Sewing machine

[Polgara2]

DD1 could do with a sewing machine now she is doing her textiles gcse. Anyone got any suggestions on a good one. I can't afford an expensive one so it needs to be cheap good value but not useless iyswim!

I am useless at sewing and so have absolutely no idea what features etc I should be looking for.

Many thanks

John Lewis have a fairly cheap mini one, and it comes in lots of funky colours.

here

but I think it's a basic model, so I'm not sure what else you might want it to do.

Oh, and they often have 20% off everything days before Christmas, so if you kept an eye out you could have it at an even better price!

Put an add in your local freecycle?

Often an older second-hand one can be better-made than a cheap modern one.

She would want basic lockstitch, ziz-zag, reverse, and buttonhole probably.

Put this in Arts n Crafts, btw.

Lidl get one in from time to time that's meant to be pretty good.

Might also be worth seeing if any sewing machine shops near you sell refurbished ones as you might be able to pick up a bargain that way.

if you have a dunelm mill near you they do them quite reasonably, my mum has one and loves it.

Fingonthevaliant - that looks cool but tbh I am not sure what else it needs to do so don't know if its adequate or not!

Meltedmarsbars - have copied into art n crafts thank you.

craftynclothy - don't have a lidl here but think there is one in next town so will have a look.

Witchywoowoo - there is a dunelm mill not too far away so will look there too.

So as long as it does wot mmb said ie "basic lockstitch, ziz-zag, reverse, and buttonhole" is that enough then? Thanks again!

My Textiles GCSE students parents often ask this and MMB is right. Straight stitch, Zig zag, buttonhole, a few other fancy embroidery stitches, reverse. This is like one of the more basic machines I have in my classroom.

www.sewingmachines.co.uk/Janome2220_info.htm

Whatever they choose to make for their final project I would be surprised if you need anything more complicated and if so then the school should have higher spec machines for your DD to use for that element of the product.

Thanks DITDOT will go have a look

My DD got one last year for christmas. Parents bought it off ebay second hand and flew to Zurich with it.