Mastodawn

@pipesunlimited I would go to Spotlight when they have a sale on sewing machines. Any of the Singer or Brother beginner sewing machines will be fine as they have good customer support if they break. I wouldn't recommend Semco.

Think about what you might want to sew, and do some research about what sewing machines will do the job.

@pipesunlimited The basic sewing things you want are straight, reverse, zigzag, button hole making, and zip insertion. Everything else is just a bonus.

Ms_Pym Jun 11, 2024

@pipesunlimited @craftygardennz even button hole making can be managed with zigzag stitch. So many machines come with too many stitches and do them poorly as opposed to doing the basics well. Oh yeah, my other piece of advice would be to stay away from anything with a computer display. It’s just another part that can break down or require software updates. Look for as ‘machine’ a machine as possible. Singer and Brother are solid workhorses.

@Ms_Pym @craftygardennz thank you so much! Will be looking out for discounts on both brands.

@Ms_Pym @pipesunlimited I find that button hole making can be tough to get done when you're a complete beginner.

I love that you can just put your button in the Brother sewing machine foot, set up the machine, and then let it do the work for you.

My mum recently bought the same machine as me (Brother Innovis A16), and when I showed her how to do a button hole, she almost cried with happiness. Even though she was a professional sewist, she dreaded button hole making.

@craftygardennz thanks very much!
Yeah I was looking at spotlight. That or go for secondhand ones. But I think I'll go for spotlight now.
For now it's just repairing stuff. I'm also thinking about creating something small like clothes/booties for my sister's dog 😂 so I can practice on him. Then from there upgrade to myself or whomever I want.

@pipesunlimited You're welcome.

Second hand ones are an unknown quantity, and you could end up paying $$$ to get it serviced so it works properly.

I personally go with Brother, they usually do a $50 cash back on their sewing machines, and Spotlight tend to have them on special often.

Have fun repairing and making dog booties 🤩

@craftygardennz I'll wait for sale. 😂

I'm excited!

Ms_Pym Jun 11, 2024

@pipesunlimited sounds like you have a good plan. My regular sewing machine is a vintage Bernina that I felt confident in buying because it was ex-school home ec and had been regularly serviced but if you haven’t got experience, Spotlight and a basic machine is a great choice.