Best Beginner Sewing Machine

When doing my research on a beginner sewing machine, I found two name brands that kept coming up again & again. These were Brother and Singer. There are many brands of great sewing machines, but these two have some excellent choices for a beginner.

There are many factors to consider when you are searching for a beginner sewing machine. Choices are wonderful, but they can be overwhelming. A good place to start your search for a sewing machine is by deciding on your budget. You may not yet know exactly how much a machine will cost, but have an idea of what you want to spend. For example, "I know I want to spend no more than $250."

Then consider what you will use the machine for. Do you just want to do basic mending? Or do you also want to make some clothing & do craft projects? At the very least, you’ll want to do basic straight stitching and zigzag. You’ll also want the machine to be able to reverse in all stitch modes. Check to see how many stitches the machine will do. You probably don’t need hundreds of stitches to choose from but it is fun to have a machine that will do a few fancy stitches. Having a buttonholer is nice too. One of the tasks that I don’t like to do is thread the needle. Many sewing machines now have an auto-thread feature that will thread the needle for you! How cool is that!

I want to make a quick mention of having a free-arm sewing machine. I personally like this feature, as it allows you to convert from a larger, flat sewing surface to a smaller, narrower surface. The free-arm is handy when you want to sew hems, cuffs, etc. It’s not absolutely necessary, but it is nice to have.

Decide where you will usually be doing your sewing. Do you have a tablespace that is dedicated to sewing & craft projects? Or will you be sewing at the kitchen table? If you have a dedicated space, then the size and weight of that machine may not be a big consideration.

However, if you will need to get your machine out each time to use it then put it away, you will need to consider the size and weight of the machine. It’s easy to determine the size and weight – just read the product description for the models you are considering.

There are pros and cons to any choice you have to make and buying a mechanical machine vs. a computerized machine has its share of pros and cons. Many people swear by mechanical machines. Since there is no computer program in the machine, there is one less thing to go wrong.

Price used to be a consideration too, as the basic mechanical machines were cheaper. But I’ve found that you can get a computerized machine at a reasonable price. I personally like computerized machines. I think having a computer makes some features easier to use. And, okay, I’ll admit it, I like the "cool" factor of having a sewing machine with a computer!

So here’s your basic checklist for choosing a beginner sewing machine:

• Budget
• Use of the sewing machine and features
• Where will the machine be located
• Mechanical vs. Computerized

Hi, I am Gretchen J. Falk. I am a sewing machine manager from Brother sewing machine. You will be glad to know that, I am also writing a blog about sewing machines.