View Full Version : Affordable Sewing
I'm trying to come up with a way to get access to a high-quality sewing machine (because there is nothing quite as frustrating a sewing machine that keeps breaking) without spending too much money. Does anyone have experience with refurbished sewing machines? I also have a lack of space, so I'm thinking about signing up for time at a sewing studio of some sort instead of buying a machine. Has anyone tried this? Was it a good experience? (I'm in Vancouver, BC, so specifics about studios here would be great, but I'm looking more for general advice.)
Maxamillion
7-8-11, 5:42pm
Both of my sewing machines were second-hand. I bought one for $35, and once I re-adjusted the bobbin tension, it worked great. The other one my sister gave to me; I haven't been able to get a sewing space set up yet since I moved, so I haven't tried it out yet. According to her, the one she gave me was a fairly expensive model. My embroidery machine I got off of ebay last year. Even though it's about 8 years old, it works pretty good and I got it at a fraction of the cost of a new one. You might could check on craigslist and see if anyone has a sewing machine there for sale.
I see good machines all the time on our Craigslists. I've never heard of a sewing studio to rent time.....that's a good idea. I did take a sewing class thru the vo-tech last fall with a friend. I didn't learn anything new but it was sure fun to sew in a group. Now a group from my church gets together. Its pretty fun to chat and have 6-8 machines going.
I find that the brand name stores, like Bernina and Pfaff, often have older machines that have been traded in on more expensive machines. These machines are checked out by the professional staff and are "sew ready," at a fraction of what they cost new. If you're willing to buy a used machine that's a little bit out of date, you can find some good deals.
loosechickens
7-9-11, 1:30am
I was a professional seamstress and had a sewing business at one time, in a past life, and still sew on a 1983 Bernina 830 sewing machine, which I wouldn't trade for the fanciest, computerized sewing machine on the market.
Look for a quality sewing machine from a good manufacturer, Bernina, Viking, etc., and buy used. Sewing machines should sew well for fifty years or more, and believe me, my Bernina has many, many thousands of hours on it, and has NEVER once needed to be repaired (although I do have it professionally cleaned and oiled every year or so, and do in-between cleanings and oilings myself).
You're always better with a good quality used machine, and as several have said, they can be had for a small fraction of the price of a new machine.
And for sewing inexpensively, haunt thrift stores, learn to see items with generous amounts of fabric, such as long, gathered skirts, bedspreads and curtains, even sheets as "fabric" and repurpose them. For a long time, back in the day, I would look through "free boxes" at yard sales and salvage items for the fabric, buttons or zippers.......There are lots of ways to sew inexpensively other than going to a fabric store and buying patterns, fabric and notions.........
loosechickens, my mom has a Bernina from a similar era and swears she will never, ever get rid of it because it was the last model they made that had all metal (rather than plastic parts and so they're very reliable. Is that what you have? Do you know if it's even possible to find one that old. I would be quite happy to find a decent older sewing machine. That's what I learned to sew on (mom's sewing machine) and I really don't know what I'd do with the fancy computerized stuff.
And for sewing inexpensively, haunt thrift stores, learn to see items with generous amounts of fabric, such as long, gathered skirts, bedspreads and curtains, even sheets as "fabric" and repurpose them. For a long time, back in the day, I would look through "free boxes" at yard sales and salvage items for the fabric, buttons or zippers.......There are lots of ways to sew inexpensively other than going to a fabric store and buying patterns, fabric and notions.........
Thats what I do. In fact today I'm making a double layer skirt out of a huge tablecloth that I bought for $2.00 at the Thrift shop and I've got some porch pillows to sew up from a sheet I bought for $1.00. Meanwhile the last fabric I bought at the fabric store was over $50 and I can't figure out what I want to make with it yet and that's been over 6 mts since I bought it.
I love my little old Singer Featherweight machine which has served 3 generations of women in my family. It's portable, it's easy to pull out and set up and get going.
In my younger years I had trouble with it and once took it in for reconditioning, but in the end, I think the problem was me and not the machine. Oh, also I had only 2 bobbins and they were bent. Doh. I was thrilled to find bunches of bobbins on Ebay for little money.
One day I made myself sit down and read the instruction booklet form beginning to end, and from that day following instructions for tension and bobbin filling, I am A-OK at it.
i got a vintage machine at the thrift store and spent $100 to have it cleaned and fixed up ... but it ended up not being for me. i don't need a lot of decorative stitches, but i do need more than a straight stitch from time to time. i gave this one to my sis-in-law who is just learning and she likes it.
for wear the shift R&D (and a little bit of production), my biz partner and i mostly use new brother machines, very inexpensive and not super feature rich. i have this machine from costco: http://reviews.costco.com/2070/11222787/brother-sewing-brother-computerized-110-stitch-function-sewing-machine-reviews/reviews.htm and i really love it, from the threading assist to the picture frame on the front. does a great job and i was off and running within like 10 minutes of taking it out of the box. unfortunately it's not available right now, but i've also had good luck with other brother machines.
like this one that i got for like $60 on overstock.com: http://www.overstock.com/Crafts-Sewing/Brother-LX-3125-Sewing-Machine-Refurbished/4395190/product.html?rcmndsrc=2 ... it is AWESOME. very basic, sturdy, easy to use. the one bad thing about it is that there's no blind hem stitch. other than that, it has everything i want.
if you want to look around for a vintage machine, you can't do much better than the singer featherweight. but it can take some time and hassle to find a good one with all the parts you need, extra bobbins, etc. if you just want to do basic sewing and get started right away with a minimum of muss or fuss, and you don't need a lot of fancy stitches, i would try the $60 machine on overstock.
Wow, thanks so much for all the suggestions.
I'm not worrying so much about finding cheap fabric yet, because I have tons around that still needs to be used. I also have a friend who owns a fledgling fabric store, and I'm okay with spending a bit more to support her efforts. There are also a few places in town where you can get really good deals on fabric.
madgeylou, I've avoided the Brother machines from Costco because I'd heard the quality isn't very good and they have lots of tension problems, etc. I'm glad to hear you've had good luck with them. I might reconsider.
I found a sewing studio in town. It's part of a small fabric store, but they offer classes as well as fully stocked sewing stations for $8/hour. Since I have space constraints and would rather not have to store a sewing machine as well as a cutting mat, etc, etc, I'm leaning towards that for the short term. Then I can see if I go enough to justify getting my own machine.
loosechickens
7-9-11, 3:39pm
Yes, Perplexa....My Bernina 830 is practically the last one Bernina made with the metal parts......they made that 830 almost unchanged for 20 years, and it was the workhorse of professional tailors and seamstresses, then in the mid 80s, they entered the "home sewer" market seriously, and began the game of new models each year, then the computerized ones, getting fancier and fancier.
And, yes, I wouldn't trade my 830 for anything......I live in dread of something happening to it. I've read online that after many thousands of hours of use, there is something in the bushings in the motor that wears out, and since a fire at the Bernina factory some years ago that burned up a huge stock of spare parts for older machines, they no longer make the parts to repair that problem. So far, mine is fine, but I sewed day in and day out on it for years and years when I sewed for a business, so it's already had more use than a home machine could get in several lifetimes, so I keep my fingers crossed.......
When I clean it and oil it, I like to sit there with the top open and just listen to it purr when I run it......I really do understand what they meant when they talked about "fine Swiss watch", as I watch the inner workings of that machine, so quiet, so smooth, just a perfect example of quality workmanship and something built to perform AND to last.
Of course, those 830s lasted so long that people never got another one, (like me), so in a world that demands growth, and more and more business, guess they had to change their focus, and at least they still make a good machine. I have a friend with a new, top of the line Bernina and I have to say, it's really nice, but doesn't tempt me at all to trade in my 830.....
The shop where I take both my Kirby vac and my sewing machine for repair/tune-ups usually has a number of used machines for sale. I assume they're trade-ins or machines people just never picked up. Might be a good place to look, too.
I know where you're coming from loosechix...I have an old Singer from the 70s which is a boat anchor. But I love it and will not trade it in, either.
I stopped by the sewing studio in town last weekend...and ended up spending an hour an a half talking to the owner. It's a really cute little place. Their fabric selection is tiny and expensive (but well chosen), but they have Elna machines that they're very happy with that are available to use. You don't even have to sign up to use a machine, just drop in, but he said that if I called before I came in, he'd hold a machine for me because I'm coming from sort of far away. The place feels like a friendly yarn shop, only for sewing instead of knitting. People wander in, work on their sewing projects, get help when they need it, etc.
I also seem to have found the place to go for sewing machine repairs, so I'll talk to them at some point about getting a used machine. I saw several reviews on line from people who bought cheap old machines on craigslist and took them in to him. He fixed them up and even gave them photos with voice recording explaining all the parts of the machine, exactly what was missing/broken, and exactly what he was doing to fix it. Very cool.
Thank you all for the suggestions!
I am using my mother's 1960's Singer. It is wonderful. Once I took it in for cleaning and oiling and the manager told me that if I ever wanted to sell it, she would buy it in an instant. Never!!!
I actually saw a Bernina 830 in Craigslist yesterday. I was sooooo tempted to just snap it up, but I can't justify throwing down $400 on a whim. It makes me hopeful that another one will appear when I get really serious about buying one.
I would second picking up an early '80's mechanical Bernina. Mom has one and it's going strong. DW's grandma has a slightly newer one when they introduced the electronic models. I'm hoping, given how much we paid, that DW's Bernina will make it at least half as long ;)
We have a late 40's Viking also that works great after we serviced it. I'm guessing something like that would be a really cheap pickup on Craigs List. Although, I'd want to have a competent repair man go over it first.
Oh, and I own a newer Viking that's worked very well. It's currently on loan out to my aunt. Build quality and stitch control isn't nearly on par with the Bernina, but it's still good.
eta: My Viking is one of the slightly more expensive "still mostly made in Sweden" models.
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