The Sewing Annexe

ampersand

For those looking for a decent known brand sewing machine with helpful follow-up service, free delivery - and 10% discount this w/e - I've been reading here:

http://www.singermachines.co.uk/sewingmachines/?price=1%2C100

after yet another visit to John Lewis yesterday, looking at the JLX2000 from this page:

http://m.johnlewis.com/mt/www.johnlewis.com/Sport+and+Leisure+/Sewing+and+Knitting/Sewing+Machines/Sewing+Machines/516/ProductCategory.aspx

The Janome basic special buy on here looks competitive at £89 and the security of John Lewis' 2-year guarantee and service is worthwhile, especially for a beginner[for those on earlier posts].
Their reviews are trustworthy, too - not always the case with some ratings sites.

So now I'm tempted by the price difference: http://www.singermachines.co.uk/sewingmachines/singer-confidence-7470.htm
vs.
http://m.johnlewis.com/mt/www.johnlewis.com/231206201/Product.aspx?un_jtt_v_dummy=yes

They seem very close, but I like the access to both Lower and Upper case alphabets with Janome, against only Upper case with the Singer[as with my current 1982 Singer Sonata, bought new on my one and only visit to the IHE. Also, it has both printed and lovely flowing cursive alphabets]

Need I really pay an extra £90-odd to have Lower case lettering?

Any ideas/help/feedback would be welcome.

prudent_princess

miffy257 wrote: »

OMG I thought I was the only one who did that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1:eek:

No - i do that too!!!!!!

valk_scot

My absolutely best ever sewing machine came from a charity shop, a 1958 semi-automatic Singer with hundreds of stitches and cost me £10. It would cost thousands today. I keep saying this but it's worth repeating...old all-metal sewing machines made before the mid-70's can normally beat the socks off the "cheap" plastic ones that you can buy in any supermarket today. You might get a smaller range of stitches but if the machine can do zig-zag you've got 95% of basic sewing covered, including buttonholes. So before rushing out to spend hard earned tenners, ask around your older friends and relatives to see if they have anything you can borrow or even get for free. Most older basic machines only need a dust/clean, some oil and a new needle to get them running smoothly again. And you might score something really good, like a Singer semi-automatic that will outlive you.

stitching_witch

ampersand - I use a Janome professional machine for my business and would always recommend their machines to anyone. That said, the Singer machine looks a good one and is £500 worth of machine reduced to less than £300.

Much depends on what you'll be using it for. I was advised against various machines as the tough work of making corsets would burn the motors out very quickly. I've had the Janome for a couple of years now and it has no problems with what I put it through.

Justamum

valk_scot wrote: »

My absolutely best ever sewing machine came from a charity shop, a 1958 semi-automatic Singer with hundreds of stitches and cost me £10. It would cost thousands today. I keep saying this but it's worth repeating...old all-metal sewing machines made before the mid-70's can normally beat the socks off the "cheap" plastic ones that you can buy in any supermarket today.

Singers defnitely aren't what they used to be. If I was going to buy a new sewing machine it definitely wouldn't be a Singer. I had one for a few years, but the buttonholes were never any good. I've got a basic Janome now and it's a better machine. My mum had a Singer - one of the older metal ones - and it lasted for years and she used to sew nearly every day making clothes for herself and my sister and I.

ampersand

Agreed Justamum.

An early memory[NZ childhood]is Coronation Year, Queen's visit and Trade Exhibition tie-in in Wellington. Post-War reparation allowed the import of Pfaff sewing machines. My Mother bought one of the first and we waited 3 months for it to arrive by sea. [The family is full of Freemasons and my mother had always sewn regalia, with beautiful kid, rich purple silk and sky blue water-corded silk taffeta - all exquisite.] She also made most extended family clothing, soft furnishings - and bridal finery on request. It was eventually replaced with a new Singer 760, which I later 'inherited'[shipped to me in France in a container of my goods] I later wished I hadn't traded it in at the IHE.

Does anyone know of a current machine that offers both cursive and print alphabets?

stitching_witch

ampersand wrote: »

Does anyone know of a current machine that offers both cursive and print alphabets?

My Janome 6600P has that choice, but it's mega-bucks now

ampersand

Eeeeeeeeeeek, yes - I see it stitching witch. Lovely though. Thankyou. That's more than a new car at my level, which will also be necessary at end of April.

tooties

sillyrabbit wrote: »

Editing to add that I've also been requesting free samples of fabric from various websites - lots do them! I've emailed a couple of larger firms asking them if they can send me any bits and bobs they have lying around too. I had a lovely reply from Cath Kidston, saying they could send me 5 free samples, so I said please surprise me and they said OK lol. Got a great parcel of various fabrics fro somewhere else today too, a lot more than I was expecting! A good way to increase the fabric stash :-)

Huge thanks for that sillyrabbit, i would have never thought of that, fantastic idea.
regards

sillyrabbit

Anyone got any ideas? I'm making my odd sock braided coasters, but would like to add a back. Any suggestions how to do it without lots of stitching showing? I'm guessing there's not really a way, but is there a way to make it look better, rather than random stitching?