So you’ve woken up, and over toast and marmalade, you’ve thought, where do I buy a sewing machine. For most people the answer is to fire up Amazon and do a search. The look, the price, the delivery time are usually top three, or thereabouts. Click, buy and hope for the best. Finger crossed, hey?
Job done. But hold your horses. Just bear this in mind. A sewing machine is most unlike other domestic electrical products. A kettle, a washing machine or even an air fryer are not things you might fall in love with. Although some of the air fryers look pretty groovy.
It’s just that when you work on a sewing machine to create, and create you will, with new trousers, shirts, skirts and who knows what else. You actually begin to form a bond with your machine. And when it works well, it feels like when that bloke in Avatar connects his hair with the fantastical animals. Or, if you want the answer to the crossword clue, Symbiosis. It really happens. I’ve seen it countless times. Especially when a customer brings in a sewing machine for service. They may have bought it from us ten or twenty years ago, and it breaks their hearts to be without it for a week or so.
What if you want to see before buying?
If you decide not to buy without seeing – nearly always the best way to buy- you need to find a shop or a store. John Lewis sells sewing machines, as do some of the bargain stores. You can even find them in some garden centres, in the aisle next to the slug pellets.
However, here’s your next hurdle. Quite often in these stores, you can look at the sewing machines, you might even be able to touch them and even talk to a sales assistant about them. But ask them to show you how it does a buttonhole, will it sew denim, and can you see what the stitch width looks like….. That is when you usually discover – the store doesn’t offer demonstrations. In other words, buy it without even trying it.
Oh dear, back to square one.
Buying Online or Visiting a Sewing Machine Shop?
A sewing machine shop – yes, they still exist, dotted about the place with dedicated souls waiting to do their best. So here’s what I see and the example I give is one I’ve seen many times over.
You’re sat in the bath scrolling on your blower through Google or Amazon etc. You find a sewing machine that looks nice and promises much. And guess what, it’s on offer and comes with this and that for free. Buy, you click, and in no time at all it’s delivered to your door.
You unpack the box, all excited, like. You set it up, thread it up and begin to sew. The sewing looks strange, all loopy. So you unthread and rethread and, on the sixth time of trying, the sewing begins to look ok. Then you fancy making a buttonhole but it all goes wrong?
Which presser foot?
Which setting?
Which tension?
So buying a toaster online offers convenience. I’ve done it myself. But buying a sewing machine? You should find your nearest sewing machine dealer. Pay them a visit and ask for a demonstration. Try the machines before you buy and make sure you get an aftersales tuition back up.
So. If you’re wondering where to buy a sewing machine, my advice is to choose a dealer who can demonstrate, support and service the machine after purchase.
