Are you ready to buy your first sewing machine? Fantastic! However, you have no idea where to start because you are overwhelmed by all the choices? Let me help you.
Buying a Sewing Machine – Test Drive Before you Buy
When buying a sewing machine, test drive before you buy. This means that buying online, unless you have no other choice, is not your best option.
Sewing Machine Dealers
The first thing I want you to do is Google “sewing machine dealers near me.” This will tell you if you have any local or localish dealers nearby. I would consider my dealer to be localish as he’s 50 minutes away by car and highway.
You may be wondering why I’m advising you to purchase from a dealer. There are three big reasons:
- They will teach you how to use your machine,
- They will be there when your machine needs servicing,
- You can often purchase machines that have been used as a trade-in when one of their customers upgraded. These machines are under warranty and often available at far less than MSRP. As a result, you get far more bang for your buck.
Big Box stores and Amazon cannot offer you this.
I know many people are intimidated to deal with someone one on one like this, but you will be ok. Some dealers will haggle while others will stick to MSRP. While it’s a good idea to try to get the best price, make sure the dealer you choose is someone you trust and not just someone out to make a quick buck.
Test Drive
Go into the dealer with a clear idea of what you want, at least as clear as you can at this point. You need a machine for quilting. Quilting means both piecing and quilting, unless you want to outsource your quilting to a long arm quilter which is perfectly acceptable.
Try every machine that appeals to you and everything that the dealer suggests. You may be thinking that any machine made by x manufacturer will sew equally well. This is probably not true, and you need to like the feel of the machine.
If you have the opportunity to sew on multiple machines made by different manufacturers, that will give you great insight into what you like and don’t like.
Machine Manufacturers
In your search for a dealer, you will likely find them selling any of the following popular brands:
- Janome
- Brother
- Bernina
- Babylock
- Juki
While I am a Bernina girl, they are not for everyone. You need to find the machine that works for you, regardless of brand.
Remember, your first machine doesn’t have to be your last machine. You will probably find that as you gain skills that you may want more specialty stitches, a wider throat space to accommodate bigger quilts, or a computerized machine.
When the time comes, take your fabrics and threads and go back to a dealer to purchase your new machine. Make sure you keep your first machine as it is always best to have a backup when your other machine is in the shop. This way, you won’t be out of commission while you wait for your machine to come back.
Online Dealers
For those of you that don’t have sewing machine dealers nearby, an alternative is to purchase from an online sewing machine dealer. This way, you still get support when you need it.
I hope you have found this helpful. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to email me here. Thanks for reading.
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