The Swiss-designed Bernette 05 Academy, produced by premium manufacturer Bernina, is an intriguing manual machine with a robust accessory pack including an extension table, but in our testing the bobbin jammed repeatedly. The machine didn’t come with a full manual in the box (though it is available online), which made using functions like the buttonhole absolutely inscrutable. Although this model came with lots of goodies (and looked sharp on the sewing table to boot), these drawbacks made its high price hard to justify. The Quantum Stylist was a thrill to use, thanks to its smooth, powerful sewing, its wealth of features, and its intuitive controls. It’s a little quieter than the Brother CS7000X, and it has a few features that our main pick lacks, such as an automatic thread-cutter button.
With embroidery finding its rapid return in the fashion world, particularly in the form of embroidered jeans, now is a better time than ever to hone your craft and up your embroidery game. Manual sewing machines have been around for centuries; they’ve been used to create everything from glamorous gowns to home essentials around the globe. Modern-day manual sewing machines are generally less complicated than their computerized counterparts, and they require a foot petal to operate. These machines also come with manual features that can delight everyone. Using a serger to finish your seams offers certain advantages, but you probably don’t need one. A serger (also called an overlocker) is a specialized machine that uses three or more threads to enclose the edges of seams so that they don’t fray—a stitch that traditional sewing machines can’t replicate.
These novelties continuously improve durability, servicing, technical support, and skilled capabilities to ensure Brother’s machines last a lifetime. In the world of sewing, embroidery, and crafting, Brother is always ‘At your side’ for business and personal crafters. The company’s motto accentuates its founding mission to expertly design affordable machines, its global demand for over a century, and its future where heritage is interwoven with innovation.
(This is a good video overview that walks through setting up our top pick, the Brother CS7000X). All together, these things make it an easy recommendation for anyone looking to pick up their first sewing machine. The Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 is more solidly built than the Brother CS7000X, more stylish, and more flexible in the size of the sewing surface. It has a ton of features, stitches, and accessories, and it includes some extras usually found on much higher-end machines, such as an automatic thread cutter.
For foot-free sewing, you can set your speed with a slider on the front of the machine and use buttons to control sewing. After my controlled testing weeded out the less promising machines, I tested the top contenders repeatedly brother scan and cut on different projects to discover even more of their secrets. For many people, sewing face masks for themselves or others was a gateway. We will teach the basics of sewing with machines while making fun projects.
This machine also has several failsafe features that could prove helpful for both beginners and more experienced sewists. For example, the Quantum Stylist won’t let you start sewing with the presser foot up—a careless mistake that’s easy for anyone to make, no matter their experience level. In testing, I made this mistake with both the Brother computerized machines and the EverSewn model. One drawback is the lack of presser-foot pressure adjustment, but again, that isn’t a feature that most sewists need often (though it’s nice to have in the rare cases that you do need it). Many computerized sewing machines are also capable of sewing alphabet letters, allowing you to personalize your sewing projects. The typically large selection of decorative stitches has something for everyone when it comes to embellishments and decorations.
It offers 600 stitches, including five separate alphabets (should you ever need to stitch a ransom note into a quilt) and 13 automatic buttonhole styles, all of which allows the maker to customize their projects even further. Sewing is one of those magical brother machine hobbies that are both endlessly creative and especially practical. With relatively little effort—and a good sewing machine—you can make a quilt, whip up some curtains, hem pants, or even make pants out of things that weren’t pants at all before.
In 1934, they were renamed Nippon Sewing Machine Manufacturing Co. which they subsequently manufacture industrial sewing machines in 1936. Accessories included, such as the hard case, oversized wide table, and built-in free arm, increase the versatility of this Brother sewing machine. One of the more lightweight Brother sewing machines, the XM2701 is also very portable should you want to travel with it or move around while sewing.
A few of the machines even came on a beachside vacation with me, as I put their portability to the test. I also sewed buttonholes according to each machine’s instructions, with varying degrees of success. One of the most revolutionary BERNINA presser feet for regular stitches with variable speed is the BERNINA Stitch Regulator. Thanks to modern sensor technology, it is particularly suited for freehand sewing, i.e. sewing with a lowered feed dog. It ensures a perfect stitch result when sewing straight and zigzag stitches.
Let Ken’s Sewing Center help you choose your new Brother sewing machine. We also have a large selection of parts and accessories for all Brother sewing machine models. If during your search you encounter the phrase “mechanical sewing machine,” just remember it’s the same type of machine as a manual; the two phrases are used interchangeably.