Ahh...

After reading Tigrrl's reply in this thread
>http://discuss.gromco.com/mwforum/topic_show.pl?id=9960

I've decided that I *must* learn how to sew, damnit! My mother used to be a housewife, and would spend her days cleaning the house, preparing meals, and on her spare time, would make clothes for my sister and I on her sewing machine.

Her sewing machine is now old and decrepit (shoot me if I spelled "decrepit" wrong, or if "old" and "decrepit" are synonyms), so learning how to sew on THAT is somewhat impossible.

THE POINT OF MY POST (finally..):

What kind of sewing machine do YOU (yes, you) use? And what machine would you reccommend for someone who has no experience in sewing? I want to buy a machine that is 1, easy to use, and 2, not too expensive!

If you have any tips about sewing machines, please do share :) I'd like to know what kinds of features are important to have on a machine and things like that. ANYTHING! Help! :D

Well, I've had my sewing machine for about 4 years now. I love it! I asked my parents for one at Christmas one time, and they bought me one that's easy to use, lightweight and works like a jewel!! It's a Brother and they just bought it at Walmart. Its very good for beginners, and was only about $100 which is pretty decent for a sewing machine that has 17 stich functions, an auto-bobbin winder, free-arm sewing and more! This is what I taught myself how to sew on. Since both of my grandmas are sewing nuts as well, I asked them what some easy things to learn how to sew and they suggested pillows and purses. Now I feel like I'm ready to graduate to a bigger machine! :-) Good luck and don't get discouraged....sewing is "sew" much fun!!

-Julie

*edited to say : here are some awesome links to get started sewing... how to make pillows:
>http://www.mainstreetmom.com/craft/pillow.htm (this one is how to make pillows from old shirts)
>http://home.aol.com/lclacemker/pillow1.html (this one is making a lace pillow)
>http://www.nzgirl.co.nz/articles/60 (this one is how to make funky pillows)

my mom's a seamstress, so any time I felt the urge I drove to her house, but now that I am feeling the urge way to often for the trip to be convienent, I snagged her old machine--a Singer slant-o-matic model 401a from the early 60s! Whoohoo! these puppies are nearly indestructable, and it was free! It runs, but it needs a tune up, but I'm willing to shell out the cash up to the cost of a new basic machine to get thing going gangbusters again.

So what I'm saying basically, is take your mom's old one to a reputable sewing repair/tune up place and ask the nice people just how much it'll cost to get it humming along again, and if they think it's really worth it in the first place. Good places will tell you the truth, so ask at the local fabric/quilt shop who they'd trust.

Jen

http://discuss.gromco.com/mwforum/topic_show.pl?id=6437#69213

check out this older thread

I also have a Singer model 384.12024000 for Christmas and it's great. It has the built in stiches (straight, etc) decorative stiches, button hole stitches + more, auto bobbin winder thing, and came with five different feet and a load of other neat things. It's from sears so I think it has a life time guarentte.

She got it at least half off (she won't tell me the exact price, which is tacky anyway) because someone bought it, got it home, and brought it back with the tape off the box, so they had to sell it for cheap (originally over $300).


So keep your eyes peeled at Sears for brand new never used items that they have to sell "used".

Ahhhhhh, my proselytizing is working!!

I've heard good and bad things about both newer, less expensive machines and old, tuned-up machines. I saved and saved for a Viking Daisy machine, but brands like Viking, Bernina, Babylock, etc. really are much more expensive. People do sometimes trade them in at the dealer for newer models, so that might be worth a shot. For less expensive new machines, you may want to check out Consumer Reports. I think they rated sewing machines in the past 6 months and a less expensive Kenmore was a top pick.

The sorts of things I use most often on my machine are the straight stitch, the zig-zag, the button-hole stitches, and most recently the blind-hem stitch (which ROCKS, though I haven't perfected it yet. You know how some clothes, like dress pants, have hems that you can't see from the outside? That's what this replicates.)

Has anyone used or heard anything about the sew cute sewing machine ("http://www.hsn.com/content/sf/dept/cat/prod/default.asp?sz=31&pfid=787077&o=CT")? It's really for kids, and only sews a straight stitch. I know how to sew, but I'm living in Mexico and want something portable just to make curtains, tableclothes, pillows, etc for my house. Any opinions?
And it comes in pink!!