What Do You Look For In A New Sewing Machine?-Features Vs.Techniques
2 months or so ago (during the holiday sales), I purchased 2 mechanical sewing machines-a Janome Blue Couture & a Spiegel 3201 model . Both are the inexpensive cheapo Big Box store types hovering around the US hundred dollar mark with limited features and stitch selections.
Yesterday, I was finishing up a patchwork pocket intended for a special occasion events Tote Bag that I’m sewing up on the Spiegel. A random thought just hit me as I was clipping the threads and doing a final careful pressing. I honestly don’t see much use for for features or a zilion stitches offered on the higher bracket sewing machines I considered before choosing the ones I am testing right now for defects before the warranty expires (so far, so good & I hope it continues for the life of these new products). Even when I sew for usually more demanding garment or home decor products, I seem to just use: 1. Straight Stitch, 2. ZigZag Stitch, or once in a great while 3. the Buttonhole option.
I tend to rely on hard learned and practiced over the years sewing techniques and purchased-over-the-years generally inexpensive sewing notions that help me make far better products than I otherwise would not have been able to without them. The sewing/quilting world seems to change so much as well.
When I started to learn to sew, most sewing machines were made in the US or Europe. Now none are made here in the US-although a precious few very high end ones are still made in Europe. So, my choices remain the same either way. I am willing to pay a large sum of money for a NEW sewing machine made & serviced/repaired in a country where I feel the money will benefit the most people in a positive way. Otherwise, I don’t honestly feel that spending more on a sewing machine that is the same hidden quality/history construction whether I spend thousands of dollars on it or at the cheapskate level I tend to spend in whether-or not-it’s at a typical hovering personnel sewing center/quilt shop or a huge largely absent customer assistance Big Box center.
I still select, then sew the way I been doing all along. I am always open to new sewing/quilting techniques and notions now offered online (like here on Quilting Board) as well as offline book reading. I maintain/adjust the sewing machines myself as the last trustworthy sewing machine technician retired some years ago around here, I choose Mechanical sewing machines over the Electronic/Computerized ones as I still gravitate toward the 3 stitch options no matter it has a motherboard in it or not.
Techniques always will win hands down!
What about your own sewing habits or choices?
Last edited by Iona D.; 01-29-2019 at 11:04 AM.