The Sewing Room

xxvickixx

I am still thrilled with my Reconditioned Brother from Sewing Machines Direct it was £90. They were really helpful on the phone and I got loads of thread and accessories.

Bunny200

rosalie-lavender wrote: »

I don't know what your budget is but earlier in the thread someone was looking at this machine and more than one person has recommended the site. There might be something on there that suits your needs and budget.

http://www.sewingmachines.co.uk/Janome525_info.htm

My essentials for a sewing machine to be used for dressmaking would be a one step buttonhole, zig zag stitch which the majority have now anyway and a variety of different feet including a zipper foot. A drop feed is handy if you are ever likely to want to do free machine embroidery. A variety of other stitches is also useful but not essential.

If you want to give the "expertise" back you can explain to me how you quoted more than one person in one post.:)

I'd also look for something that will easily take extra feet, e.g. invisible zipper foot, blind hem foot, pintuck etc (I've got my eye on a ruffler foot atm but they seem to cost an arm and a leg!) (I've got 2 machines one with a low presser foot and one with a high presser foot and I believe the low one is more universal and easier to get feet for but double check first)
I'd look for stitches like overcasting, blind hemming, buttonholes, and tbh I never use the decorative stitches on my machine!

Wee_Jo

rosalie-lavender wrote: »

I don't know what your budget is but earlier in the thread someone was looking at this machine and more than one person has recommended the site. There might be something on there that suits your needs and budget.

http://www.sewingmachines.co.uk/Janome525_info.htm

My essentials for a sewing machine to be used for dressmaking would be a one step buttonhole, zig zag stitch which the majority have now anyway and a variety of different feet including a zipper foot. A drop feed is handy if you are ever likely to want to do free machine embroidery. A variety of other stitches is also useful but not essential.

If you want to give the "expertise" back you can explain to me how you quoted more than one person in one post.:)

Thanks for the website, Rosalie! I am firing it up now!! I am thinking of spending up to £100 on the machine, I am hoping this will be sufficient.

As for sharing my expertise, no probs, as I only figured this out this week so I am still quite new-fangled with the multi-quoting!! At the bottom right hand side of each post, there are the 4 buttons, Thank, Quote, etc. The one next to the Quote button is the multi-quote button, it has two little speech bubbles in orange and pink so if you click on that, a wee tick apears (within the speech bubble icon). So if you want to quote a few people in your post you click on that button in each of their messages and then go to post your reply as usual and all the different quotes will appear It remembers them even if you go through lots of pages too, so you can multi-quote to your heart's content!

Jo

Wee_Jo

no.1swimmum wrote: »

Just finished making two fathers day cards - took the idea from an origami card that i saw but made them in fabric and sewed them down below the tie to hold in place, really pleased with how they turned out, now I am off to start on two passport covers with the help of my boys - not too sure if that is a good idea but I want to be able to say that they helped to make them, dare I let my 14 yr old loose on my sewing machine

I love your cards, they're so cute! As for the 14 year old versus the sewing machine - my money's on your sewing machine

Wee_Jo

xxvickixx wrote: »

I am still thrilled with my Reconditioned Brother from Sewing Machines Direct it was £90. They were really helpful on the phone and I got loads of thread and accessories.

Hi Vicki,

I'm sorry for being dim but what does "reconditioned" mean in this sense?

Jo

xxvickixx

Sorry I mean refurbished! This explains it better - where I got mine from...
http://www.sewingmachines.co.uk/brother_sewclearance.htm
I have the XL2230.

LJM

i have just recieved my sewing machine it is only a second hand prolectrix dont know if they are any good but it was a abrgain and a good starter,if i can get used to it and get on with it ive been promised an upgrade to a singer for xmas, lucky me lol. so have my material gonna try some of the lazy day skirts which look easy enough plus i want to make some cushion covers so it may take me a while, just have to figure out how the machine works first lol

lovely makes everybody

Nichelette

Jo, I'm a beginner too and have this machine: http://direct.hobbycraft.co.uk/productdetail.asp?productcatalogue=267864

I got in when it was £80 from Hobbycraft, but I noticed a bit ago that they have it in TJ Hughes for £60. It's easy to use and suits me fine for the things I want to do as a beginner (that's mostly making bags, pouches, pillow cases etc and the odd bit of clothing). It has a few zig zag stitches and does button holes, I've been very happy with it so far, and being a Brother one I'm hoping it will last well.

Pooky

Had a lovely gift of 5m of fabric from my Mother last week - she picked it up from a boot sale for £1.....both DD's fell in love with it so I promised them something summery Think this fits the bill! I've done a red ribbon trim on one and a blue trim on the other - they're both very pleased with them.

pws52

I have just found a wonderful sewing/craft room on www.acottageindustry.typepad.com on the last but one post.
Wish I had one......