How to choose your sewing machine

If you want to learn to sew self-taught, you will inevitably have to go through the question of choosing a sewing machine .

You will quickly realize that  sewing by hand  involves a considerable loss of time, especially when making curtains, mattress covers or bedspreads, or making clothes (jeans, dresses, straight skirts, 20 cm baby bibs, etc.).

In addition, you will be able to discover the cross stitch or the knot stitch,  stitches that are impossible to do by hand.

But what brand is recommended to buy (Singer, Pfaff, Husqvarna, Brother, etc.) and what type of sewing machine ? The criteria for choosing a good sewing machine are:

• The type of sewing you want to do,
• The type of stitch you want,
• The level of sewing you have,
• The type of machine (electronic or mechanical sewing machine),
• Budget,
• The brand and options of the machines.

On the one hand, you have to reflect on the use that you are going to give the sewing machine, since you will not need an overlock equipped with 150 stitches worth more than a thousand euros just to start sewing. For beginners, a low-end model will be enough for fun and will allow you to learn and really know whether or not you have a passion for sewing.

On the other hand,  an electronic sewing machine  will be more expensive, but it will be suitable for beginners as all settings are automatic. In contrast,  a mechanical sewing machine  is ideal for smaller budgets but requires good sewing skills, because the adjustments are manual. The advantage is that they offer many more possibilities to sew whatever you want.

Finally, it is necessary to compare the options offered by the different brands of sewing machines: number of seam stitches, automatic buttonhole or not, length and width adjustment, threader or not, presser foot.

If you want to take your first tailoring course , don’t hesitate to use Superprof to find the best teacher near you.