I've been using and old Kenmore (really old) and it finally bit the dust. A friend locally let me borrow her Bernina Bernette 75 - I don't want to give it back! It's so fast and so good, it threads like nothing and never has problems. I don't have a manual and it's totally self explanatory.. I've already looked into buying one for myself and frankly I will when she needs this back. With my old Kenmore I was breaking a needle at least every other diaper but I haven't broken a needle yet and I've made at least 10 diapers with it so far! This is an awesome machine!
Taking the plunge (quick machine quest)
I've already sat down and visited with my local bernina shop and picked out the machine I think would fit my needs best. The bernette 65, which has 15 stitches, auto bobbin/needle, needle up, 1step buttonholes, ect.
There is one lower model (the 55) but the 55 has a much smaller engine where the 65 has the full sized engine like it's bigger brothers(sisters?) and the lady was able to sew through about 10 layers of denim like buttah.
I'd waffled on getting a cheaper walmart machine, but despite the cost diffs (cost IS a factor) I think a machine that will run well for a lifetime and not cause me major heachaches will be the route to go.
Plus, I have several things besides diapers even that i'd like to sew, incl jean shorts for my extremely hard to fit hubby...(hopefully!)
However while at hancocks buying fabric I noticed they had a pretty spiffy looking janome machines onsale. They looked much nicer than the walmart ones I was looking at, but I still think the bernette was a much nicer machine...but who really knows.
I'm uber concerned because A. this is the most money i've spent on myself in years and years. I spend all the money on my DH and DS, so this is a huge deal...spending $$ on ME...
B. I've never bought a machine before, so I really don't know what i'm doing and it would suck to make a costly mistake
C. I haven't been around a machine in like 8yrs, so while I was pretty handy with one before, I'm of course slightly nervous about it now.
I'd like to make diapers (i've got the VB pattern, probably will buy the DD one later) and clothes for my son, and wool pants/shorts too. Poss shorts/pants for hard to fit DH, maternity clothes for my next pregnancy, sheets and bedding items, and *maybe* if I can con my DH into trying it, rejoining a civil war reenactment troup again (I did that in HS and just after) and of course making civ war clothes since all my clothes from HS are about 2-3 sizes TOO BIG....hehe.
Any thoughts/advice would be GREATLY appreciated...it looks like this weekend is the weekend i'll be buying!!!
*bites fingernails nervously*
There is one lower model (the 55) but the 55 has a much smaller engine where the 65 has the full sized engine like it's bigger brothers(sisters?) and the lady was able to sew through about 10 layers of denim like buttah.
I'd waffled on getting a cheaper walmart machine, but despite the cost diffs (cost IS a factor) I think a machine that will run well for a lifetime and not cause me major heachaches will be the route to go.
Plus, I have several things besides diapers even that i'd like to sew, incl jean shorts for my extremely hard to fit hubby...(hopefully!)
However while at hancocks buying fabric I noticed they had a pretty spiffy looking janome machines onsale. They looked much nicer than the walmart ones I was looking at, but I still think the bernette was a much nicer machine...but who really knows.
I'm uber concerned because A. this is the most money i've spent on myself in years and years. I spend all the money on my DH and DS, so this is a huge deal...spending $$ on ME...
B. I've never bought a machine before, so I really don't know what i'm doing and it would suck to make a costly mistake
C. I haven't been around a machine in like 8yrs, so while I was pretty handy with one before, I'm of course slightly nervous about it now.
I'd like to make diapers (i've got the VB pattern, probably will buy the DD one later) and clothes for my son, and wool pants/shorts too. Poss shorts/pants for hard to fit DH, maternity clothes for my next pregnancy, sheets and bedding items, and *maybe* if I can con my DH into trying it, rejoining a civil war reenactment troup again (I did that in HS and just after) and of course making civ war clothes since all my clothes from HS are about 2-3 sizes TOO BIG....hehe.
Any thoughts/advice would be GREATLY appreciated...it looks like this weekend is the weekend i'll be buying!!!
*bites fingernails nervously*
1 - 4 of 4 Posts
The 75 is a little more spiffy than the 65, but the major differences is the stitches (the 75 has a couple more) and the fact it's a 1step autobuttonhole and the 65 you have to operate it, but it's still basically automatic...
So you really like it then?
My past sewing exp was on 3 machines, my mom's OLD kenmore/singer (from like 75 or so? I was born in 79) that she got rid of (grr) and bought a used singer with a table at a garage sale for like 30 bucks. It hated me (doesn't like my mom much either, but behaves better for her) and would eat all my fabrics and lock up...ect.
And then the really old, probably berninia or singer machines at my Hs...
It's 300 for the 65, and it has 15 stitches, buttonholer and such...
and my local shop does a 2hr instruction with it, and free cleaning/maintance for a year (they reccomend coming in and having it cleaned before the year is up, and normally charge 65-75 bucks I think for that)
So you really like it then?
My past sewing exp was on 3 machines, my mom's OLD kenmore/singer (from like 75 or so? I was born in 79) that she got rid of (grr) and bought a used singer with a table at a garage sale for like 30 bucks. It hated me (doesn't like my mom much either, but behaves better for her) and would eat all my fabrics and lock up...ect.
And then the really old, probably berninia or singer machines at my Hs...
It's 300 for the 65, and it has 15 stitches, buttonholer and such...
and my local shop does a 2hr instruction with it, and free cleaning/maintance for a year (they reccomend coming in and having it cleaned before the year is up, and normally charge 65-75 bucks I think for that)
Anyone else ??? please??
1 - 4 of 4 Posts
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