I am completly new to sewing and mostly want to learn it to make curtains, etc (well that is the plan anyway) I have been looking at sewing machine and am at a loss as to what to get. I want something fairly simple and easy to use. I want to be able to make curtains with ruffles, etc. I have NO idea what to get! I was lookign at walmart and they have a few. Can anyone suggest one for me? I am also on a very tight budget (which is one of the big reasons I want to start sewing to begin with). I cant afford a really expensive machine. I would like to keep it at around $100 if possible.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5006454
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4764724 (this is the one I have been leaning toward)
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4698205
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4764723
Are any of these any good or should I keep looking? Right now I have an old model singer (model 237) that we picked up at a yard sale for $5, and while it works it does not have any of the attachments for ruffles, seams, etc.
Thanks in advance!
Ugh, no! Run away from all those! The old Singer you have is probably MUCH better than any of them, and better suited to make curtains. Those new ones are VERY light weight, and the weight of even a moderately sized curtain may drag the machine off the table. You are better with the old heavy one!
With a little TLC and a shufti at the manual, the Singer you have will do very well indeed for making curtains and clothing and craft projects. As it has a standard Low Shank presser foot fitting, there are many attachments you can get to fit it, including a zip foot, a walking foot, a ruffler, narrow hem feet, and more… If you don’t have a manual, you can download one for a small consideration from here: http://www.sewingonline.co.uk/instructions/singer237/
For making curtains I always use a Jeans needle (usually a size 90), and often the walking foot as it helps to keep the pattern lined up on heavy fabric. The only stitch you really need for curtains is the straight stitch. It’s nice to use the blind hem stitch if you have one, but curtain hems are easy enough to do by hand if you don’t…
Here’s my standard advice for new sewists intent on buying a machine:
When it comes to sewing machines, it’s hard to beat this Buying A Sewing Machine article: http://www.cet.com/~pennys/faq/smfaq.htm
Once you have read it, make a list of the sorts of things you want to sew (bags, curtains, clothing, costumes, whatever), and the types of fabrics you want to use (denim, curtain fabric, cotton, chiffon… )
Make a list of the things you want the machine to do. My list includes:
Impeccable straight stitch!
Variable needle positions (makes all sorts of things like putting zips in easier).
Good zigzag stitch.
Good blind hem stitch and adjustable blind hem foot.
Wonderful buttonholes!
Eyelet plate (I make costumes and corsets, and have a severe hatred of metal grommets!).
The ability to sew REALLY S L O W L Y !! Speed comes later with practice, but you’ll ALWAYS need to go slow sometimes! 
When I’m teaching people to sew, I like a good big foot control that is easy to operate. If you find them a little difficult at first, you can always take your shoes off!
I teach people to sew on all sorts of machines, from ancient old straight stitch only hand cranks to electronic marvels with over 200 stitches… ALL are good for beginners, but some are better than others. And different machines work better for different people. You really need to try before you buy, so take your lists and some fabric samples along to the sewing machine emporium and talk to a proper sewing machine engineer about both used and new machines. Sales droids work on commission and will try to sell you something expensive: an engineer should be able to find you several machines that would suit your purpose, so you can test drive them and find the one that suits you best.
Some good makes to look out for in both new and pre-loved machines:
Bernina
Husqvarna
Pfaff
Elna
Frister & Rossman
Toyota
Avoid cheap, light weight plastic machines bought in non-specialist shops like Walmart/Woolworths/Dunelm Mills/Argos. There’s no real back-up if things go wrong. Things DO occasionally go wrong, even for the most experienced sewist. Good back-up is essential.
One thing that is VERY important is a good sewing machine manual: all machines come with an operator’s manual. This shows you how to operate the machine, what all the parts are, how to thread it, and how to do all the stitches it has. Some are much easier to follow than others. Some machines come with the manual on CDROM. PLEASE print out a copy to keep beside the machine, if this is what you get. You’ll need to refer to if often, and getting up to look on the pooter is a pain! if you get a paper manual, it might be a good move to scan your manual and keep an electronic copy, as manuals do go missing at times…
August 28th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
I would get a $100. singer machine over the generic wal-mart ones. Ideally I would recommend going to a sewing shop and seeing if they have any husky-star (the "econo" machine from huskqvarna-viking) or any reliable used ones there. If you must go with wal-mart available kinds, go for the singer. I have had issues with smaller brand names from wal-mart, and have had difficulty trying to return them. Singer is more reliable, and pretty easy to maintain as well.
References :
August 28th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Ugh, no! Run away from all those! The old Singer you have is probably MUCH better than any of them, and better suited to make curtains. Those new ones are VERY light weight, and the weight of even a moderately sized curtain may drag the machine off the table. You are better with the old heavy one!
With a little TLC and a shufti at the manual, the Singer you have will do very well indeed for making curtains and clothing and craft projects. As it has a standard Low Shank presser foot fitting, there are many attachments you can get to fit it, including a zip foot, a walking foot, a ruffler, narrow hem feet, and more… If you don’t have a manual, you can download one for a small consideration from here: http://www.sewingonline.co.uk/instructions/singer237/
For making curtains I always use a Jeans needle (usually a size 90), and often the walking foot as it helps to keep the pattern lined up on heavy fabric. The only stitch you really need for curtains is the straight stitch. It’s nice to use the blind hem stitch if you have one, but curtain hems are easy enough to do by hand if you don’t…
Here’s my standard advice for new sewists intent on buying a machine:
When it comes to sewing machines, it’s hard to beat this Buying A Sewing Machine article: http://www.cet.com/~pennys/faq/smfaq.htm
Once you have read it, make a list of the sorts of things you want to sew (bags, curtains, clothing, costumes, whatever), and the types of fabrics you want to use (denim, curtain fabric, cotton, chiffon… )
Make a list of the things you want the machine to do. My list includes:
When I’m teaching people to sew, I like a good big foot control that is easy to operate. If you find them a little difficult at first, you can always take your shoes off!
Impeccable straight stitch!
Variable needle positions (makes all sorts of things like putting zips in easier).
Good zigzag stitch.
Good blind hem stitch and adjustable blind hem foot.
Wonderful buttonholes!
Eyelet plate (I make costumes and corsets, and have a severe hatred of metal grommets!).
The ability to sew REALLY S L O W L Y !! Speed comes later with practice, but you’ll ALWAYS need to go slow sometimes!
I teach people to sew on all sorts of machines, from ancient old straight stitch only hand cranks to electronic marvels with over 200 stitches… ALL are good for beginners, but some are better than others. And different machines work better for different people. You really need to try before you buy, so take your lists and some fabric samples along to the sewing machine emporium and talk to a proper sewing machine engineer about both used and new machines. Sales droids work on commission and will try to sell you something expensive: an engineer should be able to find you several machines that would suit your purpose, so you can test drive them and find the one that suits you best.
Some good makes to look out for in both new and pre-loved machines:
Bernina
Husqvarna
Pfaff
Elna
Frister & Rossman
Toyota
Avoid cheap, light weight plastic machines bought in non-specialist shops like Walmart/Woolworths/Dunelm Mills/Argos. There’s no real back-up if things go wrong. Things DO occasionally go wrong, even for the most experienced sewist. Good back-up is essential.
One thing that is VERY important is a good sewing machine manual: all machines come with an operator’s manual. This shows you how to operate the machine, what all the parts are, how to thread it, and how to do all the stitches it has. Some are much easier to follow than others. Some machines come with the manual on CDROM. PLEASE print out a copy to keep beside the machine, if this is what you get. You’ll need to refer to if often, and getting up to look on the pooter is a pain! if you get a paper manual, it might be a good move to scan your manual and keep an electronic copy, as manuals do go missing at times…
References :
August 28th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Over 30 years ago I had $150 set aside for a brand new sewing machine and I ended up buying a used Singer instead because I used to sew everything from clothing, drapery, upholstery, you name i
References :