Wanted Sewing Machine for Aspring Fashion Desginer
- Thread starter MarcLV123
- Start date
) but sewing machines tend to be really cheap on ebay, maybe have a look there?
Check out the brand Janome. TOTALLY user friendly, I taught myself to sew on one a few years ago, and they're VERY reasonably priced.
Also, check your Yellow Pages and see if there's a Sewing Shop near you. You can go in and try them out, the usually have beginner machines = inexpensive.
Also, check your Yellow Pages and see if there's a Sewing Shop near you. You can go in and try them out, the usually have beginner machines = inexpensive.
Get one from eBay. When I started taking fashion courses, I bought a singer (one with 52 stitch types - mostly decorative) from there for $150. That little machine got me through a pair of jeans, and not just to hem them, mind you. I was able to construct an entire pair of jeans (with a heavyweight needle). There were a few blips but overall, it was pretty painless.
Overall, all the major name brands are good: Janome, Pfaff, Elna, Singer. Good luck!
- Fellow Aspiring Fashion Designer
Overall, all the major name brands are good: Janome, Pfaff, Elna, Singer. Good luck!
- Fellow Aspiring Fashion Designer
hey ya an aspiring designer (like me) hehe i just bought a machiene recently, i have gon ethrough three machines in my life so far (pretty good for a 17 years old let me add) 2 janome's and now a phaff, Machines are almost everlasting but i do find the janomes hold up well, i still have my mothers that is almost 30 and has never neede a repair! the only problem with them is that i personally find they compramise the stitching quality for the durability of the machine (plus i find them increadibly light), heavy machines are best as they are more stable and machines jolt the faster you sew (when i straight stitch or satain stitch i put my foot down all the way) this has caused the janomes to even fall a rew times (once in my lap) depending on what you are doing and your fabrics that could ruin it! hence i dont highly recoment Janome unless its just a hobby machine (which i assume is not.) I adore my phaff, it is the best thing ever, the stitching quality is superb and it is quite heavy (btw postage will be quite $$ for the heavy weight machines) but the best thing about phaff is that it has dual feed control! that means that it has dog feet on top as well as on the bottom, making you fabric slide through the machine twice as fast and effortless. it is the only machine that offers that function and i love it!i havent had much phaff long enough to tell you how it holds up over long periods but of what i have heard its pretty dam good! also the brands i have heard which are good are viking/hasqvana and bernina so stick with those brands
You should also try second hand stores, the Salvation Army, yard sales & flea markets in your area. You can find tons of great deals in places like those, especially on older sewing machines.
My mom has new sewing machines, but she also uses one that got at a thrift store for a dollar. That one actually works better than the newer ones. They sure don't make 'em like they used to!jillybean307 said:
I have the Husqvarna Viking Interlude 435 and love it! My mom got it for me based on reviews in consumer report, I believe. Singers used to be great but the company has apparently been bought and sold a ton lately and quality has really suffered.
naughtymanolo said:
Ditto that! Heavy machines are the best, but expensive to ship as said before. Try looking at second hand shops for a heavy machine, most popular brands are reliable. You don't need too many bells and whistles, anything above 50 stitches is way too much if you don't plan on doing intricate embroidery or quilting. Vacuum stores sometimes have used machines too. If you get one used, make sure you get it cleaned and oiled well. If you decide to get a new machine, I would stay under the $300 range. Good luck!
Honestly the amount of stitches arent that important, my machiene has about 35-40 and i barely use any of them other that straight stitch and zig-zag (followed by overlocking stitches), they are nice options but are not the most important feature. also get a second hand one, unless the machine is 20 years+, and even then it sould be in fine condition for you to use although make sure its one of the better brands if its old. either that or look into buying display models thier is no use in buying a brand new machine even if your the best sewer, like a car they deprecate extremely fast, so a 2 y.o. machiene will be basically new but 50%+ off
Swanky Mama Of Three said:
LOL...mine is about 5 years old now. I took a sewing course at one of the sewing centers here in Plano with one of my girlfriends since i hadnt done any sewing since "Home Ec" days in high school....at that time my Janome was the newest one out there and I was borrowing one at the sewing center...hubby surprised me with one of my own for Easter that year. I think it was about 900 bucks then but its much cheaper now.
Swanky,
Do you prefer shopping for your Chanels at Willow Bend, downtown NM or boutique at Highland Park Village?