What should I look for when buying a new sewing machine?
One of the most common questions I get from beginner sewers is ‘Which sewing machine should I buy?”
With so many different machine brands and models on offer it can be a bit of a minefield knowing where to start. Also there is no one-machine-fits-all and which one to go for really has to be guided by a few different factors.
In Sheffield we are lucky to have a couple of really good independent sewing machine shops where you can go, get specialist advice and even try out the sewing machines before you buy. If you have this available to you, I’d always recommend this as the best buying strategy.
If you don’t have a sewing shop near you and you are trying to navigate the sea of online offers this is what I’d recommend:
1. Set a budget.
You can get a reasonable but simple starter sewing machine for around £100, you can also pay upward of £1000 for a sewing machine. The difference between them will be huge! Knowing how much money you have available to spend will narrow down the range available to you and you can start comparing similar machines rather than those in vastly different price brackets.
2. Set your non-negotiables.
For me, I’d always want a needle threader on my machine and a top loading bobbin as part of the selection. The rest is dependent on what I’m going to use the machine for. My dream machine would also have an automatic thread cutter (to save me wading through a sea of threads!) but that’s on my wish-list for my next upgrade!
3. Think about what you’d like to use your machine for
…and look for features that relate to that use. Do you want a selection of decorative stitches? Will a quilting table or the ability to add one at a later date be important to you, do you want to be able to embroider initials onto your projects or is a simple range of utility stitches all that you need?
4. Decide if you want to go digital
Digital machines tend to be a bit more expensive than the standard manual control machines but will offer a little more control over things like stitch length and width and needle positions. They also have functions such as a one-step buttonhole which can make life a lot easier if you are planning on sewing a lot of buttonholes!
5. Start off simple
If you are just starting on your sewing journey you may not know what you want to predominantly use your machine for or what features you’d like it to include! Remember you can always upgrade your machine in the future if you end up using it a lot and want to add features to help your sewing. Secondhand machines pass regularly through ebay and facebook marketplace so, if you are unsure what you will need, start simple and be prepared to upgrade in the future.
