Patg

I totally agree with Ladyinpurple135, I have several Singers from the 50's and 60's, 221, 301, 201 and 500. They all sew like a dream and I didn't pay more than $40 for any (but the 221). They will last another 60 years, hands down. I do sew alot on my Bernina 1090 and have a Bernina 830 Record, both considered vintage too. If I was ever given a new machine, I would sell it, lol! For one thing that humming noise that the computers make on the new machines drives me crazy. And the problem with buying one of the new cheap machines is that they are too light, they can bounce around.

olivia65

I need also a sewing machine. My friend of sub continent told me that I give some electric machine because he has electrical company related to electricity wapda bills. Now I want to export machine for him.

ladyinpurple135

PatG - your collection sounds a lot like mine, but I do have a few newer machines. But I’m very careful of what I purchase. And I totally agree with those $99 machines - they bounce all over the place. Heavy is good!

Sandy in Mooresville, NC

GregB

I started out with a machine that could make quilts at home , and at classes. It's at about 20lbs. I also want some switches for quilting built in . Also a thread the needle function. What was nice is the dealer gave me lifetime of classes to learn the machine and basic sewing. I had never had done any sewing before. I wanted make a quilt for my daughter who was taking chemo. People on chemo get so cold while getting the stuff administered to them. It has worked out so different than I ever would have thought. It's been seven years and I still making quilts for people with medical problems. I do all the piecing and quilting , ( can't afford the price of a long arm). So pick a machine for your needs now, and maybe what you could do some day in the future.

Quiltlady330

I like to advise ladies to buy what fits your pocketbook now, but don't think you have to buy the biggest and fanciest one with all the bells and whistles. I bought 2 inexpensive machines for my granddaughters for Christmas. One of the girls is taking to sewing like a duck to water but the other is learning but won't use it as a hobby (I can tell) but as a necessity to repair things...which is okay, too. I agree with some of the others who said they may not stick with it or even enjoy it at all. Why invest a lot of money when you aren't sure yet. I have all mechanical machines from Featherweights to Janomes and love both brands for the reasons already listed. I rarely have a problem that my husband or I can't fix.

sewbizgirl

If you can wait for a quilt show, it will be full of machine vendors just dying to get you to try out their machines. It's a good place to test drive a lot of machines and see what you like and don't like.

You can piece quilts on any machine. For quilting, you need something strong enough to sew through all layers. My personal suggestion is a vintage metal machine with a "potted" (internal) motor. They are gear driven rather than belt driven, which makes for a stronger sewing machine. They are also in plentiful supply, and for not much money.