My top 10 tips for buying a sewing machine

You can find more information on our web, so please take a look.

My first sewing machine was given to me by my Mum. I say given, but initially I think it was a case of &#;borrowing it to try, and see how you get on&#;&#;. I then got on quite well and it became mine!! It&#;s a Singer machine and I still get it out now and again to sew with. There&#;s something about old machines that just feel lovely to sew on! My parents then bought me my first machine for a birthday present probably about 5 years ago. I do remember feeling a little overwhelmed at the choice available and wanting to make the &#;right&#; decision due to the costs involved and knowing that it needed to last quite a long time. I also have to confess to being swayed by the machine that had the heart embroidery stitch on it &#; I mean who could resist that??!!! Last year I decided to upgrade my sewing machine and also fell in love with a vintage Singer sewing machine I found in a charity shop, so my collection of sewing machines is ever growing!!

I get asked quite a lot about what to look for when choosing and buying a machine and having been through the process twice now I know how difficult it can be to know where to start. I therefore thought I would compile my top 10 tips for buying a sewing machine so fasten your seatbelt, here we go&#;!

1. Try before you buy

If you are thinking about learning to sew or if you fancy dipping your toe in the water, I would recommend not jumping in and buying a machine straight away. Is there one that you could borrow to try? Why not take a sewing machine class to try a machine out see if you enjoy it? Once you are sure that sewing is something that you would like to do then that is the time to think about buying a machine. 

No matter how many features you want from a machine, my biggest piece of advice is to do your research (if you&#;re reading this blog post you&#;re well on your way!!) and try before you buy. Buying a sewing machine is an investment and you want to make sure you are buying the right one for you. For my most recent sewing machine upgrade I narrowed my selection down to 2 machines. It was invaluable to be able to try out both machines and compare them side by side. You may be surprised by which one you prefer. It&#;s a bit like driving a car &#; each model has a different feel to it that you can&#;t tell by just looking at it. 

Most sewing machine shops will be happy to arrange a demonstration but you may need to book an appointment in advance to ensure they have the staff available. Some online shops also offer the service of trying a machine out if you visit their warehouse &#; it&#;s always worth asking. 

Link to Glory Tang Machinery

If you have the opportunity to try out a machine, try out a few stitches and have a look at them. Have a go at threading it. Pick the machine up  &#; how heavy is it? If you&#;re going to want to transport your machine around or even carry it around the house, you don&#;t want to be breaking your back in the process! 

2. Buy the best you can afford

It&#;s not all about the price of the machine as more expensive does not always equal better but you don&#;t want to outgrow your machine too soon. Think of what features you need from a machine right now and then think what would be nice to have in the future. You don&#;t want to buy a machine that you outgrow in a year or 2 because you&#;ve found you&#;ve reached the limit of its capabilities. Some starter machines for example can seem a good option in terms of price but some of them can only cope with lightweight fabrics and you can&#;t change the presser feet so even inserting a zip will be very difficult. 

If you can&#;t afford a brand new machine why not look at second hand models. There are usually machines being sold on auction sites such as eBay , on local Facebook selling pages and in charity shops. Try and look for one that you know is in good working order and that has a manual. Lots of manuals are available online now so that may be an option if it doesn&#;t have one.

3. Automatic needle threader

When I demonstrate the automatic needle threader on the machines in my workshops, there are literally gasps of wonder from people as they witness the marvel that is the automatic needle threader!! Many people struggle to thread the sewing machine needle due to eyesight issues or the fine dexterity needed. Bring on the automatic needle threader! It can be a bit tricky to figure out at first and it&#;s not for everyone, but once you get the knack it only takes a few seconds to thread the needle. An absolute must in my book! If you don&#;t have one on your machine then why not contact your sewing machine supplier and see if one can be fitted retrospectively.

Hi I agree with Rhonda K. I have a niece with a multi needle machine and her let down was the amount of time it takes to set up ,she sells product and has gone back to using 2 single needle machines .Once the multi needle is set up it really fast, but most time she can get small jobs done faster in the single needle machine.I personally have thought of purchasing 15 needle but a lot of my projects have 40-50 colors and I would reprogramming color changes 4 times project and re threading as well ,I'll stick to a single needle .The service on these machines can be very expensive if you can't get it to a dealer close by, most call out fee's are around $175 these days plus what ever has to be repaired. A 10 needle machine would be very heavy, I wouldn't like to be lugging it around. Brands to look are Babylock- Brother- Lucky, all are proven good runners

Are you interested in learning more about Multi-Needle Quilting Machine? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!