mangoontoast thanks again for your advice and reassurance. There’s so much choice and it’s hard to know what I need.

@CallMeBubbleDarling what sort of things do you make? Did you have any sewing experience? I had a toy sewing machine as a child and used to make clothes for my dolls which were always a bit squint but I loved creating things and want to be able to make things that are useful to me.

Thank you :) she is very proud! Pedal has to be in the step stool to reach it 😂
Forgot to say the main thing for me was size/where to store - the nice thing on the singer is that it is compact, and I have a hone for it lined up; a lot are quite a bit bigger which put me off a bit. Also fully variable speed control down to very slow - my research found some have fast and super fast as their speeds, others have a lot more variance according to reviews.

No I had never sewn before. I have a brilliant fabric shop nearby that does a whole range of classes so I signed up to some beginner ones which really helped me. I mainly quilt but I’ve also made some clothes for my youngest, soft toys (some really easy to follow patterns on Etsy) table runners, place mats and clothes for myself. I’m not great at clothes for myself so I need to do some more classes as it doesn’t come as easily to me as the other bits do.

Placemaking as also have great plans to take up sewing in 2023.

Placemarking as I just started seeing this year and have been taking loads of classes. I have just made a few pillows and some Barbie clothes, mostly learning right now.

@adagio I’ve thought of 2 places for it but will need to get a nice box to store my threads and needles then maybe another basket to keep all of my fabric. I picked some fabric today in the sale.

@CallMeBubbleDarling it sounds like you’re doing great being able to make all of those things! I’m hoping to start with scrunchies and maybe a pencil case or coin purse. Can you share a link to something good I can use to line the coin purse for example?

I’ve bought glass head pins, fabric scissors, a seam picker and some Guterman thread. Anything else you could all recommend that I’ll need?

You’ve probable got your machine by now! Sounds like a good all-round machine. If you are thinking of adding to your list, I’d opt for a pair of small embroidery scissors - great for cutting threads and generally tidying up. An acrylic ruler with square markings (sold by quilt shops in lots of sizes) is really useful for cutting smaller shapes for bags etc. Rotary cutters are brilliant for cutting out. In terms of fabric, I buy a mix of online and local shops - fabric shops often specialise in either quilting fabrics (cotton with teeny prints) or dressmaking fabric (bigger range of fabric types - you can’t really make clothes from quilting cotton.

Would definitely recommend some classes to get to know your machine. YouTube is an absolute treasure trove of tutorials; Instagram also really useful. Good luck!

Thanks for your reply @orangejuggling!

The machine arrived pretty quickly but the package of accessories from the same order is still missing/delayed with Royal Mail so I’ve not been able to start.

I didn’t order the acrylic ruler though and it’s something I think I’ll definitely want to use so will pick one up!

I’ve also seen a local place that does a full weekend sewing course where you make 5 items over the weekend to get basic skills. Next availability is spring time so will hopefully get booked in.

No problem! Actually, tailor’s chalk or an erasable fabric marking pen (such as Frixxion pens) are also very useful. There’s a few things but on the whole you can get by with a fairly minimal setup.

Oh another thing to add to the list!

OP I'm a very experienced sewer. I have a basic Bernina and a top-of-the-range Pfaff that cost £6.5K. You can do almost anything with a basic machine. I don't recommend overlockers (that do the seams). I had one, waste of money. Sold mine.
The only issue with quilting is how tightly you can roll up your work so it fits through the centre of the machine. Unless you're making a double bed quilt, you'll be fine. & If you do make a double bed quilt, there are people who offer a 'long-arm' service to do the quilting after you've made your patchwork top.

It's nice to meet other sewers...

I recently got a sewing machine, a basic John Lewis one but haven’t got started yet. I have started a dressmaking course though, it’s 6 weeks of 2 hour classes and we will make a garment. This week was all about measuring, patterns, sizing, fabric selection etc. I bought a pattern and fabric and am looking forward to getting started on it next week. Perhaps at the end of the course, I will try another item on my own machine!