CHOOSING THE SEWING MACHINE

Choose the Right Machine for You

Often the biggest problem in choosing a sewing machine is that there are too many options… so what should you do? Choose the sewing machine that’s right for you. I won’t recommend any specific brand or model, but I’ll help you think about what you really need to choose the most suitable one for you, in my opinion ;)!
Many of you have asked me for advice on buying a sewing machine. The truth is that there isn’t a single answer, but there is a unique answer based on what you specifically intend to create.

A Tip for Everyone

My first advice is to ask yourself some questions:

1. What do you expect from your sewing machine, or better yet, what do you intend to make?
2. Do you want to start doing patchwork and work with very light fabrics?
3. Do you want to focus on repairs for yourself and your family?
4. Do you want to sew mainly t-shirts, sweatshirts, and stretchy fabrics?
5. Do you love jeans and would like to transform some of them?
6. Would you like to start making some clothes for yourself?
7. Would you like to modify something you already own but no longer wear?
8. Do you prefer light or heavy fabrics?
9. Do you love embroidery and “fancy stitches”?

Your Answers Will Guide your Choice

To choose the most suitable machine for you, let your answers guide you:

1. If you really intend to focus only on creative sewing and patchwork, a relatively inexpensive and rather light machine might work for you. I’m quite allergic to supermarket machines that cost 70/80 €, as they are really too unstable and the vibrations of the various mechanisms can’t guarantee good long-term operation. However, if you’ve decided to focus solely on light fabrics, I’d say a similarly light and very basic machine (especially in price) can work well.
2. If you decide to do repairs of all kinds, and jeans always fall into this category, then you absolutely need to go up in quality. You need a stable machine with good weight, allowing the machine itself to withstand vibrations and fabric thickness. In this case, I wouldn’t go below 200/300 €, and from that price up, you start to have something more serious in your hands. What you should expect when staying below this range is a machine that can’t always do what you want. Moreover, the hitches you’ll encounter along the way might make you completely lose enthusiasm.
3. If your passion is stretchy fabrics, your choice must be designed for jersey or microfiber materials!! Some machines are particularly suitable for these types of materials. Also remember that there are appropriate needles for these types of fabrics and not, as often believed, stretchy threads.
4. If you intend to transform some jeans into bags, skirts, and whatnot, I refer you back to point 2.
5. If you intend to make some clothes for yourself, it always depends on the fabric you plan to use, but you certainly won’t go wrong with a medium/high-range sewing machine.
6. If you love embroidery and “fancy stitches”, direct your choice to machines that have many decorative stitches and maybe even an embroidery unit, realistically considering if you’ll use these features (they’re often very appealing, but then go unused).

Basic Tips

Small things to always remember:

1. Be wary of machines that are too cheap: often it’s money wasted…. maybe it’s much better to invest it in a good pizza with friends :).
2. The machine must have significant specific weight if you want it to be able to sew heavy fabrics (remember grandma’s sewing machine, that iron one that weighs a “ton”? Often there’s nothing better… so if you inherited that one… yupppieeeeee!!!).
3. Don’t be convinced by the fact that the machine does 1,000 stitches… often they raise the price but in reality, you’ll never use all those “fancy stitches”!
4. Remember that you’ll mainly use 3/4 stitches on your sewing machine. The straight stitch, zigzag stitch (in various sizes), darning stitch, and stretch stitch.
5. The most famous brands are often the most reliable… be wary of those you’ve never heard of before, also because if you need spare parts later… bye-byeeee!!!!
6. Buy the machine from someone who also provides good service, whether you want it or not, you’ll need it sooner or later.

Anita’s Machines

Here are the machines I use, which I really like:

• BERNINA: Swiss machines, precise and reliable. They have a very solid history behind them, are simple, with few frills, but they sew like a tractor ;)). They cost quite a bit, but they’re worth every penny. A Bernina is the sewing machine I was given to shoot my online course “The secrets of the sewing machine”: a real gem.
• JANOME and BROTHER: exceptional value for money and very good with stretchy fabrics.
• JUKI: for industrial machines, super faithful and precise workhorses.

I really hope this has been helpful.
See you soon,

Anita.