Sewing

[stilista]

Can some one recomend a good sewing machine for under $200?

I think the best ones are by Janome/New Home - I don't think Singer and Brother have made good budget machines for a while....I've used the same Janome machine for around 15 years and although it was fairly expensive for back then, it's still the best machine I've ever used. If you're ever looking for an overlocker/serger, I'd also recommend them.

Have a look on Ebay, there seems to be a ton of Janome machines under $200

 

[Elegance.Is.Refusal.]

thanx guys ! they were things that i made for my AS textiles coursework. wish i hadnt made the quilt so big though it was really hard to sew! and dont get me started on the quilting!

 

[purechris]

Space--look for a place that you can buy used. Bernina makes the best machins IMO. I've had a basic, solid metal one for over 15 years that works on the finest silks and leather. I was actually offered $200 to trade it in for a new one the last time I seriviced it! Check yard sales and thrift stores and take it to a reputable dealer/repair center to make it good as new. A basic service on a machine shouldn't cost more than $80 and you can find the machine for less than $50. Also, said shops sell refurbished machines for reasonable prices. Old Singers are great as well. I don't know about new, actually, didn't they go under? Not that that should discourage you from a used machine. My mom's is still up and running from the late 60s.

 

[softgrey]

i also have a bernina...it was recommended to me as being the high end of the affordable home machines....should last a lifetime i'm told...

i just got basic functions...no digital...electronics have a tendency to have complications and knobs usually don't...or so i'm told...

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

i've got a janome i think it was about £170, works well and isn't at all difficult to figure out

 

[evexa]

I use a Singer from the 50s/60s and it seems to work the best for me. I am not fond of the newer machines as the computerized functions and the plastics they are made from always seem to be breaking or overheating (unless you want to pay a packet).
Can't go wrong with singers from 1960 and below IMHO.

 

[misschloe]

I sew and would sew more if I had time. For now I have sewed myself pants and I'm working on a hoodie right now.

 

[TUGA]

It's actually a "new year's resolution" of mine: to start sewing clothes for myself. Until now I have had my mom make me TONS of clothes, some of which I designed. I've always STARTED making something for myself....but never finished .

Wish me luck with it this time around!!!

 

[Elegance.Is.Refusal.]

It's actually a "new year's resolution" of mine: to start sewing clothes for myself. Until now I have had my mom make me TONS of clothes, some of which I designed. I've always STARTED making something for myself....but never finished .

Wish me luck with it this time around!!!

hope you stick to it maybes you can post a pic when you've made something!

maybes start with small things first

 

[As You Like It]

The best first-project for a new dressmaker is an A-line skirt with an back or side zip and a faced waist. That is the easiest thing you can make that still looks like a stylish garment.

Simple trousers with a back zip and a faced waist are also good for a beginner project.

Probably next you could do a top with faced armholes and a faced neckline and a simple, buttoned front to get the practice making buttonholes. Then do a top with sleeves, so you can learn how to ease in sleeves.

Once you can sew a straight seam, lay a zipper in flat, do a decent buttonhole, and ease without leaving puckers or wrinkles, you are ready to do pretty much whatever you want. Just follow the instructions, take your time, and re-do stuff that doesn't come out right.

Patience is the main ingredient for successful sewing.

 

[TUGA]

Thanks for the advice, As you like it!!

 

[daworth]

Could anyone recommend a sewing class in manhattan (men's clothes)? I work near the fashion district, popped into several of those fabric shops and asked around for classes; they all looked at me like I was on crack. Nothing sticking out from google searches either.

I wonder if you can rent sewing rooms somewhere in the city as well, with a table and a machine to learn on for us spacially challenged tiny apartment types.

Thanks!

David

 

[urd]

I just made myself a black cotton shirt with high collar, puff sleeves ang black ribbon in the back

 

[Luna]

FIT has a menswear design major... maybe you could call up and see if you could take a few classes?

 

[A la mode]

I just finished the McQueen jacket from the showstudio web site. I am really happy with how it turned out.

 

[purechris]

You MUST post pictures!!!!

 

[softgrey]

yes...and you must as well chris...!!!

 

[A la mode]

I will, I just need to learn how to post pictures first.

 

[purechris]

I'm going to...eventually.

 

[tott]

About sewing machines, I agree about trying to find a good vintage one. Seriously, the old ones are built to last and can sew straight seams unlike some newer models. By straight, I mean that each individual stitch is actually straight; on modern machines you sometimes see that the individual stitches are ever so slightly off.

Back home in Sweden I have this old Singer which is the greatest, cost me about 150 € some years ago. The instruction booklet is a combined one for electric and manual models!