annthreecats

If you're wife is going to be making clothes with her machine, then I would definitely by a new computerized machine for the variety of stitches, buttonholes, sewing zippers, etc. I have been looking at Juki sewing machines on the allbrands.com website. They have a couple of Juki models that are marked down a lot and have a lot of features. Just another suggestion. BTW, I recently bought a Juki serger from allbrands.com and that is a great little machine. They also sell factory re-conditioned machines which are marked down as well.

alisonquilts

If your wife truly is a novice it might be worth "test driving" a machine either by renting it, or by taking classes at a dealer who would let her try a few while learning some basic sewing techniques.

I think you are doing a lovely thing.

Alison

vanginney

I would get a featherweight if the vintage factor is appealing. If she is new to sewing, every good brand (Pfaff, Janome, Bernina) will have an entry level that should not break the bank. No sense in going fancy features without even knowing your preference. I think that would take time for her to know and if she gets hooked this will not be her last machine.

I think a featherweight is a very romantic, thoughtful gift. Go with your gut! Plus a FW has the cute factor - it would fit nicely under a tree with a big red bow.

azwendyg

That sounds perfect to me! Although Featherweights have a lot of appeal to some folks, they may not be the best choice for someone who wants to experience different types of sewing. Something with a variety of stitches will give her a lot more options experiment with.

quiltingcandy

Your post made me laugh, my husband decided one year to surprise me with a new stove/oven 3 days before Thanksgiving. With, "Oh by the way, if we have the wrong gas connection they won't be able to install it." But wait they are taking the old one away? Yes... , It took everything I had not to let my thoughts fall out of my mouth because we really did need a new stove and he really thought he had done this wonderful thing for me. Luckily they were able to install it and I was able to cook Thanksgiving dinner. And a sewing machine is as personal as a stove in the kitchen. Which may sound funny but buying the wrong one can be a major disappointment. So the idea of taking her to a few stores to get an idea of what she truly wants may not be a bad thing.

If she really wants a Featherweight - they are wonderful little machines - I have 2 and love them both. But I have my 12-91 that belonged to my mother which is a full sized machine and so is my Janome 6600P. I know several women that use their FW as their main machine due to lack of space. This is the 160th year of Singer so they came out with a Special Featherweight and it has more stitches. It will be a lot more than a vintage machine unless you want one that has been totally refurbished. A 221 black vintage Singer may or may not be an investment, but if it is what she wants and you give it to her, she will never part with it so the future value is nothing to worry about.

Good luck!

EllieGirl

It's very important to give her some input!! Several years ago my husband surprised me with a sewing machine from Target that was a piece of junk. Within a year everything jammed and it didn't work. I never would have bought it if I would have been given input.

Sally J

I agree with others that this needs input from your wife. You need to know what type of sewing she wants to do. While I love my featherweight (and learned how to sew on one in high school) she needs to at least give you some advice. While at a sewing machine shop recently the repair person said that the Brother Project Runway (not sure of the model but has pink on the front) at around $350 is a real workhorse. It has other stitches and he says he never has to repair them like other machines. Just a suggestion

GrannieAnnie

My best advise to you is to go to your wife and tell her you've got xdollars for a sewing machine for her and would she like to go out and look for one.

NO ONE HERE can tell you what you wife really needs or wants.

Prism99

It's a lot like buying a car. Some people like vintage cars; others want heated seats and power steering. Sewing machines are often not returnable, so it really is a good idea to take your wife to local dealerships and have her sit down and try out a wide variety of machines.

Decide on your price range first; otherwise you may end up looking at Lamborghini's when what you really need is a Prius. Deciding on your pricing upper limit eliminates a lot of machines.

In general, for an entry level machine, Janome and Brother brand machines tend to be the best these days. Stay away from low-end Singer, Elna, Bernette, etc.

Vintage featherweights are lovely machines. I have one. (Sold two others that I had acquired over the years.) However, they are very limited in what they can do compared to new machines. New machines in the price range of a vintage Singer featherweight will have such features as needle-down, built-in zigzag and decorative stitches, a stretch stitch (helpful when sewing children's clothing, which often requires knit fabrics -- especially for the easy starter patterns), the ability to move the needle off-center, etc.

DonnaR

2 great places to look at machines is Threads of Time, Danville, Illinois and Lori's Pins and Needles in Paris, Illinois. Both sell different machines and offer classes.