I want to get a sewing machine for my 16 year old daughter, who is interested in altering her clothes to fit her better mostly, I think. She is a complete newbie at sewing. What brands and models would you recommend for her?
You want something reasonably sturdy and reliable, yes? Let’s see, I would recommend that you stay away from cheapo brands–in sewing machines, you pretty much get what you pay for. I have not heard good things about Brother or Singer. For a beginner I would usually recommend a Janome–the very basic models such as the Jem Gold or Platinum are quite well-regarded and sturdy; they could last your daughter through college or until she wants to upgrade. The mid-range models are also very popular.
I’m not very familiar with Vikings/Husqvarnas or Kenmores, but my sense is that a Viking is better than a Kenmore.
I’m a Bernina addict myself, but I didn’t have a very good experience with my Bernette starter model years ago. They may have improved since.
I have a Husqvarna/Viking Lena, a non-electronic sewing machine. I did a lot of research before I bought a machine and this brand name kept popping up as one of the best on the market. I wanted a machine that would outlast me and I expect that this one will do exactly that.
My only criticism of this machine is that the manual sucks and the online resources aren’t very good either. If she has some guidance (a teacher or a relative who sews and can show her on her machine, which is very important) she would be fine with this brand.
Stay away from Singers, for sure. I’ve been using machines since I was seven years old, but the one Singer I had nearly reduced me to tears on many occasions.
I’m now using a Janome, rebranded as a Kenmore for sale at Sears (does that sound right? I think that’s how it worked) and it’s wonderful. It takes hard use and hasn’t given me a lick of trouble.
I’ve had good luck with two inexpensive Brother machines, but I don’t sew on anything but cotton – no silk, wool, denim, etc. I’d probably still be using the first one but it just stopped on me one day. If I’d known to clean the lint from the bobbin case, I’d probably still be using it. But I paid less than $200 for it and used it for ten years, and was ready for a new model.
I looked at Bernina machines at the quilt shop. The sales clerk demonstrated a couple of them and commented about how quiet they were. My Brother is quieter – that made me happy. I haven’t had any problems with the machine (two years, 20 quilts) and the manual is well-written.
I have a Janome that my mother bought me a few years ago for Christmas. Very nice machine. Stay away from the machines they sell at stores like Target and Walmart–I know people who have bought those (usually Singer brand) and they are cheap crap.
You may want to look into a used machine. Yard sales or craigslist are a good place to look for basic, reasonable quality older models for pretty cheap. If you don’t know much about sewing machines, it can be dicey, but even if you go through 3 $20 machines, it’s still cheaper than buying a new one. Bonus points if you can get a sewing friend to check it out and make sure the tension is adjusted properly.
I have had good experience with older models (70s/80s) of Singer, Elna, and Kenmore. A heavy machine is a good sign, since it means it has lots of durable metal parts. (As others have said, stay away from the new Singers. They’re just rattly boxes of plastic crap.) Another tip for mending is to look for a machine with a free arm, where you can remove part of the base in order to hem cuffs more easily.
I like used machines because I think it’s easier (and cheaper) to get a better-quality product, and I don’t need the computerized bells and whistles. Also, it will give you a chance to find out what features you want or dislike on a machine so you can make a more informed new machine purchase. If you do go the used route you may want to go to a sewing machine store and try out a few models to get an idea of how various types of machines are supposed to sound before choosing something from a yard sale.
I went with cheap crap, and so far, so good. I purchased a new Kenmore Mini-Ultra for under $75 a few years ago. It has worked nicely for basic sewing – only ten stiches, but then all I do is simple stuff. Chugga-chugga-chugga through heavy material, chugga-chugga-chugga through light material, chugga-chugga-chugga through mixed materials – it’s like the Little Engine That Could.
When I get together with my friends who are really into sewing (as in they sell what they sew), I feel like I’m bringing a knife to a gun fight. The quality difference is immediatley apparent, and there are a lot of fancy things my little piece of crap can’t do. But then I look at the price – mine is less than one tenth the cost of theirs, and I smile as I chugga-chugga-chugga along.
Hmm. . . looks like the price has gone up to $99 (Canadian) since I bought mine a few years ago (and for some ungodly reason the thing is now pink – there otta be a law aginast that): http://www.sears.ca/gp/product/B001JHUW8I?searsBrand=core
This is the one I have: http://www.jr.com/brother/pe/BRT_CS6000I/
It is super awesome–easy to use, and sturdy. I’ve sewn through 8 layers of fusible fleece with it.
Honestly though, tailoring is not easy. Rather than a sewing machine, you should be looking into some kind of classes for her. If she really is a total newbie, she should start with some simple projects–maybe a bag, some pajama pants. My mother has been sewing for years, and she will not tailor clothes. It is just too much of a hassle. It is easier to make your own clothes from scratch than to tailor store-bought clothes (unless you just plan on hemming pant legs, that’s pretty easy).
I’ve got a basic Kenmore (in the $100-$150 range). It works, I’ve made really pretty (If I do say so myself) holiday dresses for my girls this year, I’ve done quilts, I’ve done curtains, pillows, jammies, etc. My sewing machine and I have nearly come to blows at times over the bobbin, though. It likes to mess up the tension and barf thread all over me. A tune-up might help.
My mother got a similar machine (basic Kenmore) 30 years ago. She just replaced it a couple of years ago with another Kenmore. It sewed countless child sized clothes, Halloween costumes, dresses and skating costumes (Mom used to sew for money) and eventually my wedding gown.
There are machines that have lots of bells and whistles, but what you really need is:
- The free-arm mentioned above (next to impossible to set sleeves otherwise)
- Forward and backward sewing (found on pretty much all machines)
- Zig zag stitching.
The rest is icing. I wouldn’t spend too much on a machine for a teen who has never sewed before. If she takes to it and needs more later, she can always upgrade.
Last time I went to buy a new sewing machine, about seven years ago, for reasons I don’t remember, I tried a refurbished/reconditioned Singer Touch-n-Sew from about 1970. I fell in love. It was easy to use, and worked better than any other machine I had ever tried. I bought it for $175. My favorite part of it is the bobbin can only be inserted on way, it is obvious which way that is, and it winds in place with very little fuss. Whatever machine you get, try it out and make sure that particular machine works smoothly. I have had lemon machines, and they are the worst. I am still using my refurbished machine. I have made a wedding dress on it, hemmed denim, and done lots of household sewing, like making costumes or mending clothing. It sets up in a minute, and just works right.
P.S.
I do have a free arm machine as well, but I have learned to do sleeves with out the free arm, because this machine sews better and does not have a free arm.
What’s with the hate for Singers? Mine is 98 years old this year and a real workhorse. Did the quality fall off in recent decades or something?
Singer has decided that a low price is preferable to high quality, and has substituted plastic for many of the hardworking metal parts. It’s a pity.
Yeah, what Lynn said. My understanding is that if you have a Singer that was manufactured, say, more than 30-40 years ago, it’ll last forever. The ones made more recently are crap.
I took a five-week beginning sewing class at the local fabric store, and the fee covered the cost of a new sewing machine. The one I have is a Husqvarna Huskystar, and I’m really very happy with it. I primarily just sew kids’ pajamas and Halloween costumes, but still, I’ve sewn through two layers of fleece plus two layers of “grippy sole” fabric (you know, the stuff on the bottom of pajama feet) with no problems. Mine also has the drop-in bobbin and the buttonhole stitch, both of which were well worth the extra $30 I paid over the basic model. I’ve been sewing on the thing regularly for about 4 years now and not had a problem.
I purchased a used Husqvarna for $5 US at an auction. It works nicely for sawing logs into sections before splitting them, but I wouldn’t want to use it for felling anything of any size. It does not have a buttonhole function, and if I dropped it, I’d be bobbin’.
My first sewing machine was a Singer - purchased in the early '70’s. It was possible to wind the bobbin without taking it out of the machine - a wonderful time saver. I’d recommend that feature. It works to this day, although I have trouble with the tension unless I’m sewing light weight materials. It didn’t have a free arm, so in 1990 I got a Bernina. It’s a fine machine, but probably more than a first time, primarily alterations sewer needs.
I’d second getting a sewing machine used. If she takes to it and likes sewing - get a better one in a few years.