I'm thinking about getting a new sewing machine, either for my birthday (11/23) or Christmas... I'm trying to find the best for my money. What brand do the sewing enthusiasts of TWW suggest? If I had the money, of course I'd love a Bernina...But I'm thinking about spending around $300.

11/18/2005 5:25:44 PM

get a white



i'd help, but you've already heard what i have to say on sewing machines many times over

11/18/2005 5:29:43 PM

haha yeah, my white is a POS.

actually, you could post them on here, because i sorta forgot...

11/18/2005 5:48:43 PM

older singer > older kenmore > new either > other stuff in your price range.

...b/c the older machines have components of metal, not plastic.

11/18/2005 6:02:30 PM

get a Husqvarna Viking. They are the best. I have one and I love it. I got it as a present for my 21st birthday.

11/18/2005 6:06:22 PM

Quote :

"But I'm thinking about spending around $300."

11/18/2005 6:07:18 PM

well, it sort of depends on my parents. I think i'll just ask for money for my birthday...and since it's around Thanksgiving, I may end up seeing family I wouldn't normally, and get some money... AND since it's my 21st...

so yea, we'll see...i'm using a website Sugarush4u gave me, and they claim to have lowest prices...there's a Husqvarna Viking for $399



http://www.sewvacdirect.com/viking360.html

Or this Singer for $399



http://www.sewvacdirect.com/singer7468.html

11/18/2005 6:18:36 PM

that looks just like mine. Does everything I want. No real big bells or whistles. They are great machines and have a great reputation behind them. If you want to check local prices on the Vikings, the sewing store inside JoAnne's sells them. That is the only place in the area I know of.

11/18/2005 6:20:19 PM

Get a Brother brand. They are highly highly recommended in my book (and I bought one becuase a near-professional seamstress I know recommended them to me as that's all she works with anymore).

11/18/2005 7:47:32 PM

or you could buy a guatemalan

11/18/2005 9:16:29 PM

if there is one thing that confuses the hell out of me, that's a fucking sewing machine. i don't understand how the thread holds when the needle is pushed through the fabric. it has to pull the thread out the same hole it just pushed it through. i guess it's time to check out http://www.howstuffworks.com.

interesting.
http://home.howstuffworks.com/sewing-machine2.htm

[Edited on November 18, 2005 at 9:57 PM. Reason : -]

11/18/2005 9:51:29 PM

there's a ring underneath that twists it around another thread while it's down there

11/18/2005 9:55:13 PM

I got a singer... I absolutely hated the way it ran.
Iknow it's just a sewing machine... but the newer models all suck. (I have 3 old fashio ones, one with the metal foot pedal, and they are nice, but they don't make them that good anymore)
so, for my modern sewing machine I have a kenmore.
they are extremely reliable, run smoothly, and don't hang up (at least the ones I have used do)

i hear that the Husqvarna Viking are decent too.
get one on e-bay... you'll get a better one with more functions for cheaper than at the store... and you can usually still get the waranty

11/19/2005 9:29:30 AM

I have a 1940s era Singer that I absolutely love. It's perfect for straight stitches. It can't do much else though.

I use a Brother ct-6000 and previously a Brother XL-5500 and before that a classic Kenmore. I've made dresses (everything from sack to prom), diaper bags, blankets, curtains, costumes, corsets, and done upholstery and "industrial" material sewing on them. The 5500 and Kenmore stalled on 8 layers of quilted fabric (no surprise there) but they got going again with a turn of the handwheel, but I've never had that problem with the 6000.

If you were about to go into business sewing for several hours a day, I'd tell you to save up for a Bernina, Pfaff, or high end Juki. If you're sewing for yourself, friends and family, there's no reason a Brother you pick up at Wal*Mart can't satisfy your needs. (Don't get a backhoe when all you need is a spade.)

11/19/2005 11:35:56 AM

I work at a sewing machine shop...get a Bernette (made for Bernina) for $299. With it you get 5 classes on how to use the machine. DO NOT get a sewing machine from Wal-Mart.

11/19/2005 12:55:11 PM

^ Why not?

11/19/2005 1:27:01 PM

Yeah, Jukis scare me. We have some in our apparel lab, and they run a LOT faster than I can handle. But then again, they are industrial sewing machines.

I'm gonna take a look at the models you mentioned, Sonia... i figured i'd go for a Singer or Brother, unless I found a higher quality brand somehow for less.

is this the one you have, sonia? I can't find your model #...

11/19/2005 1:47:18 PM

Yeah. I wasn't thinking when I was typing [news]. I got it and the previous one because they were both purple. You can use all the extra money to buy fabric. <3

11/19/2005 2:03:20 PM

Try to find one that comes with a vacuum and dishrag

11/19/2005 2:36:24 PM

^yessuh, of course.

i like your machine, sonia. i was looking at another brother that was only about $5 more than yours...

http://www.sewvacdirect.com/brother-cs8150-fs.html



but i'm not sure.

11/19/2005 6:52:26 PM

Well it's not purple. :q The 6000 comes with a walking foot (which is usually $50) so I don't know what the ~$55 is doing in the red one. Googling the model might lead to forums that have reviews of it. I found some helpful ones when I was looking to get my most recent.

11/19/2005 7:10:05 PM

yeah, i was looking at some of the reviews for that second machine, on amazon, and there were about 4 1 star reviews and 17 or 18 4 or 5 star reviews.

i think there was only one or two reviews for your machine, sonia.

but i did notice it comes with a rolled hem foot, which is very handy. what is a walking foot?

i may go with it for the simple fact that i know someone who's used it before. but i still won't even order anything till atleast after 11/23.

11/19/2005 9:50:37 PM

A walking foot is used for quilting; it lets you sew 3 layers of fabric together without bunching and tucks. Make sure you put your feed dogs down before you use it though.

11/20/2005 5:33:04 PM

I use a walking foot when I'm making corsets because it eliminates fabric shifting. (Corsets don't have any fit ease and even with tons of pins you can get nasty wrinkles. You can tell a poorly made corset by how and where it wrinkles or puckers.) I'd recommend against putting the feed dogs down unless you're actually using a dual feed foot for quilting. Walking foots are also good for fabrics like velvet (either that or a roller foot) or some PVC (that or a Teflon foot) and slippery stuff like satin.

11/20/2005 7:09:11 PM

I use two walking feet when I'm making horsehats because it eliminates constant sitting. (Corsets don't have any fit ease and even with tons of situps you can get nasty wrinkles. You can tell a poorly made african by how and where it wrinkles or puckers.) I'd recommend against putting the feed dogs down unless you're actually feeding the Sarlacc. Walking feet are also good for humans like homo hibilis (either that or a roller foot) or some PVC (that or a Teflon foot) and slippery stuff like satin.

11/20/2005 7:39:31 PM

We have this simply ancient machine on a metal pedal stand (I think it's singer??)

11/20/2005 7:57:48 PM

my girlfriend does fashion design and alterations and she recommends a Janome
should be around your price range.

11/20/2005 7:58:11 PM

I have a Brother that I like... would recommend for something reasonably priced.

11/20/2005 11:10:12 PM

I bought a Kenmore at Sears not too long ago. It was on sale for $250 down from $350. It has what I would ever use on it, and not so excessive that I would never use half the stuff on it. It would be worth checking out the day after Thanksgiving sales at Sears.

11/21/2005 12:34:21 AM

well, i just realized there's no birthday or christmas presents for this year. (we're in the middle of moving). so, i guess this thread is null until........?

11/24/2005 1:40:09 AM

I just got a Babylock Companion from the thrift store, surprisingly it still works and seems to have most parts. I just wanted the machine to do basic things like make curtains, sew bandanas, etc. Nothing too fancy.

Can anyone direct me to good websites that introduce people to sewing machines? I learned how to do basic stitches in middle school but that was 10 years ago. I do a lot of hand sewing though, mostly patches and embroidery.

And a good way to thread the machine? I checked howstuffworks.com and there were no good diagrams on how to do it (I'm a visual learner).

11/30/2005 11:36:20 AM

each sewing machine threads differently...you really need to find a place that sells/works on baby locks and have them show you the specifics to your machine.

11/30/2005 3:17:17 PM