How to Choose a Sewing Machine for Home

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Over the centuries, a sewing machine has been helping out women who are trying to beautifully dress themselves and their entire family at minimal cost, and at times brought a good income. Even with the current clothing and brand abundance, the presence of almost every corner of sewing salons, ateliers and boutiques with exquisite outfits for every taste, many girls sew their own clothes, inspired by catwalks, pictures in magazines and beautiful fabrics in stores. We will analyze together how and which sewing machine it is better to choose for home use, so that you can create exclusive things with your own hands without any problems. Just follow the link https://justsewn.com/best-embroidery-machine-for-home-business/ to find out more about some of the best embroidery machine for home business, or keep reading about choosing a sewing machine for home.

Machines for home sewing

All models of sewing machines can be divided into three types:

  • mechanical;
  • electromechanical;
  • with program management.

Mechanical machines with manual or foot control of the Singer brand and their analogues inherited from grandmothers are beautiful, rare, but reliable products. Their main advantage is the practicality and clarity of the sewing process itself. Unfortunately, they are “able” to do only one type of stitch, but in any case they are suitable for beginners and home use.

If you buy a good electromechanical model for the house, it will please with durability and advanced functionality. With this unit, you can sew “the old fashioned way”, mechanically or turn on the electric drive using the pedal. Electromechanical sewing machines can make different seams, overcast edges, sew buttons and even embroider. In terms of parameters and functions, they are suitable for both beginner seamstresses and experienced craftswomen for home use.

Having a computer board and processor makes a computer-controlled machine a real treasure. She not only performs dozens of different operations, including a variety of seams (up to a hundred), embroidery complex patterns with satin and cross stitch, but also controls the process, gives advice on choosing seams, determines the puncture force, tissue density, and gives error messages. This unit is useful to experienced seamstresses for constant use at home and even in small industries. The only drawback of an electronic sewing machine is its high cost.

The main criteria for choosing a sewing machine for the home

Choosing a sewing machine for the home is not a simple matter, because often consultations of sellers in specialized stores are advertising or incomplete. In addition, no one except yourself can know exactly what functions of the future assistant you will need, and which model will be more convenient to use. You can search for information on women’s forums, read reviews and tips from experienced craftswomen. One way or another, you should choose a working unit for the home according to the parameters listed below.

Manufacturer and country of assembly

German Pfaff sewing machines are professional models that cost much more than other brands. They are able to stitch and process thick fabrics and leather, cuffs and sleeves, they themselves control the oil consumption and take care of lubrication.

In the collection of the Family brand you will find machines for beginners and seamstresses with experience that have different functions. Expensive units are equipped with a display, the function of automatically threading, a number of machines have a platform for processing hoses.

Swiss Bernina cars are unusually convenient in operation, have smooth adjustment of lines and stitches, are silent. The extended sleeve platform allows you to easily not only sew, but also restore clothes.

Juki’s Japanese cars are as reliable as the Singer. They are used for sewing and repairing clothes, cope with thin and thick fabrics, have a wide range of stitches and seams.

In descending order of average cost, brands of sewing machines such as Singer, Toyota, Janome, Brother, Minerva, made in Japan, Brazil, and Taiwan, follow next. They differ from more expensive brands with less functionality, but also quite reliable and are great for sewing at home.

When choosing a machine, it will correctly focus not only on the brand, but also on the country of assembly. Many large firms moved their production to Asian countries: Taiwan, Thailand, China, Vietnam. It is believed that it is better to purchase well-known models of Taiwanese and Thai assemblies.

Weight, body material and equipment

A good machine for home use can be determined by weight. The plastic case does not weigh much; the contents of the unit are much heavier. If there is an internal metal frame to which various devices and mechanisms are attached, the weight of the product increases and reaches 6-7 kilograms, but the machine itself lasts longer, since the plastic case does not deform under the weight of the internal parts. It happens that the parts are made of plastic, but such an economy option will last very short.

When buying, pay attention to the equipment. The kit should include tools for the care of the unit, as well as interchangeable legs and needles.

Sewing machine functionality

Decide in advance exactly what types of work you are going to do at home. To work with knitted fabrics, special knitted seams are needed, and for sewing curtains and bedding, ordinary ones are enough. Perhaps you are fond of embroidery and want to decorate clothes with beautiful patterns, and towels and pillowcases – with monograms, then you should pay attention to machines with an embroidery unit. Overlock is one of the most useful functions, because any products need accurate processing of joints.

Shuttle Type

The swinging (classic or vertical shuttle) is installed in economy class cars, mechanical and electromechanical models. This type of device requires regular care, it wears out quickly, and is noisy. There is no way to control the rest of the thread on the bobbin, as it is inserted into the shuttle that is in the machine. Units with this type of shuttle device are better for those who rarely and a little sewing.

The horizontal shuttle is much more reliable, less subject to wear, works quietly and allows you to control the remainder of the thread on the bobbin. In addition, thread gathering in such models is much easier. A machine with a horizontal shuttle should be chosen for permanent and active home use.

The presence of an electronic unit

The electronic unit greatly facilitates the work of professional seamstresses and novice craftswomen. It allows you to reduce the load on the mechanical parts of the sewing machine, simplifies management and is a guarantee of the presence of many useful functions, including speed limitation, thread trimming, binder. Machines with an electronic unit are more expensive, but much more convenient and reliable than mechanical counterparts, subject to the choice of a good brand and country of assembly.

Puncture strength, speed and foot pressure

The ability to work with different types of tissues depends on the puncture strength. In low-cost models, this value is quite small, so you can’t sew things from denim, drape and other dense and thick materials. The ability to work with dense and thick materials also depends on the pressure of the foot on the fabric and the height of its rise.

The speed of creating stitches depends only on your desire and the power of the unit. In some cases, rushing is not the best option, especially for beginner seamstresses. Yes, and you are unlikely to need the function of accelerated sewing, if you are not going to create outfits on an industrial scale.

Types of stitches and loops

“Advanced” expensive models of electronic and electromechanical machines are often equipped with the function of choosing dozens of different joints. Such an abundance is certainly not suitable for home use, because even professional seamstresses rarely use more than 10 types of seams in their work. A beginner will be satisfied with several types of stitches: classic, overcast, zigzag and buttonhole.

Different types of sewing machines can sew stitches in two ways. Professional models are equipped with special paws that select the buttonhole for the size of the button and themselves sweep the buttonhole of the desired size. In other machines, the function of semi-automatic looping is installed, when the seamstress, without turning the fabric, simply switches the different modes, and the machine sews a loop on four sides step by step. Think about how often you will sew clothes with loops and buttons, and choose the best option for the home.

Common mistakes

Despite the abundance of information on the varieties of sewing machines and their features, customers who are going to choose a unit for the home often make unforgivable mistakes. Some neglect the models of the Asian assembly, and in vain. Others recklessly believe that the high price and good model guarantee the same quality of stitches and finished products. Remember that each craftswoman sets up the machine “for herself”, as well as for different types of fabric, threads and other parameters. Of great importance are the quality characteristics of consumables, tools and, in fact, sewing skills.

Many potential customers believe that only professionals need expensive models, and buying a sewing machine for home use can save you money. But life expensive and reviews on the forums prove that it is better to choose a good mechanical or electromechanical machine at an affordable price from a trusted brand than its cheap counterpart. Good luck with your choice and useful shopping!

About Amanda

I love to buy a lot of products for the home, and dissect them out. I split them into duds and winners, and share the findings here on my site. As a reader of my site, I'm aiming for your next purchase to be an informed and inspired one.

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