From time to time I get emails from nice readers who are looking for advice about where and what to buy for their first sewing machine purchase. And being the really helpful person that I am, I write back and tell them that I have no idea. I always feel like a total schlub. While I thoroughly enjoy sewing, my sewing machine experience has been really limited. In fact, I have been blissfully sewing away on my Bernina Sport 801 for most of my sewing life. It’s probably about as old as I am. This machine is fantastic – I love it. It’s not the easiest machine to lug around – it’s pretty heavy, but I like that it feels sturdy. I don’t do a lot of fancy stuff – mainly all I sew are straight lines with a 1/4″ seam allowance. I also don’t do very much quilting with my machine other than mini quilts and some baby quilts. If I were doing a lot of machine quilting, I would probably get frustrated because it has such a narrow throat. But for what I do use my machine for, it’s awesome. So basically my only advice thus far has been, decide […]