r/CosplayHelp • u/ratspikey • 13h ago

Sewing Help with choosing a sewing machine

Hi,

I've been cosplaying for about 2 years and I've always sewn by hand, now I've been considering buying a sewing machines to be more precise and efficient.

I've never had nor touched a sewing machine in my entire life and I really dont know what to look for, my budget is €150 ($174), can anyone give me some suggestions?

For reference I'm into medieval cosplays with long skirts and dresses, I also use a lot of embroidery (which I often buy already done but it would be cool if I could make it myself).

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u/AutoModerator 13h ago

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u/yohaneh 13h ago

yo! i dont know what brands are available in europe, because i live in australia, but if you have husqvarna or juki available to you, those are the ones i recommend most, followed closely by brother.
go on facebook marketplace and try to find something that's cheapish, because you don't want to spend $$$$$ on a full-price brand new sewing machine if you're not sure about using them long term. don't worry about anything with fancy attachments, the only thing you need is a good straight stitch, and a good zigzag stitch.
sewing machines are great! i really love and recommend them, and you'll have a super fun time once you get used to it!

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u/ratspikey 13h ago

thank you! I'll look around :)

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u/yohaneh 13h ago

also, pre-emptive warnings:

- if the stitches on top of the fabric are fucking up, that means the bobbin is probably threaded wrong

  • if the stitches on the underside of the fabric are fucking up, that means the upper machine is probably threaded wrong
  • make sure you know how to install the needles and bobbin correctly, every machine is a little different
  • be careful with your fingers, sewing machines go quite quickly and can do some damage to fingertips!
  • get used to unpicking! you do it a lot more with machine sewing.
  • have fun!!!