Buying my first SEWING MACHINE & would love your expert adviceADVICE please!!!

[ClairLesley]

Hello there!

I'm planning to buy my first sewing machine and would like something that's user-friendly and something I can grow with as my skills (hopefully) progress. Of course, I'd like it to last a good number of years also ...

Don't want to spend too much in case I turn out to be completely hopeless ... £200 at the very most, ideally around £150. I've been looking at mostly Brother & Singer machines but am open to any other brands.

Would you recommend a non-computerized machine such as the Singer Inspiration 4212 or 4220 or Brother BM3600? or is a computerized machine going to be much easier for me to get started on - Brother es-2010, Brother Innovis 10(A), or Singer 7463?

I hope to use the machine for simple home furnishings. Oh, and I'd like to be able to sew oilcloth material ... not sure if that makes a difference to the machine or not.

Thank you so much for your advice in advance - there are no sewing machine shops anywhere close to me and I've found it difficult to find reviews/advice online so I'm hoping there are a few 'sewing machine queens' out there that could help!

Have a look at the Husky Viking C20. I got mine when it was on special offer and it's fab. It was my first machine and I'm still using it. Easy to use and enough functions.

I have just bought dd a Janome for 80 pounds. It is very simple to use and has all the basic functions up to GCSE and A level textiles. She is ten and is using it with no problems.

... And I see you have a Husky Dog, Perfect eh ?

Have a look at the details here

Thank you so much Tillyboo and 3littlefrogs ... I really appreciate your advice.

Tillyboo ... oh, that little Husky looks wonderful!! Love that it has an alphabet After I read your post I googled for some reviews and they're all great ... am really thinking of jumping out of my price range for it ... am easily tempted so thank you for that!

Do you mind me asking where you got yours? Was it online or in a store? I can only find them for 299 at the moment, although one online shop I found has an ex-demo for 249.

By the way, am with you 100% on coriander ... bleughhh/gag/yuck!

Hi ClairLesley, I live in Berkshire so got mine from a small independant sewing machine shop who regularly have offers.

I'm not sure if they'd be able to help you source one ... they are really lovely and helpful in there so there is a possibility.

Here are the details, it might be worth giving them a ring as they might be able to help you.

Sewmaster Sewing Machines:
3, West St, Reading, Berkshire RG1 1TT
Tel: 0118 957 1845

Let me know how you get on.

Have a look at my blog, you'll be able to see what I have done using the machine

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Oh, Tillyboo, how lovely!!! Are you sure you don't have a £5k Bernina up your sleeve somewhere . Love the cottages!! I'm in the middle of decorating our bedroom - white wood with navy, red, white soft furnishings ... trying to go for the Maine coastal look! I bet one of your little hanging cottage decorations could be adapted into a beautiful lighthouse. If you could design one, I'd love to buy it from you ... just a thought

Thank you so much for the Sewmaster shop details ... I'll give them a call tomorrow just in case.

I'd posted on a sewing forum recently too and got my first reply today - one girl said I should look at a cheaper sewing machine but get an overlocker as well. What on earth is an overlocker when it's at home? Do you use one at all? Have I been naive thinking I only need one machine?

Your blog is just lovely ... very

Hi ClairLesley, Bless you for the lovely comments about my work.

I'd be more than happy to design a lighthouse for you. I've just finished a commissioned Bunny which I'll blog later and then my next project is going to be of a Fairytale theme applique - it's top secret at the mo.

I found this description of an Overlocker which might help you.

'Overlockers: Overlockers are basically finishing machines, mainly used for hems and seams but can also have decorative stitching options. The main benefit of an overlocker is that it can sew a seam, finish the edge and cut off the excess fabric in one step. An overlocker can be very useful if you only want to do simple projects such as making curtains or taking up hems but does not have the versatility of a sewing machine. It cannot, for example sew buttonholes or zips. Overlockers give a more professional finish to garments and projects. They are also great for sewing knitted fabrics, making a useful additional item, especially if you sew frequently. Overlockers are also known as ?sergers? '

I haven't got one as my little machine does everything I need at the moment. I'm not sure I'd ever need one really.

The ex demo sounds OK, probably hasn't had a huge amount of use and it would probably have been serviced before being put up for sale.
Go for it, you'll love it !!

Anyway, when would you like your lighthouse for ?
x

If you want it to last, get a Bernina. I'm a textile teacher, and most schools use Berninas because they are the best and strongest machine.

Overlockers are great fun, very therapeutic I find , the kids love them!Threading them is a nightmare though...........

Thank you Fizzbuzz ... will definitely have a look. Think I discounted Berninas initially as they were out of my budget. Will have to try and see an overlocker in action

I love my overlocker but I only bought it because it was going for a song on ebay and I do find it handy for neatening edges (my pattern cutting is not great). They are most definitely not essential though and if it's just because your pattern cutting is not great then a cutting mat and rotary cutter are probably a better idea.

You need straight stitch, zigzag, and perhaps buttonhole. Anything more is a bonus.

I bought a new machine last year on Ebay (brand new) for well under £100.

(we have Berninas at school, but I'm sure our textile teacher would never admit to doing any sewing).

Dear Tillyboo ... please book me in for one of your projects. Can mine be top secret too? Please? Maybe you could allude to making something nautical & mysterious should people ask (and they will) There is no real rush ... just when inspiration strikes and you're able to fit it in. Let me know if you'd like paid in advance also - I'm happy to PayPal money or send a check, whatever is easier. If it helps, here's the sort of look I'm going for:

something like this

Thanks for the info on overlockers too ... I think I'll stick with the machine to begin with otherwise I'd end up rocking back & forward in front of two machines, looking like dear Dougal from Father Ted: 'too much too soon!, too much too soon!' Maybe once I've got the hang of my sewing machine.

Oh, and I googled the Sewmaster shop to see if they had a website - they do - and as I couldn't wait to call, I dropped them an email about the C20. Here's hoping!

I'm so excited about my/your lighthouse . Thanks, Tillyboo!!!!

I would add adjustible stitch length and width to STs list too, I find it a must. There is nothing more annoying than trying to get the right tacking length on machine only to find that you're limited to what has been pre programmed into the machine.

Sorry, Tillyboo, the link doesn't take you to the exact page - when you get to the brochure please forward to pages 22-23!

Thank you, Rantingwageslave! Do you mind me asking what model of overlocker you have just out of curiousity? Think I'm going to invest in a cutting mat & rotary cutter. I like Fiskars (have a set for my jewelry) and I think they do a good rotary cutter so I'll add them to my ever-growing list

It's a brother one, I don't find it that difficult to thread but it has colour codes on it with arrows to show where the threads should go. It was a couple of years old, I think when I got it last year but, had definitely not been well used. And it runs like a dream.
The fiskars rotary cutters are supposed to be brilliant, I may invest in some myself.

Another vote for Janome. Very reliable and good value for money. Mine has integral overlocker - it's a quilting model btw (40th birthday present from Dh.) I love it.

Always sworn by Bernina but spare parts are massively, massively expensive.

BTW Janome is model chosen to be sold by John Lewis (well, it was 4 yrs ago anyway) and they are usually pretty reliable when it comes to product knowledge. There is a model for starters/beginners that is non-computerised ...

All I can add is that my Toyota is hugely unreliable , but I'm not allowed to complain too much as DH gave it to me as a present around 8 years ago and still gets a bit touchy when he hears me cursing at it .

I am currently putting off dismantling it AGAIN to clean and oil in the hope that it will stop it jamming every 5 minutes

I have an inexpensive janome from JL and I love it...really easy to use and puts up with a lot of crap from my sewing skills!

This is a brilliant blog, and there's a good post on choosing a machine here

The main advice I give in the classes I run is spend time learning how to set up, thread and do simple maintenance on your machine before diving in and doing any serious sewing. Then practice, practice, practice on different types of stitching and doing simple stuff like hems. If you try to run before you can walk you will have a broken machine - and some broken confidence - before you know it. Do it right, however, and you will have a ball. Good luck.