Brother vs Singer Sewing Machines

When you start your sewing journey you’ll see a lot of machines, but two brands will pop up a lot, particularly if you are do your shopping online – Brother and Singer sewing machines are two well known and affordably priced sewing machine brands and they have machines that will suit most needs.

Both brands target the home sewing niche and rely heavily on the internet to sell their machines so most of these brands’ models are available somewhere online.

This is opposed to other brands like Baby Lock or Husqvarna Viking that are sold through dealers only, and are considerably higher priced.

Brother Sewing Machines

Brother is a well known brand with dozens of sewing machines suitable for beginners, advanced sewers, quilters, and this brand also has a popular serger sewing machine. The best selling sewing machine on Amazon right now is the Brother CS6000i – an affordably priced machine perfect for a beginner or advanced seamstress.

The Brother CS6000i is about $150, but Brother also has machines that are over $1,000 like the SE1800 sewing and embroidery machine.

Brother CS6000i	Brother SE1800
Beginner	Advanced

The Brother brand is known for incorporating high technology into even its basic sewing machines. Brother has been a successful with the home sewing market because it provides affordable machines with a myriad of features.

They create slightly different versions of the same model, which keeps costs low but provides a wide range of choices for various needs as you can see above. You can get started with a basic machine and move up in cost and features as needed.

Singer Sewing Machines

Singer is possibly the most famous brand of sewing machines and the most well known. It was established in 1851 so we are coming up on 200 years of sewing machine history. Its name is synonymous with sewing.

The Singer 7258 is their best selling machine on Amazon – a reasonably priced beginner machine with 100 built-in stitches and other convenience features.

The Singer 7258 is an entry level machine that costs about $178, but Singer also has models in the $1,000 range like the Singer SE300.

Singer 7258	Singer SE300
Beginner	Advanced

With that being said, it is similar to Brother because it has a wide range of models which can satisfy beginners and experts.

Singer and Brother have similar strategies but Singer gets to play on their history which gives them somewhat of an advantage.

Is One Better Than the Other?

I think the Brother vs. Singer debate is kind of like Coke vs. Pepsi or apples vs. oranges. Some like one and some like the other.

Both make a lot of machines targeting beginners and hope you’ll move up to a more advanced model of their brand as you gain experience.

I have a brother sewing machine that I do most of my sewing on and I also own a Brother Serger and I love them both. But I am positive that if I owned the Singer model that is similar in features, I would not be disappointed.

What is most important is to find out what it is you are looking for in a sewing machine and then narrow it down from there.

Don’t focus on a particular brand if you are a novice because there are so many awesome machines out there that will suit you.

Narrow down the features that you really want – computerized vs mechanical or do you need a heavy duty machine for sewing thick fabrics like denim or upholstery? Or maybe you are on a tight budget and need a simple machine that costs under $100. You could also buy a straight stitch machine and ditch all the fancy bells and whistles.

And of course, there are other brands as well – Janome and Juki are two other brands that have excellent machines for all experience levels.

 

from Sewing Machine Savvy – Best Reviews and Comparisons http://www.sewingmachinesavvy.com/brother-vs-singer-sewing-machines/

Serger vs Sewing Machine – What’s the Difference?

If you’re anything like me then somewhere along your sewing journey you come across a serger and asked yourself – what is a serger and do I need one?

I hope to give you a clear comparison of a serger vs. a sewing machine and help you figure out if a serger is something worth investing in.

Serger vs. Sewing Machine – The Key Difference

You are likely familiar with what a basic sewing machine does so let’s focus on what a serger is.

Simply put, a serger can be considered as a specialized sewing machine – sometimes referred to as an overlock sewing machine.

Take a look at the image to the right – what you see are beautiful edges that are neatly finished with a serger.

Without serging the edge, it would look unfinished and unprofessional, and the fabric will fray over time.

Sergers take anywhere from 3 to 8 thread cones at a time, and loop thread around the edge of the fabric, which prevents fraying. The Singer serger to the right has 5 cones.

The most common sergers use 3 to 4 cones of thread. Compare this to a sewing machine where you typically use just one thread or possible 2 if you are using a double needle.

Because of the multiple threads being looped together, a serger makes a more professional and durable seam than a standard sewing machine.

The threads lock around the seam to prevent fraying, and it also has a blade that cuts off the seam allowance as it sews (the blade can also be turned off if you like).

One of the great features of a serger is how fast they are – it trims away seam allowances and encases raw edges – all at up to speeds of 1700 stitches per minute!

Similar Features of the Two

The interesting thing is that a serger can actually do a lot of things that sewing machines can do. Some examples are:

• It can gather fabric
• It can neatly do piping
• It can do a narrow rolled hem
• It can even hem knits

This video does a great job visualizing some of the similar features of a serger and sewing machine (and its kinda funny too).

What a Serger Cannot Do

A serger has its strengths and can speedily create durable and professionally finished edges,  but it is not a stand-alone machine so it isn’t able to replace a standard sewing machine for most projects.

You will still need your trusty sewing machine to do buttonholes, zippers, facings, and topstitching.

Do I Really Need Both?

In short, you do not need a sewing machine and a serger. But here’s the thing – you can get away with many projects using only a sewing machine without a serger. So a good quality basic sewing machine is a must, and a serger is something you will add as you gain experience and see a need for its features.

Some things to keep in mind if you are thinking about purchasing a serger:

• If you are a beginner seamstress then get to know your sewing machine and learn the basics. Over time you may want to add a quality serger to your lineup.
• If you work with a lot of knits then a serger will make your projects a lot faster and easier.
• If you will be sellling clothing or other projects, then a serger will be important to have for finished edges and a more professional look

Keep in mind that there are “overlock” foot attachments for standard sewing machines, and many are content with the quality of finished edges it can make. But others point out that an overlock attachment simply cannot make as durable of a stitch as a serger with multiple looping threads.

A Final Note

I purchased a Brother 1034D a few months after I learned how to sew because I wanted more professional looking finishes. There is a learning curve – especially trying to figure out how to set it up with 4 different threads, but from the start I absolutely loved what it is capable of doing. I have it out on my sewing table and use it with ease.

What I heard is that once you try out a serger you won’t want to do without it. Well I can say that was definitely true in my case – the speed, power, and beautifully finished edges are something I can’t do without now that I have one.

If you aren’t sure about spending $200 or more on a serger then I would recommend going into a local sewing shop and using one to see what you think.

from Sewing Machine Savvy – Best Reviews and Comparisons http://www.sewingmachinesavvy.com/serger-vs-sewing-machine/