Shopping smart for a sewing machine is not only a clever decision, but also a financial one. The machine you choose will be an investment, no matter what you plan on using it for. Though often the usage will dictate the type of machine you buy.

The first thing you must decide is WHY are you buying a machine? What do you intend on using such an investment for? Do you sew often? Or are you a beginner? Would you want to use it for making your children's clothing, or for creating product for selling?

If you are a beginner, then purchasing a model with all the bells and whistles might not be in your best interest. Often when we start out learning a new skill there is a learning curve, and in that curve we either excel, or move on to the next thing. If your future spins more to the later of the two, purchasing an inexpensive beginner model is always advised. For a beginner--make sure sewing is really what you want to do.

For the seasoned sewer, there comes a decision of the purpose for the machine. I like to break these categories into two: Domestic and Commercial. Please note that they're not wholly exclusive of one another, but using these terms does help when I'm looking at which model to invest in.

With Domestic usage I think more of basic garment darning or creation. Your impetus for buying a new machine might be the age of your previous one, and if you've found in the past you've not used the extras, such as embroidery or fancy stitching, and solely used it for hemming and attaching buttons, then looking at the basic model would be where to start.

As a Side-bar to the Domestic purchaser, you might want to consider spending a bit more if you have teenagers who often admire the specialty stitching seen on store bought clothing. Many of these machines have built-in embroidery design editing, and if you can master a bit of the fancy stuff for shirts and jeans, your teenager just might appreciate your efforts.

Commercial purchasers are where I sew everything else, even quilting. Why quilting? Because making these takes time and energy and are often made to sell. Those of us, who want to sew clothing, quilts, sweaters, shirts, socks, sheets, pillow cases, etc., do this mostly to add the design and specialty stitching. Here again is where the preprogrammed monograms and embroidery extras come in--but this is also where the money comes in too.

After you figure out why you want a machine, for the first time or to replace an aging one, budget is where the real decision-making comes in. Prices on today's sewing machines range from $100/500 for bargain model, and the combination sewing/embroidery models range from $2,000/8,000. Determine what you can spend and for what purpose you need it. You might luck out and only need a basic version with no fancy attachments.

Another side-bar: of you do want to use the machine for more fancy stuff, but find your budget is better for basic models new, I would suggest bargain hunting on discontinued models.

Finally, find a reputable dealer. A good dealer will provide support, advice, classes and service for the life of your machine. Ask sewing friends for recommendations or visit the websites and bring along a checklist of the features you want. Try out a variety of stitches and compare how each performs on different models. you could bring your own fabric samples from home to try how the stitches will perform on the material you use most often. Check the ease of changing threads, bobbin winding and changing accessories and attachments. Make sure you find out about the warranty and service plan.

Keep in mind that expensive doesn't always mean better machine. Today's machines, with the advance in technology, features automatic buttonholes, built-in decorative stitches and automatic tension adjustments in the most basic machines. Shop around before you buy.



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