The sewing machine seemed complicated, we suggest you consider more simple instructions by purchase sewing machine for home.

Buying a sewing machine is quite a large investment.

Therefore, choose your machine carefully. See what different brands and models of sewing machines offer. As for prices, they also depend on the brand, model and features offered.

What should you check when purchasing?

  1. How well does the machine handle fabrics of varying thicknesses?
  2. The sewing speed should be smoothly controlled using the pedal. If there is no smoothness and jerking occurs, the clutch does not engage at the same point, then you should consider another machine.
  3. Check to see if the machine vibrates when sewing at different speeds.
  4. Check how much noise the machine makes at different sewing speeds.
  5. The light from the backlight should fall directly on the work area.
  6. How easy do you find threading the bobbin? Of course, if you are still a beginner, then this procedure may seem very complicated to you, but pay attention to it anyway. After all, there are machines with vertical and horizontal bobbin loading, which depends on the type of shuttle.
  7. Ask how to care for your machine. The seller will show you how difficult it is to disassemble the machine for subsequent cleaning.
  8. Please refer to the manual for using your sewing machine. Everything should be clear to you. It is very important that the tension of the upper and lower threads is easily adjusted in the machine.
  9. Look how even, smooth, beautiful and neat zigzag seams are on different types of fabric.
  10. What guarantees do the manufacturer and supplier provide for the operation of their product? Find out this right away before buying yourself a machine.

Choose the best machine for yourself

  • purchase sewing machine- This is a long term investment, for most people it can last 10 years or more
  • Always check immediately in the store how your machine will sew fabrics of different types and thicknesses
  • find out all the questions you have about the sewing machine you are purchasing

Determining the budget

  • a sewing machine will decorate your sewing room for a long time, and so that it does not stand idle, it is wise to immediately determine what you need from the machine
  • then take a look at the best sewing machines that can do everything you want, no more, no less
  • Buy the best quality sewing machine with the functions that you really need - and you won’t have to regret your choice.

Sewing supplies

The buyer of a sewing machine also needs to have an idea about the most necessary accessories and accessories for sewing machines.

Needles. You will notice that sewing machine needles come in a variety of colors and are also numbered by size. The color can indicate what types of fabrics the needle is intended for.

Conclusion: A sewing machine is like a car, the more you practice, the more you understand what you need.

In the huge variety of sewing techniques, it is difficult not only for beginners, but also for experienced craftsmen to make a choice. Every year new models appear, more improved and modernized. Moreover, this applies not only to professional equipment, but also to household sewing machines. What should you pay attention to, what functions can you not do without? These and some other questions can be answered in this article.

Key indicators

When purchasing your first machine, you should pay attention not only to the cost of the equipment, but also to the functionality. In addition, it doesn’t hurt to take a closer look at the appearance. There should be no scratches or chips on the equipment. Cracks on the case and an open box are clear signs that the equipment should be carefully examined and the contents checked.

In addition to appearance, you should check the quality of work. The most important indicators are the following:

  • stitch quality. The standard needle installed on most machines is No. 90, so it is advisable to check the work on fabric that corresponds to this size. It is optimal to use calico folded in two layers.
  • zig-zag line The suitable width is 4mm and the length is no more than 3mm. While doing the work, it doesn’t hurt to monitor the thread tension. It should not change when the fabric is moved. The top and bottom loops should be the same length. If not, try adjusting the tension. This may also be due to the characteristics of the shuttle mechanism.
  • several lines of non-material folded into one layer. All stitches must be the same, without gaps;
  • reverse The final stage, which also indicates the quality of the mechanism.

When performing a straight stitch, you need to make sure that the fabric does not lead to the side. To do this, you should remove your hands and continue to scribble. Acceptable limits are 5mm per 10cm of fabric. If the craftswoman sews on the bias, this figure can increase significantly.

When buying a sewing machine, craftswomen use it not only to perform basic stitches. Many also do decorative finishing. It should also be checked when purchasing equipment. It is optimal to choose a denser fabric or calico for this. It’s better to stitch from 5 to 10cm to see what kind of pattern you get. The more complex the stitching, the faster defects will be noticeable, especially if the machines are mechanical.

Finally, let us remind you that it doesn’t hurt to check how the loops are made, how the thread is wound on the bobbin and whether the other buttons function.

In fact, any, even the simplest sewing machine can help you create a masterpiece. After all, the era of the great couturiers occurred in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries, when sewing machines had just come into use and were quite simple. There was no talk of computer control or electric drive, but it was in those times that such great masters as Charles Worth, Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel lived and worked.

At the same time, it is foolish to deny that a good and correctly selected sewing machine significantly saves the time, effort and nerves of the master. How can you make the right choice, not get lost in the huge number of companies and models, choose from the list of functions what you need, and not pay extra?

Let's try to figure it out. First, decide exactly what you need the machine for. Do you just want to have it at hand so that you can shorten too long trousers yourself without having to run to the tailor every time, sew up a jacket torn by a child and cut a new curtain, and you are unlikely to aim for anything more? Maybe you have a desire to sew carnival costumes children - or are you ready to take a closer look at your wardrobe? If you are going to sew, then what? Summer dresses from light fabrics, or a coat and harsh jeans? Or maybe you are mainly focused on knitwear? Once you have decided, you can begin to select the optimal model for your purposes.

Let us define the points on which a choice must be made. Firstly, this is the manufacturer, secondly, the type of sewing machine, and thirdly - necessary set functions that will define a specific model. Let's start with the first one.

⇡ Manufacturer

Here, as in any other field, there are market leaders and little-known companies.

The most famous are Minerva, Bernina, Janome, Pfaff, Brother, Singer, Husqvarna. The choice among leading manufacturers is largely determined by personal preferences, the availability in the store of a selection of the machines themselves and additional accessories for them. You should also take into account the availability of service centers in your place of residence - with a high mileage of the machine, this factor begins to play a significant role.

With less well-known companies, everything is not so clear. Often, with the same set of functions, a machine from an unknown company costs significantly less. But, in addition to the obvious risk of getting worse quality, here you may stumble upon another pitfall: difficulties in purchasing extra legs and components. Little-known companies often have very exotic foot mounts or bobbin sizes. Therefore, if you still decide to save money, be sure to find out which accessories are suitable for this model, and whether you will have the opportunity to purchase them without unnecessary hassle and overpayments.

⇡ Types of sewing machines

All sewing machines are divided into industrial and household. Usually a household one can do a lot of things at once, and an industrial one can do one thing - but it can do this one thing very well and for days, years, kilometers - without breaking down. At least that's the idea.

However, industrial machines are unlikely to interest you, unless you intend to open a small sewing enterprise - they are very expensive, bulky and noisy in operation - so in this material we will concentrate on household ones. Household machines are divided into:

  • electromechanical,
  • computer,
  • sewing and embroidery
  • embroidery,
  • overlockers,
  • cover,
  • carpetlocks.

What does this all mean, and which category should you choose?

1. Electromechanical sewing machines- the simplest of all. The entire internal filling of such a machine is mechanics, that is, levers, shafts and gears. Only the motor that drives it all is electric.

  • 32 types of stitches
  • semi-automatic loop
  • vertical shuttle
  • stitch length 4 mm
  • stitch width 5 mm

The undoubted advantages of this type are reliability, low price, inexpensive repairs in case of breakdown. Conventional electromechanical machines are inferior to computer machines in the speed of operation and number of functions, since the technological design features do not allow the execution of lines of complex shapes, but they are perfect for beginning seamstresses, or those who want to have a reliable assistant for small household needs. However, coats, jeans, and ball gown A good and properly adjusted electromechanical machine is quite capable. The approximate price category of such machines is 3-5 thousand rubles. Simple, affordable, reliable.

2. Computer sewing machines They are distinguished by the presence of a computer board, which provides general management of the process, which allows this type of machine to carry out rather intricate stitch programs. The movement of the needle relative to the fabric is controlled by a microprocessor. What a particular model can do depends on the amount of memory and the number of programs of this machine “brain”.

  • 197 types of operations
  • automatic loop
  • horizontal shuttle
  • stitch length 4.5 mm
  • stitch width 7 mm

Their starting price is approximately two to three times higher than the price of electromechanical ones. At first glance, the huge number of stitch types seems to be an undoubted advantage. These include 15 types of different loops, and chains of different flowers and leaves, and a dozen overlock stitches, and knitted seams. But take a closer look at this list and think about which ones will you personally actually use? It turns out that you don’t need some of it at all, and some of it is just numerous duplicates of the same thing with minor deviations.

Personally, I regularly use six or seven of the 56 stitches I have in my machine, and use two more from time to time. However, one cannot help but notice that this already greatly expands my capabilities in comparison with working on an electromechanical sewing machine. So don’t be tempted by the excess of functions - it’s not at all a fact that you will need all of them. Or rather, the fact is that you are unlikely to ever try many of them.

Several types of overlock stitches, a knitted stitch, a triple reinforced stitch, a knitted loop and a buttonhole with an eye will be useful in your work - in addition to the regular loop, of course. The rest of the features are up to you, just don’t let the variety go to your head. It's a shame to pay extra money for something you will never use.

The undoubted advantage of a well-functioning computer machine is the speed and accuracy of its work. If your plans include kilometers of frills and sewing to order for 8 hours a day, a computer machine will significantly save you time and give you additional opportunities for creativity. A buttonhole with an eye is, of course, a small thing, but this little thing affects the entire look of the coat.

The disadvantages are the high price, capriciousness in setting up, and repairs, if anything happens, more expensive.

3. Sewing and embroidery machines. Everything is simple here, unlike industrial embroidery machines, which can, in fact, only embroider; such combines often combine two functions.

In my personal opinion, budget versions of sewing and embroidery machines combine these functions very poorly. They are too capricious compared to regular sewing machines, and compared to full-fledged embroidery machines, they are too limited in embroidery capabilities. And more expensive models They are also scared by the price. Therefore, I recommend considering this class of machines exclusively as embroidery machines and purchasing them based on these purposes.

Also, don’t think that if you buy an embroidery machine for 100-300 thousand, you will immediately create a masterpiece. Embroidery on a sewing machine is also an art that needs to be learned. In courses or independently, using books or online lessons. In general, working with it is somewhat reminiscent of working in Photoshop. You can go to a specialized website, type in motifs drawn by someone there, quickly read the instructions and glue them together as best you can, adding stars and hearts with a stamp. But if you look at the masterpieces created by professionals, it becomes clear that this is not even a third of the capabilities of this tool.

So, think carefully about whether you need this, and to be honest, in most cases it is much easier and incomparably cheaper to order embroidery from a workshop that already has serious equipment and good master. Outsourcing is everything to us. Personally, this is what I usually do.

4. Cover sewing machines. They are - flat stitch machines.

Designed to create an elastic flat seam used to close hem edges. knitwear. This whole complex word construction refers to that seam that you can see on the hem and sleeves of almost any T-shirt.

Among household machines, flat stitches can be made by two types: flat stitch machines and carpet lockers. A regular stitch looks the same on both the front and back sides, as the top thread is wrapped around the bottom thread (bobbin) and tightened. A flat or chain stitch looks different. It is obtained by simultaneous operation of two or more needles and loopers.

This type of sewing machine is designed to work with elastic “stretch” fabrics. If your main goal is T-shirts, swimsuits and tracksuits- it's your choice. Price category from 10-15 thousand.

5. Overlock is a machine with one or two needles, equipped with a trimming mechanism and designed for overcasting sections of a wide variety of sewing products. When choosing an overlocker, you should first of all focus on ease of threading and sewing. We should also not forget about the possibility of overcasting with different numbers of threads. Most overlockers perform 3- and 4-thread overcasting, suitable for most types of fabrics, and rolled edge overcasting. On higher-end overlockers there is a 2-thread overlock designed for the finest fabrics - such as silk or chiffon - as well as for decorative finishing.

In principle, overlocking functions are also available in computers. sewing machines. But a seam made with a real overlocker is much more accurate and reliable. In addition, the overlocker is equipped with knives that themselves cut off the excess allowance, leveling the edge, which significantly saves time. In general, if you sew regularly and the free space allows you to place two units, an overlocker will be a very useful acquisition, but if not, you can do without it. In any case, it does not replace a sewing machine, but only complements it. It is not intended for assembling product parts. The price for overlockers starts from 6 - 7 thousand, for 10 you can buy a quite decent model.

6. Coverlock is a relatively new invention that many are not particularly familiar with. Pfaff marketers came up with this name for their range of such machines and patented it, after which it firmly came into use. It combines the word “overlock” and the English term coverstitch, that is, “covering” or “closing” stitch. This machine can perform both overcasting of garments, and flat seams and straight chain stitch, that is, it combines an overlock and a flat stitch machine. The price for carpet locks is quite high and starts from 25-30 thousand.

Like a cover sewing machine, a carpet locker is designed to work with knitwear. The design also assumes the presence of several (from 2 to 10) upper threads and loopers, with the help of which you can create various, sometimes very complex seams, indistinguishable from industrial ones.

What to choose for working with knitwear - a carpet locker or a pair of overlockers plus a cover stitching machine? On the one hand, a carpet locker has a larger number of loopers, which allows you to make more complex seams; it alone takes up much less space, and its high price is quite comparable to the total cost of a cover stitcher and an overlocker. On the other hand, during processing garment You may need to first overlock, then flat stitch, overlock again, flat stitch again, and so on every five minutes.

In the case of two machines, this will not present any difficulty, and each time the carpet lock will have to be reconfigured from a flat seam to an overcast or overcast stitch and back. And this is a rather long and painstaking process, which even with skill takes several minutes. It’s up to you to decide what’s more convenient.

⇡ Model capabilities

This question is most acute when choosing a specific model of a computer sewing machine. It is with this type of machine that the number of lines often exceeds two hundred and causes ripples in the eyes and dizziness. You don’t need to start your choice with the number of lines. There are more important parameters that you should decide on first.

1. The type of fabrics the machine is designed to work with. There are machines for working with any type of fabric; there are models designed for light and medium, or vice versa, for medium and heavy fabrics. If you definitely know that your main area of ​​activity will be, for example, dance dresses made of silk and chiffon, take a machine for light fabrics, it will work with them better than a universal one. If your choice is a coat and jeans, consider models for medium and heavy fabrics. Usually they have a larger gap between the foot and the needle plate, which allows you to put a thicker layer of fabric under the foot, and a more powerful motor that can sew this layer.

2. Maximum stitch length (up to 5 mm) and maximum zigzag width (up to 7 mm). The larger these parameters are, the better: it expands the field of possibilities.

3. Shuttle type: the shuttle can be vertical, with a removable bobbin case, as well as horizontal, where there is no bobbin case. The second option is more modern and reliable - it has fewer parts that can break.

4. The loop can be automatic or semi-automatic. “Full” automatic machine allows you to perform up to 7 different types loops, in one operation sweep out a loop exactly to the size of the button, remember the size and repeat a loop of identical size the number of times you need.

Automatic buttonhole foot

A semi-automatic buttonhole is usually performed over simple models. Here you determine the size, guided by the markings on the foot, the loop is sewn in 4 consecutive operations. It’s not difficult and it’s not that long, but if you multiply it by 10, 20, 30 buttons per suit, the difference is quite significant.

Foot for semi-automatic buttonhole

5. Optional, but very convenient features are a built-in needle threader, the ability to sew with a double needle, a needle positioning button and a spot fastening button. If you are going to sew a lot, you should pay attention to the possibility of working without a pedal and external speed adjustment; this greatly saves your leg, which after four to five hours of continuous pressing the pedal begins to complain, and besides, the pedals fail faster than the machines themselves, and they do this, as a rule, at the most inopportune moment.

⇡ Additional accessories

The capabilities of the basic machine you purchased are far from the limit. Accessories play a huge role in the quality of the result and the speed of achieving it. The fact is that for a high-quality result it is very important to choose the right foot, needle and thread for each fabric and operation. The table for the ratio of the thickness of needles and threads is in the instructions for the sewing machine - and here you are unlikely to go wrong.

But in addition, there are special needles for difficult fabrics - for example, they will be needed for working with leather, denim, stretch fabrics and jersey. Different sharpening of the tip allows them to work most accurately with the material for which they are intended. Very often, situations arise when a novice seamstress scolds the machine for skipping stitches or other seam defects, but the problem is simply the wrong choice of needle.

There is also a huge variety of paws. On one of the largest Russian-language forums dedicated to needlework, the topic about various paws occupies more than 200 pages and is regularly updated. At the same time, only the bare minimum is included in the basic package. And this is where the initial choice of the machine begins to play a role - your capabilities may ultimately be limited by how easily you can purchase additional legs.

5. Foot for sewing, beads and sequins.

And hundreds more types of paws, attachments and devices designed to do what previously could only be done by hand. Make your work easier and turn sewing into a fun process.

⇡ Total

Of course, this is not all that can be said about sewing machines. Despite the apparent similarity, each model may have nuances and subtleties that will make it most suitable, or, conversely, unacceptable, for you personally. Convenience of threading, location of buttons and control levers, sound during operation, appearance of the light bulb and more, and more, and more.

Ideally, you should go to the showroom large store and sit at different models, thread the threads, sew a test stitch, trying out how it will be and whether it will be comfortable for you. If this is not possible, or you are sorely short of time for this, wait for the next releases. I will do this for you and share my impressions in as much detail as I can.

The first thing that draws attention is the appearance of the machine. Oddly enough, it is her attractiveness that sometimes becomes the decisive factor. Manufacturers understand this, so they try to ensure that the design of their products is modern and visually pleasing.

However, you should not give in to emotions; first, you should thoroughly study all the capabilities of the model, choose what you need, and then, from all the suitable ones, choose the one with the best appearance.

The criterion for choosing is the weight of the equipment. Please note that one machine can be several times heavier than another. The fact is that the material from which it is made is responsible for its “lightness”. The main components of such models are made of especially durable plastic, due to which their price is significantly lower. But at the same time, endurance decreases!

What should I do? Here it is important to decide what you need the machine for: hemming rough jeans or sewing diapers for a child. The difference is how intense the load on the main nodes will be. The software that comes with each model can help in resolving the issue. In it you will find information about what types of fabrics a particular model is designed for.

Almost every sewing machine is equipped with a table. It is provided to make certain operations easier. In addition, it simplifies access to the shuttle.

The most convenient option is when the table is not removable, but retractable. It does not interfere with sewing and folds with one click.

The question often arises: should I buy a computer-controlled sewing machine? Their memory provides a huge number of stitches, embroidery functions, automatic threading, and needle reinforcement. Such machines really have many advantages, but their price is significantly higher. In order not to make a mistake in choosing, computer options should be chosen more carefully.

Take the time to study the instructions and consult several sales points. After all, we are talking not only about a high price, but also about expensive repairs!

Very often, when choosing a model, you can get confused due to the presence of a large number of different stitches. Soberly assess the situation and how many of them you will actually use. And if only a standard straight line and a zigzag, then why overpay?

But the method of producing the loop is actually an important parameter. It is best to choose a model that makes a buttonhole automatically; it should have a special foot. You need to focus on the fact that budget models perform loops manually, while slightly more expensive options do them semi-automatically.

It is quite rare to take this into account important point like car repair. Of course, like all equipment, it also breaks down, various units fail. And this happens because the technology of use is violated, or natural wear of parts occurs.

All machines from well-known manufacturers are given a one-year warranty, after which, if the device breaks down, you will have to contact specialists and pay for repairs at your own expense.