Sewing Machines / A Basic Home Sewing Machine

Dear users, dear authors,
In product descriptions, you sometimes read that a basic home sewing machine is sufficient for sewing the pattern. What is a basic home sewing machine?

Dear Josefa,

Back in the old days, a mechanical sewing machine (which still had a hand-crank, a drive belt, and a plate under the body that you had to rock evenly with both feet to get the sewing wheel moving) could only sew a straight stitch—meaning it could only sew two or more pieces of fabric together. If you rocked it the wrong way and the wheel rolled backward, it would get all out of sync. You also couldn’t adjust the sewing speed, and it didn’t have a light. But back then, a sewing machine like that was still highly sought after and very useful because you could use it to sew things for the family out of fabric. A lot of sewing was also done by hand, which the machine couldn’t do.

Then came the digital sewing machines , which can perform pre-programmed stitches. You no longer have to pedal; instead, you simply press a button—depending on the stitch you choose. Of course, it has many more stitches to choose from. If it only has a few standard stitches—like the straight stitch and the zigzag stitch—then I would call it a simple household sewing machine.

If it can also do decorative stitches, buttonholes, and zippers, then in my opinion it goes beyond being “simple.” But the more it can do, the more expensive it becomes. That’s for people who’ve made sewing their hobby.

If, for example, you want to sew a pillowcase or hem the curtains, a simple household sewing machine is sufficient. You only need basic stitches, and it can do those.

Best regards, Ina

That’s right, Ina, :-)
A simple household sewing machine should have and be capable of at least a straight stitch, a zigzag stitch, and a buttonhole—that’s what I call a simple household sewing machine. It’s enough to shorten a hem or sew something simple.
My sewing machine, for example, has over 200 stitch types, ranging from a standard straight stitch to decorative and quilting stitches, including an automatic buttonhole function and countless utility stitches.

Best regards, Inge

Forty years ago, I sewed a lot for my son and myself. An old sewing machine—the kind I still had to pedal—was actually enough for that. I’d inherited the machine from my mother, and it served me well for many years. Then I got one of those old sewing machines that someone had converted to use an electric foot pedal. It no longer had a table; instead, you needed a table to set it on. It was also very heavy.

Today I also have a family heirloom from one of my husband’s brothers-in-law, but this one can do a lot more—for example, buttonholes, double-stitching, zippers, finishing seams, and yes, it can even embroider and much more. To my delight, it’s not digital; instead, everything can be easily adjusted using various dials. I love that!

Besides the usual straight and zigzag stitches, I haven’t tried anything else yet. I’ll get to that eventually, but right now I don’t have the time or the motivation. In any case, I’m happy to have such a great helper for my sewing projects, and I love it dearly.

Love, Monika