I got my first sewing machine (the Stylist) when I was 12 years old. I asked for a dollhouse for Christmas and my parents got me a sewing machine. I was very disappointed. What an ungrateful snot! Well obviously, it turned out to be my best gift ever. I used it continuously from 1980 until 1996 when I got my Bernina 1630. I used it to sew my wedding dress and 4 bridesmaid's dresses. I actually wore out the drive shaft and had to have it replaced.
It should be a good started sewing machine for the kids to use.
Serger #1: Bernette 234
In 1990, I got my first serger. My parents (yay Mom and Dad) sent me the money to buy a used serger. I worked in a costume shop with a couple Bernettes and coveted one dearly. I have been using it ever since.
Sewing Machine #2: Bernina 1630
After many years of mournful longing, Bill agreed to let me buy the sewing machine of my dreams. At the time it was the top of the line Bernina. He reminded me daily that this sewing machine actually cost more than his car (a late model used car).
I bought the machine at G Street Fabrics. It came with extensive lessons on its many features. When I arrived at the first class with my new machine, most of the women (all at least 20 years older than myself) hadn't even taken the machine out of the box!! Their husbands had bought them the machine - I think - because it was the most expensive machine with the most gadgets. I doubt that most of these women would use it for more than a straight stitch. They were thoroughly perplexed by most of the stitches the machine did. I think an analogy would be buying a Ferrari for someone who would be most comfortable with an Oldsmobile.
Sewing Machine #3: Bernina Artista 180
My mother inherited money from my Grandmother and gave me some money to get a new sewing machine. My Grandmother was an excellent seamstress and my mother wanted her money to go to a good cause. I debated between a coverstitch serger and an embroidery machine. The very coolness of the embroidery machine won out. I got a brand new machine that was last year's model so I got a pretty good deal. It's been a great machine and has every possible bell and whistle you could want.
One expensive thing (and kind of nasty) that Bernina did when it introduced the 180 is to make it so that the feet from the 1630 do not work with the 180. I had to buy all new feet for the 180. I guess those feet (at $40-50 a pop) generate a steady income for Bernina.
The only problem with my sewing machine is that the software for the embroidery module is no longer maintained or upgraded by Bernina. It doesn't work with Microsoft XP. Bernina's justification is that these machines are basically computers now and need to be replaced once they are obsolete.
In order to use my embroidery module, I had an older computer that I had repaired because it has Windows 2000 on it, which still works with my embroidery software.
People that are buying these new embroidery machines that cost from $6,000-11,000 need to understand that they will basically have an $11,000 doorstop in 10 years.
