A funny thing happened just after I received advice from Sylvia and Doreen about buying sewing machines. Sylvia suggested buying a second hand one, eg. a Singer, but Doreen advised not to buy a second hand machine, as you are only buying someone else's problems. She went on to say 'don't buy a Singer, they aren't as good as they used to be'.
A day later, I received an email from another friend (Connie) who alerted me to the specials on at Aldi Stores this weekend, including a Singer machine for $99. I had a look at the advert in our local Aldi's store, and decided I would take a chance and get one. It was a basic model (which is all I want) and had a three year warranty. I thought what the heck, if I get three years sewing out of it for a hundred bucks, I'll be happy!
This morning (Saturday) I woke up around 8 am, and felt so unwell, I just could not be bothered going out of the house. I had a U.T. infection, and I was back and forth to the loo every few minutes, and in a lot of pain. No way would I have been able to stand in the queue at Aldis and not wet myself! Luckily I was able to get into our surgery and see one of the doctors. By the time I got out of there, got the script for antibiotics, it was about 2 pm. I went to Aldi's and was told both the sewing machines and overlockers (which was another special for $199) had been sold within an hour of them opening at 8.30 am.
So! As the title of this post says, everything happens for a reason, and maybe my UTI was meant to happen, to prevent me spending money on an inferior machine! My SIL told me she got years of use out of her Janome, and when it wore out, she bought a second hand Husqvarna (Sp?), and she has never been able to 'make friends with it', as she put it. She said "I hate that machine! I might also go to Aldi's and buy one of those Singers". I haven't spoken to her today, so I don't know if she did or not. But I've decided now that I won't rush into buying something cheap. I've got a cupboard full of fabric to sew up into things, and it's going to take me a lot longer than three years, so I'm going to have a good look around, and ask for demonstrations before I open my wallet.
In the meantime, I've been amusing myself with more paper creations. You can see them here if you want to.
4 years ago
4 comments:
I am so glad you said that... While I have heard arguments for and against Singers I would be hesitate to spend so little on any type of sewing machine... Old saying 'you get what you pay for'... For the amount of sewing you do I would spend just a wee bit more... I know Spotlight has machines for sale plus you get to 'sit behind the wheel' before you buy... Again while it is nasty having THAT sort of infection (cranberry tablets are good - be careful of the juice as it is full of sugar and which can 'feed' the bacteria)... Take care possum x x
I think you just never know if the machine you buy will work out for you, regardless of the price. But taking some time to check things out makes good sense in any case (although it probably will confuse you even further!).
Take care and I hope you feel better soon
Hi Gina. I've been using a Janome for many years now and have had no problems with it (touch wood!). Perhaps head down to one of the sewing machine stores and try some machines out. Don't let the sales person pressure you into buying something straight away. Just take your time to make a decision. Hope you're feeling better soon. Hugs, Christine.
I agree with Sharon "You get what you pay for".
Another suggestion as to where you buy your machine is if you buy from a sewing machine shop you will get good warranty service-buy from an add on shop i.e. Spotlight or Lincraft you then have to find someone else to service it or the store will send it back to the maker for a service.
Sometimes it is worth it to pay that little bit extra.
And for what it is worth Gina I usually suggest Janome as a cheaper alternative to the higher priced brands such as Bernina or Pfaff.
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