Help Wife wants a new sewing machine
- Thread starter mecoastie
- Start date
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
I'd get a Janome, but then I have three of them. Take her to a local quilt shop that sells machines and have her try them out.
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
The Janome's will, I have a 6500 and it out performs my Singers from the 50's.
kyrsyan
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I haven't been able to afford one of those. I have a Singer 15-91, a Singer 201, and a Husqvarna Viking Optima 190. I wouldn't trade them for the world.
AlaskaSue
North to the Future
I second the Janome - my sons gave me a beaut (the 6600) which I use for quilts and for clothing construction. And I have a gorgeous Janome hand-crank. Janome can be fairly spendy but not as much as a Bernina (the Rolls Royce of sewing machines imho); a more basic machine I also like is Brother - which is my back-up (my prolific, quilting step-mom got one for back-up, too...and she does have a Bernina). The Brother that I have is very basic and gets the job done with no fuss, and cost around $100. Sadly, I lost my million-mile Singer in the fire this spring 
but it was a real work-horse!
but it was a real work-horse!
Broken Arrow
Heathen Pagan Witch
I went the other way and found a vintage Singer that does a much better job than my other 1990's Singer. This thing goes thru everything i've put under the foot.
Last edited:
West
Senior
Singer 201s are thev work horses and the 221s are the unicorns.
However the newer Brothers or Eversewns are excellent machines for the monies. Follow the operating/users manuals! And get her done!
All the best.
As a husband of a quilter, don't fight the cost for a nice set up for your wife to learn a real trade!
And be vary happy that she don't want to do quilts with a machine called a "long arm".
A 12 foot long arm requires a special room. And cutting tables with design walls.
This means huge cost for the addition to your home.
For us it meant. Combining two rooms to one and adding a 6 foot x 25 foot addition.
The long arm only cost about half of what the additional cost was for the addition.
I see it all as a SHTF back up to at least make a living. If I can keep it running.
Best of luck all!
However the newer Brothers or Eversewns are excellent machines for the monies. Follow the operating/users manuals! And get her done!
All the best.
As a husband of a quilter, don't fight the cost for a nice set up for your wife to learn a real trade!
And be vary happy that she don't want to do quilts with a machine called a "long arm".
A 12 foot long arm requires a special room. And cutting tables with design walls.
This means huge cost for the addition to your home.
For us it meant. Combining two rooms to one and adding a 6 foot x 25 foot addition.
The long arm only cost about half of what the additional cost was for the addition.
I see it all as a SHTF back up to at least make a living. If I can keep it running.
Best of luck all!
Codeno
Veteran Member
My mom was the best seamstress I have ever known, could make anything from men's business suits to drapes. Made us all some of the coolest one of a kind clothes in all of Colorado.
She swore by her Bernina.
I don't know anything about them personally, other than they are high end.
sewinginsight.com
She swore by her Bernina.
I don't know anything about them personally, other than they are high end.
7 Best BERNINA Sewing, Quilting & Embroidery Machine Reviews (2024 update)
This updated post details the best Bernina sewing machine reviews and the history of this Swiss giant! Read more...
sewinginsight.com
Kenmore from I am guessing the 90s.
O2BNOK
Veteran Member
I used to work for a shop that sold Berninas. $Multi-K for almost anything other than the small Bernettes. Superlative machines to sew on. Until they decide to not do what they are supposed to be doing. Was nice having a tech in the other room. Service and parts are expensive, not always available and one needs a lot of them to really put the machine through its' paces. I wouldn't own one...
I have several vintage singers, reliable, mechanical, love them for my needs.
Janomes are nice enough, Eversewns and Brother are good, again for my needs.
Good luck finding one she'll enjoy working with.
I have several vintage singers, reliable, mechanical, love them for my needs.
Janomes are nice enough, Eversewns and Brother are good, again for my needs.
Good luck finding one she'll enjoy working with.
kyrsyan
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Mom has a 221. She doesn't sew often but she loves her machine.
Kenmore was a good solid midline machine. She probably won't like the cheap, off the shelf machines at WW. But as someone above said, take her to a quilt shop that will let her try some machines. You can probably find one she likes without breaking the bank.
Kenmore was a good solid midline machine. She probably won't like the cheap, off the shelf machines at WW. But as someone above said, take her to a quilt shop that will let her try some machines. You can probably find one she likes without breaking the bank.
Walrus Whisperer
Hope in chains...
I have an old Huskvarna, I call her THOR. This machine has sewn two huge quilts. My Grandson has my king size one(purple and green). The other one is on my bed.
Find out what she wants, then it won't be your fault if she doesn't like it
GeneSD
Retired December 31 2022
So as a husband of someone who sews a lot, I would let the wife find the machine that she wants to work with. They tend to have an idea of what they want, kind of like us guys when it comes to guns and tools you wouldn't let the wife choose any of those for you. "Happy wife Happy life!"
pauldingbabe
The Great Cat
Love my Husqvarna!
I also have a nice singer and a serger.
Now if I want to make a living with a machine? Gimme a Pfaff!
$$$$, can't F with it tho.
Smoke
Veteran Member
My thought on this is to get the best you can afford, because you know sooner or later she is going to want it.. Look around, if she decides to do quilts, spend the money, of course for quilts she will need a long arm or throat so there is room for the material. Either that of just buy her a bunch of needles for when the power goes out 
nomifyle
TB Fanatic
I lost my wonderful singer from the 80's in katrina and I replaced it with a small singer from walmart back in '06, it was years before I even took it out of the box and I've still never used it. I have no recommendation except they don't make them like they use to. I hand sew.
Took her Kenmore to the repair shop to be cleaned and for a tune up. She likes it and would rather do that than get a new one. The tag is missing on it but I think it is a Kenmore 385.12614490 from looking at the pics on Ebay. Its 160 plus parts. They are selling the same machine still made by Janome for 199. Going to take her over there in the morning to check out machines.
Instead of addition/modification to your home, you could consider a prefabbed "she shed"/storage building or maybe a free-standing steel building. Suggestions: figure out the electrical needs, then double it. Put in a half bath, sink and toilet, and a changing room if they are going to be making clothes. You cannot have too many shelves or hanging poles. NO CARPET! Either a small air compressor or compressed air tank makes maintaining sewing machines easier. A good shop vac is handy to have.
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
The ONLY thing in our pre-nup... you are never allowed to touch my fabric scissors w/o my permission and direct supervision, doing so is grounds for immediate divorce!
I think my mom has 10+ machines.
5-6 stay set up.
Different tools for different jobs.
5-6 stay set up.
Different tools for different jobs.
My wife gives me her sewing scissors....... To sharpen. Yes, I have extra fine stones.