first simple sewing machine, which one?

[Deleted User]

some one locally is selling one by Beldray (I thought they only made ironing boards )she wants £30.00 for it including a case full of thread.I may ask my friend to look at it as she is very good at sewing and has made stuff all of her life .me I can just about sew a button on :)But I'm keen to learn a new skill

-taff

Ikea do one for £45.

But you'd probably be better off finding your local sewing machine shop and going to see them and ask about the machines.

Then you'll have more of an idea and can look for one on ebay or gumtree or in the locla ads

Maitane

Tallu wrote: »

Got given a John Lewis own brand mini sewing machine, think it cost around £50, as a christmas / birthday present. [\QUOTE]

I've got this machine in red and my very crafty best friend has one in purple. My best friend uses it quite often for hemming and every day crafting.
I love mine, it's simple to use and thread and I've made tops, cushions and head scarves with it.

cornishchick

Maitane wrote: »

Tallu wrote: »

Got given a John Lewis own brand mini sewing machine, think it cost around £50, as a christmas / birthday present. [\QUOTE]

I've got this machine in red and my very crafty best friend has one in purple. My best friend uses it quite often for hemming and every day crafting.
I love mine, it's simple to use and thread and I've made tops, cushions and head scarves with it.

Looking at this one right now, caught my eye in red,, my fave colour:)
And at £50 I'ed still have money left to buy supplies lol.

Honeythief

I hate seeing cheap plastic modern sewing machines being recommended for a beginner. The reason I hate it is because those machines are so liable to cause problems that will put a new sewer off completely, or blame themselves when it is actually not their fault that they're having trouble. There is nothing more frustrating than having threads snapping or snarling or other things repeatedly going wrong and not knowing what is responsible or how to fix it. So many of those cheap machines bring more trouble than they solve.

My recommendation for a first sewing machine is a vintage Singer that only does straight stitch and reverse. These are usually available for peanuts but sew like a dream and can be serviced easily at home if anything needs tweaking. There isn't much that can't be sewn with a straight stitch, especially at a beginner level. Once you've outgrown that simple machine you will know better what you really want as far as fancy stitches or other doodads go.

gayleygoo

I bought a Lidl sewing machine (t'was reduced to £60 when I got it) and it's rather good. It replaced a Brother sewing machine which had been much more expensive, and if I didn't know any better I'd say it's almost the same machine! (Perhaps the parts it's made from are cheaper, I've heard this is the case with cheaper machines.) I haven't had any problems with it, it's easy to use (and the instructions were quite good, certainly better than other manuals I've read!), and does lots of stitches and comes with several different feet for zips, buttonholes and whatnot.

An old straight-stitch machine might be more reliable if it has been serviced well and is in good condition. I like to have the zig-zag option for sewing knit fabric though, straight stitch will break if stretched much.

Moneysaving tip - use good quality thread. Cheap thread is very tempting, but will get caught in the machine, break, and not last long in the finished product. When I started sewing I bought a huge ebay pack of thread (which was listed as "good quality" :mad: but for the price I should have known better) it caused so much frustration and anger! I had to throw it all away.

-taff

I recommended an ikea one just because it's cheap, it's new, it'll be covered by a warranty if it breaks in year.

I agree about an old machine though, I have a vintage electric BSM [Singer made abroad - found on a skip] and it's tough as old boots, and can sew leather Only does straight stitch.

I also have a Singer starlet [ made in the 70s - also found on a skip] does zig zag, reverse stitching, buttons etc.

I've had these machines for about 4 years, but my next purchase will be an embroidery machine, or one that does fancy stitches, just because I want to do fancy stitches and I'd like an automatic buttonhole thingy

Have a look around for sewing cabinets too, you can pick up old ones very cheaply, and it's a good place to store all your sewing related gubbins and machine

dander

I'd say avoid anything called "mini". You want room to be able to do projects of all sizes on the machine - a "mini" will get annoying and limiting very quickly.

Don't get blinded by number of stitch options. Even if you become a regular sewer you won't use most of them very often - and if you do really take to the craft, then you can upgrade once you know more about what you will and won't use. You'll need straight and zig zag. I make clothes and find my stretch stitch option gets a lot of use. Button holes are useful too.

A machine from a named brand will be most sure to be adaptable - if you decide you want additional presser feet or other attachments a brand like Janome, Brother, Bernina, Pfaff, Singer will be sure to have them available to purchase. If you're going to go with a no-name type brand - Ikea, Lidl etc, check whether they are compatible with the big brands for things like this. (I don't know anything about these machines so don't say this as a judgement, just something worth checking).

Don't get blinded by the word "computerised". In a basic machine it won't give you any advantage, but will just mean servicing costs more!

Finally, if you are a total beginner, seriously consider investing in a "Get to know your sewing machine" type of book as well as the machine. Anyone can pick up a machine and start using it really quickly, but it'll make your life much easier in the long run if you take the time to really get to know what the machine will/won't do. Using the right foot/needle/settings for various jobs will save you a lot of tears and manuals don't really teach you the basics, they just assume you know.

dandy-candy

I have a very basic one made by Brother that has lasted 21 years and still going.

charlies-aunt

Will be watching this thread with interest as I am looking for a new-to-me or new electric sewing machine.

My old Jones went up in a puff of smoke, it was a fab machine, only straight or zigzag but it sewed everything from delicate angel outfits for the school play to patching pony turnout rugs

I have been soldiering on with my grandmothers ancient hand cranked Jones - ok for day-to-day stuff but its slow, doesn't do reverse and refuses to work on flimsy or thick material so I am looking for a basic sturdy machine that can tackle anything

Are there any that should be avoid at all cost??