Amazon.com: Customer reviews: SINGER | 7258 Sewing & Quilting Machine With Accessory Kit - 203 Stitch Applications

Top positive review

Great value for money but ...

Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2014

Great value for money. The machine does everything I want and is so easy to use. I especially love the needle-up/down function. I use it in 'up' mode which is great for the kind of repairs that I bought the machine for. The choice of stitching modes is wonderful and the styles are really cool/fun. I'm sure the embroidery sewing people will love them and to be honest I want to use them but have no reason to !! Very fancy :-)

So here's the but .... when spooling a bobbin (black cotton) I noticed at the end of the spooling that the little plastic peg that is used to automatically stop the spooling was wearing off on the black cotton. Basically the cotton was scraping away the automatic 'stop spool' peg. This is shoddy and realistically there should be a metal cover to stop this. I guess that's why this machine is cheaper than others. All plastic = fast wearing. This is preventable by just stopping short manually and removing the bobbin. Or maybe I'll have to add a metal cover to the little peg !! It's not a show stopper and shouldn't stop you from considering this machine.

I would realistically give this machine 4.5 stars but Amazon doesn't have that rating !! Value for money is great.

[1-month later]
I have really got to appreciate the subtleties that are designed into this machine and they are wonderful. I've actually gone through quite a few repairs of clothes now and it performs excellently. I use the needle-down mode more than I thought I would and it is a great way to stop you dropping stitches. The results look very professional !!

I've also done work on some light leather and the machine is perfectly capable however I don't think the motor will hold out long for this kind of work continuously. It's not industrial spec so I don't expect to use it for this very often. More as a test in this example. I've used heavy needles (#18) with bonded nylon thread for leather work and it has no problems.

I've used this machine a lot on Denim and it seems to have no issues going through 3 layers. I've had to use the hand-wheel on 4 layer Flat Felled Seams but this is because I want to make sure the stitch is even, hence me going slow. I believe it would easily penetrate the 4 layers. Here I've been using a #16 needle and denim thread.

Value = 4.8 stars now IMO.

[21 Jan 2015] I re-rated to 5 stars since that's closer to 4.8. I've made a shirt from scratch since my Denim work above. The machine is a great little workhorse and sews through thick fabric (4 layers) well. I can hear the motor forcing the needle through on slow stitch mode and it does it well. Love the needle down function. I've not had any issues with jamming or having to set thread tension. I wish the hole in the middle were bigger for feeding material through but I guess that's why you go to an industrial spec machine!! I've used a lot of the presser feet and they have all worked well. I've also used a hem & cut foot for doing fake serging and that has worked very well too. Very impressed !! Stitches are balanced, equally spaced and look good. Very professional finish (which I don't deserve!!).

I would say you need to be gentle with the machine and let it feed the material. Don't force it or it will pucker (but I'm guessing that's just good sewing discipline anyway!!). Also make sure you use the correct needle for the thickness of material and thread type. I used a #16 needle for the thicker material was sewing.

26 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

Chrissy and Scott M

Please consider your projects before purchasing this machine!

Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2013

I am only giving this machine 3 stars and entertaining changing it to 2 stars. I don't feel it deserves a 5 star review because I have had the machine less than a year (purchased it in Dec 2012) and I just had to take it in to a repair shop because it was out of time. For those of you already thinking I did something incorrect: yes, I was using the appropriate size bobbin, the appropriate size needle for the project and the appropriate size/type of thread. No, I never broke a needle nor did I even run the needle through a straight-pin. Just FYI
The first couple of uses it worked great with no problems whatsoever, but these were pretty basic projects using relatively thin materials (one or two layers of cotton fabrics).
The next project was a little more complicated and involved the use of rip-stop nylon, felt, nylon belting material and velcro. This project I ran in to several problems sewing the nylon belting material and even the velcro. I muddled through the project; frustrated because I had to re-sew some areas several times, due to bunching thread. (yes I checked and adjusted the thread tension several times) Ultimately I just left the defects because it was for personal use and I got tired of sewing the same areas over and over. Even though I was diligent about trouble shooting my problem/reading the user manual, I still assumed it was due to user error of some sort.
The next project I was making a simple beach bag, again using relatively thin materials. The outer bag portion was a little thicker, especially when I added the interfacing, but the inner material was just normal cotton fabric. I again attempted to use the nylon belting material for the straps and just couldn't get the machine to sew a simple straight line of "heavy duty" thread (also using the appropriate size needle) without it bunching up. After several attempts I became very frustrated. Luckily, I was at a friends house who allowed me to use her Bernina to sew the nylon straps to the bag as well as top stitching the finished project.
I whipped my brow and kept pushing on with the next project. This one, a simple burp cloth; again using cotton fabrics with a thin piece of batting in between. A new problem arises, the top thread kept skipping stitches. I adjusted the tension thinking that it was too loose (even though I have kept it on the "auto" tension since I got the machine)and I figured it was a relatively easy fix. Still skipped stitches. I took the whole machine apart, cleaned everything, as instructed by the user manual (yes, I am one of those that read and follow instructions before sewing or using a new product), changed the type/brand of thread, changed the needle, re-wound the bobbin, and re-threaded the machine. Got about 1/2 way through a straight line and more skipping stitches. Again, friend with the Bernina to the rescue as she allowed me to use her machine to finish a project I was 1/2 way through. I still have 3 more burp cloths pinned together, ready to be sewn...

I will say that this machine is great for basic projects using only the thinner materials. The instant you try to sew anything thicker than a few pieces of cotton fabric, it just can't handle it. I would say that it's nice to have all the fancy built in stitches and the button hole option because it makes for some nice finishing touches to a project, but again, nothing thicker than a few pieces of cotton fabric.
The BOTTOM LINE:
This machine would be good for someone just learning how to sew or just wanting to do some occasional light duty sewing.
This machine wont even hack medium duty sewing projects and you might as well forget sewing anything heavier duty. Some people might consider sewing jean material heavy duty; I wouldn't even attempt it on this machine. I wouldn't purchase this machine for myself again and probably would spend the money on a higher quality machine, with a heavier duty motor and a warranty, like a Bernina or Viking. It is really sad because Singer used to be the best sewing machine money could buy, now it seems like chintzy crap made from china that can't handle more than a few layers of thin fabric. I used to be an avid Singer machine user, but for my purposes this machine is turning out to be useless. To someone else, it might be just what they need.
Please consider the type of projects you will be sewing before purchasing, otherwise you'll be frustrated like me.

87 people found this helpful

5,016 total ratings, 2,880 with reviews

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From the United States

Welsh Guy

Great value for money but ...

Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2014

Verified Purchase

26 people found this helpful

Helpful

Penderwall

My Favorite Possession, EVER.

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2014

Verified Purchase

When I was a little girl, my grandmother tried to show me how to use her Singer. It was a huge fail. Then, recently, I had a reason to make little drawstring bags, and I was so not making them by hand. I did a lot of research and finally ended up with this Singer. It has a really solid metal body encased in plastic. It comes with super clear directions on how to thread the top spool and the bobbins. The instructions are printed right on the machine in case you lose the instructions booklet. It handles thread from my local grocery store (Meijer, for you midwestern-ers), and takes regular plastic bobbins. It comes with a million different extras that are stored neatly in the arm of the machine. I've used it to make three bags on regular fabric, and a huge Harry Potter scarf on fleece. The foots (feets?) are really easy to change, and the stitches are a lot of fun. The foot that comes attached is a general purpose foot and it's what I've used for everything, but it comes with eight or so different feet that are SUPER easy to change in and out.

For the record, this is an excellent beginners machine. I didn't even know what a bobbin was used for when I purchased it. It does come with a DVD to help you learn how to sew, but I haven't even used it yet, it's that easy. This machine would also be great for a kid learning to sew, because you can set the speed with a button on the front of the machine. So, even if your child wanted to use the foot pedal like mom, you can set it to the lowest speed on the machine, and use the foot pedal to sew.

A lot of people were complaining about the thread getting stuck in the machine where the bobbins are located. If you read the instructions, you will see that the thread has to come off the bobbin in a certain way. It's hard to explain, but my suggestion is to read the instructions (not the quick guide, the actual instructions) before you use it. Also, if the bobbin thread for some reason gets tangled, it's really easy to gently pull it out of the machine.

It's hard to say how much I love this thing. Easily my favorite purchase this year. Also, it has an excellent warranty. If you go to Singer.com, you can find the machine warranty there. The best part is that if you live in west Michigan, there is a certified Singer fixer-upper store right in Grandville. This might seem like unnecessary information for the entire rest of the world, but it played hugely into my purchase. It means I don't have to ship my machine to be fixed; meanwhile, you may want to look into your closest Singer authorized repair stores, because they're not ubiquitous.

Would HIGHLY recommend this machine.

**Update: After one year I wanted to review this machine again. I still stand by my five stars. I cannot tell you how many things I've made on this machine and it STILL works as good as day one. A few points... if your machine gets stuck and you get an error, turn it off. Unthread your machine and rethread it, and turn it back on. I freaked out the first time it buzzed and stopped, but it's really not a big deal. Also, changing the needle is easy peasy. I broke a needle trying to get through seven layers of fleece, and I thought everything was ruined- but it wasn't. And it comes with extra needles. This thing is really a champ.

11 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kai

So funny story, I bought this machine back in Sept ...

Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2016

Verified Purchase

So funny story, I bought this machine back in Sept of 2013. That was 3 years ago. I bought it with intensions of starting to learn how to sew - well that never happened. For the next 3 years, this thing sat in my storage room in its original unopened box, being used as mainly a nicely shaped heavy box that all my other crap can pile on top of.

Imagine my surprise that in 2016 when I saw this pop up on amazon again, I was like "oh let's see how much it price dropped since I bought it" (note this is a really common thing w/ me, I buy stuff that I end up not using much and it price drops dramatically next time I check), and it turned out to be a good $40 MORE EXPENSIVE than when I bought it 3 years ago! O__O With most technology a 3 year gap would drop the price by hundreds - but I guess this totally doesn't apply to something like a sewing machine?

In any case, I finally pulled this out and started modifying a lot of my garments that have been in the "sell to resale shops or donate" bags. I did some research ahead of time on how to use it via youtube vids, and got ideas/steps/guides from various youtubers on how to mod my existing clothes to something new. I find this machine to be pretty beginner friendly as long as you do some basic research first. The booklet explains a lot of the parts very well but I mostly just glanced through it or skipped to the specific foots that I need to look for (ie zipper foot) since I got the rest of what I need to know from youtube.

This does come with a detachable foot pedal but also a start/stop button for if you don't want to use the foot pedal. I prefer the pedal as initially when I tried using the button I keep forgetting to press it when I need to stop. foot pedal, even for beginners, is much more intuitive. There's a speed control slider which lets you adjust the speed no matter how hard you press, which is suuuuuuper nice for beginner. At the lowest speed I find the machine to be not very noisy, but recently I changed it to medium speed for one of my projects and it did seem louder. I'm not sure how much dramatically louder the highest speed may be, but I don't think it'll really bother my housemates when their doors are closed (I work in the living room dining room table due to lack of space haha). I did notice that the plastic lid over the bobbin seem to shake at medium speed though...that part is a little worrying but I'm hoping it won't be that big of a problem, and I don't think I'll be moving on to full out medium and high speed yet.

There's a button for leaving the needle up or down when you stop sewing which became incredibly useful when I was working on long chunks of straight sewing that still required periodic adjustment. As someone else also mentioned, I did notice that when I turn the wheel to pull the needle up and try to pull my garment out sometimes it's hard to pull - that's because my needle wasn't at the highest point apparently. Initially I broke thread (and got paranoid I'm gonna bend the needle) but now I know to just turn the wheel some more and pull the needle up further. Once it's in the "nice" zone it's very easy to pull out.

There are maybe 3 things I'm not too happy with. One is the reverse stitch button - if you're using the foot pedal you basically have to wait a second or two before you can press that button, and vice versa. I'm guessing I know why for safety reason (or just how it's programmed), but what it means is that I find I can't do what I see a lot of youtubers are doing when doing back stitching - ie it's not nearly as fast. Most people I see them do a very speedy stop stitch, reverse stitch, then forward stitch and done. With this machine I have to stop wait a second, press the button, wait another second or two, then forward stitch again. If you don't wait long enough, you have to repress the button or the foot pedal - and if you do THAT too quickly it still doesn't work. What ends up happening is that I'm sitting there holding down the reverse button and nothing happens, I realize and I let go and repress and NOTHING HAPPENS. then I have stop and consciously count 1-2, and then press. It makes kind of a slow going and constantly causes me to forget to back stitch.

the other thing that I was a little meh about was the fact that there's no mini screwdriver that comes with the machine. This means if you want to replace the needle or open the bottom for cleaning/unjamming, you'll have to have a set of mini screw drivers on hand. Most standard screw drivers are not small enough to fit in that tiny space (for example the screw for holding the needle). This thing came with a mini seam ripper but not a mini screw driver. :( That bummed me out. I did end up buying a mini screwdriver set from amazon anyway, but it can be a bit irritating if you don't know and need to replace the needle and suddenly you have to pause your project. In my case, I ended up using a tweezer until I got my screwdriver set.

the last thing was that a few times the bobbin thread got jammed on the bottom of the plate and it was insanely difficult to remove. I had to seam rip my garment out of there and at a latter point I was able to use my seamripper again to pull out the clump of thread. I'm really not sure why it got jammed, but it happened 2-3 times, with the last time being particularly bad. I'm going to assume it's from my inexperience, but just wanted to put it out there that it did happen. Because I still didn't have the mini screw driver at the time, I couldn't open the bottom plate to remove the thread clump so again irritating that it didn't come with something that can open it.

Other than that, I LOVE this machine. So many different stitches AND it came with insane number of foots for free. I saw that a lot of other models/machines require you to buy the foots separately. The number of stitches and the number of foots that came for free was what really sold me on this (plus the price was excellent when I bought it and all the positive reviews!). As a total beginner to sewing, I find this to be a really excellent machine. Even at its current price it's still drastically cheaper than a lot of other machines with less stitches and attachments. Highly recommend this for beginners and intermediate sewers, but I imagine if you're a heavy duty seamstress, this might not really be for you (but I think if you're an experienced seamstress you'd know that anyway!)

176 people found this helpful

Helpful

Poison Wood

Sturdy, low-cost machine perfect for a beginner

Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2014

Verified Purchase

Overall, I have been very happy with this machine. I should state from the outset that I primarily use the machine for small quilts as well as a few bags. If you're doing a different kind of sewing, my review might not be helpful.

Pros:
1.) Very solidly built
2.) Easy to thread the machine (especially compared to my mother's 70s singer!)
3.) Auto-tension works very well most of the time
4.) Lots of features, like needle down and speed adjustment
5.) More stitches than you will ever need
6.) Quick and easy to adjust stitch length
7.) Comes with lots of useful feet, like a darning foot for free-motion quilting
8.) Has free-arm useful for bags & sleeves

Cons:
1.) Struggles a bit with lots of fabric layers. I've noticed this when binding a quilt when going over seams. That can mean 5 layers of fabric plus batting, so quite a lot. In this situation, the machine doesn't feed the fabric well. I'm not sure if other machines would do better or not.
2.) Small arm - 5.5 inches. If you're interested in quilting, this is a problem. It's manageable for crib quilts, but when I finally upgrade to a more expensive machine, this will definitely be the reason.

I've pieced extensively with this machine. I typically operate it at max speed, and it hums along and sews a very nice quarter inch seam with my quarter inch foot with very little guidance. I also have had reasonable luck doing free motion quilting. When I use higher loft batting, like wool, I have to adjust the tension, and have had some tension issues if I move too fast. Overall, though, I've been pleased with its performance.

I bought this machine as an absolute beginner, having sewed more than a decade before on a 25-year-old singer. In my opinion, this machine has all the capability a beginner needs. The bottom line is that I've been using it two years now, and I find it a joy to use. I've had great pleasure learning to quilt and make other small items for my daughter. If you're a beginner, you want to find a machine that will allow you to find pleasure in sewing and not hold you back. I think this machine meets those requirements.

In the sewing community, I think there is a certain amount of brand snobbery, and Singer is not well thought of these days. Many will advise you to buy from a dealer rather than online. It may very well make sense to buy a Bernina from a dealer once you've figured out this is a hobby that you want to stick with, but this machine gives you a low-frustration platform to explore sewing as a hobby without laying out too much cash.

6 people found this helpful

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Autumn Grace

Entry-Level Computerized Sewing Machine

Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2014

Verified Purchase

If you're looking for an entry-level computerized sewing machine, this is the one to pick. Compared to similar sewing machines, such as the SINGER 8763 Curvy or SINGER 7467S Confidence , you get more features for less money. You can't argue with that!

Prior to this, I had a very basic (mechanical) Brother sewing machine. When it broke, I bought the Singer Stylist to replace it. I used the Stylist for a little over two years, and even allowed my students to sew with it. On four separate occasions, I had my students go out and buy this exact sewing machine after trying mine! What they most appreciate is the fact that, unlike a traditional mechanical machine, when you put your foot on the pedal, it does NOT zoom away. Rather, it starts slowly and steadily, so you have full control over your sewing. It also has a speed control, which means you can set it so that no matter how hard you stomp on the foot pedal, it will not speed up. This is great for beginners who aren't confident or skilled enough to sew at high speeds.

Here are some of its best features:

* Speed Control
* Auto Needle Up/Down
* Top Drop-In Bobbin
* Automatic Tension Control
* Auto Needle-Threader
* 100 Stitches
* One-Step Buttonholes
* 10 Presser Feet, including an Overlock Foot

There are a couple of downsides to this machine. First, the zigzag stitch isn't all it's cracked up to be. Much of the time, zigzagging will pull the fabric, creating an ugly tunnel effect. You can avoid this by using stabilizer under your fabric, or by reducing the stitch width. Either way, it's inconvenient.

Second, when you backstitch, you have to be aware that it will continue to go forward one stitch, before starting to go backwards. And when you stop backstitching and want to sew forwards again, it will do the same thing, going backwards one stitch, before resuming its normal forward motion. It's a minor quibble, but it does mean you have to learn to compensate for it. For example, when you reach the end of your seam, don't sew right up to the edge, because when you backstitch, it will sew off the edge of the fabric before going backwards. Instead, you have to stop one stitch length from the end, leaving room for that extra stitch.

My other complaint is that this sewing machine simply doesn't last very long. After two years, I started having trouble with skipped stitches and loose tension. I took it into the repair shop and they said the timing was off and it would cost $100 to fix. Reluctantly, I let them fix it, but shortly afterwards, it started making a really annoying squeaking sound as it sewed. I oiled it regularly, so that wasn't the problem. And since I had only paid $150 for this sewing machine in the first place, it really wasn't worth paying another $100 to have them repair it. I bought a new sewing machine instead, upgrading to a much nicer model.

Despite these flaws, I'm giving this sewing machine four stars, mainly because it's a great entry-level machine. Hopefully, by the time it dies, you'll be ready to upgrade to something a bit fancier! Recommended for anyone who is new to sewing, but who wants something a little nicer. If you're an experienced dressmaker, you'll probably want something with more features, such as the SINGER 9985 Quantum Stylist TOUCH .

17 people found this helpful

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Phoenix

Great machine even for a beginner

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2022

Verified Purchase

I spent a lot of time researching sewing machines. I chose this one for the fact it can be controlled by buttons instead of the pedal. I also like that there is a speed control since I am a beginner with sewing machines. On some pieces I will speed it up but for the most part I have it set to a slow setting. I have not used many of the stitches it offers but there is a good selection for future projects.

Something I think would be useful would be a clearer guide for seam allowances. Something that goes down toward the front edge of the machine. As well as the foot that has the guide bar on it which this machine did not come with.

The machine is easy enough to thread although the needle threader is hard to move when you are trying to pull it down to reach the needle. I worry it will snap at some point.

I also wish that all the various feet were more clearly labeled. Trying to compare each foot to a small picture on a paper, some were obvious but others were not.

I am sure more experienced users know these things from sight but I new user may not.

The machine is pretty light weight. I did not have a table or desk to set it up on so I used an oversized folding tray table like you used to normally see in a living room, used to be called a TV tray. It held the weight just fine and did not shake or anything.

I also like that the stitches are not selected with a dial.

I would definitely recommend having a test scrap of fabric every time you rethread the needle there were a few times that my test scrap ended up with crazy knotted up thread and I had to rethread to fix it. Nothing looked wrong with the threading, so it could mess up a project if not tested first.

10 people found this helpful

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susie

Awesome machine

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2019

Verified Purchase

I have only had this machine 4-5 days but already I love it! I had my first singer for 30 years, then got another about ten years ago that I hated from the start, never could get the auto buttonhole to work , it looked so easy and should have been, among so many other problems, thinking it was me..some were!... but made one with this very easily and just everything about that one gave me troubke, also loud. I’ve been sewing since a teen...now 70....and am far from being an expert so this is perfect for me and for those beginners. This will make the things I still do so much easier. It’s much quieter and really has more stitches than I’ll ever need but the ones I do use are much easier to do. The threading of the machine is a dream, a breeze; love all the extra feet and accessories, love the auto tension, needle threader...had one on the other and rarely worked...the position of the needle holder handle on the side instead of having to reach in back to work for simpler access, took a bit to find the thread cutter but works great razor sharp; I did find the foot doesn’t seem to raise up as far as others so might not be able to work with heavier fabrics like fur but not sure that’ll be a problem for me; I also agree it’s a little annoying the way you have to go up to 100 and back to 00 if you want to go back down to a lower stitch number while on a higher one, but it goes quickly enough; the cord length is fine for me tho I know many complained it was too short but not for my setup; the auto sewing feature is nice but for me I prefer the foot pedal for more control; the instruction manual is superb...my previous one was awful....love the see thru bobbin part tho wish the window to it was not detachable, easy for me to drop, misplace , but I love the inches on the faceplate for keeping seams the same width etc; love the button for reverse and there’s also a way to tie off straight seams easily...another number I’ll memorize to use! Also love how the width length on many are programmed into each stitch pattern, no guessing there tho you can adjust if you wish. So all in all you can see I love this machine esp for the price. Hoping I won’t run into some things that happened to some reviewers but if so I’ll update this review.

Helpful

Amazon Customer

A solid machine for the price - great for beginners

Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2012

Verified Purchase

I have owned this machine for a little under a year. I had never sewn before and chose this machine to learn on based on the positive reviews, relatively inexpensive price tag, number of stitches, and the extra feet included with the machine.

First, the positives (and there are a lot of them):

It's very user friendly. The manual is quite helpful and describes how to use each feature the machine has, and also includes recommendations for what needles/feet/tension to use depending on your fabric and stitch choices. Stitches are selected by buttons, and it's quite simple to adjust the stitch length or width. The backstitch button, needle up/down button, start/stop button, and speed control switch are conveniently located and easy to use.

It's quite easy to thread and wind the bobbin, and I've never had any trouble with thread breaking. The tension is easily adjustable with a dial located on the top of the machine.

The needle up/down function quite nice.

It adjusts to a free-arm. A big help when sewing sleeves for children's clothing. The storage compartment in the base holds all the included extra presser feet, as well as a few more that I've purchased separately (note - the button sewing foot is awesome).

It's been dependable. I've used this machine every other day or so for nearly a year, and it has never once jammed. The tension settings have been consistent and the fabric feeds evenly.

The automatic needle threader makes it MUCH easier to thread.

It comes with a bunch of extra presser feet.

The one-step buttonholes are fantastic.

It's quiet. This is important because the majority of my sewing is at night after my kids are asleep.

Now I won't say this machine really has any "negatives"...they're more just small annoyances that from what I've read, are par for the course with an inexpensive machine:

The pressure foot pressure is not adjustable. There have been a few times where it would have been way easier (and the garment would have had better results) had I been able to lighten the pressure of the presser foot.

The start/stop button does not work if the foot pedal is plugged into the machine. I prefer to wind the bobbin with the push button rather than the foot pedal, and it's slightly annoying that to do so I have to unplug the foot pedal first.

With straight and zig-zap stitch settings (not any of the decorative stitch settings), the backstitch button takes one MORE stitch forward before stitching backward. It projects where the end of your seam/stitching needs to be precise, you need to account for this and stop short, then hit the backstitch button to go one more stitch forward. Also, there is no continuous backward stitching function, so you have to push the backstitch button 3 to 4 times.

The machine will remember your adjustments to stitch settings while the machine is on, but the memory is erased once you turn off the machine. You'll need to adjust your stitch settings again.

You cannot drop the feed dogs. Now granted, this is not a machine geared towards quilting, but it would be a nice feature. On the other hand, it does come with a darning plate to cover the feed dogs which makes it possible to do free motion quilting. However, you'll be limitied to small quilts due to the size of the throat.

The lighting could be better, but there are accessory sewing lights that you could purchase separately.

All in all, I'm very happy with this machine. Even if I upgrade to a more expensive machine geared towards quilting (larger throat space, ability to drop the feed dogs, etc.) I will still keep my stylist. It's not too large to travel with or take to classes, and it would be a good machine to teach my daughter with when she is older. I'd recommend it for beginners or anyone not wanting to spend a ton of money on a home sewing machine.

86 people found this helpful

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Andrew

Great little machine!

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2024

Verified Purchase

I live in Japan and the machine arrived in less than a week, very surprised! It works great!

Helpful

K. Davis

Thank You, Singer, for making this machine available!

Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2015

Verified Purchase

In the past I sewed and made lots and lots of things. I have multiple disabilities, and finally just gave up on sewing and gave away my heavy-duty sewing machine. It was not computerized. One thing I can no longer do is sit sewing for hours and hours.

I have very poor vision, but the Singer fabulous online help allowed me to enlarge the manual to exactly the size print I needed, and sort out just the English after printing it all. I was very allergic to the printed copy (and the manual that came in print with the machine). So I got some excellent plastic cover pages and slipped all the printed ones into the covers. Let them sit awhile--that often helps, and it seemed to work on this.

The manual is a huge help. A few things are not clear in there, but go to the Singer website and the answer is VERY likely to be clearly explained there! I did that, and IT WORKED!

After study the manually in a few short sessions, I pulled the cart I have the machine and ALL the things I need to sew over to my deskside. This saved me so much time because I didn't have to run around looking for things.

In two hours I had the bobbin filled and placed, the machine threaded, and that was a good time to stop for the day. I rolled the cart (a really great cart made by Seville and very reasonably priced--great for all sorts of functions) to a good resting place.

The next day I got underway to do the project that had gotten me to try this machine. I had modified a couple of 100% polyester capes to go on and off my disabled self more easily. Very, very long cut down the middle of the front of the garment, two sides on each cape that needed securing all the way down so they would not unravel in the washing machine.

Okay, I am not exaggerating here. It took me an hour and a half to do both capes. That project paid for the machine!

I've had these allergies for my whole life, and God used everything He has shown me through the years to make this work for me smoothly. For one thing, I cannot sew anything (or wear it) unless it has been washed first. And washed without laundry soap! It's pretty funny if you think about it!

I learned a bunch of things from studying this manual that I never learned in so many years of using sewing machines. One thing is that you must use the right needle, and you need to replace needles on a good schedule. Another is that an automatic tension is WONDERFUL. Those two things caused most the repairs I had to have done on my machine.

Next I have to learn how to clean out the right parts of the machine and how to oil it.

I think I will be doing some small projects with fleece (that's what I wear the most) and bandanas! I cannot handle a needle and thread by hand much at all.

Thank you, Singer, for this very special machine!

I have a suggestion that would help some folks like me. I will not be using decorative stitches. Finding the very few types of stitches I need among 100 with my poor eyesight is a big challenge.

I need ALL the features of this computerized machine, but with a lot fewer stitches. I kept looking at the heavy-duty machines, but the threading, the tension and other things would be much more difficult for me than with this machine.

I'll probably find ways to find the few stitches I need on this machine. But I don't sew for fun anymore. I've had so many years of sewing that when I need something to use, I want to be able to put it together quickly and keep the edges from unraveling. No decorating by sewing for me. Yet I need ALL the other features of this machine. I will be watching closely for what you come up with next!

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