Reply To: selecting a sewing machine

[the_professors_assistantKeymaster]

You are correct that you don’t need a lot of stitch types. If you plan on just doing quilting and apparel sewing, you can get away with a machine that does a straight stitch, zig zag, and buttonhole stitch. I always recommend checking overstock.com. They have pretty good deals and you can read the reviews of purchasers. Even if you don’t purchase through overstock, it’s a good place to start your research. I think it’s a good idea to start with a simple machine that’s not too expensive and then once you get into sewing and know what type of sewing you’d like to do, you can always invest in a more expensive machine. If you have a large fabric store near you, you might find a dedicated sewing machine department and you can test drive machines to see what you like. Or if you find a brand that you’re interested in, you can search for a local dealer. Usually, if you purchase a machine through them, they’ll offer a beginning class to show you how to use the machine. Also, for quilting (going through a bunch of layers) you can get a regular machine and then get a walking foot attachment. A walking foot comes in handy all the time so I always recommend investing in one. They usually don’t carry walking foots in the fabric store, it’s something you have to get from the sewing machine dealer.