My sewing machines

I get a lot of questions about what machines I’m using and what I recommend when buying one. Here is a brief history of all my sewing machines I owned and still own, in chronological order 😉

My first sewing machine fail

I bought my first sewing machine in February 2019. I saw a really good offer in a discount store, for less than € 80. The machine was of such bad quality and broke down after only 2 weeks. I took it back to the store to have it repaired, which took 5 weeks. I was already so into sewing I could not live 5 weeks without it, so I looked for a new sewing machine. (I did sell my very first one as soon as I got it back from the repair for a very low price - I knew it would only cause me more problems)

Elna Sew Zebra

I found a second hand Elna Sew Zebra for a little over € 100. I really loved this machine! It was amazing quality, it had a buttonhole function, a few decorative stitches.. but most importantly it kept sewing and never caused any problems. Most parts were made from metal instead of plastic, and I never experienced broken parts. It was sturdy and unbreakable.

Overlock Brother 1034dx

Very soon after buying my Elna Sew Zebra, I knew I wanted an overlocker (serger). I adored the neat and professional look of overlocked edges (in my pre-overlocker sewing times I was always too lazy to finish the edges using a zig zag stitch – it takes so long!). So after a bit of research I came to the conclusion that the Brother 1034dx model seems to be popular and most people liked it. I was so excited for it to arrive! I can say it changed my sewing game dramatically. For the first time I was able to create garments that would not look handmade 😉 This is the overlocker I still use and I still love it just as much!

Pfaff Creative 1.5

My Elna Sew Zebra worked great for me for about a year, until I decided I wanted more advanced functions. I was sewing almost every day, and I kind of outgrew the machine. I wanted to get a new one with functions such as automatic button hole, differential feed, decorative stitches.. also, I was looking for a more quiet machine. After some research and visiting sewing fairs I decided it had to be a computerized machine. These machines can be pretty expensive and I wanted to try it out before spending that much money. I really did not want to order one online.

Luckily I found a sewing machine shop close to my city, where the owner did a great job at showing me the different machines and their functions.

I chose the Pfaff Creative 1.5 – mostly due to the embroidery unit that came with it, which transforms the sewing machine into an embroidery machine. I loved the idea of being able to embroider handmade gifts and garments. It was also cheaper than similar models from other brands. I really really love my machine. I have never had any problems with it, there are so many different settings and it literally goes through every type of material. I even stitched through a thick plastic buttons by accident, and my machine had no problems with it.

Tips for buying a new machine

When buying a new machine, I recommend doing your research about sewing machine brands and reading reviews about different models. I always find it very helpful to go into a local sewing machine shop, because it can be difficult to pick a sewing machine if you are not very experienced and don’t know about the different functions (and you can support your local shops!). You can also try out the machine for a few test stitches, to see if you like the way it sews - every machine is a little different and I recommend trying it out to get a better experience. You will also find it much easier to get started with sewing once you have your sewing machine at home.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, it’s always a good idea to buy a cheaper, used machine first. This way you can get good quality for a reasonable price. If you don’t end up sewing a lot, you can always sell it again.