Are you trying to pick the perfect sewing machine? I am sharing my sewing machine journey, what machine I use now, and how YOU can pick the perfect sewing machine for YOU.
When I started sewing, I had NO idea what to look for in a sewing machine. My budget felt huge at the time ($300.00). I went to me local JoAnn Fabric store and got what the sales lady recommended. It was a an H Class 100Q Husqvarna and I loved it! It had everything I needed as a beginning quilter.
The more I pieced and quilted, and the more I learned about sewing machines I learned of a few features my machine did not have that I desperately wanted. Namely:
It was time to upgrade, but I had NO IDEA what machine to get. Everyone was telling me, “Try this one! I love it!” or “No, this one! It’s amazing!” I’ll be honest, I kept hearing people say Bernina’s were the standard in sewing machines and I saw a quilter I love being advertised as a Bernina Brand Ambassador. So . . . I got a Bernina.
This was the Bernina that I purchased. It is a special Quilters Edition 570 and the cost was a whopping $5,000.00. I got a bit of a discount from a local quilt shop at the time. It runs for $5,399.00. I was THRILLED, and wanted to love it because everyone said I should. And dang, it was not cheap. It DID have some of the bells and whistles I wanted. But I’ll admit, when I sewed on it, it wasn’t smooth. I purchased some add-ons and the prices were pretty high. The machine was fine, but it was not the love story I dreamed of.
One day I had a friend over who is a quilter. When she saw my sewing machine, she commented on the throat size. I don’t remember the words exactly, but it made me look into similar priced sewing machines and what I could get for the price. I had also heard another friend talk about her sewing machine and how it sewed “like butter.” I knew I wanted a machine that was a better fit for me. DISCLAIMER: I know a LOT of people who love Bernina. There is nothing wrong with the company or machine. It is a matter of personal preference. And it turns out my preference is not for Bernina.
But what machine DID I want? I looked heavily at Juki, Janome, and Baby Lock. All three had great reviews, so I went to some local quilt shops (and some not so local – hello road trip!). It was important to me to sit down and try some machines to see what I liked. What felt good. How would it be to use the machine? What was included? How much would is cost to add extras in the future?
Having purchased a machine before, I knew what I wanted. And I found it all PLUS some in the Baby Lock Crescendo Machine.
Notice the Baby Lock Crescendo has two spools of thread? The thread at the top of the machine is always there to fill a bobbin. The larger thread to the right of the machine is always threaded to sew with. You don’t need to unwind your machine to thread your bobbin.
This is my story, but we each look for different things in a sewing machine. What’s important to you in a sewing machine?
I created a checklist that you can download for free. Look over the features I listed. Mark the ones that are important to you. There’s also a place for notes. Take notes when you look for a sewing machine. And if possible, try them out first. CLICK HERE to get the free Sewing Machine Checklist guide.
Be sure to take a look at my other most popular blog posts and tutorials.
December 8, 2023
Instagram Called Me- Here’s What They Said Don’t miss episode 136: Instagram Called Me- Here’s What They Said. Sound familiar? A few episodes back, I had Michelle Gifford on the podcast sharing what she learned from Instagram. This episode is all about when Instagram reached out to me! I share the details about my experience […]
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