How to choose a sewing machine?

A sewing machine is a great helper, even if you are not going to open a model house. It will help to save the family budget, because you do not have to go to the workshop for every trifle - you can change the zipper or cut the sheets yourself. How to choose a sewing machine for someone who just wants to learn how to sew? This will be discussed in the article.

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What is it for?

In the catalogs you can see a great variety of sewing machines. It seems that only the lazy does not deal with their manufacture. A diverse design, features, just a fantastic price line - how to find the one that will become indispensable in your home? Forget about design right away - in this case, this is not even the second, but the tenth. But to know what one or another “mechanical seamstress” can do is necessary.

But first, try to answer the question, what are you going to do with it:

1. Perform simple work on fabrics that are easy to process - cut down curtains and sheets, do minor repairs to clothing, etc.
2. Sew clothes and everything else from thin fabrics.
3. Master the sewing of any clothes.
4. You dream to create author's models.
5. We decided to get carried away with hand-made products such as making bags and shoes, embroidery, or something else like that.

Having set goals correctly, it will be much easier for you to choose a sewing machine:

1. For simple work, the simplest machine is suitable - electromechanical or even mechanical. Oddly enough, it is also very good for working with thick materials - the antediluvian “Singer” from an antique store can cope with leather and fur sometimes much better than more modern models. So, if you suddenly fall into the legacy of great-grandmother such a prehistoric miracle - do not rush to refuse.
2. For clothes made of thin fabrics, an electromechanical machine with a minimum set of functions is enough. You need your assistant to be able to grind parts, process seams - well, maybe, also sew buttons. At the same time, a large puncture force is not necessary, because you are not going to work with drape or cloth.
3. But if you are determined to learn how to sew clothes well from any materials or even intend to create designer models, you need a “helper” with a maximum set of functions, because you will need different line options, overlock, and much more.

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What to focus on?

How to choose a sewing machine for home use? - There are three points that you should pay attention to first of all:

• manufacturer;
• type of;
• feature set.

Manufacturer

Sewing machines are produced by many companies. Among them there are those that have been working on the market for a very long time, and it is their products that should be looked at first.

For example, the German company Singer has made its products happy for many, many generations of lovers of needlework. In addition to products of this brand, you can find in stores and others, from no less well-deserved companies:

• Bernina;
• Janome;
• Pfaff;
• Brother
• Husqvarna.

Important! Recently, other manufacturers have been actively working on the market, including those that have not yet proven themselves. Their products are significantly cheaper than branded, and it may well be that you are lucky and you really buy a good reliable machine for a pittance.But in any case, you will buy a “pig in a poke”, the risk that your purchase will fail in a week is very high.

Products from well-known manufacturers are preferable for several reasons:

• easy to get parts;
• Accessories are in almost any sewing store;
• Each reputable company has a whole network of salons and service centers;
• recognized leaders in the garment market care about their good name and comply with warranty obligations.

Important! Having decided to save money, you may find yourself in an unpleasant situation - for example, if the paws or shuttles for your unit turn out to be non-standard.

What type is she?

Every single sewing machine is divided into two categories:

• industrial;
• household.

They have several significant differences:

1. Household - universal, they perform all operations with sufficient quality.
2. Industrial - specialized, doing one or two operations, but flawlessly.

Important! Home appliances are much quieter than those intended for production. In addition, they are cheaper, and significantly.

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Sewing machine for home

Household machines, in turn, are divided into several types:

• mechanical;
• electromechanical;
• with program management;
• sewing and embroidery;
• embroidery
• overlocks;
• stitching;
• carpetlocks.

Mechanical

A mechanical typewriter can now be found only in the apartment of some lovers of needlework with great experience, and even in an antique or thrift store. This is a simple and reliable unit that practically does not fail.

Important! “Singer” or “Podolsk” with manual or foot drive, released fifty or even a hundred years ago, still work, and they can do a lot. The stitch length is adjustable, there are several types of stitches, some of them can also be embroidered, and their legs, needles or shuttles are standard.

Electromechanical

The most popular type. From mechanical they differ only in the presence of an electric drive. This makes it possible for the seamstress not to think every minute about the coordination of movements of the arms and legs - you can focus on the line.

Such machines are very reliable, because there’s nothing to break into them - the entire internal part is a set of gears, shafts and levers, which can be replaced if necessary. Such “mechanical seamstresses” are quite cheap. It is very important that repairs are inexpensive.

Important! The main disadvantage is the small number of functions compared to computer ones. This is the perfect sewing machine for beginners.

Programmed

Inside such machines are not only shafts and levers, but also a computer board. This is a kind of brain device, which allows the use of very intricate lines.

Important! The number of functions depends on the amount of memory.

In addition to the line configuration:

1. You will find different types of loops - up to fifteen. You can also perform curly chains of different elements, such as stars and leaflets.
2. Even the overlock here is not simple, but “with tricks” - it gives up to a dozen kinds of lines, not to mention the fact that such delicate and difficult to process material as knitwear can be sewn in dozens of different ways.

Important! Of course, a “smart” assistant will cost more than her electromechanical sister. The difference is about three times. Before you go to pay for such a valuable acquisition, think - do you really need all this abundance of opportunities? In fact, you will use a few simple stitches, overlock and knit, and you probably don’t want to stitch the stitches in all fifteen ways.

A significant advantage of this machine is its speed and a perfectly tuned mechanism. If you are going to create original models with a large number of folds, frills, and you will work all day - you need just such an aggregate.

Important! Computer "seamstress" - the creation is rather capricious and requires, in which case, a rather expensive repair.

And the seamstress and embroiderer

Despite the name, embroidery and sewing-embroidery machines can not only decorate clothes and linen. They are almost universal - in any case, it is definitely possible to grind details and make a decorative line on them. Their main purpose is just embroidery, not sewing. Such machines are also in the factory, but there they are rigidly tuned to embroidery.

Inexpensive cars of this type are not particularly reliable, in addition, they are very finicky and require precise action. Of this pair, embroidery is more reliable - of course, to perform its basic tasks. Sewing and embroidery - not a very successful hybrid, which copes with sewing worse than an electromechanical and mechanical machine, and inferior to embroidery in embroidery.

Flat or stitched

These are highly specialized household appliances, but a few words need to be said about them. They run a flat elastic seam on knitwear. The device copes well with the hem of a knitted dress or t-shirt, but is no longer suitable for anything. The same functions are performed by the carpet.

Important! It makes sense to purchase such a device only if you are going to seriously engage in knitwear. But even then, other options are possible - for example, a special knitted needle on another device.

Overlock

This device is designed for seams. It is not necessary to buy it separately - it is included in the package of many models and machines with program control.

But you have a reliable mechanical or electromechanical machine, an overlock will not bother you. In addition, the seam that he gives is superior in quality to what can be obtained on a programmed device.

Important! This is not the best sewing machine for the home, but a must for anyone who sews a lot.

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Soberly assess the possibilities

It is hardly worth focusing only on the number of lines and types of loops. When choosing, pay attention to the following points:

• type of fabric;
• stitch length;
• type of shuttle;
• kind of loop.

Type of fabric

There are universal units that work equally well with delicate silk, and with easy-to-process cotton, and with cloth. But on sale you can find cars designed for materials of a certain thickness:

• A universal machine is good for simple work.
• But if you are going to sew ball gowns most often, the device for light tissues is more suitable, it performs this task better than the universal one.

Stitch length

Pay attention to the maximum stitch length and zigzag width. The first can be 5 mm, the second - 7 mm. This is an ideal option.

Talk about shuttles

Shuttles in household machines are of two types:

1. vertical
2. horizontal.

Important! The bobbin cap on the vertical hook is removed. Horizontal shuttles do not have a bobbin case. In older machines, the first option is often found, in modern ones - the second.

Hinges

What loop does the unit you select give? Buttonhole can be:

• Automatic
• semi-automatic.

What is the difference:

1. In the first case, you will get the opportunity to make seven types of loops, and in addition, the loop is obtained exactly to the size of the button - the smart device remembers the size and can repeat the operation.
2. With semi-automatic sewing, you will have to control the size, for which the marking on the foot serves. The loop is made in a more complicated way than in the first case - in four steps.

Nice additions

There are several functions that will make needlework a pleasant process, although they are not required. It:

• built-in needle threader;
• foot adapted for a double needle;
• needle positioning device;
• the ability to work without a pedal;
• the ability to work without external speed control.

Important! These additional features are especially important for those who are going to engage in sewing seriously.

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Briefly about accessories

The cheapest in any case will be the basic equipment. But is it always convenient? The foot, needle and thread are no less important for the final result than the machine itself.See if the manual contains a table of the ratio of the thickness of the needles and threads for different materials.

If you are going to work with knitwear, denim or leather, special needles will be a nice addition to the basic configuration. They, of course, can be bought separately.

Pay attention to the paws - there can also be several of them, but in general there are a great many. Teflon feet, for example, are not included in the basic package, but they are very convenient.

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What else do you need to check?

Which sewing machine is better? - The one that does what is required of it, and does not break. Having dealt with the functions and equipment, pay attention to:

• material of parts and housing;
• puncture force;
• sewing speed;
• foot pressure on the fabric;

Helpful hints:

1. The “insides” of cheap cars are often made of plastic. It is very unreliable, plastic is fragile and does not withstand all the loads. Metal parts are much preferable, so feel free to pester questions from a consultant.
2. Check the power. This is especially important if you intend to work with dense materials. In good cars there is a mechanism for regulating the puncture force.
3. Try with what force you need to press the pedal so that the machine sews quickly. The pressure of the foot is important for the foot to rise high.

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Stock footage

Now you know everything that is necessary in order to choose a sewing machine for home use. We hope you were able to distinguish a really high-quality and reliable model and did not succumb to the tricks of the manufacturers, but took the model whose set of functions meets your real needs.