A Sewist Purchasing Guide

A Sewist Purchasing Guide

by | Dec 23, 2015 | Beginner Tips, Blog, Fitting, Lucy's Sewing Lab

I wish I would have had a Guide to Sewing tools and accessories guide with me my first sewing Christmas. Christmas for a sewist is a dream come true! My sewist’s first Christmas was so fun!  That was me last year, with gift card in hand and twinkle in my eye.  I had an idea of what I wanted, but the things I bought were and still are, lifesavers for me.

Even though a purchasing guide would’ve been a great help, I still spent the money!  The first purchase was cutting board.ds. I bought a and have never regretted it.  Actually I purchased two!  One extra large cardboard one like this,

I also purchased a recovering cutting mat that works perfect with my rotary rotary cutter.  It’s perfect for any sewist, it cuts through several layers at once and never seems to dull.I also purchased a roll of iron on interfacing.  Good grief, we go through that like mad, don’t we?  The purchase was wise, because I’m still working on that roll.  I’m so glad I have no need to panic when I’m sewing and realize I don’t have the supplies I need.

Since it was Christmas, I splurged on some really nice scissors also.  It changed my sewing game.  They are so sharp and cut so well. I bought these but wish I had seen the gold ones, aren’t they cute?

Of course I hit the fabric bargains and stocked up on fabric I just knew I couldn’t live without.  If I had it to do over, I may have purchased a dress form.  I still don’t have one of those. I really think a dress form is a must have for any sewist. The hanger just doesn’t do the garment justice.  Maybe this year I’ll purchase one?  I’ve been eyeing the Dritz one, I don’t know though. I’m pretty thrifty so I’d really have to consider  all the options before making that purchase.  Maybe if she came in pink?  lol

Those are my suggestions for purchases if you happen to receive a gift card or some cash for Christmas.  No matter what, I hope you ENJOY!

Janome, Singer Comparison which comes out on top?

by | Dec 9, 2015 | Beginner Tips, Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab, Reviews

As sewists, are we continually researching and Right now I am enduring the Janome, Singer comparison. Are either superior  machines to the one we use the most? Right now I’m smack dab in the middle of a Janome or Singer Heavy Duty comparison.  I own the boastful best machine according to the best of list here. I love my Singer, really I do. But, we seem to fight a lot.  She’s not enough for me.  I work that poor girl to death and beyond.  I need a machine that can handle the pressure I put on it. You and your machine become like an old married couple.  It is very important to do a lot of research and analyze your needs prior to purchase.

  1. WHY? Where will I find the time and why am I really considering buying a sewing machine? Some of us came back from a sewing hiatus although many more are fresh beginners. For this very reason, learn from my mistakes. Purchase the best machine with the fewest options.  Learning to sew is hard enough. Learning all the functions adds to the complications. Unless you are planning to make everything in the world, a basic machine is more than enough.
    • If your plan is to make a career change, a basic machine is going to frustrate you. Most prefer an overlock machine for speed and complicated projects, otherwise go back to plan A.
    • You can always upgrade later, and most sewists own more than one sewing machine to meet all their needs.
  2. HOW? How much can you afford to spend without feeling guilty if you are not sewing 24/7? I set my limit around $150.  I really wanted that pretty black computerized anniversary edition Singer machine.  It didn’t fit my budget, and it did not have the options I was looking for in a machine. A lot of machines are plastic, I am sorry about this especially when that plastic costs $100 and up. I made a list of the things I “thought” I needed in a sewing machine.
    • I wanted state of the art
    • New and fancy
    • Pretty
    • Which should I choose? Janome or a Singer
    • Yes, I’m shallow and didn’t think beyond those things.  The machine I balked at, was my second purchase, and I never use the fancy pretty state of the art computerized machine.
  3. WHO This is often more a sentimental answer than logical.  Without a doubt I was only looking at Singer machines.  To me, they are the only machine, lol.  I learned on them and felt a certain comfort using a singer.
    • Learn about the different brands prior to purchase. The Sewing Machine Wizard, found here is the most informative site I’ve found.  Real people tell you what they love and hate about their choice of machine.


I did my own research and actually, sad for me, because I wanted a reason for another machine, my Heavy Duty Singer outperforms the Janome of the same class. Sewing is an art and no two people are going to have exactly the same opinion on sewing machine.

Janome, Singer Comparison

  1. Best Reviews– made a great comparison chart for similar Janome and Singer machines.
    • Singer’s selling point is the 1,110 stitches a minute. I love sewing fast 🙂
    • Janome paled in comparison, their strongest point being ease of use.
    • The Singer sales currently on Amazon for $126 and the Janome for $135.  Fewer options and a higher price?  I’m sticking with my Singer, for now.
  2. Amazon– came up with completely different results via purchasers reviews.  It was a Brother and Singer war.  Still the Singer 4423 ranked 3 while the Janome 2212 came in eleventh.
  3. Everyone has their own opinion based on their needs.  Today, until I have about $400 to blow, I’ll stick with my Heavy Duty Singer.  At least now I know my machine is superior.