Advice on sewing machine

[kalinda]

Hi all,
First I hope I am on the right board for this post.
I don't really do much sewing but I have made some cushions before and taken in curtains and I was only last week taking in some net curtains, which done by hand is just a very laborious task.
Anyway, I was thinking of treating myself to a sewing machine this year, something I have talked about for years but never done. But I do not know the first thing about them.
could you please help? I don't need anything extraordinary or extremely expensive. Something that is going to cope with odd here and there will be good enough for the use I am going to give it, I am not planning on using it every month.
I have seen this offer http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pa...ALB5QE01OKQQ60
in Lidl and I do wonder whether it's worth buying or is this going to be a move I will regret?
Thanks in advance,
Monica

[Caroleecrafts]

To be honest for that money and with the guarantee you really have nothing to lose. This would be ideal to test before investing in another make. I use Janome's I have the 9000 and the gem gold, which I use for freestyle sewing onto my painted backgrounds.

I have also heard that Lidl is always good value or money.

[craftynclothy]

I too have a Janome and love it. I did a fashion course last year and a couple of people on that bought the Lidl one in your link and got on fine with it. If you're only going to use it occasionally I'm sure it would be fine.

[silvermaid]

My mum bought one like that from lidl when it was on offer last time and she is very pleased with hers. She is a trained seamstress and knows her machines, but doesn't do much sewing now so couldn't justify buying an expensive one. It is very similar to my Toyota and easy to use.
Like the others have said with a 3 year warranty you can't go wrong.

Melanie

[kalinda]

Thanks for that everybody.
Well, there comes one of my Chirstmas presents then. And I am going to be sooo pleased about having a sewing machine...
Thanks again,
Monica

[crafterholic]

Hi! Sorry to hijack the thread but I too need a sewign machine and I have upto max of £180.
I will be using it alot eventually and I need it to be reliable and long-lasting above everything else. I don't need many fancy stitches, but maybe a few lol
Thanks in advance

[brittone05]

The Lidl machine does get some okay reviews on sewing sites. I am personally not a fan of non-branded machines and would rather invest my cash in a pre-owned machine form a dealer who can supply a service history adn such with a machine.

Crafter - for £180 you should be able to pick up a good machine. I would look into brands such as Janome, Brother or Husqvarna and definitely find a dealer local to yourself who can offer you the chance to have a play on the machines within your price range on a variety of fabrics so you can see which machine you feel okay working on.

A good dealer will have no worries showing you the machines, explaining what benefits or pitfalls each machine has and so on.

It is also worth checking the costs of accessories for the machine you decide to go with too - Janome are usually very reaosnable on their pricing and variety of accessories

[silvermaid]

Crafter - I agree with brittone if you are planning to do a lot of sewing and want a long lasting machine then I would look at the 'big name' brands. You may not get as many fancy 'bits' or range of stitches for your money but you know it will be a good machine.
I tried out several machines in the shop before I bought my Toyota. It has about 15 different stitches as well as the basic zig zag etc. Which is enough for me.
I would also ask about making buttonholes, you may need them at some time and some machines are a lot easier than others.

Melanie

[crafterholic]

Thanks guys!
:-)
I don't suppose any of you have a Innov-Is 10A sewing machine? Does it look good to you? Is having an LCD screen a good thing or have their been problems with them??
http://www.sewingmachine-sales.co.uk...chine-242.html