Looking to replace old sewing machine ..Any suggestion as far as brands or

[Lady Amy of York]

Hello !  I am looking to replace  a very old  Singer  sewing machine  that i have.   Does  anyone  have  any  suggestions as far  as brands  or  models  go?

Keep in mine  that i have  not sewed in years, and  my sewing skills  are  shall we say  very  limited...but i would  love  to start sewing  again,  and  to be  able  to learn  to sew     garb  and  acessories  to wear  to faire. I would like  to have one  that does  embroidery stitches, cause i use  to do alot of  embroidery  by  hand  years  ago.

My husband  also  would  like  to learn  to sew.    He   saw  one  brand of sewing  machine  that caught  his  eye.   It  was    "   Husqvarna  Viking  Scandinavia 400 ."  is  anyone  familiar  with  this  brand  or  model ?

[gem]

Amy, we've had a lot of recent discussions on this; here's the latest:

http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php?topic=5839.0

But... how old is your "very old"  Singer?  If you're talking pre-1975, then you might have a very nice machine that just needs a good servicing.  I know lots of people who swear by their vintage Singers.

As for Viking, that's what my new machine is (Emerald 183).  The Scandinavia line has been discontinued, so you'll probably get a great price on it.  I went with a Viking because I liked the feel of the machine, and because two of my most trusted sewing buddies (and a number of professional garbers!) use them.  But you can find a great machine among any of the better brands:  Viking, Bernina, Brother, Janome/Kenmore.

[Lady Amy of York]

Thankyou Gem. Don't know how  i  missed  it,  but I  checked out the  thread   you mentioned above. Some very useful  info  !

[Cilean]

Amy if you do a search

We have dealt with machines several times!

I tell people to try them all and see what fits you.

Cilean

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Baby Lock makes very good machines for the starter, intermediate, and advanced sewer.

My apprentice, Elizabeth, bought a Crafter's Choice Baby Lock machine. It runs smoothly and has a lot of features that boosted her confidence big time!!!

[Lorraine]

I just bought a Viking Sapphire 830 tonight. I had gone there intending to buy the Emerald, but when I saw how many of their feet weren't compatible with it I changed my mind. I get free sewing machine classes through their stores for the lifetime of the machine though, so that's pretty nice. Anything is an improvement over my 6 yr old, $100 Brother.