Suggestions for a good machine for daughter
 

A couple of years ago I picked up 2 Singer H72 computerized machines from Tues. Morning for under $300 each--a travel machine for me and and upgrade to her $90 Walmart Brother for her. On both the bobbin is SO touchy--winding a bobbin has to be done just right to get a nice tight, full bobbin. and loading in the bobbin case is trickey--if you don't get the thread laid in just right it lacks any tension at all.

I can deal with this as I work on my long arm and not afraid to "mess" with a machine. But my DD (30's) sews infrequently and has gotten so she's convinced she can't get the "hang" of this machine. She does have her cheap Brother but I think she would do more sewing if she had a decent machine that didn't have to be handled with kid gloves. Something with a few built-in decorative stitches, a button holer and I know she really likes the stitch up/down feature but says she could do without it. I'm thinking an older, all metal but not super heavy Bernina. Any other ideas? I'm thinking either something I could pick up at an estate sale or trade in this dang Singer.

I'd recommend a Janome or Brother in the under $300 range if you can swing it. They are user friendly, reliable, sturdy, with a lot of fancy stitches for fun.

I love my Bernina 350. Very reliable & has all the features you mentioned. If you don't care about the decorative stitches, either a 210 or 215 would also be great options.

my dh got me the Brother Quilter Confidence at Ja's on sale for under $200. it runs great, has a lot of stitches and of course buttonholes. Never had a problem with it. Keep an eye out for it on sale. I love it!

Does she sew infrequently because of the singer not being a reliable machine. My walmart brother SQ-9050 is a great entry level machine with a lot of good features, I haven't had any problems with it and it is 5 years old ,never been serviced and runs like new. I have sewn quilts, bags,dresses, fleece on ribbon with no issues. I has been replaced by the SQ-9185 which also gets good reviews and will run you about 200 which I feel is good for an occasional sewer. I even sewed all the thick seams on my bionic gear bag without even a hiccup. I feel it has been a little workhorse for what it cost I have really been impressed and I own a dreamweaver one of the high end brothers but still sew on my little SQ-9050 quite frequently as it is a good little machine.

I totally understand your daughter's frustration. When I was growing up I had my mother's 15-91 in the cabinet and it always sewed perfectly. Then as a wedding present in 1973 I was given a Singer portable, not a cheap one, but it was when they started using those horrid nylon gears and that thing was a waste of time. I quit sewing because each time was more frustrating than the time before and that machine was in the shop way too often.

My sister got the Brother machine at Costco - it came with a small table (think that is what it is called) so it has a larger flat space, it came with a few quilter's presser feet, a carrying case and was extremely reasonably price. She bought hers over 10 years ago and is still using it.

I have a Bernina 1020 made of metal and it is heavy compared to a Singer featherweight. Bernina seem to hold their value but you can always check eBay for sale or how much they are sold for.

I have a Brother I that I bought on sale for less than $100 at Walmart more than 5 years ago. It has something like 85 decorative stitches and came with a variety of attachments, auto needle threader, the ability to use the double needle, capability to raise and lower the feed dogs and several more features. It has never missed a beat and is a real little work horse. I would part with my vintage featherweight before I would part with my little Brother.

Another vote for the Brother SQ 9050. Easy to figure out. Very forgiving and I haven't had any trouble with mine. When my husband bought it for me I had never sewn and had it up and going very quickly!! Has decorative stitches and very small monogram letters.