Replies

1. 
   carolfresia | Jan 20, 2004 12:00am | #1

   Hi! Wow, that sounds like fun to me--how enjoyable to sit and sew with 11 other adults. I can't recommend any one particular machine, but I would suggest that you consider talking to local dealers who might give you a special discount for purchasing in quantity. More important still is to find a dealer who will be able and willing to support 12 machines; it would be much more convenient for you to have someone local than to send a machine off for weeks or (heaven forfend) months for maintenance or repair. Depending on the interests of the group, have you thought about including an embroidery machine in the lot? If you're sewing for family, yourselves, or charity, you might like the opportunity to personalize your creations with a monogram or some artful motif here and there. There are some very nice embroidery-only machines on the market these days.

   Good luck, and have fun!

   Carol

2. 
   nmog | Jan 23, 2004 12:58am | #2

   It sounds like you are on the right track.  I am a Junior High Home Ec teacher, and went through the same thing two years ago.  We ended up buying a number of machines at once only to discover the tension wasn't nearly as reliable as the dealer had stated, leaving many frustrated students (and teachers)! 

   The one challenge we had was finding someone who could re-drill the holes in the cabinets, as our newer models had 'attachment holes' in different places than the original sewing machines.  I hadn't thought of asking about that when I was in the store, so you may want to.  Good luck on your search!

   Nicole 

1. 
   mevsedoats | Jan 24, 2004 06:17pm | #3

   Thanks for your input.

    Just what sort of machines did you buy?  and were you satisfied after a few initial problems?

   Thanks again

   Meredith

1. 
   nmog | Jan 24, 2004 08:24pm | #4

   We initially bought Singers. I believe the model was 4830, but the difficulty that we had was with the area behind the tension disc. The thread had to stay in behind a circular wire, and with lots of use it freqently slipped out. It was awkward to put the thread back in place, and I've noticed that a lot of Singer models have the round tension disc (with the tension thread wheel behind), so you may want to watch out for this. However, this was a new model three years ago, so they may have worked out this kink. I think that's as clear as mud!

   In talking to other Home Ec teachers, many liked the Kenmore line for ease of use and reliability. However, they bought the 'introductory level' models, and this may not meet your needs.

   Personally, I've had a Kenmore, a Singer and a Janome machine. I sew about 6 hours per week and the machines had stood up to my many mistakes. I think that my next machine purchase would be in the Janome line, but it depends on the features, of course.

   I'm not sure if any of this information helped, but good luck with your continued investigation!

   Nicole

1. 
   mevsedoats | Jan 25, 2004 01:43am | #5

   Hi again Nicole

   Thanks so much for your quick response.  I am sure your information will be helpful at the next meeting of our committee on Wednesday.

   Meredith