Sewing machine for disabled person, shoulders, knees, feet and hands. Don't like vibration.

[PomfretFeather]

Hello,

I am a beginner sewer, though I have family members who can teach me.
My budget is up to £1000, as I want to get it right first time.

I have autoimmune joint disease, my knees, feet, shoulders and hands are affected.
It is hard to do repetitive motion as it triggers hand pain.
My knees and feet are very bad and I can't walk far.
My shoulders are bad and I cannot lift my arms above shoulder height at the moment.

I am sensitive to vibrations, so would like to prioritise minimal vibrations.

I would love to start making things. I would like to start with a shirt, and would like to be able to use denim at some point.

I understand I need help feeding the fabric in, and there are things that can help with that.
I don't know but I imagine the foot pedal will be difficult, so if I can automate the stitching and maybe control it with a wheel.

If I need to expand the budget I could consider that.
Also, I think it's best to buy new rather than second hand?

I would appreciate any advice.

Thank you.

Dressmaking is a much more physical hobby than people realise. I had some time off work recently for surgery and my manager commented I would be able to get some sewing done while I was off and I laughed. If I'm fit to dressmake then I'm more than fit to drive/work.

It's not just about feeding the material through a sewing machine.

Pinning and cutting out the patterns/material requires being able to manipulate large bits of material, often whilst kneeling/leaning/stretching. Doing fiddly bits like collars requires quite a bit of hand dexterity as does rethreading the machine, pinning and sewing darts, making button holes, swwing buttons, ironing seams, unpicking, turning points, clipping curves etc.

The actual sewing part of making clothes is about 20% of the process.

Not to put you off but definitely try making something first using a borrowed machine before committing to spending lots of money on something.

Although If you are determined look at computerised machines - mine has a stop/go button on it if you don't want to use the footpedal and my overlocker has a stop/start knee lift on it - I don't use it, but someone who struggled with a foot pedal might find it helpful.

As above, and also to add was "shirt" a typo? Did you mean to say "skirt"? Shirts are amongst the most difficult garments to get right, I really wouldn't recommend starting there!

Also suggest some electric scissors.
A quick google suggests that the computerised janome would be a good place to start looking.
pattern weights rather than pins might help for cutting out.

And yes I agree- start with something much easier!
Have you tried going to one of the stitching shows where they do lots of demonstrations of their machines to try and sell them to you.

Agree with @pastabest.

Laying and cutting out patterns is physically hard work and I tend to lie everything flat on the floor in the upstairs hallways to give me enough space.

Rather than spending £££ on a computerised sewing machine, consider having some lessons where they provide all the equipment and take you through all the steps in making a single garment to see how you get on? Some of the large sewing machine shops offer classes. You’ll also get the opportunity to try out different machines.

Do you think you'll be able to cut out fabric or iron large sections? Or will you have someone who can help you with all those bits? There's relatively little sewing machine work in dressmaking weirdly. By time I reckon it's probably about 20% max - certainly for me.

As above the sewing part is is probably the smallest percentage of work, but to answer on of your questions some sewing machines have a stop start button so you don't need to use a foot peddle.

I have a dodgy shoulder - for me the most important thing is the chair i use whilst sitting at the machine. If the chair isnt at the perfect hight/angle it can mean I'm in serious pain for the next few days.