When purchasing a sewing machine.....

[QuilterMom]

..... what do you ladies suggest?

Which brands have you loved and which have you hated?

What specific features do I need to look for on a machine? (Please don't say I just need the basics - I've been told that before and I don't know what the basics are - I need someone to tell me! )

[mylittle4]

Look for a one step button hole maker. I wish I had one I can't make a button hole to save my life.

[SewCrafty]

My sewing machine is 25 years old. It has zig zag, stretch stitches (to use when sewing knit fabrics) and the buttonholer is a 4 step one (very easy once you make a couple) and a few decorative stitches. Most of the parts on my machine are metal except the little compartment to hold tools. You will definately want one with a "free arm", that is so you can set in sleeves, hem pants etc.. much easier.

The way I have kept mine for so long is keeping it cleaned and oiled. I clean it out every time a bobbin runs out or more often if the fabric I'm sewing has a high lint content and oil it about every 25-30 hours of usage.

I know Walmart carries a Brother machine for $99, sometimes it goes on sale for $79-$89. I bought one for my sister a couple of years ago and it works great. It has all the above features even though she only uses it for crafts.

HTH, if not ask away!

[dozymom]

I have a Pfaff, which is now 20 yrs old, and it's like my right arm.

Make the dealer show you how to do a button hole, thread the machine, change thread, and do zig zag and straight stitches.

If ANY of those is complicated keep looking elsewhere. Those you need to use ALL the time, and the uncomplicated buttonhole is most important. After that comes a good range of stretch (zig zag) stitches including some mending and reinforcing stitches.

Adjusting tension should be easy, the machine should keep it's tension without further tweaking, and it shouldn't eat light fabric into the plate NOR should it choke on heavy denims.

(take some scraps of light chiffon and heavy denim in with you, the dealer can make ANY machine look fine with a nice medium weight firmly woven fabric!!!!) AND DO THOSE TEST BUITTON HOLES YOURSELF-- so what if he knows his machine, it's you thats gotta use it!

I have had a lot of trouble with Elna in the past, my mother's old one and my mil's new one. They can be fussy and in my experiance they don't hold their tension well and eat light fabric. Bernina's motors tend to burn out early. (old consumer guide info)

Check the consumer guides for the newer more reliable brands.

I LOVE MY PFAFF though and highly rec. it.

[dozymom]

Oh and I ditto Sew Crafty, like her I oil mine regularly, keep it de linted, and it's had 2 tune ups in it's life.

Ditto about the free arm, you NEED it for cuffs on sleeves and mending elastic on underwear, making lingerie, hemming pants and a MILLION other reasons.

Remember to try the buttonholes on the chiffon, doubled up (lol that will tell you!!!! After that the dealer won't try to sell you a pig in a poke!)

Try the denim about 6 layers thick (mending or refitting blue jeans you NEED to know if it can go thru that at the very least, and I like to take it from 2 layers to 8 and see how it handles)

[homesteadmamma]

I have a Husqvarna and if I was to recommend a sewing machine for anyone, it would either be that or a Pfaff.

The neat think about he Pfaff is that you don't need a walking (quilting) foot.

You should have a few different stitches but you don't need as many as I have. I agree it should have a proper buttonhole maker, one that isn't complicated.

Also get a consumer's report and see what they say about the differnet sewing machines, which are the best, which have good warranties. You also need to know whether you can get your sewing machine you pick fixed where you live or does it have to be sent away.

Quiltermom - I would suggest you go to quilting stores as most of them sell sewing machines. Ask to see them, to even try them out. If they want to sell a machine, they'll let you try it. If they won't, I wouldn't buy one - period!! There are also stores that sell only sewing machines. See if you can find one specifically that do this.

One other tip: When purchasing a machine, you pay for what you get. If you can purchase a machine in the higher end price, it will be well worth it. It will prove itself over and over again. A cheap machine usually is exactly that, cheap. I know a number of people who have purchased a cheap machine and have had nothing but trouble and ended up by selling them at yard sales for pratically nothing. They then went to a higher price machine.