Being a sewing machine educator and dealer for over 40 years I have heard it all and just about sold it all. I personally could not sell a product I did not believe in or for that matter sew with. Â I have my list of what makes a good machine.
1. I value ease of use, good fabric handling, a nice large sewing bed, ease of removing feet and needles, nice accessories, decorative stitches, a nice speed control, a needle up and down, a thread cutter.
2. I love my embroidery machine but it can be a stand alone and I love the software if it is fun and easy. I do not do as much embroidery as I use to but I want it when I want it.
3. I love my serger for seam finishes and decorative edges and I occassionally will sew a seam with it. The serger must be easy to thread, let me replace the needles easily, and offer easy adjustments. I teach serger sewing at Hancock in Salisbury, MD so I can appreciate all the different kinds of serger out there. A serger is a serger is a serger meaning the stitch is pretty much the same on all of them! The only differences lie in the threading, adjustments and needle replacement. 80% to 90% of your serging will be done using 3 thread or 4 thread sewing. You will have to evaluate your need for chain stitch and cover hem.
If you are interested in becoming more familar with your machine come to one of our sewing machine instructional sessions.
