Sewing Machines Household Portable Electric Sew Multi-Function Metal Frame 200 Stitches with Large Extender Table Model 2685A Plus

I read the reviews and watched the YouTube video of this machine and then finally ordered it. I was not disappointed - It is a fabulous machine. I have been sewing for over 60 years and this machine is like living in the Ark then moving to the Tardis! It is such a joy to use, I love the speed variation - that in itself is enough to buy the machine for! Having arthritis in my feet I couldn't control the foot pedal and thought the push button would be good, it wasn't good - it was fantastic!! The needle threader is a delight and the various stitches are mind blowing considering that if you use twin needles [not available on all stitches] the amount of variation is increased considerably. Can't praise this machine enough, it is quiet, sturdy and doesn't feel cheap. I ordered the version with the extending table and I feel it is well worth the extra money.

I have wanted to learn how to sew to be able to make, alter and repair my own clothes as well as household items. It took me a while to pluck up the courage to place the order as I did not want to buy something that didn't follow the standards for domestic machines and for which one couldn't get basic items like needles let alone anything more advanced.All I can say to anyone having similar concerns, or indeed any concerns is place the order now before the product sells out!The key plus points for me are:(i) The ability to limit the maximum speed is a godsend for a beginner(ii) The speed and ease of loading a bobbin and threading the needle ready to sew had left some of my friends who are very experienced sewers in amazement(iii) The number of different stitches gives a wide range and means the topstitching on a garment can be more personal (I adore the crocodile!)(iv) It is possible to leave it putting decorative top stitching on an item and it needs no, or at most the tiniest, input to keep it sewing in a straight line (it's straighter than when I guide the fabric and you get a chance to enjoy a cuppa at the same time!)(v) It does go through many layers of fabric - 6 layers of cotton, 4 of which had had medium-weight interfacing applied.The one problem I have found is that if the project has too much loft the machine can struggle, but I have recently discovered that buying a walking foot (or a quilting foot) should resolve this as my machine is behaving no differently to machines from other manufacturers.I have now had the machine for 9 months and it has definitely given me a new hobby, a huge amount of pleasure and I'm sure there is still far more about this machine that I will discover and be amazed by!My only regret is that I waited several months before ordering it as I wanted to be 100% certain it was a machine that worked in the same way as others and that I was not throwing money away. Don't make this mistake - I would be incredibly surprised if anyone regetted buying this fantastic sewing machine!

I bought this for my daughter who was scared of using my very high-end machines and *what* a lovely little machine.No, it's not the most powerful machine out there, but for the price point, having needle up down and speed adjust, along with the huge number of stitches is extraordinary. I fed paper though to check the feed dogs and it pulls wonderfully straight. ! I just checked another thing, and it has an extra high lift on the presser foot, which is great.Be aware that it's not going to be powerful enough to make jeans or leather bags, you are going to have to put your hand in your pocket for that as no beginner electronic machine would be capable. I did have the earlier version of this as a backup machine and it ended up going to a homeless shelter to mend clothes - it's still working 5 years on. This one seems almost the same but it's a LOT lighter and the casing isn't as boxy. The motor seems to be the same strength and that's the component I'd be worried about burning out by pushing it too hard. The plus side to this is if you have issues lugging a big machine to and from where it lives, then this really is super light.If I have a tiny gripe it's that it lacks a lightning stitch but we use maraflex elastic thread and use straight stitch on knits anyway.I'm not quite sure what to say here, it's as good as a £250 Brother starter machine, so you should get this one.Keep tension on 4, unless you are feeding something very light or very heavy though it always wants to be on 4. Honestly, 4 and forget about it, it will be all good. Put your left hand to the left of the needle, and your right hand in front of it and let the feed dogs do the work, you want to be gently guiding it, when you pull from behind to "help" you get odd bouncy seams.P for Perfect when loading top loading bobbins, and make sure you have your foot up and pull straight down and up when threading the needle as it needs to slot into the tension disks. When you put the thread on the spool the thread comes over the top towards you, not underneath the spool. If you end up with a huge mess of thread on the underside of the fabric then it's you not the machine, take the bobbin out, unthread. Walk away, and get a nice cup of tea, then read the manual, then go back and go step by step again checking the numbers against the manual as you go. You got this.