Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Oh Brother.

This is more of a question than a post really.

Remember the baby shower I threw here a couple of weeks ago? A bunch of girls made their gifts for the mom to be and they were so cool! Monogrammed burp rags and a handmade changing pad were a few of the things that these crafty girls concocted.

So I asked a few girls what kind of sewing machine they used and everyone said if they had it to do over again they'd buy a Brother (which, side note, I'd never heard of! Sad, I know).

So here is a list of questions - if you can answer any of them, please do!!

- If you've not sewn since middle school home economics, is learning to sew/monogram stuff really hard?
- Do you sew? What's your machine recommendation?
- Is there an "all in one" machine that sews and monograms?
- Really, how hard is it to learn?

I don't have a ton of time to invest in learning something right now with a baby whose on the verge of walking. So any tips/advice you have is welcome!

18 comments:

Abby said...

I hadn't sewed since high school and I picked it up a couple years ago and started making bags with my girlfriend. I use a pfaff machine and I love it! The fabric store I use is a pfaff dealer so they repair and everything. It was quite reasonable price-wise. And it sews through heavy material (which is necessary for bags/purses). I don't have a monogramming machine. They are upwards $3000+ for the ones I've looked at. You might be able to find one on craigs list. If so, I wouldn't care much about brand name if you can get it cheap.

Kristi said...

I hadn't sewn since Junior High School, and when my niece came along I started wanting to make her neat things after I bought a monogrammed diaper bag from someone. My mom and I went in together and got a Brother sewing/embroidery machine. Yes it is one machine that does both. We LOVE it! We got our for $2000 but that was because it was the end of the year and we bought the floor model so they made it cheaper. A lot of stores that sell embroidery machines will also sell used, and there is nothing wrong with a used one as long as they look them over real well first, which usually they do. Most stores also offer free classes to help you learn the machine. We have taken several classes and they were a big help. The sewing part of our machine is so much nicer than a regular sewing machine. It is all digital and all you do is push a button and then guide your material. You can even adjust the speed of how fast it sews. I love it, I wasn't a good sewer until we got this machine that makes sewing so much easier. Now I enjoy it. It is also a perk to be able to monogram or embroider pics on different things. My machine is one of the Brother Disney ones, meaning it has lots of mickey and winnie the pooh designs already on the machine, but you can also put a floppy disk in or thumb drive to upload whatever other designs you want as long as they are compatible. You will pay quite a bit more for an embroidery/sweing maching but it is well worth it in my opinion!

Lauren said...

I'm interested to see what people say, because I wish I were more crafty in this area!!!

J. Peterson said...

Depending on how much you want to spend. You can get a sewing machine that has a computer and touch screen. You select Monogram put the cloth in and it basically sews it for you.

Wait till you see the sewing machines now, they are amazing.

Mary said...

sorry, i have no idea!!

Erin said...

I have a sewing machine that I simply use on my scrapbook pages and homemade cards. It is a Brother, which does seem to be a very popular brand. I like it, but once in a while it does get jammed and it can be tricky to load. It isn't a very fancy one and I don't think I can do embroidery or anything like that on it.

Unknown said...

I have a Brother sewing/embroidery machine and LOVE it! I had not sewn in years and was able to quickly pick it up. I took a few classes to make a couple of outfits and learned some new tricks as well as the "old stuff" starting to come back! I say, get the machine you want to start with! If you don't get it, you'll wish you had once you startsewing again. I just found a great website for blank high quality burp cloths. Email me and I can send it to you!
Love,
Jenifer

123 said...

I have the plainest brother sewing machine on the planet. I use it simply for the occasional dress making and hemming pants. I have found that I simply do not have the time to invest in monogramming. I take everything to a local store for that. They are actually really cheap and fast.

Valerie said...

I have a Singer. I had a Brother but it was just a very simple machine. The cheapest Walmart carried. I upgraded to the Singer and I love it. It isn't a digital one, which if I had the money I would SOOO buy. If you can afford one that has the ability to monogram n' stuff too I'd say go for it. Sewing would be easy. All you need to know is how to sew a straight line (ok, and how to thread the machine)

Don't know if any of that helps. Sorry :)

Hailey said...

I am so excited that you asked this. I have been wondering all of these questions too. I told the hubs the other night that I wanted a sewing machine for Christmas

Lisa said...

I am a quilter...but have never done any mongramming. I truly LOVE my Bernina machine...and there is lots to choose from...even ones that will monogram for you! They are a littte pricey...but you can buy them used from a local Bernina store...or online somewhere.

Hope this helps! You can check my blog and see in a few posts back...my latest quilt.

Lisa :)

Candi said...

i have a brother, but i use my mom's pfaff for most things because its the one i learned on...mine is confusing! here is the one i have.

http://www.amazon.com/Brother-HE-120-Sewing-Embroidery-Machine/dp/B0024RARYG

once you learn the machine, the rest is cake...and it is so much fun@@

Cori said...

I had 2-3 Brothers, and if you plan to do a lot of sewing, they don't hold up so well (hence the 2-3 I've owned). I have a Janome and I adore it! I think we paid around $300 for it.
My sister owns a monogram machine and she shelled out some serious money for it; hers is the commercial one though. It's a Baby Lock (which is also a Brother) and she said she'd never own another one. She recommends a Toyota.

Good luck! :0

marion said...

I have a 'Singer' machine, which I find that it is quite good but mine does not do any monogramming. For monograms I take the stuff to the store which does them quite fast and cheap as well.
Monagramming machines are computerised and practically they do evertyhing on their own, you do not need any particular sewing skills.

Allison said...

I would highly recommend the Brother SE 350. It is a sewing and monogram machine. I have one and just recently learned how to use it. It is wonderful and the possibilities are endless. I also have a 2 year old and I can put the monogram machine to work and walk off.

Allison said...

I would highly recommend the Brother SE 350. It is a sewing and monogram machine. I have one and just recently learned how to use it. It is wonderful and the possibilities are endless. I also have a 2 year old and I can put the monogram machine to work and walk off.

Anonymous said...

I recommend you do some research about what sort of machine you want then go to sewitsforsale - it's a yahoo group where women who sew sell things they are no longer using. I bought a used Husqvarna sewing/embroidery machine for a STEAL. With the economy being what it is, you can find some fantastic deals there.

Valerie said...

hey, I just came across this link. It's a lot of info but could be helpful :) Also saw a few places w/ black Friday sales... less than $50 for a basic machine.
just wanted to pass that along. :)

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