Sewing Machine Brands

DH wants to buy a sewing machine, but alas we are sewing noobs.

He went and had a chat to a lady in a shop about the different ones and she said that they are pretty much all the same, except for the singer. It just depends on what you want to use it for.

She recommended not to get anything under $800 and to get a Brother.

Does this sound right to all you sewers in the know?

Also is it better to get a sewing machine and embroidery machine "all in one" or should you get them separately?

Thanks in advance :) we really have no idea!!

I've been happy with Janome sewing machines (on my second now). My overlocker is a bernina because that came with a better warranty.

I don't know about the embroidery machines. I'm guessing that the more you pay, the more features you get but that might not necessarily mean it's "better" than a cheaper one if you don't use all of them IYKWIM :dunno:

Not Singer!!! I've had mine repaired three times & it's just karked it AGAIN! I'm planning on getting a Janome at tax time now.

i have a friedn that does a LOT of sewing and stuff - she will ONLY buy brother - and only the ones that number ends with D (there is something about them but not sure what)

she woudl never buy a two in one (and has forbidden me to do so) - they have very different functions and should be kept seperate

having said that, she does a lot of embroidery - if you're looking to just do very basic stuff, it might be ok...

My mum and I went halves in a Bernina for my birthday a couple of years ago, haven't had time to use it for a while so should probably drag it out soon! But I love it. Mum wouldn't get anything other than a Bernina, she had terrible trouble with a Janome machine. We got it on sale, I think it was a mother's day sale they had, for $1200, it's nothing too flashy, but it works and is so easy to use, also has a heap of stitch patterns. When you go looking for a machine, the store should have some set up as demo models so give them a whirl and see what you think.

I could talk about this all day....

My first machine was a Singer, well, Mum's singer, and I started using it at around 8 years old! This didn't really serve me that well through life, because they are quite different.
When I started sewing at school, the school had all Bernettes, from the 50s. This was a bit annoying because I couldn't just swap bobbins between home and school.b So, next up, Mum bought a Janome. Pretty basic, not an embroidery machine, could use same bobbins as school etc. This was about the point where I went creatively nuts.
When I moved out, my nan gave me her old Bernette, from 1959, same as the ones we had at school. Sturdy as, and lasted really well. Until, of course, I was making my wedding dress in 2007 and it started spewing pink smoke everywhere (A long and hilarious story best saved for another thread) But DH built a replacement part, and I got anothe 8 months of life out of it. It nearly made it to 50 years of age, only carking it in August last year.
So when I replaced it, Bernette was the natural choice. I got the 92c model, basically the lowest of the computerised models, and I spent $600 on it, down from $800. My budget had been a bit less, but with this on special, and it being my dream machine, DH said go for it. It does some embroidery, upper and lower case alphabet, one size only, and a lot of decorative stitches, but that's all I need. If I want to do other embroidery, I just use a hoop and sew with the feed dogs down and do it freestyle.

So I guess that's the long way around me saying "I strongly recommend Bernette/Bernina. Or Janome. Embroidery model probably not necessary"

Good luck! It's an exciting time!

The only comment I have to make is if you decide bernina get bernina not bernette....they are the low end cheaper version and have a reputation for the motors carking out after 12 - 18 months or so. The old bernettes were awesome when they were all metal and quality parts (we also had them at school) but the new ones are pretty dodgy and the motor in them is a cheaper version to what goes into a true bernina. I pray that yours is the exception for you snugglybean!

Oh and the D model on the brothers BG stands for Disney. there are certain models of the brother machines that are the only ones that can take the disney cards...thats the only diff between the D models and the rest. It is a bit of a scam really to get you to pay the extra dosh just so as you can get the extra embroidery cards...otherwise the machines are identical.

I have a Janome which has served me well but really want to upgrade to a bernina or brother industrial machine.......domestic machines just seem to go so slow for me these days!

I have a Janome and have had it since I was 18, it's now 15 years old and has never had any issues. It still sews like new.

I have heard Brother are the best by far. But I won't be giving up my Janome any time soon.

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The only comment I have to make is if you decide bernina get bernina not bernette....they are the low end cheaper version and have a reputation for the motors carking out after 12 - 18 months or so. The old bernettes were awesome when they were all metal and quality parts (we also had them at school) but the new ones are pretty dodgy and the motor in them is a cheaper version to what goes into a true bernina. I pray that yours is the exception for you snugglybean!

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Oh... and I was having such a good weekend :doh:

Maybe DH will be rigging up some dodgy parts for it like he did with the old one...

My Janome was about the same vintage Tinkerbell. Nothing wrong with it but I wanted a few accessories and it worked out not much more for a new machine with a trade in so I did :D

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i have a friedn that does a LOT of sewing and stuff - she will ONLY buy brother - and only the ones that number ends with D (there is something about them but not sure what)

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I think she showed us those ones, they did all sorts of disney embroidery, looked pretty cool.
I think you are right though about getting the machines seperately, makes more sense.

The brother ones did look nice, just have to sort out how much we want to spend, I suppose once we get into it we will also want an overlocker.
The computer geek in me keeps calling them overclocker lol.

I'd love to learn how to make quilts and all sorts of things.

I have a brother inovis QC-1000. It did cost me a small fortune but I bought it at a craft/quilting fair and got about $700 off RRP but i love quilting and had suffered on a $200 machine for years and DH got his scuba lessons and gear so it evened up :-) It was my birthday, christmas and mothers day present for the past 2 yrs :-)

I have a Bernina machine and overlocker, love them both...havent had them all that long though! lol
The woman I bought them from though has never had one returned, only serviced them. so thats good? lol

Anyway, I didnt have huge amounts to spend andI didnt want one with plastic mechanisms, so by passed the Brothers and a few people I know with Janomes werent impressed...And I was less than impressed with the Janome centre in Mandurah, so went the Bernina :)

Good luck!

im starting sewing classes next week, i did sewing at school but it was more like 'sit in a room and the teacher comes round and makes the stuff for you' class he he he
mum gave me her old (OLD) sewing machine, its a Elna Lotus its really tiny and basic, havent used it yet but fingers crossed it does the job (only planning on sewing very basic things like baby beanies or cot sheets
if this machine is total poo could someone tell me pls :D