Want to Start Sewing Your Own Clothes? Here Are Some Tips.
Eventually, I bought the Brother CS7000X, a newer version of my mom’s machine. It’s a model that sewists frequently recommend, and it’s Wirecutter’s top pick in our sewing machine guide. It’s usually available for less than $250, an almost absurdly good price for a machine of this caliber.
But wait! Before I rave about the Brother CS7000X, don’t let me stop you from getting a vintage machine, especially if you can score one for free or cheap.
Our sewing machine expert, Kase Wickman, has written a primer for buying vintage machines, noting that they can be less expensive and more durable than modern machines and may be particularly useful if you need only a straight stitch. But Kase warns that they can also be frustrating for newbies and lack safeguards against common mistakes, which occasionally lead to “disastrous mechanical issues.” Still, I don’t regret getting my vintage machine: It was perfect for me when I was sewing-curious and didn’t have the money for something new.
On the vintage Singer machine, I solidified my interest. On the Brother machine, I leveled up.
The Brother CS7000X is packed full of features that other machines in this price range are unlikely to have. In addition to the huge variety of stitches — 70 options — it also comes with a whopping 10 different interchangeable feet, which can do cool things like help you sew with more finicky knit fabric or create buttonholes in less than a minute.
Crucially, none of those many features overcomplicate things for beginners — they are simply possibilities, doors you can open when you’re ready. The machine is intuitive and easy to use, and the manual is also blessedly simple to reference.
Small pictures on the machine itself direct you on how to thread it and how to wind the bobbin (essentially the bottom spool of thread), a process that’s easy to forget if you put your machine away for a few months without using it.
The machine also has an “automatic needle threader,” which is not exactly automatic but is still a small revelation after years of licking the ends of threads and trying to line them up with the eye of the needle. Plus, the digital screen lets you easily adjust stitch length and width, and a simple gliding switch allows you to adjust the sewing speed.
I was initially worried that the Brother CS7000X was positioned as a “beginner” machine, but let me assure you, I’ve yet to meet a pattern that this sewing machine couldn’t conquer with aplomb. I don’t think I’ll get to a point where I’ll need something “more advanced.” I have made entire ensembles with puff sleeves and ruffle hems and hidden seams and bias-bound edges and zippers and button packets, and I am still a million miles away from hitting the end of its capabilities.
