Early Birthday & Christmas Gift

I've been wrestling with my Mom's "old" Singer machine. Have gone through the usual ... clean, rethread, change needle, adjust tension ... no change in stitching issues. Although I had planned to purchase a new machine in the Spring of 2026, the current issues combined with the lack of any kind of servicing available locally has accelerated my timeline. So, Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas to me; I've purchased a new sewing machine due to arrive 20 Nov 2025.

This was not an easy decision for me. Good sewing machines with the feature list I decided I must have are not cheap. And there are so many brands and models that would meet my needs but at a cost. I eventually narrowed the list down to 2 candidates only to learn that neither is highly regarded among seasoned sewists.

What features did I want? Here's my list in no particular order:

• ability to drop feed dogs to facilitate free-motion quilting

• free arm to facilitate working in tight spaces

• one step buttonhole(s)

• needle down/up setting

• ability to sew multiple layers of denim and other heavy fabrics

• automatic thread cutter

• straight and zig-zag stitches fancy stitches totally optional

• backstitch

• tie off to eliminate the need for so much backstitching

The first machine I found which meets all of these requirements is the Singer 6800C. A heavy duty computerized machine, according to marketing, it looks great on paper. YouTube tells a far different story and one reviewer says that you have to adjust your expectations to be happy with this machine. In addition, it turns out that Singer sold out in 2021 and Singer machines aren't what they used to be in general. Most of the sewists I encountered on FaceBook have little if anything good to say about newer Singers while highly recommending older mechanical models. So, I ruled this one out.

The second machine I considered meets almost all of my requirements, is a bit cheaper than the Singer and is a Brother. The ST150HDH is a heavy-duty machine which claims to sew through multiple layers of canvas and denim. Sadly, no thread cutter and experienced sewists differ as to the life expectancy of these machines with some claiming that they need replacing every couple of years. As I am trying to purchase one machine for the remainder of my life, this last point eliminates the Brother from the contest.

I consistently heard good things about Janomes but believed I could not afford one after searching heavy-duty Janomes on Amazon. Turns out that you don't really need a heavy-duty Janome to sew multiple layers of denim. The Janome 3160QDC-G has all of my required features and receives rave reviews on YouTube. YouTube tutorials on the machine reveal that it is intuitive to use and can sew through 8 layers of denim with ease. It's pricey. Significantly more expensive than my other candidates but (and this is a big one) Amazon will allow you to buy this machine on 12 monthly interest-free payments. I have a winner. The monthly payments are quite manageable, and I should have it paid off before the end of the 12 months.

So, Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas to me! After the machine arrives via UPS on Thursday, you can find me in my happy place getting comfortable with my new sewing machine.

As for Mom's machine, I hear there's a sewing machine service and repair business in Weatherford. I think I'll take it there and see what they can do. It won't hurt to have a backup machine. And there is a bit of a sentimental attachment as Mom created all of her quilts with this machine.

dks, 18 Nov 2025

image from freepik.com