As a beginner, extra features and fancy additions can be more of a hinder than help. The best beginner sewing machines are easy to operate and durable, while producing excellent stitch quality. The Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab found the best sewing machines for beginners from brands with top performance, rave reviews, or features that make sewing a bit easier.
When shopping for a beginner sewing machine, you will need to determine what features are most important and what type of projects you will use the machine for, such as embroidery, quilting, and making clothes.
Here is what to look for in a new sewing machine:. Great to learn how to sew on, these machines will also grow with you as you advance to more challenging projects. Here are the best sewing machines for beginners to buy in The Singer Confidence sewing machine is perfect for the beginner sewer with ambitions for more advanced projects.
For easier threading, there's a drop in bobbin instead of the standard style. These features are great for making clothes, quilts, and everything in between. We love that the tension can be adjusted, but it also will automatically adjust to different fabrics.
If you are looking for the simplest, streamlined sewing machine, look no further. Smaller than an issue of Good Housekeeping , this sewing machine weighs under three pounds for easy carrying. Perfect for small, simple sewing projects with one stitch, this machine has added ease of use features like a side thread cutter, removable extension table, and built-in lamp.
Note that this machine has no back stitch: To enforce your stitches, it is recommended to sew over the ends again. This simple machine impressed our experts for having easy to follow controls with an accessible back stitch. At just seven pounds, this machine is easily potable and perfect for small spaces. We love that it includes multiple bobbins, presser feet, and needles too. Plus, it has over 4, rave reviews on Amazon with reviewers saying it's "perfect for beginners" and an "excellent investment.
If you are hoping to master quilting, you will need to start with the right machine. Janome JW has features excellent for quilting projects with built in stitches available, many designed specifically for quilting. The feed can be lowered, so this machine is the best pick for free motion quilting. Plus, there are multiple presser feet included specifically for quilting and a removable table to support bigger projects.
When making your own clothes, you will need a sewing machine with multiple capabilities, but is not too confusing to navigate. The Brother NS80E model has features great for beginners, like adjustable stitch speed, drop in bobbin, automatic needle threader, and an easy to read LCD screen. This machine also has features that will come in handy as you advance such as multiple one-step buttonholes , seven included sewing feet, and a free arm.
As a heavy duty machine with 80 stitches, it's great to grow with you from novice to expert. Just — hardcore. YET — friendly and sexy and enjoyable to touch. Hemming is my least favorite part of sewing, followed by attaching bands like a neck band. The cover stitch machine zooms through hemming. It also creates chain stitching for decorative attaching.
This sewing machine is beloved by Loeffler Randall founder Jessie Randall , who told us she used it to sew everything from Halloween costumes for her kids to over 1, face masks during the pandemic. Simply push the specialty stitch button, look at the screen display, and select the stitch you want. Right there on the display, it tells you exactly which foot you will need and then you just put in your thread, bobbin, and material and go! Runs quiet, and absolute perfect stitches every time.
Singer, you knocked it out of the ballpark with this machine. Dozens of reviewers share how excited they are about the 76 decorative, customizable stitches offered by this automated, affordable, solid yet portable Singer.
Solid heavy because the gears and important operating parts are metal not nylon or plastic. I did five patches for my brother, and fixed another thicker one that was glued on months ago.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission. Account Profile. Electric sewing machines allow for a reasonable range and size of stitches, which are selected by turning a dial.
They're much faster and more accurate than old-fashioned manual sewing machines. Computerised sewing machines do everything that ordinary electric machines do — and a lot more. They're operated using a touchpad and screen, and with more advanced models you can download programs from your PC. Computerised sewing machines can memorise past work and will also store hundreds of different stitches for you to choose from.
Overlocker models are designed to stop fraying and to give a professional finish to the seams of a garment. The main purpose of an overlocker sewing machine is to neaten seams, which it achieves by trimming while sewing.
While you can use an ordinary sewing machine to neaten an edge, you have to cut the fabric yourself, then set the machine to zigzag stitch, which takes time and creates a slight ridge. An overlocker sews faster than a sewing machine and you can buy attachments that make it particularly useful for stitching rolled hems, gathering and attaching bindings. Here's the average price for the best sewing machine brands. If you're just starting out or intend to sew only now and then, a basic electronic model will probably suit your needs.
As a general rule of thumb, look for models offering a selection of foot attachments that will allow you to do the basics, such as inserting a zip. A zipper foot, buttonhole foot and possibly a plastic foot for delicate fabrics is a good selection for beginners. Look for a few different stitches: several different lengths of straight stitch, a choice of zigzag stitches and an automatic buttonhole are the bare minimum. This is less likely with cheaper models. If you plan to use your sewing machine a lot, particularly for dressmaking, then a middle or top-of-the-range model is probably a good bet.
Make sure you buy a machine with a free arm. Most machines have them, but they're a must if you want to sew anything with sleeves or pockets. Here are a few other features to look for:. If you'll be using a wide range of stitches or plan on doing a lot of embroidery, consider going for a computerised machine. Most of these have a wide range of pre-programmed patterns and will create multicoloured hoop embroidery patterns. You may also need a computer and memory card if you intend to download further stitch programs.
Basic machines will easily handle cottons and slightly heavier cloth, but may struggle with denser fabrics, such as those used for making soft furnishings. Thicker fabrics, such as fleece and denim, require a longer stitch length than thinner fabrics — check that the machine you're interested in offers a genuine choice of long and short stitches. Delicate fabrics need light handling.
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