The A-Z Guide to Sewing Machines: Choosing a Machine

A sewing machine is a very personal piece of equipment, so when choosing a new machine, spend time looking at the various makes, talk to friends to see how they rate their machines and , most important of all, try the machines out in the shops before you buy. Do not worry about looking foolish if the machines at first seem rather complicated. It is far better to make a mistake at the shop, in front of someone you don't know, than it's to make a rushed decision by buying the wrong machine and discover your mistake later at home, when it's too late to do anything about it.

Remember to take samples of the types of fabric which you usually sew on. The fabrics used in the shops will be easily handled fabrics, which give the stitches a neat appearance. All machines will cope well with these. All machines will not cope well with lycra, for example, and you may be buying your machine to sew lycra skating costumes, or you may be wanting to sew loose covers, so take along some stiff, thicker fabrics and see how the various machines cope. Any shop with a helpful attitude will help you choose a machine suited to your needs and will probably help with any queries in the future. If the shop is unhelpful don't buy from them, they are probably only after your money, and once the sale is made will not provide any after-sales service.

Fig. 36 A smooth outline is achieved using a versatile width control.

Fig. 37 A width control which only has a few limited preset widths will produce a ‘stepped’ outline

It isn't necessary to choose the most expensive machine, but in most cases, I would avoid the cheapest, most basic machines. A middle-of-the-range machine is fine. When choosing bear in mind that machines manufactured in Europe will cost far more than comparable machines manufactured in the Far East. A machine which can cope with most types of sewing should include the following stitches: straight stitch, zig-zag, blind hem, stretch straight stitch, stretch zig-zag, scallop, three-step zig-zag, automatic buttonhole, and possibly stretch overlock and double overlock if you are going to be using a lot of stretch fabrics.

The machine should have a width control which is versatile and can be set anywhere on its range. This enables you to taper the width of stitch gradually, e.g. when tapering satin stitch a smooth outline will be achieved.

If the machine has perhaps only four pre-set widths, it will be limiting when tapering a satin stitch — the outline will be stepped.

The machine should be a free-arm machine. (This means fabrics can pass completely round the sewing bed of the machine). It should convert to a fairly large flat bed, as a small flat bed will not support a hoop. I would require the machine to stitch well without a foot on and with the feed teeth dropped. Ask for this to be demonstrated. Also ask to see the machine sew over a very thick seam, and look for missed stitches or the machine grinding to a halt before the seam!

Only choose a machine with embroidery stitches if you are prepared to pay more for it. If funds are limited it's better to go for a machine with fewer stitches, one which has a good quality straight stitch and zig-zag. After all, they are the stitches you are likely to use 99% of the time!

I have seen cheap machines which look impressive, sewing up to 100 embroidery stitches, but they had a very irregular straight stitch. Having said that, if you like embroidery, some of the new computerized machines have wonderful satin stitch embroidery facilities, with large multi-colored designs. These intricate designs can be up to 12.5 cm in size, and as many as five colors can be used in any one design. They make the small outline patterns which we are used to pale into insignificance!

Once you have decided on a machine, ask if a basic range of accessories is kept in stock. Also ask how long the model you are interested in has been on the market — a new model may be coming out shortly. In which case, you would expect the one you are interested in to be reduced, or you may prefer to wait for the new more up-to-date machine. Be cheeky, and ask if the one you are interested in is to be reduced in the next sale!! It can be very annoying to find after paying full price that, a few weeks later it has been reduced.

If you are not interested in having a demonstration or after-sales service and know exactly which machine you wish to buy (maybe a friend has one which you have used and liked), you can quite often buy a machine mail order. Usually the prices are considerably lower but you don't get the service you will get from a reputable shop.

It can sometimes be confusing when you hear terms such as electronic foot control or computerized machine. Below I have tried to provide a simple explanation of some of the more common terms.

A basic zig-zag (or swing needle) machine

This just means that in addition to the machine needle sewing straight stitch forwards and backwards, it also sews from side to side creating a zig-zag stitch. These machines place greater emphasis on manual operation and you have more knobs to adjust to change the stitches. This is usually the cheapest end of the market, but never the less good results are often obtained with this type of machine.

An automatic machine

An automatic machine will have the facility to sew more complicated stitches with fewer adjustments, e.g. a stitch which requires the machine to go forwards and backwards, and from side to side — once selected — will be sewn automatically.

Electronic foot control

This just means that the machine is capable of sewing slowly without losing needle penetration. This type of machine is especially good for sewing thick fabrics.

An electronic machine

We are now in the ‘world of the microchip’, and some machines contain tiny computers: the stitch is often chosen by the touch of a button, penetration of the needle is good, and the foot control is sensitive. The stitch selection is much greater, sometimes including letters and numbers. Some machines have the facility to link different stitches or patterns together. The stitches are all fully automatic, but you have the option to change their size. Electronic machines are easy to operate and cope well with a large variety of fabrics, and they are usually in the middle price bracket.

Computerized machines

These are the Rolls-Royces of the sewing machine world, and if you are lucky enough to own one I hope you enjoy it, and use it often.

It is difficult to be brief when extolling their many virtues — they are so varied and they do so much, but here goes: these machines have an abundance of practical and decorative stitches displayed, which can be sewn at the touch of a button or pad: They have a memory, patterns can be linked together, or a name programmed. These can be sewn and if necessary they can be re-called, on some models, days later! The machine often indicates which foot to use, some will even flash a message on a small screen if you have made an error, e.g. if you haven't put the take-up lever down! Some have the facility for elongating designs or mirror imaging them. Needle penetration is good and speed very controllable — sewing one stitch if necessary. Some will sew on their own, you program in the design, set the machine going, and it will sew the design by itself and stop when the design is completed. It even stops if the thread breaks! Though these machines may look complicated, they are often simple to use with good results almost guaranteed. They are, however, the most expensive of the machines.