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