Help for a Newbie
 

I'm not sure that I am posting this in the right place. I'm new here.

I'm new to quilting and I have an older, inexpensive model Singer sewing machine, that I just don't think is cutting it. I have major problems getting accurate seam allowances because of pulling. Plus my foot pedal has no finesse. It's either all or nothing. Could anyone recommend a good beginner sewing machine I can use for accurate piecing, ditch quilting, and possibly some free motion quilting in the future? I really appreciate it!

First question...How old is your machine ....depending on their age, they are worth their weight in gold.
Have you had it serviced, your pedal could just need servicing or possible replacement. I know the 'new' machine look so nice and shiny and new....but the lower end ones (IMHO) are made to be disposable. Find a Sewing Machine service center, take your machine in ask questions, ask questions, ask questions....How much for a simple service, repair of pedal or replacement ( I just replaced mine on my Brother for $50) but I am guessing it just needs to be taken apart and cleaned. You can go on the Singer website and age date your machine, so you have some accurate
information in your head.

You will get as many opinions as there are people on this board.

The firs thing is to establish your budget. Do you want new or would you be okay with used? etc. etc. etc.

If you search this board for "new machines" or "beginner machines" you will see the many, many discussions on this topic.

Personally, I would buy a new machine. The old one can be fixed up as a backup.

When shopping for a machine, the very first thing you need to do is decide on a price range. If you are limited to $300 or less, then I would check out machine dealerships near you. Often a good used machine will give you more bang for your buck in terms of quality of machine. Deciding on a price range *first* will narrow down the choices to a manageable size.

In my opinion, you ***really*** want a needle-down option and at least a standard harp size (area underneath the arm where you need to squish a quilt for machine quilting). Judging by your post, you also want either a sensitive foot controller or a speed control on the machine. Another ***must*** on my list is the ability to adjust stitch length and stitch width yourself; do not get a machine with only pre-set stitches, as it is too limiting. Stick to brands such as Janome, Pfaff, Bernina, Babylock, Brother. (I personally would skip Elna, Bernette, Singer.) An advantage of going to a dealership is that you can sit down with your own fabrics and try out the machines before purchasing. (Do not use only the dealership's fabrics; they are different than quilting fabrics and do not always show up tension problems.) Be sure you understand the dealership's return policy before buying. I don't know about used machines, but usually dealerships will *not* take a return on a new machine unless you upgrade.

If you can't find something you like used at a dealership, then many people are happy with basic machines sold at Walmart. Just be aware that sometimes the harp size is small, and typically these machines do not have quite as strong a motor for machine quilting. Also be sure to understand the return policy if you try the machine and are not satisfied.

I have a Model 384.13012000 Singer a Sears exclusive model. I don't know how old it is. I did a google search and didn't find much information. The Singer website isn't much help, because technically it's a Sears-Roebuck. I do know that I have had it for about 10 years. I bought off of ebay for around $80 then. It really wasn't used for much until recently. I have not had it serviced yet. The closest service center is 40 miles away and they told me it was a minimum of $100 to look at it. Since I didn't know how much it would eventually cost I didn't think the machine was worth that much.

I would be fine with a used machine. My budget would be about $400, including all the feet, seam guide, etc. that I would need for quilting. The only dealerships near me are Singer, Janome and Bernina. I'm pretty sure a new Bernina is out of my price range at this moment. I have not read good things about new Singers. I don't really know much about Janomes except that they all have drop-in bobbins, and I think I read that isn't a good thing. Of course, that's why I'm asking you guys advice. Thanks for any help you can give me.

OK...so let us rethink this....I agree with that added information it is not worth getting serviced, for the price you paid and the cost of service (outrageous !) you would be behind.....

I agree a new Singer would not be the best of choices, not like the oldies but goodies.

There is Phaff (?) Janome, Bernina, Brother and Viking, and I could no more afford to buy a new machine either. But these dealerships should have fully serviced good working trade-ins for sale....I agree with your thought of a drop in bobbin. I have one machine of each and when I am quilting and my bobbin runs out on my Bernina, all I have to do is reach under everything and change it. On the Brother with the drop in you have to take every thing off the surface to replace the bobbin, if you are just doing general sewing or piecing not a big issue. I do like the option of needle down in both my machines, that really helps when pivoting a corner or just straightening out your fabric. I personally don't think you 'need' any type of stitch regulator, just another thing to go wrong. Something that are 'nice to have' but not necessary is a needle threader and a thread cutter, especially if you do a lot of sewing, that darn needle eye gets smaller as the day gets longer.....and yes you do need feet, a general foot, 1/4", and a free motion foot....after that they are all special like for ruffles, piping, pintucks, picot edges, zippers etc.

I hope this helps a little:rolleyes:

The Bernina dealer does not have any used in my price range. What are your thoughts on buying a used one from Ebay?

They do have a new machine that is under $400... a Bernette 15. Does anyone know anything about it?

I just got a Janome hd 1000. It does not have a drop in bobbin and the snap on feet from my Singer fit, even the walking foot. I really like it, it was $299 on Amazon. It's a workhorse and the body is metal. I'm a newbie too...less than a year quilting and it really meets my needs.

I agree with Deborahlees. Do look at used machines at your local dealers. Also let it be known you are looking when you go to your quilting groups/classes.

I found my Featherweight in an estate sale, so I encourage you look at garage/estate sales, taking some thread and material with you to check out the machines.

ali

I am watching a few Singer model 15, Singer featherweight, and it's bigger sister 301 on line (eBay). I will not buy them all but they are all very good machines and all are currently waaaay below your budget. I had singers my whole life(I still have all of them) and they never let me down. The new ones are junk. They are cheap, plastic and disposable. You can not go wrong with oldie but goodie. One day when you budget is higher you can always get another machine, the modern type. Market for old Singers will always be there if you decide to sell it. This time though, I would buy a real Singer. The old ones that I have came with many attachments and with my luck they are interchangeable. Happy hunting!

That sounds very reasonable. I will check that one out. Thanks!

I would not recommend buying a used sewing machine on ebay, unless the seller lived down the street, backed the machine with a return policy.....

My machine has a drop in bobbin, and I don't mind it at all. In fact, I like loading it better than my older machine, as there is only one way the bobbin will fit. I was always getting that bobbin in backwards before! Anyway, just letting you know that not all of us hate a drop in bobbin. :)

Dina

I would recommend against a Bernette. I'd buy a Walmart machine before I'd buy a Bernette (and I *love* my aging Bernina 1230!).

These are brothers only higher end offered online in your price range, and it gets awesome ratings, I have had only brother/babylock for the past 20 years, Had 3 that were cheaper than this and they served me well, this one has less plastic and is more durable
http://www.amazon.com/Brother-Limite...sewing+machine

if not this one I would look at juki's

Thank You! I will check it out!

Well, I looked into the Brother PC-420 PRW and the Janome HD1000. I like both but the Brother is at the very top of my budget and I would want a couple of extra accessories to add to it. I really like the Janome, but it does not have an option to change the needle plate to a straight stitch plate. I have read that when straight sewing if you are using a zigzag plate that the wide opening can draw fabric down into this. I was wondering if anyone has any opinions on this.

I know that the Brother is at the top of your budget, first of all what additonal accessories do you feel that you need ???

In all my years of sewing I do not think I have ever changed out my needle plate !!!

I don't think that the Brother comes with a 1/4" foot or a seam guide. I know a lot of people may not need the seam guide, but I think being a beginner I'll need the extra help. :)

OK...you can pick up a 1/4" foot if you feel you need it at Walmart for less than $10, just had one in my hand the other day. You really don't need a seam guide it gets more in the way than helps, the best suggestion I have heard for a good seam guide has been here on the board, measure from your needle over 1/4" and stitch down either a 1/2" stack of the tiny post-its or lay down a strip of command tape. soooooooooooooo much better

I make my own seam guides from moleskin. Even better is the Dritz Adhesive Guide Refills (don't use their red ruler as it will make the seam too large). I'm also going to try the 3M Command large mounting strips. All of these provide a physical guide against which you can butt your seams. Makes my sewing much faster and more accurate than if I just eyeballed using a 1/4" foot.

I can't be sure from the Amazon descriptions, but I think the Janome may not have adjustable stitch length and stitch width capability. It only mentions built-in stitches. In my opinion, you *really* want to have variable stitch length and stitch width alter on for machine applique options (and it also creates more variations in decorative stitch options, as you can alter the look of a single decorative stitch by varying stitch length and width).

My Bernina has the straight stitch plate, but I ***rarely*** use it. Broke too many needles with it from mindlessly changing to a zigzag stitch without remembering to change the plate. Not all machines draw fabric into the zigzag hole, plus it's fairly simple to avoid this by using leaders and enders (small pieces of scrap fabric used to start and end stitching lines, sometimes used to create scrappy quilts too).

Personally, I would opt for the Brother. You can add in accessories slowly over time, as you need them. Generic feet are inexpensive and usually do a good job. The one exception might be a walking foot, as sometimes these work better if you buy the walking foot made expressly for your machine. But that's not something you need right away.

The Janome HD1000 has dials that allows you to change the stitch length and width.

I'm leaning towards the Brother. It has a lot of features. I just need to be sure I have the extra money AND a good reason to tell the DH. :)

I currently do sew-ins on new machines coming into our shop, and I did a Bernette 12 the other day. It is a doll of a machine. I was impressed with the quality for the $. I'm not sure I've seen a 15, but it is probably like a 12 with a few more stitches. I think I'd invest money into servicing your current machine by a Singer expert. Then save up for a Bernina. It really is great to have a back-up machine.

I have a Mennonite store a half hour away. They do ALL kinds of sewing machines. He sells Bernina, but repairs anything, including treadle machines, and is very reasonable. (About $35 to service my Bernina) Ask around for Mennonite or Amish communities. If they are there, they will have their own store.

I'd say keep looking for a used machine. You can't beat the Singer 401A or a 301. They are all metal, sew like crazy, and the 401 A has many bells and whistles and loads of pretty stitches. It is easy to set and will give you good service. I did have to replace my foot pedal as I wore the original out. It works better than my Viking computerized machine.

Love the Command tape idea. Tried it last week and it is the best thing so far to me!!!

I bought a small Bernette for travel and am sorry I did. They are not made by Bernina and are cheap piece of plastic. I agree with everything Prism said. I am most familiar with Janome because that's the only local dealer we have. I know several friends who bought the Janome Gem basically for a travel/workshop , machine, but I'm not sure it has the features you're looking for. The Janome 3160 is a great machine for new quilters. I started out with the Heart Truth machine and have traded up each year until now I have the 6600 and love it!

If you are limited in budget, I would definitely ask the dealer if they have a nice machine that has been traded in. I have many quilting friends who "have" to have the latest model and will trade almost every other year if not every year to get the latest thing out there.

Good Luck and welcome to Quilting!

I think if you can find a Bernina 830 record, which is a mechanical rather than computerized machine, on Ebay it would be in your price range. They have all the needed features and are very sturdy, they will sew for decades with good results. I know this as I have been sewing on one since 1974. It still runs a as if it was new. Repairs over the time I have had it, well for the first twenty years I sewed so much on it I wore the bushings down to a nub and I have had to replace the foot pedal. I don't sew on it as much now as it is my backup to my Bernina 440 so it is in semi retirement. I still use it when I am teaching my friends daughter to sew. So look on Ebay and I think you will do better than with a low end box store machine. One of the advantages of a mechanical is you do not need to go to a Bernina dealer to have it serviced. Any sewing machine repair place will do it on a non computerized machine.

Do you have a manual that came with the machine. Usually they have a replacement parts listed. Maybe buying a foot pedal and a walking foot (a walking foot keeps the fabric edges even). I have had a Kenmore machine forever. The only thing I have done is a cleaning ($69.00) and bought a walking foot. The Kenmore machines are sold by Sears. Also Overstock.com has some pretty inexpensive machines that you may want to look at.

Have 2 old machines (one a treadle) and wanted a new machine. Bought a Brother from WalMart - has needle up/down, speed control - good selection of fancy stitches and needle positions. Have completed a dozen quilts on it with no problems. Get it serviced every 18 mo or so and am happy with purchase. Also came with CD instructions as well as manual. Ck them out.

Try this link(funny but informative):- www.evidently.org/2007/02too-much-information/

I got a "page not found" with that link.

I just bought my granddaughter a Brother macine (10 st, has darning/quilting foot) for 63.00 & free shipping. She loves it! Easy to use (Emmali is 14, but has learning disorders)...I was worried about the bobbin area, as it has to be kept clean...but her mom says she will check and clean it for Em. I have several machines, well, ok six or seven, if you don't count the serger, longarm or 12 needle embroidery machine, lol. I like the Brother SE270D (it's a little embroidery/sewing machine I got at walmart ...which is were I ordered Em's machine). I use the Brother mainly for piecing now...love the thread cutter, what a time saver. I have a Singer 2662 and got it in 2006...it's got a nice zigzag stitch that will look like a satin stitch. I also have a Futura CE150 (sewing/embroidery) that is used mostly for sewing, and three old Singers...one is a treddle. It was cheaper for me to buy Em a new machine and have it sent to her, than it would have cost to send her one of mine.
If your singer is pulling (I'm guessing it's puckering the fabric...or is it that you have to pull the fabric through? Either way...get it cleaned, or clean it yourself. The CE150 is about 500.00 right now...so probably more than you want to pay..I'd look at the Brother machines for under 300.00... they will cost more if you buy from a dealer. Walmart has some good machines for around that price, and some for a lot less.
Marge

Please don't buy a cheapie from WM or anywhere else. Stick with a vintage all metal machine or go with the Janome. The footplate shouldn't be a problem. I've had Janomes for the last 20 years and have never changed a footplate out. I've got an old Kenmore, an old Morse, a few Singer treadles, a 1970s Singer, a Janome 10001 and a Janome 9000. I bought a little Brother machine @ WM to carry to classes. It had the needle up/down and the automatic thread cutter. A good bargain I thought, until I tried to sew on it. The harp area was so small, I would have lucky to fit a quilted placemat under it! I think you will be VERY happy with the Janome or a vintage machine. JMHO!

Maybe you could sew some other items to help pay for your Machine... Pillow Cases, Diaper bags, Messenger Bags, Tote Bags, Gift bags...most of those I mentioned are straight seams and zig zag raw edges. I got some drapery/upholstery samples at a local Thrift shop and these made some great little bags about 10 to 12 inches square or Rectangle with Drawstrings in top casing. Sold them at a Craft/ Rummage sale at Church for $2.00 each. Also made some larger bags to put personal items in for local Woman's Shelter ( comb, toothbrush and paste, deodorant and small bar of soap). You could offer to do mending for ladies and gents that go to local Senior Center (low cost), many can't see good enough or don't have sewing machines... Hemming dresses, slacks, etc...or a nursing home might have need for some one to do mending and get paid for it.... its a thought..... I have a Husky 140 by Viking, that I have had for some time and it does well for what I need it for.... plus it had no problem sewing the Duck fabric for Corn Hole Bags- 32 the first time.. I used a needle for Denim fabrics... and it worked just fine... I agree with others on this post that you need to sit down at a machine with the fabric you like to use and give them all a Test run... I just bought two sewing machines at a Estate Auction for $3.00 - one is a older Kenmore by Sears and Roebuck and the other is a Domestic #1630 sold by the Standard Sewing Equipment Company from Cleveland, Ohio. The Amish lady got the older Singer that has a outside belt so they can hook it up to a treadle .... and I also have a Singer that hubby got at another Auction that is brand new in the box for $30. The two older machines are metal... and the lady that had them used them all the time.

I had an old Janome that did not have the switch plate option (don't know if you can buy one separately), but it always ate the beginning of a seam- needed to use a scrap to start. My new Janome has an auto change plate, so much nicer than having to change plates all the time. Something to dream of when times get better.