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Sewing machine advice - minimal needs


poppy
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I was going to say "Please help me sewers" but that doesn't look right.

 

I need the simplest, cheapest sewing machine in the world. Just for Girl Scout patches!  I don't want to go to a tailor, because I want to put them all together as close as possible. I've been hand sewing but it seriously takes me 20+ minutes each (because I am terrible at it). 

 

Advice?

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I was going to say "Please help me sewers" but that doesn't look right.

 

I need the simplest, cheapest sewing machine in the world. Just for Girl Scout patches!  I don't want to go to a tailor, because I want to put them all together as close as possible. I've been hand sewing but it seriously takes me 20+ minutes each (because I am terrible at it). 

 

Advice?

You do NOT want the cheapest machine, because it will cause you no end of difficulty and frustration.  If you must have a machine for these patches, choose a 60's or 70's vintage Singer or Kenmore, from a local independent (non-chain) store where they service them on-site.

 

Or teach your dd to sew them.

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I was going to say "Please help me sewers" but that doesn't look right.

 

I need the simplest, cheapest sewing machine in the world. Just for Girl Scout patches!  I don't want to go to a tailor, because I want to put them all together as close as possible. I've been hand sewing but it seriously takes me 20+ minutes each (because I am terrible at it). 

 

Advice?

"Please help me sewers." Calling your friends by a pet-name meaning the sippy-hole, which is what we used to call the septic. You're funny.

 

I agree, use badge magic. Beats sewing on patches and badges! I know it takes a while to sew them on by hand, and it is painful. I was supposed to have my boy scout sons sewing theirs on, but I did it often enough.

I have an old Singer sewing machine that I got in 1980 and it still works fine. Nothing fancy on it, zig zag stitches, does button holes of course, reverse stitching.

Good luck on your machine search!

 

 

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Badge magic works great, but I've also used a normal glue gun with success. :)

 

I bought a $99 Singer at Jo-Ann's about seven years ago and it's been great.  I even took a class and learned to sew a pillowcase. :)  I bet there will be some machines on sale for Black Friday. 

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I've always used cheap machines. I've never paid more than $150. I've only has two in my adult life. The first one, a Simplicity, lasted 15 years. The second is a Europro and it's still going strong 8-9 years later. I don't sew a ton, but I do basic hemming, taking in, curtains, and costumes. A few years ago I pumped out 15 dresses for a troupe costume.

 

My point is that I've never felt at a disadvantage for not having a 'good' machine. 98% of what I sew is a straight stitch or zigzag. I don't know what's happening that people are so frustrated with their simpler machines, I've been happy for years. Maybe when I kill this one I'll get a luxury model just to see what the hype is about, but what I have stitches cloth together just fine.

 

My current machine did a lot of my daughter's badges and patches when she was a scout. I even used it to lengthen her brownie and junior vests to hold more patches. I don't recommend Badge Magic. If you need to move a patch, it leaves a white film. Also, a surprising number of younger girls pick idly at their patches during meetings and they pull the badge magic ones right off.

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Also, badges don't need a whole lot of sewing.  I obsessed until I looked closer at the other scouts' badges.  Think about hand-sewing but taking fewer stitches around the badge.  Double or quadruple your thread, or use slightly thicker thread, so it can be secure.  Tie off each stitch, or every other, so that if one breaks the others will hold.

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Yes to looking for a vintage machine, but if you can't afford several hundred dollars, and the choice is cheap machine or nothing, I have had good success with Brothers. I needed a machine quickly, to finish some time sensitive costumes, and the blue and white Brother from WalMart was quickly accessible and has been a pretty good machine.

 

But for patches, the. Badge Magic sounds even better!

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