Need Feedback

[Carolina Chipmunk]

Okay, my sewing machien died and I am going to ask my grandmother for a replacement. She gave the machien to me a few years ago and said that if it ever broke, she'd buy me a new one. What are all of ya'll's opinions about different brands of sewing machiens and which one can I get that is not too expensive, yet works pretty well.
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[grumpy]

Best advice is to go to several shops and check for the features, available accessories and if capable of handling your sewing needs. Most expensive is not always the best either. Good luck.

[Nellie's Mom]

CFK, as a former 4-H Sewing instructor, the best no-nonsense, inexpensive machine is a Kenmore sewing machine from Sears. There are lots of much more expensive sewing machines that will do all kinds of fancy stuff. But from what I have been reading in your posts, you want a machine that will sew well and not give you a lot of trouble. So for the dollars, my vote goes for a simple $200 to $300 Kenmore. Keep us posted as to what your grandmother is willing to pay for you machine. I think Nellie is still using a Singer in the same price range. Good luck, Nellie's Mom

[Nellie's Mom]

I failed to mention, Nellie told me she wouldn't be without her serger so you might want to discuss that with her. Since I don't have one, I can't advise you there. Nellie's Mom

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Well I have always been a Kenmore girl myself, but I will tell you I am just overly impressed with the computerized brother I bought from Wal-mart. It sews along like a champ and does a few things my 2-300$ kenmore wont. I got it for I think 199-250$? something in that range anyway.

I give a big second to the serger advice, mine was my MIL's old singer from the 70's but it does its job, right as rain...can't do half of what I like to do without it!! but as to buying a newer one I couldnt begin to suggest.

As far as simple, just keep in mind that the more you sew the more you will want to try new things, so give yourself some growing room with your machine, get something that does a bit more than you know how to but things you might like to try. Oh yes and the best advice I can give is ...Give that Grandma of yours one real big kiss and hug and tell her how wonderful she is to help you with this. Grandparents is a precious fleeting comodity...treat them like the treasure they are hon. :)

Happy shopping!!
Gypsy

[Pretty Mean Shawme]

Put your Money in quality, not necessarily fluff. If you get a machine that does a lot of fun stitches and such but is not a quality machine, you will have nothing but problems.

Same with your serger, get the best quality you can and make sure it is easy to thread!

I love my Janome that I have now, it is a more expensive one, but I had a really cheap Janome a couple of years ago and I hated it!

I would find a good sewing machine store and spend some time in the shop, play with all of the machines, (even the ones you can't afford!) Most sell good quality used machines, with warranties that you can purchase at a fraction of the cost of a new machine.

[Coffee Em]

This is tough advice to follow given where you guys live, but look around to see what brands of machines are sold by local dealers who'll provide ongoing support--sewing classes, service, one-on-one help with sewing problems that crop up. I've got friends who speak highly of their local Bernina dealers, for instance. I've got an Elna, and the reason for it is because I had a helpful local dealer in Minneapolis.

(Of course, turns out you can't necessarily find an Elna dealer everywhere...

Cheers,
Coffee Em

[Fannie Kikinshoot]

CFK, I have 2 Singers. The first one (my favorite) came from Walmart, on sale for ~ $150. I have been using this machine for 5 years now and I absolutely love it. I do dream of a "fancy" sewing machine, but heck, look at all the great dresses my Singer has made. She is a good one.

[Nellie Blue]

Yes, I will swear by my 25 year old Singer! Don't need nothing fancy here...the only thing I lust for is an automatic button holer, but this old Singer's manual button holer ain't too bad either...With no computerized gizmos, there are not as many things to go wrong! :lool

Love my Serger too, but on a budget use pinking shears!

[Fannie Kikinshoot]

My Singer has an automatic button holer, and you will DEFINITELY want one. Make sure that whichever machine you get, it has an automatic button holer. :sewing

[Black Hills Barb]

My great uncle bought me a good Kenmore for my 16th birthday. I'm 51 now and I'm still sewing on it. It's built like a Sherman tank! I am going to start to look around and see what's on the market these days because I use my daughter's Kenmore for buttonholes, mine for straight sewing and my Kenmore serger also. When Darcy gets back from the desert, I'll lose her machine and I've become spoiled by it's newer buttonhole technology. Besides a 35 year old sewing machine might not last forever!

Last year I had to take my serger in for a repairs and it was repaired with Janome parts. Hmmmmm, I'm thinking there's a relationship there. Kenmore logo stuck on a Janome machine???????

[Angel Outlaw]

CFK, just last year I bought a Kenmore machine and I really like it! one step buttonholer! can't ask for more.

I bought a serger from Walmart last year and it works great!

good luck

[Carolina Chipmunk]

good point, everyone, about the button hole thingy...I tried to make a button hole on the little pocket book I made about a week ago and I vowed never to sew another it came out so bad on my old machien!

[Coffee Em]

List of useful features (not really must-haves, but stuff I either want or have and love):

1. Good buttonholes, either one-step or multi-step. You should be able to sew six or eight buttonholes, one right after another, and have them come out the same size and weight, once you've set up the buttonholer for the size you want.
2. A setting that allows you to stop sewing with the needle in the fabric. This is so useful for sewing corners, tricky curved seams, and any circumstance in which I'll need to fiddle with the job while it's under the presser foot, that I can't figure out how I lived without it.
3. A slow-speed setting. Sure, you can develop a great touch with your foot controller, but for the above-mentioned tricky curves, it's awfully nice to know that your machine is helping you go slow.

What other features, gang? What am I forgetting?

Cheers,
Coffee Em

[Tatted Lady]

The buttonhole thing is the most important, and great stitches and easy bobbin insertion and winding.

One other thing is a foot to hold buttons and a stitch to sew them on. Really is great and fast. Of course it doesn't work for shank buttons!!

And another thing, is the "freearm" for sleeves and legs. This is a great feature.

On the serger; make sure is can do (rolled edge hem stitch), and a differential feed is great for fabric that either stretches or draws up as it is stitched.

Like CE said, support, service and sewing help after the sale is really important too!!! Have fun shopping, and hug your gramdma for me!!!!

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Lets hear it for a drop in bobbin!

I bought a Janome and it had a vertical bobbin...I HATED it! I took it back it and it wernt real cheap either!

I want to SEE my bobbin thread and my new machine the brother that btw works with all Janome parts....is a drop in and it is just a slick little pull through and no need to pull the thread up through the hole under the needle.

1-step button hole if at all possible.

Needle down option (good one Em...love that on mine too!)

I like a nice wide range of stitch lengths and widths! My machine allows you to go from far right to far left needle position in tiny little increments...LOVE that you can place a ctich any where you like I set mine so that the edge of the foot is 1/2 in exactly from the needle ( know any good patterns with a 1/2 seam allowance??? :w2 )
The length goes all the way up to 7 so I can have a GREAT ruffle if I want to do it by hand. ( A ruffler foot is a must have add on as soon as you can...HUGE time saver!)

My moms machine has a leg presser...this is a bar that you push with your knee to make it go instead of a foot press, I think it is a higher end add on item (mom has a pretty nice janome) it was WIERD at first but I think I will miss it when I go home...less back fatigue, and very nice control.

Feet I love,
Buttonhole
rolled hem
blind hem
beadding foot
zipper foot
ruffler foot

Oh I forgot an important feature...the ability to drop the feed dogs...these are the biting little parts under the fabric that move it along...BUT they can also EAT certain delicate fabrics that need these to be dropped down to sew properly

Gosh... I think that is all...but I know there are other things I would say "oh yeah...you gotta have that!" :re

[Garnet Rose]

http://www.trulyvictorian.netfirms.com//phpbb/nfphpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1683

I posed this question on the Truly Victorian board and got lots of good feedback. You can see a picture of my "new baby" here:
http://trulyvictorian.netfirms.com/picturepro/nfpicturepro/displayimage.php?pos=-679

I went to my local dealer with my shopping list and came home with a floor model Elna with a 25 year warranty and I'm very happy with it.

[Tatted Lady]

I'm bringing this back to the top for BHB.

[Black Hills Barb]

Well, my adventure in shopping for the perfect machine has begun. I looked at a sweet Babylock and a Janome that I can't afford but would mortgage my house for!

When I got home from the Janome dealer, I tossed the pamphlets on the table and told Darcy "here's what you can buy me for Christmas with all that hazardous duty pay you're raking in!" She promptly got on ebay (she claims to be the Ebay queen - obviously she hasn't met many of you!) and found the same Janome (gently used) for less than 1/2 the price of the new one. She's watching the auction for me daily and it's not moving much (it'll probably sky rocket in the final hours). I guess I'll see how this plays out before I shop further.

[Tatted Lady]

BHB, call your local dealer to see if they have any trade-in's. They will probably be about half price too!! And might even get a warranty of some kind with it, instructions when you need it, feet, and heaven forbid, (parts or repair).

Thanks PMS, for the welcome back. I have been lurking from time to time. :kbutt Have been really busy, and just didn't have the time to be online. Am trying to finish up all my drapes, roman shades, wallpaper and everything else for our new house. But right in the middle of it all, some friends wanted a bunch of shirts embroidered with their design that I had to digitize first. Boy, am I glad that is all done!

Now I can get back to my cowgirl sewing and all my "alley" friends.

Sorry, :re we are supposed to be talking about machines. BHB and Darcy, good luck with the machine shopping.