are there any sewing buffs on here? ( not quite gardening!)

I read sewers as in drains! hahaha.

Back to subject, if you're going to sew a lot, why not get a lovely new machine?
There are some great machines out there that aren't too expensive. Check out the Husquvana range.
I have a Bernina 440E Aurora which is marvellous and I expect it to see me out. Very expensive, though, but I can sew, felt, embellish etc. Brother also make some fabulous machines now. The NX series is lovely and you may well get a good 2nd-hand one too. If not, look for an older Bernina.
BUT, the new machines are so much more comfortable to sew on and you can have to much more fun. Try some out in a shop - you can always pretend that you're going to spend a small fortune! Test out the pedals. One stitch at a time.....speed control, so many decorative stitches, needle up/down, knee-lift (Bernina AND Brother), choice of presser feet, ease of changing feet, if you do patchwork then bernina do the magic free-motion quilting foot (hence why I'm patchninja!), and many options to boot. They're SO much more accurate now. Get the best you can afford. IMHO. It's not something we tend to change every 5 minutes.HAVE FUN!!!

oh, you sound like a great sewer! ( and yes- i read it back, and thought "sewer" too - and thought, that cant be the right way to spell it, can it!!?) thanks for all of that info.

i am thinking along the lines of a brother, or maybe a frister & rossman, but i cant afford to buy a new machine. i could buy a car for the price of some of them!!! i am hoping to find an older reliable one for about £60, probably in local paper or ebay.

a really nice new one would be wasted on me now as my sewing days as a major pastime are over as i never have the time. ( i still collect projects to do at a later date tho.) so, i dont want anything too complicated, as, to my way of thinking, there is just more to go wrong.

i did like my phaff, for general dressmaking and it was quiet and very smooth, but i didnt like the fact that it couldnt take too much in the way of fabric thickness. it has lasted 20 years though, so it has done well, and it is only the timing that has went it think- the needle keeps catching on the bobbin case, and some of the stitches no longer do thier pattern. but i just think i might as well get something about the same, but with a capacity for thicker fabric.

i used to do wedding dresses and evening wear, and worked in theatre costume for a while, but now its just me altering my finds or repairing stuff. i have always thought i would like to do traditional quilting, but the reality is, i dont have the patience, ( or the eyesight, nowadays) i do have an old quilt which went west in a wagon train in usa with a gg grandmother, but it has been waiting for my attention for 40 odd years! it has a huge hole in it about 18" by 18" which i intend to put in some fabric with memories in, but the reality is, whoever gets it after me, will get it hole and all!!!

so really, i only deserve a basic machine these days. its a great hobby tho. i dont know why its not as popular as it once was, maybe because fabric is so expensive and ready made so cheap? ( well, i have waffled on away from the originbal subject as ussual)

want to add-- i agree, bernina are great, the rolls royce of sewing machines.. do you think i will find a used one tho? !! doubtful, but if i do i will snap it up. they are keepers !

Glad I'm not the only one who read sewers as in drains.
Sorry cant help with a machine.

I would advise testing a few machines out before you decide, Lindyloo. My old singer (automatic buttonholes, range of decorative stitches etc) gave up the ghost and was unrepairable - so I splashed out on a Bernina which I bought because my Mum had one and it was really good to use. This newer version is a lot more awkward to use - I wish I'd been a bit more careful in choosing. It is not as smooth in its stitching and the different functions are not so intuitive for me if you see what I mean. I'm half toying with the idea of getting another new machine - after a bit of testing first!

Nope saw it as drain related too

I bet you could find a second-hand Bernina. There are lots of peeps with more money than sense who have to have the newest model so they trade up. Ask in your local shops, as they may know someone who wants to sell one.

So, is Sewer Rat, "Sewer Rat" or is he "Sewer Rat"?

thanks everyone. to be honest the more i look, the more it seems quite complicated. i am hoping i can find one that was bought by someone who lost interest, and i think that as in many things, the ones that were made years ago, are often better than the ones that are churned out now, and of course the various manufacturers have good models with the occasional model that isnt quite so good, and now i have realized that an older model with computerized workings might be a waste of money if the computerized bit gave up the ghost, and isnt available any more.

needless to say , the sewing that i have put off for ages, is now imperative!!! thats how it goes, isn't it? the only thing i am certain off is that i dont want a singer, and probably not a toyota. ( my sister in law has one whci i borrowed once, and it is a clunky old thing! - mind, it seems to work fairly well)

Title amended

Spoil sport!

I couldn't read it any longer....sorry.

and I wanted to get the sewing buffs out of their closet.

lindyloo, I bought myself a Brother sewing machine about six years ago which I love to bits.

We are fortunate enough to have a sewing machine shop in the nearby town which also does servicing and repairs. I didn't really know what to buy, so I said to the chap 'I want a machine that can do x, y and z' and I don't really want to spend more than £250. He gave me lots of advice and showed me three or four different machines, but the Brother really came tops for me. I use it to make toys, crafty things and take-in clothing. I haven't mastered button-holes on it, but I suspect thats just a lack of practice.

I bought a janome a few months back and it's great. It can handle quite a good thickness too ( I use it to adapt clothing for my son so it had to go through some major layers around the waistline ). I'm fairly sure you would be able to get one second hand. perhaps on ebay?
In any case, good luck with your search.

I inherited my nan's old F&R which did me good service and helped me make a couple of bridesmaid dresses before being condemmed on it's electrics. We have a lovely little sewing shop in Warrington where I tried loads of machines before finally deciding on what suited my purse and requirements. Basically without such a shop I'd have been struggling. I bought new in the end but they also sold reconditioned second hand ones and seemed to do some good deals on last years models.