Sewing machine question

[untonuggan]

Question.

My sewing machine is ancient and needs maintenance and I know this.

My father is embarking on an Ambitious Sewing Project, which fortunately my sister is mentoring him on because she has way more sewing experience than I do. (It involves making backpacking supplies himself. Just don't ask and roll with this one because he is doing it no matter what anyone says.)

He is looking for a sewing machine to do the project, but will probably not be doing much sewing after that. So, used would be good, or inexpensive but not one that is a pain in the ass to use.

Things the machine needs to do:

• Sew a straight stitch (both forwards and in reverse)
• Sew a zigzag stitch
• Sew thin slippery nylon fabric without flipping out and puckering, etc.

Also he is having a bit of a, "What brand? Where do I buy this machine?" Kind of moment. Being that I am the kind of person who is on a budget, I mentioned Costco having sales on sewing machines around the holidays. He was not sure if their machines would be of the best quality/be able to meet his needs.

Help? I am not sure there is One Right Answer, but any advice on brands/prices/locations to buy machines would be greatly appreciated.

Comments

[staranise]

There are miniature basic machines that do what he's asking and are in the $20-$60 range, but I have no experience with them. I'm more used to adult beginners starting out on $60-$100 machines. His needs are pretty basic--he's not asking it to sew through multiple layers of denim, or embroider, or do complicated freehand patterns. Reputable brands include Singer, Brother, Janome, and Husqvarna.

Amusingly, when I went to Costco's website, all their sewing machines were actually super nice and a little expensive. So there you go. :P

The real trick that I've found is the maintenance, and for that there is no beating Ye Olde Small Local Sewing Machine Dealer/Repair Shop. Their machines are often moderately priced too, but I've found with a lot of them that even if you bring in a machine you didn't get from them, they're happy to help.

Because what makes or breaks the enterprise is how well your machine settings, thread, and needle match up with what you want to do. Often I just go in, tell them what model I have and what I want to do, and they tell me what kind of thread and needles to use; if I'm doing something that could use a special doodad, they'll bring out the part and give me a demo before selling it to me. Around half the time my visits to the repair shop don't end up costing me anything, like when I bring in a swatch of fabric with clotted thread sewn through it or say "my thread keeps snapping" and they tell me a fix that doesn't require a new part, like upping my tension dial or putting in a new needle.

However, if he can, some local stores hold beginner classes for basic machine types, so everyone physically brings in their sewing machines once a week and they sit around sewing projects and learning about their machines, and that's how you learn more about making it work than you ever could futzing around on your own.

[untonuggan]

thank you! very helpful. :D

[jamethiel]

The most difficult thing of what he's asking is the slippery fabric. He's going to need to pin and he may need to fiddle with the tension a bit.

I personally have a janome and I love it, but increasingly what I've found is that the more electronics are in machines, the more they go wrong.

[untonuggan]

yes I also agree that the slippery fabric is going to be a pain. :)

[lilacsigil]

There's basically three kinds: tiny plastic rubbish ones, regular non-programmable ones, and ones with a computer on board that allows for fancy embroidery etc. You need the second kind.

Stay away from the <$100 models (unless it's a massive discount!) because they don't tend to handle anything well and definitely won't cope with nylon. You can buy refurbished models much, much cheaper than new ones, if that helps. I have a Pfaff, which is good, and I used to have a Singer. Janome and Husqvarna are also good. Sewing nylon is tricky but it's more up to the person adjusting the machine than the machine itself.

[untonuggan]

thank you! definitely helpful; i think this is how I will frame it to him.

[teapot_rabbit]

Most sewing machine stores sell refurbished machines that people have traded in, which could be a way for your father to get a higher quality machine for less money. I've also found that most sewing machine store employees are pretty helpful if you go to them with specific questions. Might be worth it to check out any sewing machine stores in your area - tell them exactly what you want, and they might be able to help.

Good luck to your dad! Is he sewing ultralight backpacking gear? My father and I go backpacking together, but with the exception of one cuben fiber rain cover for a pack (which technically we taped, not sewed) I've mostly decided to let the experts do the technical sewing. My time is better spent quilting. :P