Sewing Machines
In my Sewing Basics classes at Hem & Holler, we use the Janome 1522. I chose it because it’s a solid mechanical machine without a million buttons and settings to overwhelm you when you’re just trying to learn how to sew a straight line.
It has the stitches and adjustments you actually need, and the simple controls make it easier to understand what your machine is doing. It’s a great machine to learn on without being something you’ll immediately outgrow.
My personal preference is actually the Brother XR9550.
It’s computerized and has WAY more stitches than I’ll probably ever use, but I really enjoy sewing on it. Once you understand the basics, those computerized features can go from overwhelming to really convenient.
So, which do I think is better? It depends.
For someone sitting down at a sewing machine for the very first time, I love the simplicity of the Janome. For the amount of garment sewing I personally do, I prefer my Brother.
These are the tools that I (truly) use each time I sit down to sew, not including the fabric and thread.
These are a few handy dandy tools I use consistently. They aren’t necessary for a beginner, but they sure make life easier.
