I learned sewing at school with an electrical sewing machine, made the required skirt and that was it - simply no fun - but at home I learned it on my grandma's sewing machine - think 1800 and no electricity.

You worked a metal plate with your feet up and down - which turned the great wheel at the side of the machine and in turn moved the needle up and down - machine even had a zig-zag-stitch. It went as fast as you worked with your feet - from very slow to quite fast.

35 years later I got tempted to sew again but the modern machines were way too complicated for me - I bought one and got really frustrated. So I started sewing by hand.

And then I saw a Janome Mini Sew Deluxe and bought it - I thought "if it is for kids even I should be able to work with it". That machine was slow enough for me - not too complicated with the stitches (and for such a small machine there are quite a few) and very sturdy (worked through 4 layers of lightweight cotton fabric) but you could lift it with one hand.

I sew clothing for dolls so as a starter machine it was perfect. Now I own a Janome 415 because the little one wasn't enough any longer. Still a mechanical sewing machine but that works best for me. Maybe in a few years I'll buy a computerized one.

I learned sewing at school with an electrical sewing machine, made the required skirt and that was it - simply no fun - but at home I learned it on my grandma's sewing machine - think 1800 and no electricity.

This machine had a great wheel that got turned by working the metal plate with your feet up and down - which in turn moved the needle up and down - but the machine was really "modern" it even had a zig-zag-stitch. And the machine went as fast as you worked with your feet - from very slow to quite fast.

35 years later I got tempted to sew again but the modern machines were way too complicated for me - I bought one and got really frustrated. So I started sewing by hand.

And then I saw a Janome Mini Sew Deluxe and bought it - I thought "if it is for kids even I should be able to work with it". That machine was slow enough for me - not too complicated with the stitches (and for such a small machine there are quite a few) and very sturdy (worked through 4 layers of lightweight cotton fabric) but you could lift the machine with one hand.

I sew clothing for dolls so as a starter machine it was perfect. Now I own a Janome 415 because the little one wasn't enough any longer. Still a mechanical sewing machine but that works best for me. Maybe in a few years I'll buy a computerized one.

But for just closing an open seam or hemming something I still use the little Janome - it's faster than taking the "real" one out. And I can use the same bobbin for both of them.

I learned sewing at school with an electrical sewing machine, made the required skirt and that was it - simply no fun - but at home I learned it on my grandma's sewing machine - think 1800 and no electricity.

This machine had a great wheel that got turned by working the metal plate with your feet up and down - which in turn moved the needle up and down - but the machine was really "modern" it even had a zig-zag-stitch. And the machine went as fast as you worked with your feet - from very slow to quite fast.

35 years later I got tempted to sew again but the modern machines were way too complicated for me - I bought one and got really frustrated. So I started sewing by hand.

And then I saw a Janome Mini Sew Deluxe and bought it - I thought "if it is for kids even I should be able to work with it". That machine was slow enough for me - not too complicated with the stitches (and for such a small machine there are quite a few) and very sturdy (worked through 4 layers of lightweight cotton fabric) but you could lift the machine with one hand.

I sew clothing for dolls so as a starter machine it was perfect. Now I own a Janome 415 because the little one wasn't enough any longer. Still a mechanical sewing machine but that works best for me. Maybe in a few years I'll buy a computerized one.

But for just sewing an open seam closed or hemming something I still use the little Janome - it's faster than taking the "real" one out. And I can use the same bobbin for both of them.