Sewing Machine 101, which sewing machine is the right one for you . Whether you are a first time buyer or just looking for advice on buying a new sewing you have come to the right spot.  As a sewing instructor, I have seen and sewn on a large number of machines, some great and some not so great so lets talk sewing machines. There are so many different sewing machines out there that your choices are endless, however not every machine is created equal.

      The first thing you need to decide before purchasing a sewing machine is what you want to do with it, I know sew duh, but you need to decide if something basic is good for you or if you need a machine that has dozens of decorative stitches. Do you want this sewing machine to be able to embroider as well as sew. These are some things you really need to decide before you go looking at machines. It is easy to get sold on the more is better idea, but if you never intend to embroider or only need a handful if stitch options paying more for a machine that does more and will be more difficult to use may not be the best idea.

        Second, you need to decide on a budget for this machine, sewing machines these days can range from $70 bucks to $7,000 for a machine that just sews. Setting a budget will help you stay focused in the face of all the amazing options you will find from one machine to the next. Comparing Machines in the same price range from one brand to the next will help you get a more accurate picture of what your money can buy. Lets be honest though you get what you pay for most of the time and while those super cheap sewing machines, those less than $100 look good most of them in my experience quickly break down, so while you don't need to spend a fortune to get a good machine you will have to spend a bit.

        Third, reviews are important, but you need to be specific when looking for those reviews. Overall reviews for some brands may be high but that does not mean reviews for the machine you are looking at are. For example higher end Baby Lock's are very good machines I have several regular students with them and they perform well, however at the other end of the price spectrum I have found those Baby Lock's are very slow and not as user friendly as their more expensive counterparts. Another thing to consider when looking at sewing machines is that brands change over the years, an example of this is Singer, while I'm not saying their bad machines I would rather have a 20 year old or older Singer in good shape than most of their newer models.

       Fourth, a test drive is not just for cars. Quilt shows, expos, and quilt stores are great places to take a sewing machine for a spin, try the machine out, all of the stitches and feet if you can, this is the best way to know if you like the machine and if it something you will be comfortable using. One thing to remember when testing sewing machines is to bring your own fabric to sew on, the fabric the store or sellers will have is usually thin and easy for the machine to go through, I personally take some sheer fabric, some light denim and a few cotton fabrics of varying thicknesses to gage just how capable the machine is.

          Once you have chosen your machine  the next thing to do is look for the best deal, this could mean buying locally or online.  Below I am going to list a few machines I think are worth looking at, keeping in mind that they perform well for what they cost. Disclaimer some of these will be affiliate links. I hope that if you read this and are looking to buy a sewing machine that this article helps you to know what to look for.

     Singer CG590


     Brother SE400

    
     Janome Magnolia 7318


     Brother PE770


     Pfaff  Ambition


     Baby Lock Katherine





       

Why you should never tear your fabric

 

 

    Fabric tearing or ripping is just what it sounds like, a small cut is made at the edge of a piece of fabric and then the fabric is torn or ripped into long strips or squares.  Many people who rip their fabric do so to avoid taking the time to cut the fabric properly.  Fans of fabric ripping claim that the fabric will always tear straight and is easier than cutting, this could not be further from the truth. I can honestly tell you after trying this on several different fabrics that tearing fabric never creates a straight piece of fabric it also distorts the fabric and causes a lot of damage. As a longarm quilter I have seen plenty of people tear long strips of fabric for the borders of their quilts then after the quilts are finished and washed a few times some of the seams start to come apart and they just can't understand why.

If you look closely you can see where the tearing causes damage to the threads of the fabric. The stress to the fabric as well as the distortion make these edges more likely to unravel this in turn makes the seams weaker. Cleanly cutting fabric may not stop it from unraveling but it will not be as bad and cutting fabric will not distort the fabric edge.

    So please just take the time to cut your fabric with scissors or a rotary cute,r you will be so much happier with the results and your seams will be stronger for it.
 

    What this blog is all about

 

 

           Hi, my name is Bethnee but you can call me Red. I love to sew and quilt, I feel like I have been doing it my whole life.  In this blog I want to share with you some tips and tricks to make any sewing project easier. I will also be doing a lot of product reviews for sewing items everything from sewing machines to scissors. I hope to help anyone who wants to sew have a more productive and fun time.