Tuesday 24 February 2015

Sewing machine choices

My income tax refund has arrived 6 months after retiring from work! I have always promised myself a new sewing machine to make clothes, dresses for my grand daughters and crafts. I wanted something with computerized stitches and some fancy things - my current basic electric one is 20 years old and is not much of a step up from the treadle machine I learnt to sew on!  It does zig zag but it took many tears to get that to work reasonable well on cotton and it is fight on other fabric.

I have visited a local supplier, tried one machine with the kind of complex facilities I dreamed of. I have looked on various sales sites and tried to get to some ideas from people's reviews. Now I am really confused.  I am thinking a Janome 607 or a PFAFF Ambition 1. The long lists of features needs a lot of thought.   But, as they are all imported, at least I can get one off the shelf immediately! (unlike the British made greenhouse we have to wait 4 weeks for).

TXL607
Meanwhile the British Sewing Bee continues to inspire me - especially the make over things!  As for the sheer fabric blouse challenge this week,  I last sewed in chiffon, a vivid green, when making a disco dress for dances at the local youth club in 1968.  But I have a couple of ill fitting ex office blouses in my "can I  make this over" box and I am inspired to re work them into something more modern and useful.

6 comments:

  1. I have two Pffafs and love them both. I have heard a lot of good things about Janome. I am in Canada and it seems gals here are migrating away from Bernina to Janome. Janome does have wonderful embroidery stitches on their machines. I would be very tempted to get a Janome next time. Hope this helps. I quilt, I see clothes and household goods. When it comes to embroidery of all types, I enjoy doing it by hand.

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  2. I've always wanted a Bernini but that's because it was my first fancy machine at school and light years ahead of anything else. My friend has a janome and swears by it.

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  3. I have a Husqvarna and very happy with it. Enjoy your new machine, whatever you decide on and well done on your tax refund.

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  4. Got a Janome 607 and am playing. Its lovely. I have only done the basic stitches so far. Equivalent to what my old machine did - it is so simple and a good quality!

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  5. I have a new Pfaff Ambition 1.5 and I love it,, I bought it with quilting in mind and its excellent!

    Enjoy your sewing and have lots of fun with your new machine. :-)

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