Common Sewing Machines Used For Home Sewing
There are many types of sewing machines and even more brands from which to choose. As a beginner sewist, it can be a daunting task to wade through the choices and try to figure out which sewing machine to get and where to find it. The most important thing that you need to keep in mind is that you don’t need an expensive or fancy sewing machine to create your garments. To sew a garment the most common stitch needed is the straight stitch or lock stitch. All sewing machines can sew a straight stitch so the choice you really face is: do you want a straight stitch only or a multi stitch machine. Below are some of the most common types of domestic sewing machines that can be in your research.
Straight stitch sewing machines
The straight stitch sewing machine has not changed much mechanically since the mid 1850s. Before the 1950’s sewing machines were all metal and painted black with a plethora of beautiful decals and emblems to adorn them. The most common and easily recognizable sewing machines from that era were made by The Singer Manufacturing Company. They can still be easily found online, in thrift stores or from relatives, garage/estate sales, neighbors or abandoned on the side of the road. During the 1950’s sewing machines got a color makeover from the basic black to a multitude of colors and a broader range of manufacturers.
Today, sewing machines are a composition of plastic and metal gears. While the sewing machine may look a little different and weigh a lot less, both vintage and modern machines complete the same basic stitch using a thread from a spool on top of the machine passing through a needle. Once combined with the bobbin thread below, the machine creates a stitch in the fabric. To adjust your stitch length and tension, you typically use two separate dials to make the changes.
Mechanical sewing machines
Mechanical sewing machines are a step up from the basic straight stitch machine. Typically a mechanical sewing machine has a few utility stitches in addition to the straight stitch. A mechanical sewing machine does not have an internal brain also known as a computer chip. As the user, you are the brain to its brawn. To change a stitch on a modern mechanical machine, you will simply move a dial or a series of dials to manually choose the stitch type, length and width. If you choose to go the vintage route, there are several machines from the 1950’s through the late 1960’s that used cams. Cams are removable disks containing one specific stitch etched in plastic. Once the cam is clamped onto the gear, the required stitch can be formed.
The functionality of creating a stitch on a mechanical machine remains the same, you just have few more choices than the straight stitch. A popular and useful function of a mechanical sewing machine is the ability to create a button hole. Technically you could create buttonholes by hand but if you’ve got machinery that can make it for you, use it. A buttonhole is created on the sewing machine using a buttonhole attachment. For vintage machines, the attachment looks like a giant presser foot. On modern sewing machines, the buttonhole foot is a lot less cumbersome to attach and makes pretty sturdy buttonholes.
Computerized Sewing Machines
A computerized sewing machine is the most mechanically complex of all the machines currently available for purchase. As the term implies, computerized sewing machines are computers. This sewing machine is pre programmed with the basic straight stitch, a variety of utility stitches and rudimentary decorative embroidery stitches. Depending on the brand of machine, the computerized sewing machine can thread the needle and cut your thread for you. The computerized sewing machine allows you to change the tension with the tap of a button, stylus or the tip of your finger depending on the machine. A computerized sewing machine usually comes with a variety of presser feet to accommodate a wider array of functions built into the machine.
The buttonhole feature on a computerized sewing machine can consist of a separate attachment or be a preprogrammed stitch. Another nifty feature of a computerized sewing machine is the start stop button that negates the use of the foot control. Whichever brand of computerized sewing machine you choose, you can be sure there are plenty of stitches included that you will never use.
Embroidery Machines
An embroidery machine creates embroidered stitches and designs that can be added to an existing or new project. The embroidery machine can either be a combo machine or a stand alone machine. The combo machine functions as both a sewing and embroidery machine and is converted by removing or replacing the embroidery unit. The embroidery machine is basically a computerized machine that can create complex embroidery designs far quicker than can be done by hand. If you lack space and must have an embroidery machine, a combo is the way to go. All embroidery machines come with some embroidery designs already pre programmed. Depending on the brand of embroidery machine, you can purchase additional designs and upload them via USB or directly to the machine via Wifi.
When choosing an embroidery machine, consider the size of your design and the stitch out area of your embroidery hoop. The standard hoop size of a basic embroidery machine is either 4×4 or 5×7. The more expensive the embroidery machine, the larger the stitch area and the larger the hoops. As with all basic sewing machines, an embroidery machine is a single needle machine. There are various multi needle machines available but we are excluding them from our review at this time.
Sergers/Overlockers
A serger or overlocker is a specialized sewing machine that is typically used when sewing knits. As it is usually called a serger in the US, that’s the term I will use for the balance of the post. A serger is used to sew a seam while neatening and trimming off any excess seam allowance or jagged edges. The seam is trimmed with a knife blade that can be disengaged. The serger sews anywhere from 1300 – 1700 stitches per minute depending on the brand. Changing the threads on a serger is often deemed as an horrific chore by the average sewist or maybe that’s just my aversion to the task speaking. Threading the serger consists of the upper and lower loopers, as well as the two needles used to create the stitch.
The serger can be used as a seam finisher on a variety of fabrics by adjusting the differential feed and adjusting the tension. The serger uses two needles and up to five cones of thread to complete a stitch. It can also be used to create decorative stitches like the flatlock and create a rolled hem on fine fabrics like chiffon. You can create an entire garment on the serger and use either the sewing machine or coverstitch to finish the hem.
Coverstitch Sewing Machines
A coverstitch machine is a useful tool to have in your sewing arsenal but it is not an absolute necessity for sewing garments. Think of the coverstitch machine as the potential purchase for the future that can be used to level up your knitwear. Take a look at the hem of your ready to wear t-shirt or any athletic or athleisure wear that you currently own. The hem usually has two or three lines of straight stitching on the right side of the hemmed garment while the wrong side has a series of loops completing the stitch that covers the raw edge of the hem. The coverstitch machine is in essence a hem finisher. A coverstitch machine typically has three sewings needles, a lower looper and the standard thread stands to hold four cones of thread. By modifying the number of cones of thread and needles, you can make the stitch out for your hem wider or narrower. As most ready to wear hems are two rows of stitching, you can remove the middle needle and corresponding cone of thread to replicate the look. You can recreate the same stitch on a regular sewing machine using a twin needle and two spools of thread.
While the coverstitch machine closely resembles the serger, they are not the same machine and they do not perform the same function. The only caveat to this is you can purchase a combination serger coverstitch machine to perform both functions. The combo machine works well if you have limited space or you don’t mind pfaffing about switching between the functions. The coverstitch, like the serger, sews twice as many stitches per minute than the average domestic sewing machine and uses specialized threads that are much finer than the standard sewing thread. It is fairly mobile so you can move it around your sewing area and store it away when it is not in use.
Conclusion
Whether you choose a vintage straight stitch, a mechanical or a computerized sewing machine, you will be prepared to sew and wear beautiful handmade clothing. Some of the most common brands of sewing machines available are Bernina, Brother, BabyLock, Husqvarna Viking, Janome, Juki, Singer and Pfaff. Some can be purchased through a big box store or online, while others require a sewing machine dealer. If you choose to buy used, keep your eyes peeled locally at thrift stores, online or via social media. Ebay has a huge variety of vintage and brand new sewing machines available for sale either from individual sellers or sewing and vacuum repair shops. If you purchase online, opt for a reputable seller. In some areas, you can find a sewing machine dealer that sells and provides repair services for sewing machines. An added bonus of purchasing from a dealer is that you can learn how to use the machine on site. Whichever route you take, go find yourself a working sewing machine and let’s get started sewing!
