I was an occasional sewer. Sewing when necessity dictated. Hemming pants, shortening curtains, mending zippers. Over 10 years ago I bought a Brother XR-31. A simple mechanical machine with 12 stitches. It didn’t do jeans and thick folds of fabric, but it served its purpose. That is until last year when the blind hem stitch would not displace the needle to the proper position. Not being able to blind stitch in essence prevented me from quickly mending hems. Since then I have been thinking about buying a new machine.
Recently I heard a rattle inside and decided to open it up. It wasn’t like I was going to void my warranty. The plastic housing around the power cord had disintegrated. There were small shards of plastic inside the machine and live wires exposed. It was time for a change.
In trying to be eco-friendly I decided to have my machine repaired. However it would to cost more to service than the original cost of the machine and considering that I didn’t have any stretch stitch options on the machine (other than the zigzag) pushed me further to acquiring a new machine. Where to start? Mechanical, computerized, automatic thread tension, quilting, embroidery, etc. After searching through the interwebs I thought I had found my machine. Another Brother, the Project Runway CE7070PRW. I was ecstatic when it arrived. It had all the features I thought I wanted; drop-in bobbin, automatic threader, computerized, 70 different stitches and more. To be honest I had trouble with it. The easiest materials seemed to catch inside the feed dogs. It would not sew in a straight line compared to my previous machine and the most annoying feature the machine continued to sew and place the needle in the down position even after my foot was off the pedal. I admit that most of the trouble I had with the machine was user error but the needle position adjustment is inherent to this machine and drove me up the wall.
I had the icky feeling that I didn’t make the right choice for my needs. I returned my new machine after only a few days of use and decided on reverting to a mechanical machine. Something more responsive and able to sew heavy fabrics. I bought the Janome HD3000 and I am loving it.
In conclusion, if you can make to a dealer – go, try out the different types of machines. Buy something simple, especially if you are just starting out. Lastly, don’t be afraid to admit that what you thought was the right tool for you isn’t.
My new machine. The Janome HD3000
Bébé Garçon 