I was taught early on to not sew over pins...with any machine. I have heard of many people who's machines have come out of alignment and worse because of sewing over (or into!) pins, just not a good idea. One person I know needed to get a whole new needle take up bar because of sewing into a pin. SO, if you fix the machine you have, or get a new one, please stop sewing over pins!

Janome has some great lower priced machines (they used to make the Kenmores). If you are just looking for a back up machine.

My Janome made Kenmore is 25+ years old and still sews well.

If you are comfortable buying a used machine, you can probably find a good solid used machine online or at a Thrift shop for $50.00 or less.

I don't have a suggestion about a machine - except maybe for an older 301A. I have one and it works beautifully.

My suggestion regarding sewing over pins is to sew very slowly. I've found that putting the machine on the slowest speed helps with hitting the pins. That, and I also pin my fabric pieces parallel to the seam allowance instead of across it.

May I gently suggest you go to a sewing machine shop and get off the car lot!:D

Leaving a pin in the seam line is fine - as long as the needle doesn't hit the pin.

I've also had a needle break on a pin while sewing a seam - and the broken part flew in my face.
It also roughs up the needle or can bend the needle if the needle doesn't break.

If this is an AGAIN situation - maybe sewing technique/method should be changed?

A really really drastic solution for holding some things together - is hand basting! It does work! It does take a few minutes and it does require getting out a hand sewing needle, thread, and possibly a thimble. But for some situations, it really is an effective way of temporarily holding layers together until one can machine sew it. And there is no goop or glop to clean up later, either. And hand basting can be removed much faster than a machine stitched seam that is wrong.

Berninausa are excellent, but a little pricey. Buy a "previously loved" Bernina to get the most bang for your buck. You'll never regret buying quality!

WOW what a coincidence, I have this last month treated myself to a £1100 elna 720 and this evening, still learning about it I broke a needle and had a heck of job getting it out, I found 2 broken bits of but not the larger part. OMG when as is my norm I removed the stitch plate to explore I found that the last piece had dropped into the bobbin holder, not the bobbin but in-between the bobbin and it's holder. Now if I hadn't persevered to find that last bit I could have wrecked the timing which would have destroyed the machine, phew am I pleased that I take so much care of my machine.

I am so picky with sort of things that my machines are in great order and I have passed them onto other people in priistine condition, my advice NEVER EVER sew over pins and always make sure you have found ALL the pieces of a brokent needle.

One of the best tools I have is a long tweezer, not the eyebrow type something similar to these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Nonmagne...item2a143442e1 Most of the modern machines you can't use anything magnetic on them and these really do the job without hassle or danger to the machine, just hide them from the men folk as they have so many uses for them :)

Get yourself a good old Singer 15 or a Japanese made 15 clone. And it's always a good idea to remove the pins, although I was taught to sew over them in the 60's when learning to sew garments. Still way too easy to break something (like yourself).

i bought the viking 140c--which is essentially a rebadged saphire 855. cost me 1200-. the 835 is just under 1000-. so far, VERY pleased with the 140c. and i admit to sewing over a pin or twelve <g>

I have a Kenmore bought new in 80's. mechanical and all metal and I always sewed clothes and over pins, no problem. I know the newer computerized machines while they sew good and have lots of stitches are not as tough as the older ones, like Grama's 201-3. Look for a good mechanical, like 201 which sews leather and drapery material really easy, even if it only sews straight forward and backward, how it sews.

wow you all spend a lot on this machine. I got a Brother last month or may be the month before. I runs very good just done a quilt I could not handle very will it was big . But the Brother had no trouble with it at all. It was a bout $200 I love it good luck on finding the machine you wont it took me over a month to pick one out.

it is NEVER a good idea to run over pins - my mom taught me how to sew when I was about 7 years old and instilled that rule into me very well. I still have her beautiful old Featherweight that I learned on, and I'd never run it over a pin. The same goes for my newer machines...please try to break that habit - you're only asking for trouble otherwise.

This is exactly why I keep my old Elna, bought new in 1964 and cost what was, in those days, a fortune. I hauled it out two years ago to sew up a pillow cover for my grandaughter that was heavy brocade and the center top was a latch-hook picture on that heavy weave. I always used pins and flew over them after buying this machine. Now, with a computerized machine, I had to re-train very seriously. I still use pins on occasion, but make sure to sew slowly and pull them before I get to them.

I used to not worry about sewing over pins until I hit one dead on. The pin was sliced in half, but the shaft that holds the needle & goes up & down bent. Repair cost was as much as a new machine! I learned to slow down a bit & pull those pins out before I get to the, I have Janomes & they stop on a dime, so you can stop even when speeding!

Even with my best intentions sometimes a pin will get missed. Luckily the worst I've suffered is a broken needle but I would NEVER intentionally run over pins, computerized machine or not.

Have you tried using those tiny applique pins. Just a thought - I love them!:) They've saved me a few times.

Love my janome!

I feel like I've paid too much for my Janome 6600 to take a chance on breaking it over a pin. I always take them out.

That's true for any machine, mechanical or computer ... it's just the computer models cost more because the technicians have to know more.

Try pinning in the seam allowance rather than across the seam ... in other words the head of the pin would be facing you and the point facing the machine's needle instead of left to right.