Sewing machine/serger recs? - For making CD's

RachPip

I've been entertaining the idea of making my own CD's and potentially going into business with my SIL.

I was curious however, for those of you who do make your own CD's, what sewing machine/serger you use? If you have a cheaper, more lightweight machine, have you found/thought that things would be easier with a more heavy duty/commercial sewing machine?

Any recs would be great, any price point is fine, I'll take anything into consideration.

sophabelle

i would personally recommend a machine that can handle more heavy duty work, esp if you're considering going into business and sewing heavy things frequently...

i have a vintage kenmore sewing machine.  it's pretty much indistructable and can handle a heavy work load.  

i don't have any advice on newer machines since i only use vintage machines. 

i don't have a serger yet, but the brother 1034 is often recommended.  

MyBdayPresent

I looked at machines this past weekend with my mom and DH.  We're leaning towards a Pfaff or Bernette (Bernina's economy line).  Here are some things I learned;

A commercial grade sewing machine is probably WAY too fast for most people and unnecessary.  Also, find out about warranty and what is included with your machine.  Will the shop service your machine?  Will the manufacturer guarantee having replacement parts available for an extended period of time (Bernina used to guarantee 30 years)?  Will the shop teach you how to use your machine?  Are sewing lessons included?  What is the machine made of?  Steel and Nylon parts are durable and okay, but plastic is a no no.  Will the machine be able to sew through multiple layers of heavy fabric as well as lightweight fabrics?  Most quality machines will, you just need to use the correct needle.

I don't sew yet, but in talking to my mom (she's an amazing seamstress) I got an idea of features that will be helpful in diaper making.  One that I think would be great is a guiding foot, I'm not sure if that's the right name. It attached behind the main foot and helps to keep layers of fabric evenly together, as OBV can be a bit slippery. 

Sorry this is so long.  Hope it was helpful!

RachPip

MyBdayPresent:

I looked at machines this past weekend with my mom and DH.  We're leaning towards a Pfaff or Bernette (Bernina's economy line).  Here are some things I learned;

A commercial grade sewing machine is probably WAY too fast for most people and unnecessary.  Also, find out about warranty and what is included with your machine.  Will the shop service your machine?  Will the manufacturer guarantee having replacement parts available for an extended period of time (Bernina used to guarantee 30 years)?  Will the shop teach you how to use your machine?  Are sewing lessons included?  What is the machine made of?  Steel and Nylon parts are durable and okay, but plastic is a no no.  Will the machine be able to sew through multiple layers of heavy fabric as well as lightweight fabrics?  Most quality machines will, you just need to use the correct needle.

I don't sew yet, but in talking to my mom (she's an amazing seamstress) I got an idea of features that will be helpful in diaper making.  One that I think would be great is a guiding foot, I'm not sure if that's the right name. It attached behind the main foot and helps to keep layers of fabric evenly together, as OBV can be a bit slippery. 

Sorry this is so long.  Hope it was helpful!

 Thank you, this was very helpful. Definitely gave me things to think about. Do you have any links to the machines you are considering?

RachPip

sophabelle:

i would personally recommend a machine that can handle more heavy duty work, esp if you're considering going into business and sewing heavy things frequently...

i have a vintage kenmore sewing machine.  it's pretty much indistructable and can handle a heavy work load.  

i don't have any advice on newer machines since i only use vintage machines. 

i don't have a serger yet, but the brother 1034 is often recommended.  

Thanks, I'll look into that one.

eclecticmama

I started out with the machine my mom got when I was born. It was a very old Kenmore. It worked fine and had a lot of nice stitches, but it was huge, extremely heavy, clunky and eventually was giving me more problems than not. A couple years ago my husband went out and bought a new sewing machine as a surprise Christmas gift. :cO!! I was shocked. He spent a fair chunk of money(I think it was around $750) and got me a Bernina Bernette. It's not as fancy-shmancy as the full Bernina's that cost thousands, but it is a very nice machine. It's relatively easy to learn to use and I have never had it act up on me when sewing. Plus the machine came with 5 free classes that teach how to do different things with the machine and I can go back for a free refresher any time I want. I love my machine.

The serger I have is another hand-me-down from my Mom. It's an old Singer. It works well for the most part, but I'm having trouble keeping the blades sharp now and it's getting harder to get replacements. I've been looking at sergers and the two I've seen recommended the most on diaper sewing boards are the Brother 1034D and the Juno 3434D by Janome. I think I will end up getting one of those.