Starting on your sewing journey is an immensely exciting thing to do. You have gone through a course or you are simply keen on making a beginning by learning with a hands on technique – either way getting a suitable sewing machine is the beginning of a wonderful relationship. So here are some tips you can keep in mind when it comes to buying a sewing machine that is suited for beginners.
Read information online
The easiest thing that you can do before you buy a machine for yourself is to do as much homework as possible. The words ‘easiest thing’ applies quite literally because the online world offers you:
- Reviews written on dedicated websites.
- Videos.
- Customer testimonials.
- Brand websites and so on.
Tip: – go to ecommerce stores and find the model that has caught your eye and read up Customer reviews and even questions and answers that can be found on the product listing. Product descriptions are written by manufacturers and sellers so obviously you are going to get only their point of view on this! But customers will leave unbiased feedback or ask insightful questions and you will get plenty of information here.
Price and features
Sewing machines for beginners are pretty affordable but have very few features. Of course, you should have a good understanding of all the features that you want so you can buy a machine accordingly. For instance, how many built-in stitches should the machine have? Do you want to have an auto needle threader feature? What about a manual or an automatic machine?
Modern sewing machines give you plenty of features but the sophistication becomes higher when you graduate from basic to advanced models. With the right combination of price and features, you can indeed complete quite a few varieties of sewing tasks. As you get more and more confident of handling not just different kinds of sewing but also different kinds of features, you can buy a more expensive model.
Tip – if you are not intimidated by sophisticated machines, then invest in a top of the line, fully loaded sewing machine and learn how to handle it. This will give you the additional satisfaction of knowing that you are progressing every day in your art and your ability to handle complex creations as well.
Brands and models
The sheer variety of choice is heart-warming. You can look at as many models as you want to find the one that will come home to you. For instance, the Brother CS6000i Sewing Machine is known for its balance of options and price. It is very smooth to operate as well. The Singer 1507WC Sewing Machine is very easy to thread and comes with a dial that can be used to choose from the 8 built in stitches options. Another favorite is the Janome 2212 Sewing Machine which has 860 stitches per minute and manual controls for thread tension. But don’t get restricted to these three models alone. The more you read about machines, the more information you will get to act upon.
Apart from review websites, you can also access information from:
- Forums dedicated to sewing.
- Social media channels.
- Friends and family members.
- Local arts and crafts schools that teach sewing.
This will allow you to ‘cross reference’ the names and models that are most popularly mentioned.
Of course, it is also a good idea to go to the retail store and actually try out a machine before purchasing the same.
Parameters
Some of the things that you can check before your purchase are:
- Ease of threading.
- Buttonhole creation.
- Changing needles – how easy is this operation?
- Balance between features and cost.
- Ease of specialty sewing – embroidery, upholstery, leather, thick fabric and so on.
- How easy is it to learn how to operate the machine?
Of course, you can also choose your machine according to the projects you wish to take on. Some machines may be great for quilting while others for straight sewing. Once you have the data you can analyze the same and pick up your sewing machine.
It would therefore be useful for you spend a bit of time to consider the kind of work you will be doing on the machine. If creating beautiful dresses is your forte then look for a machine that will have a large number of built in stitches. But if you want to take on upholstery as your area of specialization then look for sewing machines with this support. Each machine has its own set of strengths to offer and if you are clear about the kind of jobs you want to handle, then you will find it very easy to buy the right model.
Sewing is a fabulous hobby and lots of people turn it into a profitable business as well. So your first sewing machine can certainly be a prudent investment in more ways than one.