To cut very thin or slippery fabrics like satin use muslin. Just pin it to the material before you start cutting. You are able to easily change the tension of your top thread due to a tension dial on the front of the machine. This means that you are able to change the strength of your stitch preventing it from becoming frail. To start off, it's a traditional sewing machine with a metal chassis that is great for those who are just starting out a new hobby. Although the amount of quilting and stitching patterns is not very impressive (only 14 automatic variants), the ability to make elaborate stitches and complex quilting manually makes up for it, letting you improve and master your skills over time. Likewise, the manual stitching makes it easier to create decorative patterns.

Steam-pressing between buttons and other cloth embellishments may be difficult. If you have a hair straightener, it will be a great substitute. If your foot pedal always wanders around and you can't control it, attach some rubber lining to its bottom, it will help. Janome are one of my favourite brands their sewing machines are always very high quality, robust and built to last. The Janome 2200XT is one of their entry models and it comes highly recommended for both beginners and more experienced users of sewing machines.

A-Grade AE1700 Overview

The accessories that come with the Brother AE2500 aren’t by any means anything to brag about. However, it does come with a darning plate which is a positive. Due to the fact that you cant drop the feed dogs on this machine the darning plate allows you to perform free motion sewing. Most modern machines feature lights to illuminate workpieces (paragraph 6) and help control the process. If you find the light is still quite dim, attach a reading lamp to your sewing machine for better illumination. The jam-proof construction of the bobbin topped with a transparent cover makes stitching almost effortless and easier for users to see how much thread is left. The other handy options include zigzag, buttonhole, and zipper feet. If your scissors have gotten dull and you have no chance to sharpen them, cut tin foil or sandpaper with them, this will temporarily solve the problem.

The Brother AE1700 comes with a 51 watt motor similar to the Brother AE2500. Compared to the similar priced Singer 1507, which has a 85 watt motor, the difference in power is noticeable. That been said, you will have no problems sewing through multiple layers with this machine. Brother are well-known for their high-quality motors and although they may be less powerful in terms of Wattage than similar priced machines, they are always capable of doing their job. Stitch Quality and Speed Buying a sewing machine for the first time can be a daunting task as there are quite a lot of factors to consider before making the plunge and spending your hard-earned cash. Furthermore there are a lot of brands to choose from and some have models that are better suited to beginners than others.

Aiming to save some money, you can opt for larger spools of thread. In case there is no suitable holder for such a big bobbin on your sewing machine, using a big mug may help you hold a spool in place. As with all Brother models, this machine includes an instructional DVD which not only gives you a visual guide to setting up your machine but also shows you some basic sewing skills for those of you who are new.

The design is compact and very durable due to the metal chassis. For those that have taken up sewing classes the 6Kg overall weight is a good selling point, as is the carry handle for portability.

There are two different types of buttonhole press that a sewing machine may feature. These are the 1-step buttonhole and the 4-step buttonhole. In total there are four presser feet included when you buy the Brother AE1700. These are more geared towards making clothes, which is why I recommend this machine as a good choice for beginners and any budding fashionistas out there. It is also suitable for home furnishings and similar sewing projects and is a quite versatile machine. In terms of features the Brother LS14 has a bit more to it than our previous model making it better value for money. In total there are 14 stitches with this machine and it also comes with a 4-step buttonhole.

Sewing machines can be either mechanical or computerised. Personally, i would recommend a beginner to buy a mechanical sewing machine as they are less technical, easier to use and far simpler to get to grips with. Mechanical sewing machines are powered by electric and are not as old fashioned as they may sound. The reason they are called mechanical sewing machines is due to them having internal gears, levers and switches.The accessories included with this sewing machine are the standard ones that you get with most machines. However, there is a darning plate. Due to you not being able to drop the feed dogs on the Brother AE1700 sewing machine you can’t do free motion sewing. The inclusion of the darning plate gives you the option of free motion sewing adding even more versatility to this already very versatile machine. In total there are four presser feet included with the Brother AE2500. In terms of usage they are more geared towards making clothes. This is one of the reasons why I have on numerous occasions recommended this sewing machine to those that are looking to take up sewing mainly for that reason. It can also be converted to free arm for the sewing of cuffs and sleeves. A free arm is provided for those more hard to reach areas you wish to stitch such as cuffs or sleeves. This makes it easier for you as a sewer to experiment with these techniques without the limitations that other machines may provide. Another model by the Brother brand and this time its the Brother AE1700, which i recommend as been the best value beginner model in the UK. In terms of price, it is in the same region as the first two models only it has more to offer. The 1-step buttonhole is more beginner friendly due to the fact it is an automatic function and pretty much stitches a buttonhole by itself once set up to go. This feature is perfect for those of a very basic skill level. The problem with wanting your machine to have this feature is that not that many budget models do. This is a feature usually associated with more expensive models such as the Janome 525S.