Giveaway week!

This past week has been a big week for giveways here. The first 3 stops on my blog tour have all had giveaways. On Anne Hanson‘s blog a copy of Among Stones went to Judi, then on Laura’s blog Sandy won a copy. There is a giveway running right now on Jean Moss’s blog, it’s still there until Wednesday the 18th so head over! Go check their blog posts out and watch out for my guest post with Craftsy next Thursday 19th.

I’ve even had my own giveaway on the blog this week and our winner was Christine.

Craftsy have just reached the 2 million member marker so they’re having a big sale celebration with up to 75% off classes (and supplies?) so it would be a good time to pick up a class if you’ve been checking them out!

Actually, along the lines of learning something new I’ve been watching their new mini-class on sewing basics. I wish I could somehow add an extra few hours to each day or week to learn new stuff! My mother used to have a sewing machine when I was younger and I learned the basics but I haven’t used a machine for 20 years. I’ve go a really strong desire to get myself a new machine to get started again. There are so many small alterations and simple pieces of clothing I’d love to be able to make. It’s really stupid to have to put up with clothing that doesn’t fit when it would be such a small fix!

So any starter machine suggestions for Ireland/UK? I don’t think I’ll be doing anything too complex but I am prone to breaking stuff so it should be durable and simple to use!

7 thoughts on “Giveaway week!

  1. I’d rather not recommend a particular machine, since we are all so different, but what I would say is – Don’t buy online, find a shop to go to! it’s a thing you really need to sit down and try the machine yourself.

    any good sewing machine shop will have several brands and all price ranges covered. many will also offer reconditioned machines from trade-ins, that can be a great starter option.

    and take with you scraps of the types of fabric you want to sew and *insist* that you try them all! a machine that will sew denim but mangle silky linings is no use if you are going to make skirts, for example.

    just don’t get sucked into the shiny embroidery units if you won’t use one!

    good luck!

    PS some people buy shoes, I buy feet, so many feet, can never buy another machine now! (Husqvarna Viking Platinum 750, well out of print)

  2. Modern Singers are full of plastic gears that break. If you can find one from the 70s or earlier they’re good machines but don’t buy a new one. My mother, a lifelong sewer, bought me a Janome for my birthday (end of May) and it seems like all the sewist blogs I follow use them. A friend recommends the little £50 machines from John Lewis as a starter/travel machine.

  3. I have a Brother that is basic but does everything you need. I also have my Mum Bernina which is a fantastic machine,about 45 years old and as smooth as butter to use. Janome are good makes as are Singer but I’ve heard bad things about the Singers Aldi and Lidl occasionally sell so would avoid them. I actually got my Brother from Argos!

  4. Like you, I got the sewing itch a couple of years ago and wanted to good quality all-purpose sewing machine that didn’t cost a fortune. I ended up buying a Janome DC3050. It has a good selection of stitches and it sews thin and thick fabrics with equal ease. I love it. I bought it through Amazon.

  5. I bought my sewing machine 30 years and still love it. It is a portable Viking Husqvarna (don’t have the model # with me). If I recall, they said the metal parts were self-lubricating so that it would lubricate the parts as you use it. I have only had it serviced once or twice in all this time. It works like a charm for hemming pants, quilting and sewing curtains. I got the buttonhole feature which works well. It isn’t one of those fancy ones with computers where you have to read a manual to figure out how to use it.

  6. Hi Carol. I got myself a Silvercrest sewing machine that is sold by Lidl – own brand and it does the job – I have done a few bags on it (reversable totes, hobos, large beach bag for my mum) and alterations suchs as hems, closing holes, shortening curtains – it does the job, might just not be the most stable machine if you run through multiple layers of fabric sandwiched together. Lidl normally sell them at €80, I got mine from the sales place in Mullingar for half the price and a colleague was so nice and picked it up for me. They also come with loads of goodies in it – different sewing feet, spare bobbins, little brush, bottle of oil.
    Otherwise – sometimes you find Lidl selling Singer machines as well, however they sell very quickly.
    Hope that’s some help to you – worked your Centrique shawl over the weekend – good loads of compliments for it! Lovely pattern!

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