Singer 3116 for $50 or White 212 for $35?

[karika]

I have not sewn or used a machine before I want to make clothes. I can learn anything so I need a machine. I found 2 on CL-

Is this a good buy? New Singer 3116 are on sale for $99.99 one joanne.com. The machine being offered on for $50 is 3 yrs old and was used for Halloween costumes and a bit of light work according to owner. The owners manual comes with it.

The White 212 has never been used. The owner says she didn't like how you 'thread the bobbin' ... she also said she wouldn't exactly call it easy. The instruction manual comes with it. It is missing the accessory tray (which I don't know what that means, does it mean it is missing some parts or just an empty storage tray?)

I want to buy one today, but want to hear from a few of the MDC mamas first hopefully. I want the less expensive one, of course. I got $100 for my birthday and I have not had any money for so long... I just thought I would use it to buy something that will produce stuff. I only have the $100 to buy the machine, cloth, thread and anything else I need, and I only want to use non gmo cotton....

[sunnysandiegan]

Personally, I wouldn't buy either one. I'd look for a Janome or Kenmore. I have a Singer and it is awesome, but it was made before the company went downhill in quality. The new ones are a piece of junk from what I hear FREQUENTLY. I don't know anyone who likes the basic White brand machines. I have a White brand serger (on indefinite loan from a friend) and it is just okay. Nothing remarkable either way. I certainly wouldn't go buy another one (White specifically) if my friend decided she suddenly wanted hers back.

Also, $100 for a machine and everything you need to create things is a bit unrealistic where I live, especially for non-GMO cotton fabric. Good luck with that! (You live in a lower COL than I do, so it may work for you....not being snarky.)

[leighi123]

The machine I learned on was the $79 one from walmart (Brother)

It is an AWSOME machine and I actually like it better than my more expensive ones. Ive never had any problems with it and its very very very easy to learn on (I taught myself!)

I recomend that one. You get a warranty too, I think its a year.

[stik]

I love my Singer. I've never heard anything good about the Whites. My MIL has a Brother that I think would run beautifully in the care and keeping of someone who treated it nicely, and, you know, changed the needles and cleaned out the lint every now and then.

You can make a lot of clothing without a lot of machine accessories. I strongly recommend starting on knit items because they can be made without zippers or buttons, and you can often get away without hemming (if anyone asks, you can say you were going for an unfinished bohemian look - raw edges are in right now). You will have to finish necklines somehow - I put hoods on the first dozen garments I made so I wouldn't have to bind or add ribbing, but there are some great online tutorials that explain how to do those things and there's no need to be scared.

If you have $100 for the machine, fabric, and notions, you are really going to have to stretch your dollar. Check Craigslist and Ebay. If you have found a source for non-GMO cotton, please do share! I have a couple sources for fabrics that are Oeko-tek certified, but that standard doesn't address GMOs.

I hate to say anything that might discourage a new sewist, but the combination of your budget and your fabric preferences looks like it could be problematic. If you are *only* interested in making clothing if you can do so using only GMO-free fabric, you should find a source and see if the pricing will be feasible for you before you invest in a sewing machine. Fabric.com has some reasonably priced organics ($6-$11/yard for knits, with some wovens that go higher) but I can't find any info about their supplier and the protocols they use. Oeko-tek certified fabrics are typically more expensive. Non-GMO fabric might be prohibitively costly. Knitting is slower than sewing, but non-GMO wool yarn might be easier to come by than non-GMO fabric.

[karika]

yes I see how much it will all cost. It is probably still cheaper for me to buy our clothes at the thrift store. I was at Joanne's today I rarely leave my home. That place was overwhelming. I did get some stuff for crochet and knit (and spent $54). I got the books at the library 2 days ago. I do not know when or if I will get any $ again to spend on myself, so I was trying to get what I could with the $100. My sister did have some good ideas about how to get fabric, she said she buys plus size dresses at the thrift store and can make skirts for both her girls with it. My mom said sometimes they have fabric at the thrift store too. They both live over 3000 mi away, but might be true here too..I don't mind using the man made fabrics, or a non gmo alternative, as long as I am not supporting gmo and/ or low paid workers. Sometimes the clothes in the thrift store are pre gmo, lol.... I also want to take all the baby clothes (I am done) that are stained or too dear to part with and make a patchwork. I am not one to care very much how it looks if it is functional. But I think I will get the Singer, heard nothing but good things. My mom still has the same one she made clothes for me on. SAw a floor model of the 3116 in the Joannes today. Looks cool. My sis even said a handheld for $20 might be the way to go for me, which shocked me because I heard they were useless and break. I will look for change on the ground and search my room and try to get the $4 I will need for the singer, unless I hear others tell me a handheld will work just fine for making very simple clothes.

thanks ladies!

[stik]

I have also heard that handhelds are useless and break. My first machine was a cheapy thing from Target, and I loved it (and made beautiful things with it) until it broke and I got an electronic machine, and now the new machine is my baby. And as machines go, it's not even that nice. The Janomes and the Vikings I see in the sewing machine store are clearly higher quality. So the moral of this story is, any sewing machine that actually works will make you happy until it doesn't work any more. But I freely confess that I have never used a handheld sewing machine, and I can't even envision how that would work.

Janome made a Hello Kitty sewing machine that was available at Target for a while, and then deeply discounted (to under $50, iirc), and then, of course, gone. Some people hated them, but there were a number of reports that they were of shockingly high quality for a character-themed product. It was blue, like this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/Janome-11706-Hel...item3cb074078a
So that might be an option to look out for as well.

(Another seller has a new one on offer for $176. Ridiculous. It didn't cost that much from retailers before the discount. Moral of that story: look out for being fleeced by people who have merchandise with kitties on it.)

I make a lot of my kids' clothing, and it honestly does not save us any money. They are cute as heck and very fashion-forward (my 9yo has developed an affection for steampunk and announced that she wants goth clothes, so I am working on making her a pre-teen version of a corset - a bodice that laces up the back to wear over her t-shirts - I like to be the cool mom when I can), but for what I spend, I could buy a lot more clothes from Target and the sale racks at Children's Place. Recycling clothes from the thrift store is a great idea. This blog is really inspiring: http://newdressaday.wordpress.com/

I do like knowing that the clothes I make my kids aren't manufactured by companies that abuse their workers in sweatshops. Alas, I don't know whether or not the textiles I use are manufactured in better conditions. Oeko-tek certified fabrics from Europe cost an arm and a leg. Part of that is the exchange rate, of course, but I wonder how much of the price is a logical consequence of maintaining a safe workplace and paying workers fairly.

[modmom]

I have a 20 ish year old singer made by Juki that I love!

We also have hello kitty that is really pretty awesome for price--the kids use it.

If you can get an older machine and have some one tune it up I would go that route. Also get familiar with your machine playing around with tensions and the like. Sewing is a joy when you have a reliable machine you know how to work.

[Jyotsna]

White

I have an older White that I love. I have had it for about 10 years and it was already 20 years when my friend sold it to me.

I have made countless clothing for my kids, draperies, purses, bags, diapers and much more. At this point, I have broken the bobbin spinner (to rethread) and I don't know how I am going to get it fixed at a friendly price. One friend told me her mom does machine repairs when she visits in this area, but I haven't heard she could actually do it.

As much as I have used the machine, I def feel I have gotten my money out of it, and more more more.

I guess that is how you look at it, and also if it has an special features that you need.

[karika]

I got my machine!

I am so excited! I am reading the manual now since I have no clue... Can't wait to get sewing! Is there a site for all things sewing like ravelry is for all things yarn?

[texmati]

patternreview? I'm not a member but I brose there sometimes.

What machine did you end up getting?

I have a 12 year old white with a vertical bobbin. I cuss it every other time I use it, but the darn thing just won't give up the ghost, so i can't justify a new machine. Just this weekend I thought I had killed it, went out and bought a new machine. Come home, spend 20 minutes with it, and the white is working again. The new machine is going back.

I think 35 dollars is a great price for a used, working machine if you are just starting off.

[Amatullah0]

Originally Posted by texmati

Come home, spend 20 minutes with it, and the white is working again. The new machine is going back.

sorry about the loss of your new machine

OP, check out freecycle for fabrics too. A majority of the time, people are getting rid of their old clothing, sheets, curtains, and much of that could be pieced together as a quilt, or sometimes, if the clothing is big enough, you could make it into something new(for adults or kids) or you could modify it, to make it your own

[texmati]

Originally Posted by Amatullah0

sorry about the loss of your new machine

lol. I should be glad that we don't have to spend the money. I just wanted to correct my earlier post-- the machine isn't 12 years old, we got it when I was 12. so that makes it even older (by 4 years).

[sapphire_chan]

Isn't it better that GMO be used for stuff we aren't putting into our bodies? I thought part of gmo was to make plants resistant to insects so that less pesticides are needed? Does someone have a link (not Mercola, he annoys me) that explains why gmo-cotton would matter?

[texmati]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

Isn't it better that GMO be used for stuff we aren't putting into our bodies? I thought part of gmo was to make plants resistant to insects so that less pesticides are needed? Does someone have a link (not Mercola, he annoys me) that explains why gmo-cotton would matter?

mercola annoys me too, but I think you might be on the wrong thread.

I was excited to see if op liked her new machine!

[sapphire_chan]

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.p...t=va&aid=12432

Answered my own question.

(It was astounding how many sources I had to go through that just assumed that GMO cotton was bad without giving ANY indication of why though.)

By the way, would organic bamboo be easier to find?
Or hemp, or linen?

For the truly ambitious, you could harvest nettles and process them and weave your own fabric.

OP, I hope you are having fun with your new toys!