When I decided to get into sewing I bought an Ikea sewing machine. I thought for £45 I couldn't go wrong. It looked pretty (my boyfriend said it is like a "fisher-price toy") and I am afraid that is as good as it gets. It is a nice machine to learn on when you literally know nothing about sewing and you want to learn to sew in a straight line, but pretty much as soon as you find your way around the major components of it, it is time to upgrade.
I was browsing online for a few weeks before I decided which machine to buy. I have a little knowledge on the subject but, really, I don't know much at all - so it has been a learning curve.
I knew I had a certain amount to spend, which wasnt a great deal but enough to get a better machine. I didn't know which brand to go for though. I have heard pretty bad things about the contemporary Singer machines so that was out of the question. Doing my research I found other options to be Bernina, Brother and Janome. There was another brand recommended to me called Babylock and I did like the look of the machine (you got a lot of bang for your buck) but they were only selling through registered dealers (not online), and even then the dealers were few and far between.
 |
| Babylock Sewing Machine |
I did however find a dealer a short train ride from me so I was in luck. Armed with my delivery man (aka the boyfriend) we went to the shop. They didn't seem to have any Babylocks on display so I was considering other options. It is a family run business and I got chatting to the mum who was a wealth of information. I explained I am fairly new to sewing and need a machine that will help me to develop my skill. We went through the machines in my price range and whittled it down to the Brother XR37NT.
It is a modest machine but compared to the Ikea machine it is a godsend. The lady in the shop let me have a go in the shop and showed me the different functions and explained how everything works. I liked how it had special stitches for sewing on elasticated material and it also came with a hard cover.
The first thing I noticed when using it is how much easier material glides through the feed dogs and it is so much easier to keep the lines straight. The machine threads easily and has an automatic feeder for the needle which I LOVE. It took a little while to work out how the automatic feeder works (despite being shown in the shop) but I wouldn't be without that little feature now.
The woman in the shop said if I want a lesson any time then I should ring up and come in and she will do that, and if I get any problems I can also contact them. I have heard a lot about after sales care when you buy from a dealer, and this company are very good. (The website is not up to much but the shop is lovely)
So now I have my lovely machine, I am going to have to make lots of lovely things, so please keep your eyes peeled on this blog for more posts very soon.
Why don't you comment and tell me about your experience of buying a machine. I am really interested to know what you bought and where you bought it from and whether you are happy with it.
There is also a poll on the right-hand column in my blog so please take part.
No comments:
Post a Comment