Emergency advice needed please!

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Emergency advice needed please!

New postby lendube on Tue Nov 30, 2010 12:08 pm

Shopping for the fire dept. toy drive tomorrow. Just now found out that two of "my" kids, girls, aged 11, more than anything in the world want sewing machines and things to get started sewing. How fun, right? Now I just have to figure out which machine to get them. I have $130.00 per girl for the machine and some basic supplies.

Recommendations for a machine is what I need. There have got to be some "cheap" machines out there that aren't all bad, right? I'll do some research today and search the posts here because I do remember someone finding a good, inexpensive machine at WalMart recently I think. Yeah, not only does it have to be inexpensive and decent. It has to be readily available.......like tomorrow! Dh and I are headed out first thing and we'll have all the major stores available to go to.

Thanks, ladies!
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Re: Emergency advice needed please!

New postby temom on Tue Nov 30, 2010 1:22 pm

What about this: It is $135.00
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brother-50-St ... e/14237605

I bought this one for dd fro $199.00
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brother-80-St ... e/14237606

I am pleased as punch with dd's Brother. It does everything my expensive Viking does except for a couple of things, such as storing stitch sequences in memory and the fix.
The 199.00 one comes with extension table, dual feed foot, and free motion embroidery foot!
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Re: Emergency advice needed please!

New postby Mom of Six on Tue Nov 30, 2010 1:23 pm

I bought my DD a Singer for christmas a few years ago. It has been great. I paid $89 at a day after Thanksgiving sale & got a free case.
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Re: Emergency advice needed please!

New postby lendube on Tue Nov 30, 2010 2:20 pm

Thanks, ladies. Those are a bit pricey, Theresa, but you never know what discount is available if I just ask. :D And smile a lot. ;)

Barb, I bet that one would be terrific too, if I get lucky enough to happen upon a sale.

I also had another idea in the meantime and I'll post about it IF I hear back. Well, I'll post about it anyway....... 8-)
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Re: Emergency advice needed please!

New postby kaitlinnegan on Tue Nov 30, 2010 4:05 pm

My sewing machine is a "budget" Singer - it was about $135 when I bought it. There were similar models for about $90 with fewer bells and whistles (fewer decorative stitches, 4-step buttonhole instead of one step, etc) that probably would have been fine as well. I don't remember finding much for less than $90, but I'd say if it's a brand you recognize (Singer, Brother, White), it's probably going to be an OK machine. The best thing would be if there are reviews on PatternReview, but that might be rare since they seem to change models fairly frequently. Beware the Amazon reviews - many of the bad reviews are coming from people who don't know how to sew. For example, people said my machine was too hard to thread - well..it threads like any other sewing machine I've ever seen! Sure, it doesn't thread itself..but what do you expect?

Hancock used to have a "mini" (3/4 size, I think) machine for about $40-50 - I think the reviews were pretty decent on PatternReview. Maybe they still have it?

It might be a long shot and too much trouble, but any chance you might find something for cheap on craigslist or a local thrift shop? In my area, older basic machines seem to come up regularly and go for maybe $25-50. Of course you wouldn't want something that needs work done. As you might remember, I got my vintage Kenmore for $10 at a thrift store and it works perfectly.

If you can wait a couple of days, there are some decent looking machines with free shipping on Amazon (2-day if you have Amazon Prime) - 2 Brothers and 1 Singer in the $80-90 range. But, that doesn't leave a lot for supplies.
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Re: Emergency advice needed please!

New postby LeapFrog Libby on Tue Nov 30, 2010 5:35 pm

When my GD decided she wanted to learn to sew, my son went to Target on Black Friday and got a Singer for $65.00. It is a great machine and she has never had any trouble with it, except that she would not look at the diagram and always threaded it wrong. I wanted to pinch her several times, but I controlled my impulses.. LOL That machine is doing great work and that has been 3 or 4 years ago, now.. Gd makes lots and lots of purses and tote bags. She makes them for friends and relatives and teachers.
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Re: Emergency advice needed please!

New postby MartySews2 on Tue Nov 30, 2010 5:36 pm

The "Hello Kitty" sewing machine has received some very good reviews. It's in the $40-50 range I think. It has several basic stitches & a 4 step buttonhole. Another one is the Janome Mini sewing machine. Sears also has one too which one of my guild members used for about 2 years for her sewing business. These are not for heavy duty sewing but for basic beginners in a low end price range, they will work.
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Re: Emergency advice needed please!

New postby dmoses on Tue Nov 30, 2010 6:20 pm

Do you have a JoAnn's nearby? They have a Singer Simple 3116 on sale until Saturday for $99.99.
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Re: Emergency advice needed please!

New postby bridesmom on Tue Nov 30, 2010 9:39 pm

I have no ideas but it sure sounds like a fun thing to buy for! I'm excited to hear what you came up with. Those will be two very happy little girls come Christmas morning.
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Re: Emergency advice needed please!

New postby sewingmom on Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:12 am

Lennie, Do not buy the Janome sew mini as I did. It is pretty pathetic IMHO. Also I test drove a Hello Kitty a few weeks ago and it wouldn't make the 3 step buttonhole. Maybe the demo model I tried had been abused..I don't know. I love my janome machines but I think either of these might be a source of discouragment.
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