Sewing Process – Women’s hands behind her sewing
Sewing is a great skill to have, and whether you need to reattach a button or want to make a quilt, it can come in handy. But sewing by hand, even just to hem a pair of pants, takes a lot of time. If you plan to do much sewing at all, it’s a good idea to have a sewing machine around.
Sewing machines make the process a lot faster, but they are a bit of an investment. It’s hard to know where to spend your money if you’re wanting to buy a machine for someone who’s just getting started sewing. Below we have a guide to picking the best sewing machine for beginners.
What Makes the Best Sewing Machine for Beginners?
The biggest thing you want a beginner sewing machine to be is simple to use. Having a lot of fancy features is a wonderful thing, but if the person can’t figure out how to sew a straight seam, it defeats the purpose. You want the machine to be intuitive to figure out.
You also want to strike a good balance between affordable and reliable on the machine. Since the person is a beginner, you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a sewing machine. But you also don’t want it to be so cheap that it breaks constantly; get a good reliable brand that will last a while.
Brother CS6000i
Brother has a great reputation in the sewing machine world, and their CS6000i machine is a solid choice for beginners. It has automatic buttonhole features, quilting tables, and sixty different stitches to choose from. The LCD screen shows you how to adjust stitch length and width as needed.
You can control your sewing speed on this machine with the slider control, which is a nice feature that removes the hyper-careful pressing down on the foot pedal that somehow winds up with the machine going a million miles an hour and ruining your next six inches of fabric. The machine comes with nine presser feet, including the standard walking foot and quilting feet. It also has an automatic needle threader and a wider table that can accommodate larger projects.
Singer 758
Singer has made sewing simple with their 758 100-Stitch Computerized sewing machine. As the name says, this machine offers a hundred different stitch options, plus six different buttonhole settings. It comes with ten different presser feet to cover all your different project needs.
One of the most remarkable things about the Singer 758 is the number of automatic features it offers. Here’s a quick list of some of the automated functions: needle threader, thread tension, locking straight stitch, reverse, and presser foot pressure. You can even program the needle to stop in the up or down position, depending on your needs with the project.
Janome Graceful Gray Basic
Janome offers some great budget options for sewing machines without sacrificing quality. Their Graceful Gray Basic model comes in at just $55, but it offers some excellent features. Plus it comes in a beautiful gray color with fun pink accents!
The Graceful Gray has eleven different stitch options, which is plenty to cover most project needs. It has a drop-in bobbin and a free arm to make use easy. And if you need some extra storage for your sewing notions, the machine comes with some built in.
Singer 1304
Singer has put together a great sewing machine for people looking to travel or who don’t have a ton of space to dedicate to a sewing table. Their 1304 Start Basic Everyday Free Arm sewing machine is a compact little machine that packs a punch. Its price is as small as it is, packing in a lot of value into a low price tag.
The 1304 has six built-in stitches, a buttonhole setting, and three presser feet, which should get you through most project needs. The stitch length and width are preset, which might be a problem for more advanced sewers. But if you’re looking for a lightweight starter sewing machine, it’s hard to beat this one.
Brother XL2600I
Brother has put together another great option for beginners with their XL2600I model. The machine comes with twenty-five automatic stitch options that you can choose from just by rotating a wheel on the front of the machine. You can also use another wheel to change the stitch length, which is very convenient.
The arm comes with plenty of storage space, and the drop-in bobbin arrangement is easy to use. The machine features a needle threader and a well-lit needle. It’s lightweight enough to move easily when you need to but solid enough that it isn’t going to slide off the table with all your fabric as soon as you walk away.
Singer 4423
Singer’s 4423 Heavy-Duty Extra-High Speed sewing machine tells you most of what you need to know about it in the name. If speed is the name of the game in your sewing, this is the machine for you. It can crank out more than a thousand stitches a minute thanks to a souped-up motor that belongs under the hood of a sporty little coupe.
The machine also has a good amount of customization available, too, with twenty-three automatic stitches, four presser feet, and a buttonhole setting. It’s great for people wanting to work with denim and other heavy-duty fabrics. You can find out more about this machine and Singer’s other awesome offerings by clicking on the link.
Find More Crafting Advice
Finding the best sewing machine for beginners is a matter of balancing features, quality, and price point. Decide what your needs are and how much you want to spend, and you’ll wind up with a great sewing machine.
If you’d like to read more crafting articles, check out the rest of our site at Blonde and Balanced. We’re all about striking a balance in life, health, and money. Check out our toolkit to help you organize your life today!
Rachel Slifka is a freelance writer and human resources professional. She is passionate about helping fellow millennials find success with their finances and careers. Read more by checking out her website at RachelSlifka.com.
