Bernina is popular in costume shops and with quilters. I have a really old Singer and a newish Singer. I always pull out the old one when I need to sew something.
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Bernina is one of the brands made by Brother. Elna and Pfaff, too. I think there are some others.
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My mother loves her Bernina, which has got to be 25 at least by now.
She's cheating on it with her serger, but I think she'll keep going back to the Bernina.
Any suggestions?
Aha! I just researched this because I was going to buy JZ one for xmas.
You don't want one that's computerized. You can buy refurbished ones at specialty shops that still have long warranties and will last forever. (20 years) The older metal ones last longer than the newer plastic ones.
Generally speaking the European ones are going to last longer. Folks like Viking and Elna models.
There are some really good deals to be had online, especially when they're closing out a model. You can find $800 machines for $350 if you shop around.
A lot of specialty shops will let you try the used ones in store, or take them home for a month to see if you like it.
eta: Yeah, I also heard Bernina and Pfaff were good. (Note the euro names.)
You know Tim's reading and now wondering how he can kill someone with a sewing machine.
I bet you could kill someone with one of those industrial sized ones. At the very least, I'm sure you could maim them.
Janome is another brand I researched a lot and had a good rep.
A friend who I really trust and who is not trying to sell me a sewing machine (because she's too busy drooling over my mom's old Singer Featherlight that I have now) sells Janome and swears by them. Plus, some of the fancy ones that she has do really nifty embroidery. Although it makes them not last as long, there is something to be said for the computerization.
You could use toxic thread in the embroidery of a Roy Rogers-ish western shirt, of course.
Go to bed.