Which sewing machine would you recommend?

[OnionPatch]

I'm average at sewing, it's not a huge hobby of mine or anything but I do things like hem clothing, make curtains and pillow covers and easy clothing like sweat pants, etc. My old machine is 25 years old now and it's shot. So I'm asking Santa for a new sewing machine this year. My Santa doesn't have a huge budget for this, so I guess I'm looking at lower-end, $100-$150 range. Does anyone have that type of sewing machine that they would recommend to Santa for me? My last machine had so many glitches and was so frustrating to work with. I'd love to have one that functions reliably and is easy to use.

Thanks for any advice you can give me to pass along to Santa.

[eleny]

1. Don't laugh....

But I've read a lot of good things about the Hello Kitty compact sewing machine.

I like to read sewing and craft blogs and some of the serious crafters got it and liked it a lot. It's compact, inexpensive and made by Janome. I have to admit that I'd like one to take when we go on a long RV trip and stay in a campground with electricity. It looks great for light, basic sewing & crafting. Comes in a few colors and seems like there are a few models, too.

Here's one



And here's a review at Style Hive Blog where they say it's good for making dresses.
http://blog.stylehive.com/index.php/weblog/entry/hot-product-blue-hello-kitty-sewing-machine

You're probably wanting a larger size machine. But I couldn't resist. Going to a sewing machine shop and trying out a few machines would probably be a good way to narrow it down.

[OnionPatch]

2. I saw that it received good reviews!

So you aren't alone in thinking it is a nice machine. I probably would want something larger and if I got this machine, my 7-year-old would think it was hers!

So is Janome a good name for sewing machines? There were a few larger ones at the top of the list along with Hello Kitty.

[eleny]

3. I got a Janome after I retired

I had my basic Kenmore for over 20 happy years and was ready for something different when the Kenmore needed repairs. I got a Janome with a bunch of embroidery stitches in it. That was a new thing for me. I like how it works a lot. It's very smooth.

But there are so many other good companies. Brother is a fine company from what I hear. If I were to be in the market for another machine I'd go to some sewing stores and sit down at several machines to see how they sewed. I'd like to see how the Brother performs. Not that I'm getting another machine but I'm curious about it. Their mechanicals got good reviews at Epinions.
http://www.epinions.com/Sewing_Machines--reviews--brother
And the Janome Jem Gold 660 got great reviews at Epinions.