cindi

I just bought a machine recently and here’s my suggestion. Do your homework. Write down everything your current machine has that you like. Write down the throat space of your current machine. Now, write down everything you wish your current machine doesn’t have that you wish it did. Want more throat space? Note that. Want auto up/down? Note that. Etc., etc. Now, look for machines that have exactly what you want. Pick three or four and make a spreadsheet of those machines, their price, and check off everything that you want. Most machines have one thing but not the other.

Then go to your nearest shops and test drive them. Take fabric to test, including cottons, batiks and any of your favorite types of fabrics, along with different threads. How do your stitches look on each? Do you have to adjust tension for every fabric or does it smoothly change from one fabric to the next? Piece your fabric and check the 1/4” measurement on the machine. Is it a true 1/4” or will you always have to adjust your machine to piece? Try out their decorative stitches. Are they easy to program? Do you have to change feet too often for the stitches? Is it easy to thread, wind bobbins and load bobbins? Are applique stitches good? Or does tension constantly have to be adjusted for that? What is the shop like? Are they helpful? Did they sit with you and explain the machine (and don’t let them just demo it. YOU sit down and and do it as they explain!). Do they know the machine like the back of their hand? (I went to one shop and they had to pull out the manual to show the machine. I knew more about the machine from studying the online info than they did! I knew that machine was out!). Are the buttons convenient to touch? Do you have to go to too many screens to access most used stitches? Do they have beginner classes on the machine?

Yes, it may have taken me a little longer to write it all down, but I was confident in what I wanted and knew what to "test drive". I was able to get a better price on the machine that had everything I wanted just by doing my homework. Telling them you’re looking at several machines from several places just may get you a better price!