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Sewing people, can you please help?


strange_girl
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I'm thinking of asking for money this year for Christmas to get myself a sewing machine. I would like to learn to make simple things like napkins and curtains and maybe quilts eventually.

 

I have never sewn before, nor have I used a machine. So my question is, what is a good beginner's sewing machine to start with? What features should I definitely look for?

 

Also, I won't have hundreds of dollars to work with, so that's also a factor.

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Another vote for Viking.

 

Ours was an entry level machine and have had it for 5 years and going strong. We were told we could trade it in if we ever decide to upgrade. We like it too much to ever trade it in.

 

I would check around at sewing stores and see if they have any refurbished machines.

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Patternreview.com has sewing machine reviews.

 

A friend who doesn't sew a lot got one that was popular on Amazon.com.  It did a great job for what she wanted it for, which was just occasional light sewing -- Halloween costumes, skirts, other simple projects.

 

You should be able to get a nice machine without spending hundreds.  Later, if you decide you've found your new calling in life to spend all day every day sewing, you can get a fancier heavy-duty machine, and have this first one for a backup.

 

Also, you might consider getting a used machine.

 

Edited to add:  I have a 40 year old Viking.  I have no idea if they're still so well made, but it's quite a machine!

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Costco carries a brother that has worked well for several folks I know. It has possibly the same one mentioned up thread that was found on Amazon.

Baby lock has entry level machines you might be happy with. If you currently do t sew, I would suggest looking at your local sewing machine store as they usually offer sewing lessons on your machine for free .

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I vote for Janome. They have a nice beginner machine for under $150. If you have a little bit more money to add to it,  I have this one. A good sewing machine is one of those things that can make you or break you when it comes to your hobbies. I had a dud of a Brother for a while. Every time I sat down to sew, it was a battle. Broken threads, broken needles, bunched fabric... grrrr.  My DH so nicely encouraged me to get a decent machine. It's like night and day. I've sewn many quilts on my Janome.

 

 

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I sew all the time and have a permanent "sewing area" in my house now. I wouldn't consider myself an expert, but I am not a novice either.

 

I have a brother machine like what they have at Costco. I got it 8 years ago and it has served me well. Before that I had a cheap Singer that I really worked hard and it lived... Till it died. Death came by way of making a flannel board that was a bit more then a flannel board. I think I sewed though about 1/2 inch of fabric when I killed it. 4 years ago I added a brother serger to my sewing and that has really taken my sewing to the next level.

 

I would get whatever sewing machine you can afford. Sewing opens a giant world to you that is honestly addictive. At least it is for me. The important thing is to just start sewing. 😉 Also don't be afraid to experiment. I am not saying to have your machine sew through a 1/2 inch of fabric, but if you want something you can't find a pattern, make it up yourself. That is often the best way I have found. 😉

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Yeah, I'm kind of afraid that it will be addicting. :D

 

The only crafty thing I do ATM is cross-stitching, and that's addicting enough. My kids tend to come in my room looking for me when I've been in there cross-stitching for several hours without feeding them, lol. I can't imagine what sewing will be like.

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I've had a Brother previously and then I got a Kenmore. Both worked well, but I've loved that Kenmore since 1996.  I sew a lot, but couldn't afford an expensive machine.  The other option is to check Craigslist.  I have seen some awesome expensive machines that people bought and then never used, and sold for under $100.  My dad repaired commercial sewing machines, and I fix my own now, but sometimes even a new one needs a little help with tension, etc and a good repair shop can help you with that.  

Happy sewing!!

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I have heard great things about Viking and Brother.  Everyone always says to stay away from singer--I have no experience. I sew on my grandmother's Elna Carina.  I love that darn sewing machine.  It's 30 years old and going strong (currently having a spa week for routine maintenance at the sewing machine shop, sigh!). 

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Our 4-H office has a number of mid-level Janome machines that are sent out to be serviced all the time because they are always jamming, the tension is always off, etc. My early 1990s Singer is still going strong even if I did have to take it apart once to fix a broken metal rod. It is on its second pedal. It gets a lot of use.

 

I also added an inexpensive serger a few years back which has made a lot of difference in our projects.

 

I'm a self-taught hack, though. So what do I know? To think of the awful mistakes I made when first learning - lol.

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I have a vintage Singer Starlett, it was made in the late 1960s and works absolutely flawlessly. I love it. There are loads of really nice vintage machines around and they are really good value, you can often buy them freshly service for relatively little money. I was looking at an old Husquavarna the other week as I could do with extra stitches, you get so much machine for your money with old machines. 

 

My experience of modern Singer machines has been pretty negative. I wouldn't buy a modern singer. I had Janome Overlocker that was great. 

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Thank you all :)

 

My husband is a Craigslist junkie (in a good way), so maybe I'll have him keep his eye open for either an older machine or a Viking or Janome.

Good idea . However I would probably take it in and have it serviced. Cost for that in my neighborhood is about 100.00.

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A new cheap machine can be more frustration than it is worth so be careful I second the pattern review site for sewing machine reviews. I think the Janome Hello Kitty machines are one of the entry level machines recommended on the site but I don't have personal experience with those.

 

 

If you want to go with an inexpensive vintage machine from Craigslist you might want to consider a very basic,old, black Singer that does straight stitch only -  Model 99, 66, 15, or 201. (The model 99 is a 3/4 size portable). Look for one new enough to do a backstitch (a lever that goes up and down, not the round screw), no major visible rust, no fraying wires, and all the parts present. Try it out before you buy and make sure the motor sounds strong.

 

Why an old black singer?

1. It is possible to get one for under $100 and they were built to last.

2. Very little to go wrong. The straight stitch machines have a nice stitch and were tanks that have less to go wrong on them than a zigzag. Most things you'll sew are straight stitch unless you want to sew knits.

3.They are simple and straightforward to use. I have my grandmother's Singer 66 and all my daughters have learned to sew on it - it is my one machine that they can't "mess up".

4. You can repair it yourself - Owners manuals, replacement parts,how to videos online etc.are readily available. Manuals on how to go through and refurbish old singer 99, 66, 15k and 201s can be found  at the Tools for Self Reliance website.  http://www.tfsr.org/publications/technical_informatio/sewing_machine_manual/

4. Many short shank attachment are are readily available. You add a buttonholer attachment to make buttonholes. I actually like the buttonhole attachment on my vintage Singer 66 better than doing buttonholes on my newer, modern, computerized machines.

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I have a Kenmore. It has a great warranty. My aunt had a Kenmore for 25 years, and they still replaced a part that failed.  The feature that mine has that I like (and didn't think it would be that great) is a speed control. It can be set to a speed, and no matter how hard you put you press the foot pedal, it will only go that speed. It has really helped the beginners that have used my machine. I use it when I'm doing something really tricky. 

Sewing is great, I hope you find much joy in it. It's a useful hobby too. I am currently sewing baby shoes for gifts. I've made quilts for  the bereaved, and as leaving presents. I make curtains, cushion covers, do a lot of mending. 

 

 

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Yeah, I'm kind of afraid that it will be addicting. :D

 

The only crafty thing I do ATM is cross-stitching, and that's addicting enough. My kids tend to come in my room looking for me when I've been in there cross-stitching for several hours without feeding them, lol. I can't imagine what sewing will be like.

Sewing is SO much faster than cross stitch. You will be amazed. I'm no expert. I've pretty much been sewing curtains and simple costumes. I used to make my son's pjs, but he's become a boxers and t-shirt guy :-/ I've never owned an expensive machine. I had a simplicity for 10-12 years and replaced it with a Europro. It's about ten years old. I pretty much use only the straight and zig-zag stitches.

 

You just need the machine to stitch the fabric together. It really is pretty simple and you don't have to spend a lot to get started, so don't be too afraid of the process. I bought both my cheap machines on a whim with no research and they both served me well.

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I sew all the time and have a permanent "sewing area" in my house now. I wouldn't consider myself an expert, but I am not a novice either.

 

I have a brother machine like what they have at Costco. I got it 8 years ago and it has served me well. Before that I had a cheap Singer that I really worked hard and it lived... Till it died. Death came by way of making a flannel board that was a bit more then a flannel board. I think I sewed though about 1/2 inch of fabric when I killed it. 4 years ago I added a brother serger to my sewing and that has really taken my sewing to the next level.

 

I would get whatever sewing machine you can afford. Sewing opens a giant world to you that is honestly addictive. At least it is for me. The important thing is to just start sewing. 😉 Also don't be afraid to experiment. I am not saying to have your machine sew through a 1/2 inch of fabric, but if you want something you can't find a pattern, make it up yourself. That is often the best way I have found. 😉

 

How would I learn to make my own patterns?  I've been wanting to do this for a while to make clothes for myself.

 

How do you go about it?

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How would I learn to make my own patterns?  I've been wanting to do this for a while to make clothes for myself.

 

How do you go about it?

 

You can look online for tutorials for pattern draping. I have had my best success with simply draping and creating the pattern from the test/draped fabric.  For my daughter I just make them up, b/c she's little and that's easy (I can measure and draw and make something cute) but for me, with all the lumps and bumps of adult femalehood, draping on my custom (duct-tape) dress form is the way to go. I've also merged patterns before.  I just use fabric and pins and a sharpie and make a master garment (after much pinning, thinking, re-pinning, drawing) and then take that and draw off a paper pattern from it.  I use doctor's examination table paper for my paper pattern drawing.  

 

HTH!

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