A good sewing machine - need help please

[Mia]

I am thinking of buying a good sewing machine but don't know which one to choose. Here are what sewing machines Amazon sells:

http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=sr_nr_p_6...nid=2224873011

Which one to buy? Brother or Singer? Manual or computerized? But will the computerized one last longer? Also I am a very beginner in sewing and have to learn that from books and youtube (at school we studied that but that was decades ago, and we only made some aprons and basic A-line skirts).

And I want the machine which can also sew denim (jeans) and make quilts.

What kind of sewing machine do you have? What recommendations would you give me?

Please help me.

Thank you

[GoddessDigi]

We have a Singer and my best friend has a Brother.
Honestly, I prefer the Brother.
I'm the sewer, but I always need my husband's help with our machine, whereas, when I use my friend's, I'm good to go, all on my own, no guidance at any point. The Singer just doesn't like to work with me...lol.

[Natalka]

I like a traditional Singer best, second choice would be Kenmore.
Don't go computerized unless you are very experienced.

For basic sewing, you don't need all the bells and whistles - and also, that means there is less to go wrong.

Just a tip - maybe try checking Kijiji or freecycle - often people have machines sitting around they just don't use anymore. I got mine at a garage sale - $50 for a barely used Singer, complete with cabinet and stool - and lots of extras!

[Mia]

Thank you so much for all the recommendations.

What a great idea, Natalka. I'm off to go to search in Kijiji. Thank you!

[GoddessDigi]

The Brother that my friend has (at least, 99% sure it's the same), is less than $100 at WalMart, if you end up not finding a used one.

[lll111]

If you don't have any luck on kijiji and are able to order to an American address I would look at amazon.com and walmart.com, I found much better sewing machines on those 2 sites compared to Canada for much cheaper last year.

[fama]

hi,
if you have yahoo a/c then also try freecycle.. you might get one for free...

freecycle.org group on yahoo
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/..._Brampton/info

[bmaven]

Both choices are great. I have a singer and it was my moms from 1968- still an awesome machine. My friend has a brother and loves it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mia]

Lol. Right now I saw on Amazon Brother sewing machines on half price and less, awesome ones, so rich selection! And Singer, too. Then I realized that I opened Amazon.com (scrolled down and saw "currently not shipping outside the USA, those ones which they ship, I believe, will have so high shipping cost and taxes (+ duty taxes), that it's better to go to Walmart)! So back to Amazon.ca, poor, sad selection with sky high prices, very disappointing.

Kijiji or Walmart are the best choices, I think.

[blueeyetea]

Speaking from experience, for sewing jeans and quilting (i.e. sewing the three layers together), the cheaper sewing machines you're looking at won't cut it; jeans and a quilt are just too thick to the machine to grab onto.

Along with the suggestion to watch craigslist and kijiji, I would suggest you go visit a sewing machine store and ask to look at second hand machines. People trade them in when they buy a new ones - so you could get a better quality machine at a good price, plus you get free lessons on how to operate the machine. That's what I did when I first started sewing. In the mid-80s, I purchased a reconditionned 30 year old machine for $50 that only did straight stitch, but it could handle sewing through denim and heavy upholstery fabric.

[Durham Couponer]

I have a 1911 treadle singer, 4th generation to have it and it still works. My Kenmore was my mom's from the '60s but I'd worry if I bought a new Kenmore because replacement parts may soon be scarce... Thanks Sears.

[Mia]

Thank you so much! I often read that older machines are better than new ones. Back home my Grandma had "Chaika", very old, from 1960s (if not earlier) and till now it works excellent. I doubt if nowadays I can ever find a sewing machine which would work at least 5 years without any problems.

[blueeyetea]

One machine that is still popular today, can be had for a decent price, and parts are still available, it's the old black Singer portable sewing machines. It only does one thing, straight stitch, but it does it very well. Depending on condition and how much refurbishment it might need - they often come on the market for between $100 to $500. Some people like to collect them.

A good dependable new machine are expensive, no doubt about it. For some reason, however, they are much cheaper to buy in the US than in Canada.

[Ciel]

If you get those Singers sold at Walmart, the quarter-inch foot sold at Sears likely won't fit it for quilting use. You'd have to get a Singer version.

See what you can find for a Janome Jem (Gold or plain version) online. Other variation is Janome Jem Trim and Stitch-now selling for about $300 before taxes new. It will be good for everyday sewing needs and quilting; I also had occasion to make pinch pleats on purchased foam back curtains that I had trimmed the grommet sections off of (used everyday Gutermann thread though would have liked a thicker one to keep stitches in the curtains better plus a larger needle-think it was 16). Haven't tried sewing denim yet but if you have Schmetz needle for denim, you should be good to go.

[Mia]

Thank you. I'm still thinking which one to buy.