Poll of the Day > Any sewing experts here?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I was thinking about getting a combination sewing/embroidery machine to repair some clothes and maybe make some clothes as well. I took home ec in school and know generally how to sew, but I am a beginner so I would rather not drop $5000 on a machine.

Looking online the brother se600 seems to be a nice choice for a beginner, but when I went to the local brother dealer they only had much more expensive models are were not familiar with that model, but they did tell me they only worked there part time and the owner would be in Friday for more specific help.

The other sewing shop said brother and singer are both terrible big box brands better avoided and they tried to steer me to a bernette 79 for 1500 or a used Husqvarna Viking for 1500 that she claims was a 10,000 machine new. The other ones she recommended were 2-3 grand.

Both local places offer free lessons with the purchase, 0% financing and free repair for a year. The brother dealer also offers an upgrade plan if you want to go for a more expensive model within 90 days.

Before going in to these places the most expensive model I was considering was the singer legacy se300. But that one is only 600.

So are these local places right? Should I bite the bullet and spend more or would I be ok with the cheaper option?

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You can often find used sewing machines on classified sites or at yard sales that will cost a fraction of something new

My suggestion is check that

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Doctor Foxx posted...

You can often find used sewing machines on classified sites or at yard sales that will cost a fraction of something new

My suggestion is check that

My experience has been that, if you can get an affordable Burnette, you should go for it since Burnette is overseen by Bernina (whose sewing machines are good quality and expensive). A few years ago I owned a Burnette (basic model) and was impressed by its reliability as well as low cost as compared to a Husqvara or Viking or Bernina. While I had to get rid of my Burnette because it had worn out from being used so much, I highly recommend the brand itself.

Doctor Foxx posted...

You can often find used sewing machines on classified sites or at yard sales that will cost a fraction of something new

My suggestion is check that

I tried that a couple years back. I got a lemon. I think I would rather buy new or refurbished from one of the shops.

GastroFan posted...

My experience has been that, if you can get an affordable Burnette, you should go for it since Burnette is overseen by Bernina (whose sewing machines are good quality and expensive). A few years ago I owned a Burnette (basic model) and was impressed by its reliability as well as low cost as compared to a Husqvara or Viking or Bernina. While I had to get rid of my Burnette because it had worn out from being used so much, I highly recommend the brand itself.

I can afford it, but 1500 for a sewing machine seems a little out there. I'm not starting my own Etsy shop or anything. Just feel like starting a new hobby. When I asked the lady at the shop the difference she said it came with more built in embroidery designs and quality. But both machines let you use your own designs, so I'm not sure why that matters. And she didn't have anything specific to say about the quality. Just that it was better. What kind of stuff does bernette offer that justifies being 5x the price?

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Check thrift shops. An old good quality machine for $25 that can be cleaned and lubricated is probably the best deal. I'm using a 1959 Singer that was only a couple of years old when I bought it as a teenager. Basic zig-zag but I'm not doing embroidery anyway.
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slacker03150 posted...

Doctor Foxx posted...

You can often find used sewing machines on classified sites or at yard sales that will cost a fraction of something new

My suggestion is check that

I tried that a couple years back. I got a lemon. I think I would rather buy new or refurbished from one of the shops.

GastroFan posted...

My experience has been that, if you can get an affordable Burnette, you should go for it since Burnette is overseen by Bernina (whose sewing machines are good quality and expensive). A few years ago I owned a Burnette (basic model) and was impressed by its reliability as well as low cost as compared to a Husqvara or Viking or Bernina. While I had to get rid of my Burnette because it had worn out from being used so much, I highly recommend the brand itself.

I can afford it, but 1500 for a sewing machine seems a little out there. I'm not starting my own Etsy shop or anything. Just feel like starting a new hobby. When I asked the lady at the shop the difference she said it came with more built in embroidery designs and quality. But both machines let you use your own designs, so I'm not sure why that matters. And she didn't have anything specific to say about the quality. Just that it was better. What kind of stuff does bernette offer that justifies being 5x the price?

Other than the Bernina oversight of the Bernette's construction, and that it's usually more affordable than a Bernina (which can cost as much as a Husqvara or Viking), that's about it. In your case, your best bet would be to, as someone suggested, buy a less expensive machine with embroidery capability or embroider by hand (which is infinitely cheaper but more labor intensive) until you're sure that you want to take up embroidery as a hobby.

Ya, I will probably go with the cheaper one. for now and if I can get it at the brother dealer once the owner comes back I might be able to upgrade to a better one later if I decide to do so.

In the meantime I am going to try my hand at knitting. I got myself a pair of 10.5 knitting needles and a ball of yarn. So I am going to attempt one of these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oCysuarwEE" data-time="

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It took me a few tries, but I got my long tail cast on. but now I'm having trouble with the knit stitch. It looks easy enough, but I have had to redo my cast on after screwing it up.

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