Four Beginner Sewing Machines
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This is my short analysis of four beginner sewing machines. It is good to start off with a cheaper machine. This will allow you to try a new hobby without breaking the bank.
Brother LX3817 comes in three different colors.
Grey
It has a top loading horizontal bobbin, which means you will be able to see how much thread is left in the bobbin without removing it from the machine. This model also includes 17 stitches for making a variety of different patterns. However, you most likely will just use the straight or zigzag stitch for most projects.
Brother LX 3817 weights in a just 10LBS, making it wonderful for light travel. However, you won’t be sewing heavy weight materials with this machine because it will bounce around a likely protest. However, remember this is just a beginner sewing machine designed for learning! Once of the most beginner friendly aspects of the Brother is that it only includes 2 buttons on the front. One button is for adjusting tension, while the other is for selecting different stitches on the machine.
This is a pretty good starter machine with a decent speed of 850 stitches per minute (SPM). Overall, there is just one questionable feature on this model, the buttonhole fine adjustment screw. This particular model has a screw to turn for ensure that buttonholes come out even on both sides. The feature is a bit odd because you don’t find it on most higher end machines.
#2 out of the four sewing machines is Singer M1150.
This model doesn’t have stellar reviews online. Some customers complained about having difficulties with threading. Others, didn’t find a manual in the box. However, I do see there is a whole app dedicated to training users how to start using Singer M1150.
Now that I’ve spoken about reviews, let’s discuss the features. Singer M110 comes in two colors, black and white. It has 16 stitches and a 4 step buttonhole. It too includes a horizontal drop in bobbin and only has 2 buttons on front of the machine. These two buttons are the tension and stitch selection dials. The only problematic feature I found on this model was the speed. Some sources list this machine as only having a speed of 550(SPM). This is like sewing at a snails pace and would become annoying really fast.
Here is yet another beginner Singer.
Singer 7285 Patchwork is a sewing machine geared toward inspiring quilters. It has a speed of 750 stitches per minute, which is a little slow but not quite bad as the speed on Singer M110. 7280 Patchwork includes 100 built in stitches. Amongst the 100, you’ll find 7 buttonholes. The buttonhole variety is excellent for those who are interested in making garments or decorative pillows.
The 100 stitches would be ideal for doing fancy stitches on a quilt top. But, this model only has a 5.5 throat space. So, the additional stitches won’t be of any real use for quilting unless you are going to make something super small. Small projects would consist of something like a quilted makeup pouch, Bible cover, or fanny pack. The smaller projects are ideal for beginners. But, I just wanted to make sure everyone got a realistic idea of what this machine can do.
Overall, Singer 7285 has all the basic computerized sewing machine features you would expect to find (needle up/down, digital reverse, auto start/stop, speed control). Looking at all the features, I’d say this is machine is pretty complicated for a beginner. However, tech savvy folks won’t have a problem with this machine as a beginner.
Janome Signature Charm
The Signature Charm comes in a mint green color exclusive to Walmart. But, all other shades of this machine are available for purchase online. I’ve listed some models below.
Now that you’ve seen the color choices for this model, let’s talk about it. This machine has 15 stitches and a 4 step button hole. Unlike other beginner machines, it includes a stitch length dial and front loading vertical bobbin.
The front loading vertical bobbin is exciting because this bobbin configuration is less likely to create tangles or loops underneath the fabric. Also, the stitch length dial means the sewing machine can grow with you more as you learn to sew. My only gripe with the Janome is it’s 3 piece feed dog system. Generally speaking, it is a lot better to have more feed dogs because they feed fabric thru the machine.
This concludes the brief information about four beginner sewing machines. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.
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