Sewing Machines: Part 2

Let's talk a little more about buying and maintaining a sewing machine.

Do you need to buy the top of line machine from the start? No way! Should you go with the absolute cheapest thing you can find? Probably not. If it's all you can afford, then by all means, please do. But don't expect it to go through heavy materials, have a lot of features, or last more than a year or two. I understand that people are on a budget and you only want to spend about $100 on a sewing machine. But let's face it, a sewing machine is an investment. If you want it to last you more than a year, then you need to save up and buy something a little nicer than the low end machine.

Here are some sewing features to consider when looking at buying a sewing machine:

• Number of stitches (even though you won't use half of them)
• Number of feet/accessories (some are really useful!)
• Needle threader (for those who have trouble threading a needle)
• Thread cutter (best thing ever!)
• Auto pressure/pivot (once you use this, you can't live without it)
• Large throat/bed space (helps if you will be working on bigger projects)
• Lighting (gotta be able to see what you're doing, right?)
• Metal frame

So let's go over that list a bit more.

The number of stitches on a machine does not make the machine any better. This literally has nothing to do with the build of the machine. Having more stitches is just an extra luxury. You don't really need them, but they are nice to have. Depending on the type of sewing you do, you might find uses for some of them. The average person, however, doesn't. So don't let this one fool you when they try to tell you how many awesome stitches there are! 

The number of feet and accessories that a machine comes with also has nothing to do with how good the machine is. A lot of machines will come with the basics needed to sew: standard foot, zipper foot, buttonhole foot, and sometimes a blind hem or rolled hem foot. The lower in the line you go, the less feet and accessories come with it and vice versa. Don't worry though, if your machine didn't come with something, you can always buy them separately (they'll get your money one way or another!). So again, a nice to have but not really necessary.

One of the biggest complaints I hear is not being able to thread the needle on the machine. Most machines now and days come with some kind of needle threader (not all do though). It's a nice feature to have though, especially when you move up in the line and get to the automatic needle threader. Oh those are a dream! Just push a button and the needle gets threaded! 

Most people never heard of a thread cutter. A lot of machines will have a small cutting on the left hand side of the machine. When you step up in the line, you have an automatic thread cutter. With a push of a button, it cuts your threads for you. I love this feature. In the long run, it saves you time (and some thread). It's kind of a luxury feature as well but to me, well worth the extra money.

When it comes to pressure foot pressure, not many know or understand what it is. Depending on the material you are sewing, and how thick it is, depends on what you're pressure foot pressure should be. A lot of new (mid to high end) machines come with an automatic pressure system. This automatically figures out how hard your pressure foot should be pushing down on the fabric to help feed it properly. This also (usually) means you gain a feature called Pivot. The pivot feature will leave your needle in the down position and lift your pressure foot just enough so you can turn your fabric without having to lift your foot manually. It's great for going around corners and sewing patches! It's a great feature to have but you have to really step up in the line to get it (and it's not cheap).

Having a large throat/bed area in your machine will give you more room while sewing. The throat is the area to the right of your needle. When working with bigger projects (tutus, ball gowns, quilts, etc), having that extra space makes a huge difference. The further up the line you go, the bigger the throat you gain. In my opinion, a good size is a minimum of eight inches. But once again, really depends on the projects you plan to work on.

Lighting is pretty self explanatory. I'm pretty sure all machines now come with at least one light (don't quote me on that though). I know some OLD machines didn't but I haven't seen one not come with a light in a really long time. The mid to higher end machines have multiple LED lights. I don't really put any thought into lights but if there isn't much light where you sew, then this might be more important to you.

Lastly, a metal frame. Sewing machines back in the day used to be built so much better (in my opinion anyway). Companies put good quality parts in their machines. Now? They skimp where they can. Any machine that has a plastic frame is pretty much junk. Now, when I say plastic frame I'm talking about the skeleton of the machine, not the outside. The reason you see machines selling for $100-$200 is because companies are putting cheap parts in them. They put smaller ball bearings, thinner plastic gears, and so forth. You know that "Singer Heavy Duty" you see selling at Joann's? That machine is not heavy duty at all. If you sew thicker material on that, you will knock it out of timing in no time.

So let's say you are looking at machines and you see one for $200 and the next step up is $500. The only difference you can see is that it comes with a few more stitches and feet. You think to yourself "$300 more for a few feet and stitches? Not worth it!" What you have to realize is (typically) you are paying for a better built machine with quality parts. I say typically because it's not always the case. Some machines are just not built well no matter where in the line you go.

To some people, brand matters. What's the best brand out there? It's really hard to say. You will always run into your die hard fans of whatever their favorite brand is. But consider this, most sewing machine companies outsource their products. What does that mean? It means that they have their parts built from a third party and even pay a completely different company to put it all together. We're talking anywhere from 2 to who knows how many different companies having a hand at building your machine. Brother and Janome are the only two true manufacturers for sewing machines. In fact, they even make parts and machines for other companies.

I hope this helped you learn a little bit more about machines and what you should look for. What brands have you bought in the past? Feel free to comment below with any questions. I'll try my best to answer them!

~Serenity