First of all, you guys are the best! I don’t know what I’d do without the excellent advice I get here on knitting. Now I have a question that is completely non-knitting related. My daughter is 10 years old, and has an interest in sewing. I am thinking of getting her a beginner’s sewing machine to get started on. I have been reviewing products on manufacturers’ and stores’ webpages, but I am not getting much solid information. I know that at least some of you on these boards must sew as well as knit. Does anyone have a recommendation for a brand and model for a good simple beginner’s machine? Any help appreciated, as always.
My daughter is looking to buy her daughter (14 yrs. old) her own sewing machine because she’s not allowed to use mom’s Pfaff for some very good reasons such as she could sew her own hand. She says don’t get Singer, they ain’t what they used to be. If you’re looking for an inexpensive starter that she can learn on, go somewhere like WalMart and get an inexpensive Brother. It will be basically a throwaway machine but I’ve got a Singer (also a throwaway) more than 20 years old that is still running, it just recently started giving me problems.
BTW My daughter was assistant costume mistress at a ballet academy and has used a number of different sewing machines and the inexpensive Brother is what she has her eye on for her daughter.
I have a Brother machine that is over 15yr old and still going strong. I haven’t had a single problem with it. Up until my son was born 3 yrs ago my machine was in constant use as I sewed for 2 different charities and myself.
My best advice is to make sure you have the correct needle for the project and replace the needle often to make sure it stays sharp.
I also have a Pfaff that was purchased used from a seamtress and I actually prefer my Brother. The Pfaff is great, however, it is sort of fussy and has to be reset to the tune of $80 every couple of years.
i am 14 years and i sometimes sew little dresses for my dolls (i still have tons, but i don’t play lol) i use my mom’s machine that she got when i was about 2 and a half years maybe i think. i don’t know it’s brand 0.0 but some of it’s plat came off and the electricity sometimes comes through the metal. but we put tape on it now its OK 0.0
I knew I could count on you guys for help. Thanks!
Let us know what you decide on, OK?
Fair enough: I am going to go with the Brother 2600i. It looks entry-level enough and got fairly positive reviews via amazon. At $77 delivered, it is worth the gamble. If my daughter sticks with it and enjoys it, once she is a bit more proficient we can think about an upgrade.
Thanks again for the tips and resources. I would probably just have gone with a Singer remembering their reputation from you. Looks like I dodged a bullet there…
Another option would be to check a local sew & vac that takes trade ins & refurbishes them. I’d agree about the newer Singers, but I loved the one I had about 10 years ago! If you can find a refurbed Singer about 10 years old that does zigzag as well as straight stitching that has all of the accessories, she’d be good to go for a long time… My. Mom still has the one I gave her and it’s going strong.
ETA: just saw your purchase decision, Merry Christmas to your daughter!
You’re going to love seeing that girl’s face when she gets her very own real sewing machine!
[I]Egg on my face[/I]
Today I found out that my daughter bought her daughter a Singer. They went to a more expensive model that has metal instead of plastic and isn’t computerized. They got an old fashioned one. As it was on sale it was about what they would have paid for the Brother. We already know my GD can and will sew, she learned to sew with me several years ago.
I agree with Charlotte that if it goes forward and backward and does zigzag that’s really all that’s needed. My sewing machine does some fancy stitches and I use a few of them but I could do just about anything I need to with straight stitch and zigzag.
I think a lot of people “know” Singer and they aren’t what they used to be for the most part. My mother has her original metal Singer that has been around as long as I have and I only remember her having it serviced once. It has been moved (grew up Navy) at least 8 times. When my grandmother died she was still using a Singer treadle machine. Somewhere along the line my father decided to buy my mother a new Singer machine and would you believe she took it back !!
Hope your daughter loves her new machine.
Oh the memories of the old metal Singers!
Not trying to hijack the thread, but I can hardly wait to move my grandmothers old Singer into my house, once I can find room for the sewing desk it’s in. It’s the one I learned how to sew on. Lots of good memories there…
I learned on a Brother. I wish I knew for sure what happened with my mother’s sewing machine. I haven’t seen it in more than 40 years.
I agree you can’t go wrong with Brother. Mine has to be at least 30 years old and is still working like a champ!
I made my wedding dress on a White Rotary (that’s a name I only saw once, a bit of research told me it was really old) that came from a flea market. I used it and used it and used it and finally something wore out and it would not hold the tension right and the shop told me they couldn’t fix it. I mourned it’s passing. The Singer that replaced it was OK but I would love to have another oldie but goodie sewing machine.
My mother has a very old Kenmore machine that she’s used since before she was married (which was more than 30 years ago). It was new when she bought it, and its still going strong. I don’t know much about sewing machines, but my mother’s Kenmore is just one of those things I’ve grown to love. Maybe its sentimental value, as I don’t know how much a modern day Kenmore would be worth.