Newbie: Sewing Genie ($40) any good?

I am a male who needs to make hems and things to my pants. I know nothing about machine sewing, always having done everything by hand. A friend gave me a cheap Sewing Genie

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) and I was wondering if thisthing is any good? I cannot afford much money so if someone could recommend a good "beginners" sewing machine, say under $100, I would appreciate it. Also, are there any websites that show beginners how to saw, use drop-in bobbers, things like that?

Thanks, Mark Ferrante Click here eveyday to feed a rescued animal:

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Reply to
M. FERRANTE
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What Machine Should I Buy FAQ:

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Reply to
small change

No, they are garbage.=20

You tend to get what you pay for (more so for a sewing machine than for most other items, IMHO).=20

If you only have $100 to spend, you'll get more for your money if you=20 buy second-hand. People often trade in their old machine when they buy a new one. A trade-in will be much cheaper than the same machine when new. Go to a sewing machine repair shop, or a thrift store or a garage sale and get a good, decent used machine. Also, check the classified ads or your local FREECYCLE group.=20

The best ones, again IMHO, are the vintage Singers such as the 401.

As to directions, get to the library; there are a LOT of good 'how to' sewing books.

Good luck!

-Irene

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

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Reply to
IMS

Go to your nearest Sewing machine repair shop. You should be able to pick up a really decent machine for your needs for well under $100. Ask for the trade in, or ones that have been sitting on the shelf because the repair was done but the machine not picked up. I recently got a very nice Kenmore 1040 for a $25.00 repair fee. Will be donating it to a friend for her 11 year old son who wants to learn to sew. Also check out the Yahoo Vintage machine groups , Singer, Vintage Singer, Kenmore, Necchi, WeFixIt lots of members have machines they need to move out. They will also tell you EXACTLY what you need and how much to pay. Stay well away from E-Bay. Lately very ordinary $10.00 machines are going for high prices just because the seller is listing them as 'Industrial like' or 'semi-industrial'.

Reply to
Nana

For the same price at the useless thing (or lots less!) you can pick up a good used machine from a thrift/charity shop and have something that will still work when your grandchildren have grey hair! There are some nice used machines on ebay at present too, but look out for something local, or you'll blow the budget on postage!

The manual that comes with the machine will show you how to operate it and any attachments that comes with it. If the manual is missing, you can see if there's a downloadable freebie on the net, or ask here: if someone here has it ready scanned, buzzing you a copy is no problem.

There are some notes on taking measurements (works the same for men and women), reading patterns, and basic seams, seam finishes, and hems on my web site: click on the URL below and look in The Learning Zone.

Reply to
Kate Dicey

OTOH, my DM gave me a Kenmore about 10 years ago. It has all kinds of fancy stitches but it jams easily. I only drag it out because it isn't very heavy.

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Reply to
Angrie.Woman

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