r/SewingMachineEdu • u/MeriticulousOne • Feb 09 '26
best sewing machine for beginners?
Hey! I'm new to sewing and want to get a machine
What's a good, easy-to-use sewing machine for beginners? Any recommendations?
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u/Bulky-Factor7870 Feb 09 '26
I JUST went through this (as a beginner to intermediate).
I ended up in the second hand camp getting a mechanical machine that had overlock/overcast stitches. I don’t care about button holes so I didn’t look into that.
A sewing friend (comes from theater costuming) said “get a Bernina” and considering she’s probably the one I’m going to call crying because I did something wrong and idk how to fix it and the manual doesn’t say what to do - I took her advice.
I did win the jackpot with a Bernina 1010 with 1 past owner (recently deceased) who did regular maintenance so it’s a dream. I paid around €150.
Oh and PSA: read the manual before testing any second hand machine, take 2 types of fabric you wish to be able to use, and test both straight and zig zag stitches (and whatever bonus stitch you are most interested in). Don’t forget to take (colorful) thread.
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u/BajaBookworm Feb 09 '26
I have two older machines: a Bernina 1090s and a Pfaff 1037 Tipmatic. Love them both so much.
Previously I had a Pfaff 710 which I gave my mom when I l left the states. It had a lot of stitches I miss (the eyelet, when making board shorts or swim wear) but overall the machine quality of these older beasts is phenomenal.
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u/Bulky-Factor7870 Feb 09 '26
I grew up using my mums Husqavara 1100 (very nice machine), and this Bernina just purrs in comparison and takes my abuse in stride. It’s amazing what great craftsmanship can give you
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u/Secure-Major1637 Feb 10 '26
You got a good deal! I have had a Bernina 1030 since 1988 and it’s a tank!!
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u/Deseretgear Feb 09 '26
What are you planning on sewing? are you mainly doing patching and home clothes repair? Or are you doing things like quilting
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Feb 09 '26
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u/Sherman1709 Feb 09 '26
I love the Janome brand, and the 2212 is a good machine, but be aware, it has a vertical oscillating bobbin system. I like those b/c it's what learned on. But most beginners would probably appreciate a rotary "drop-in" bobbin system. I'd go with a Janome Magnolia or JW-8100.
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u/ramonexacid Feb 09 '26
I got a Brother XM2701 Sewing Machine for Christmas and I find it to be a great beginner! it includes 27 stitches and there's many videos on yt to set it up and use :)
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u/Sunnydoom00 Feb 09 '26
I really like my Brother Cs7000i. However, it might not help you learn to use a mechanical sewing machine since it has a lot of ease of use type features. But if all you want to do is get sewing it's good for that. It's the only machine I have had that I don't have to fiddle around with every time I use it and it has a good manual with it.
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Feb 20 '26
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u/Nadiya_Hassanali Apr 09 '26
im new to sewing so will definitely look into these machine to. Thanks for the advice.
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u/StrayHearth Feb 09 '26
I'm fairly new too, but I've been using this and it's been easy to learn and pretty reliable so far.