[Closed] Mini sewing machines

We have a John Lewis mini one to shift, PM me.

Never tried a mini sewing machine, didn't even now they existed. However I do have a second cousin called Helen Masters, where pray tell was this?

You seem delightful and have along history on this forum.

I'm sure you wouldn't be related to the gobby, black eyed, sewing Prima Donna that I knew.

Where did your 2nd cousin live?... Just out of interest?

Cheers Molgrips. I knew I could rely on you 🙂

Haha timidwheeler, my second cousin hails from Nottingham. She is absolutely lovely, intelligent and a good sewer, so I'm sure she can't possibly the same girl.

Hope you find the machine you want. Is it to help sew curtains and furnishings for your new campervan?

Ooh, interested in this thread. I'm not too bad with a sewing needle and whil eI don't want to go making trousers or rucsacs, I do want to alter things a bit more tidily & easily (like the massive over-window sunshade I bought for the car).

Molgrips, timidwheeler - I might be interested if it doesn't work out for you.

Or do I just buy a basic full size? I don't have a lot of room for more stuff!

The JL minis are fine for normal sewing. One of my wife's maker friends makes (really cool) dragon tail hoodies for little kids - they have dragon spines over the head and down the back and a tail, she sells them on Etsy so I assume she gets through a fair amount of sewing. She uses a JL mini so I'm told.

Is it to help sew curtains and furnishings for your new campervan?

Yes, it is exactly that. A bit of research suggests that a mini might struggle with this sort of use so I might need to get something bigger.

It is a different Helen Masters 🙂

Get a decent machine, then sewing your curtains etc will be a pleasure, rather than an endless round of swearing at a crappy machine. Apart from saying modern Singers are rubbish,  I can't really advise, as I have machines that are used a lot, and are therefore a lot more than I expect you want to pay.  Perhaps go to a real life shop, they may have some traded-in machines.

Cheers for the input. Problem is I don't have a lot of space. Is it possible to get something capable of doing curtains that isn't massive? I'm not aware of any real life shops anywhere near me anymore.

The condition of the machine, if it's been serviced, the thread you use and the freshness of the needle are all crucial factors. I don't think any machine is actually poor.

I'm considering one of these. Any reason to pick one over the other. I'm aware neither of them is actually small.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Singer-Model-1507-Sewing-Machine/dp/B001TLEHE4/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=sewing+machines&qid=1567594461&s=gateway&sprefix=sew&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brother-LS14S-Chassis-Sewing-Machine/dp/B07B6KL7VZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=sewing+machines&qid=1567594461&s=gateway&sprefix=sew&sr=8-3

I had the same problem recently but decided to pay a bit for for an Elna as I have good memeories of how well made my mothers was and didn't want to risk throwing money away.

I got this one for £205 but there are cheaper ones :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005SJDU2I/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Not a mini machine by any account, but I recently inherited my grannies Singer 99k with electric drive.

Full metal gears and reassuringly heavy - not much bigger than a fat briefcase really. They come up on facebook marketplace / ebay fairly regularly. Mine has been in use for 70 years and no reason why it won't last for another generation or two.

Just to throw something into the mix. Quite often there are groups (in local cafes, village halls, wool/craft shops etc,) that run a sort of sewing bee type affair.
You could find out if there is one near you, where they might let you have the use of a machine for the task in hand.

I don't teach but I do have a workroom and industrial machines. If you are anywhere near Stockport, drop me a line?

Thanks for the offer but I'm in Buckinghamshire. I'm sure if I bought one I would find plenty of future uses for it.