Sewing machine recommendations?

[NYCgrrl]

I can't emphasize strongly enough that "throat space " (distance between needle and the working parts of the machine) can never be too big!

Inexplicably, a moveable feed dog is missing on a lot of machines but when you find one with it you know you’ve found a good model.

 

[Donald - my hero]

Inexplicably, a moveable feed dog is missing on a lot of machines but when you find one with it you know you’ve found a good model.

Something else that i didn't notice was missing until i went to topstitch the first mask was there is NO ability to move the needle position the machine wasn't cheap but it was one of the only ones they had in stock.
It has allowed me to make a list of must- haves when I finally upgrade and yes, those feed dogs must move!!!!

 

[NYCgrrl]

Something else that i didn't notice was missing until i went to topstitch the first mask was there is NO ability to move the needle position the machine wasn't cheap but it was one of the only ones they had in stock.
It has allowed me to make a list of must- haves when I finally upgrade and yes, those feed dogs must move!!!!

That’s so wrong. Sometimes manufacturers make you think too much. I mean who would think 200 plus years after the machine’s invention someone would take such a basic innovation off the assembly line?!

 

[Imzadi]

Inexplicably, a moveable feed dog is missing on a lot of machines but when you find one with it you know you’ve found a good model.

Something else that i didn't notice was missing until i went to topstitch the first mask was there is NO ability to move the needle position the machine wasn't cheap but it was one of the only ones they had in stock.
It has allowed me to make a list of must- haves when I finally upgrade and yes, those feed dogs must move!!!!

For me, it's an adjustable presser foot. I linked in my first post to a previous post from 12 years ago that talked in detail about the problems I had. That was the first clue that the new computerized, non-mechanical machine I got could not handle thick fabrics. Living where there is snow means I sometimes sew through two layers of a thick wool coat. The space between the presser foot and the throat plate couldn't handle that thickness. I tried flattening the fabric with both hands while sewing. No good. I tried lifting the presser foot lever as high as it would go and holding it there with one hand. That kind of worked, but then the tension was off on thicker layers and I could not adjust it.

Second thing I absolutely MUST have, is a hand wheel that I can MANUALLY turn with my hand. When the needle jams, I need to be able to gently turn the wheel to lift up or down the needle. The computerized machine I got, the hand wheel was LOCKED to the computer. I could not turn it on my own or that would jam the machine or create a computer error.

I also like to turn the needle by hand as some fabrics are tricky to work with. If the fiber is too dense, it needs the needle to slowly be coaxed through the dense fabric. This gives the needle ability to push dense threads apart as I wiggle the fabric a little, rather than try to poke through a tough thread. Otherwise the needle usually breaks when it hits the surface of the fabric. The machines with buttons to lower the needle into the fabric drop the needle at a certain speed. They aren't capable of going as slowly and gently as I need, requiring a manual touch.

With my old, all metal, mechanical machine, I was even able to sew leather straps back onto my leather shoe by oh, so slowly coaxing the needle, one stitch at a time through the tough leather, until the whole thing was done, going back & forth about four rows. Getting the side of a leather pump to fit under the presser foot was the tricky part, not the sewing!

All this is why I searched for my exact, old model machine again after trying that computerized one. I knew everything it COULD do, in spite of all the frills it didn't have. By the way, it was a Kenmore. Here it is! It's in a portable case now.

 

[beckicnm]

I absolutely love my Bernina Patchwork Edition 140. I bought it for about $600 used 15 years ago. I tried upgrading to a new Bernina during the pandemic and hated it. I think they run about $300 now. You don't have to spend a lot to get a great machine.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Are there any sewing machines that have all sorts of attachments like a Kitchenaid so you can be as small or as advanced as you want to be and it can grow with you as you learn?

I would love something like this for myself

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

Are there any sewing machines that have all sorts of attachments like a Kitchenaid so you can be as small or as advanced as you want to be and it can grow with you as you learn?

I would love something like this for myself

I haven't been in the market for a new sewing machine for a very long time, but as far as I know, features that can do special things are all built in.

I have a Singer from the 70's and can attest that it's never let me down. It can't do anything more fancy that zigzag, though, which is a disadvantage. When I take it in for maintenance (once in a blue moon), the guy always tells me to never get rid of it. He says the newer ones aren't worth fixing because they may be fancy, but they break easily and are made of junk.

I don't know what the original poster's budget is, but one thought I've had is to look for a simple older machine that can be repaired, if necessary. (They are so basic they can be made to sew like new pretty easily.) Then buy a cheap-o new one, for a subsequent birthday or holiday present, that has a few useful features that many people find indispensable. My sister has done that, and I envy her automated button-holer, self-threader, free arm, and the ability to produce a few fancy stitches. That machine is fun to use. But I've never actually needed any of those things and I've made everything from drapes, to upholstery, to doll clothes, to french-seamed and perfectly lined bridal clothing with my Singer Stylist.

 

[Mirabell Rose]

Brother CS7000x - runs about $215
Great for a beginner through advanced. I have had one (earlier version) for 10 years. It has a removable part to sew cuffs, a drop in bobbin, auto threader, and best it has a slide for speed control. When she’s sewing something difficult she can slide down to slowest speed and then just slide the bar to be able to go faster on simple seams. She can sew most anything with it.

Brother also sells embroidery machines, with the ones that have a “D” at the end being able to use Disney character patterns. However, the price determines how big of a design you can embroider, and the one with a 5x7 area runs $1000, so I would wait on this until she is more experienced and knows she wants to spend the money.

 

[Willow Ufgood]

Are there any sewing machines that have all sorts of attachments like a Kitchenaid so you can be as small or as advanced as you want to be and it can grow with you as you learn?

I would love something like this for myself

Most attachments are specialized presser feet. I have a ruffler but don't use it, a foot for attaching bias tape (love it!), a blind hem foot, one for rolled hems, another one for piping, a button hole foot and another one for sewing on flat buttons. I also have an extension for holding larger spools of thread, which is great if you're working on a large project. A few embroidery machines have USB ports for importing custom designs. My new machine came with an extension table that fits around and beyond the normal workspace.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Most attachments are specialized presser feet. I have a ruffler but don't use it, a foot for attaching bias tape (love it!), a blind hem foot, one for rolled hems, another one for piping, a button hole foot and another one for sewing on flat buttons. I also have an extension for holding larger spools of thread, which is great if you're working on a large project. A few embroidery machines have USB ports for importing custom designs. My new machine came with an extension table that fits around and beyond the normal workspace.

I bought most of my specialized presser feet as I needed them. The price of them individually is pretty reasonable. Pretty sure my machines came with two feet: zipper foot and what ever the standard foot is called.

 

[Imzadi]

I bought most of my specialized presser feet as I needed them. The price of them individually is pretty reasonable.

Yes, I also buy them as I need them. They are priced between $5 - $15-ish. Sometimes less if one gets a set.

Turns out, even with my old machine, I have been able to get a presser foot adapter to change or snap on most presser feet, even though they weren't invented at the time my machine was made! All I have to know is the make of my machine and whether my machine has a high or low presser foot shank, and whether my sewing machine needle is center aligned or left or right aligned.

So, I have a Kenmore. This particular model has a high presser foot shank. There are diagrams explaining the difference. So I got a good quality, stainless steel, high shank presser foot adapter to now snap on most presser feet. And the needle is left aligned, cannot be changed to center aligned, so there are a couple presser feet I can't use because of it as the needle must be center aligned. That's okay, I don't do that kind of sewing anyway.

Here is a YouTube tutorial on the various presser feet:

 

[Imzadi]

There are also various Facebook groups for different brands and types of sewing machines. I found one for old, vintage Kenmore machines, and I was in heaven when I joined that group. They were able to troubleshoot any problem I had with my machine.

A lot of repair/replacement parts are sold on eBay, as Sellers realized there is such a high market for taking old sewing machines languishing in someone's attic apart and reselling the working, all metal parts, if the machine, itself, can't be fixed. For instance, in the photo of my machine (in a previous post,) you can tell that part on the left side of the machine had been replaced with a lighter green section, while the rest of the machine is green.

 

[Imzadi]

Here's a place to buy an old, vintage sewing machine.

https://shopgoodwill.com/home

Type in sewing machine in the Search. There usually are a few old machines that look similar to mine, all metal or mostly metal.

Read the descriptions carefully. Many will say if they've been able to test the machine to see if it runs and does a basic straight stitch. Also input your zip code to check the price on the shipping, probably about $35.

Then Google the make and model number to learn what features it has, any reviews you can find on it. This is when researching the Facebook groups' various archived posts to see what others may have said about that model. There are also a few online, free sewing forums that may have the info too. Usually the auctions at this site give plenty of days to do some research before bidding.

One can always bring the machine to a neighborhood sewing machine repair shop once you get one that works and have the guy do a good cleaning and oiling, tuneup, and repair any small issues.

 

[NotUrsula]

Honestly, right now your local FB Marketplace is one of the best places to get machines. A lot of people picked up the hobby during the pandemic and bought nice machines, only to walk away when their lives returned to normal. A lot of them are now trying to sell those machines, and 5 times out of 10 they will even still have the original box.

One of the key questions that you should ask your DD is whether she primarily intends to sew woven fabrics or stretchy knits. If the answer is knits, the "old workhorse" machines are not going to be your best choice, because older heavy duty home machines almost never have knit stitches. I own 6 machines, 2 of which are "old workhorses"; these days I primarly use them to make home furnishings, and do everything else on my more modern machines. (I don't make jeans; I find that thrift stores have so many that there is never a need. I do hem jeans, but my modern machines are just fine for that as long as I use a Hump Jumper. The only thing I'd advise in this regard is that it is important to have the ability to change the height of the presser foot as well as the thread tension, and that the machine have a convertibe free arm to get pants legs, sleeves and narrow necklines around.)

If she will not have a serger available, then for knits, a regular machine really needs to have 2 special stitches available: a "lightning stitch" and a 3-thread stretch stitch; she'll be using them constantly if she's sewing knits. A mock-serger overcast finishing stitch is also useful for garment sewing, because it lets you easily stop seam allowances from fraying. Most importantl for knits, you would want to get a machine that comes with a walking foot attachment as part of the deal. As others have said, presser feet tend to be cheap, and you can even get big kits on Amazon that work just fine, but a walking foot is complex, and can cost up to $250 depending on the brand; though $60 is about average. (A walking foot, btw, is a rather large gadget; it's about 1 x 2 inches, and looks like a hard plastic box with several moving metal parts sticking out at the bottom. I sometimes note that it looks a lot like a tiny Zamboni, and that fits, because in some ways it serves the same function: to make the surface beneath it even and smooth.)

On a machine that lacks a metal case, a metal-lined base plate with multiple screw holes on it for attachments is extremely nice to have for garment work, but if you don't have the screw mounts it isn't the end of the world; I have some that I just attach with masking tape.

Both of the modern machines that I use the most are Janome, which is a mid-level Japanese brand. (They also make Brother machines, so the parts for Brothers and Janomes are mostly interchangeable.) If I had the money I would love to invest in a Babylock, but with all the machines I already own (3 of which I inherited), I just can't justify the expense. The simplest difference between the Janomes and Brothers is motor speed: the Janomes are capable of a lot more stitches per minute, though they don't go anywhere near industrial speed. Nothing in this world is more frustrating to a sewist than a machine that only goes at putt-putt speed. It's nice enough for the first few weeks, but then you really want to get things done faster. My regular Janome has 3 motor speeds; I always use it at high speed unless I'm embroidering with it, but when DD wanted to learn I was able to set it to slow for her.

If your DD is the sort of person who really likes learning one-on-one, then buying from a local sewing machine shop is the best bet, because such shops always include hands-on instruction on how to use the machine you buy. They also will have a wide variety of models and price ranges unless they specialize in quilting or industrial machines. OTOH, if she's the sort of person who prefers to teach herself via YouTube videos, then this aspect really is not as important.

One thing she will absolutely need if she's new to machine sewing: a good ergonomic seam ripper. No one ever thinks to buy one of these out of the gate, but they are crucial for fixing mistakes. A good pair of all-steel thread snips comes in handy as well, and can be had very cheaply. She will probably also need a good pair of fabric shears, &/or a nice rotary cutter and mat. (If you get a good price on a machine, throwing in an Amazon gift card for the purchase of helpful small tools is a nice touch; you can buy those things much more cheaply there than you can at a store like JoAnns, which is notorious for markups.)

PS: When it comes to good lighting, there is a very simple fix available quite cheaply: an LED sewing machine strip. These are made with adhesive on the back, and are sized to fit along the back lower edge of the throat space. You just stick it on the machine and plug it in, to get a very bright white light across the entire working surface.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

My daughter never sewed before and bought a brother's. Was able to pick u[p quickly and does some amazing stuff now.