3 things that don’t matter on your first sewing machine

Overwhelmed shopping for your first sewing machine?

All these different features you have no idea about?

Let me share three things that really don’t matter as much as you might think…

Stitches per minute isn’t as important as it sounds

Lots of sewing machines advertise how many stitches per minute they sew, and you might think more is better. But it’s kind of like that speedometer on your car – technically it might go 120mph, but you’re never going to need that.

For most sewing projects, you’re really not going to be sewing that fast unless you’re doing production sewing or stitching very long, straight seams all day. I don’t even sew that fast now. So a machine that stitches 1,000 stitches per minute really isn’t going to make a difference compared to one that only does 600.

Top-loading versus bottom-loading bobbins: both work fine

This is something lots of people worry about, but both machines make a stitch exactly the same way.

With a bottom-loading bobbin machine, you put the bobbin into a case, then insert that case underneath the machine. With a top-loading machine, you just put the bobbin in from the top.

The only advantage I see with bottom-loading is that you can adjust the tension of your bottom thread – but that’s not something you’re going to be doing as a new sewer, or maybe ever. You probably don’t want to mess with bobbin tension anyway.

The greatest advantage of top-loading that many people like is that you can see when the bobbin’s running low, so you’re less likely to run out of thread mid-seam. But honestly? Whatever you buy, you’re going to grow accustomed to it.

Touchscreens aren’t necessary for basic machines

Touchscreens came about because machines got fancier and there wasn’t room for all the buttons and dials needed to control everything. Your basic machine is unlikely to have so many bells and whistles that it needs a touchscreen.

My machine is all mechanical with just knobs, and it handles everything I need. I’ve heard many people complain about touchscreens not being visible or being hard to press. So if you’re considering a machine with a touchscreen, make sure you test it out or read reviews about how well it works.

The bottom line

Don’t get swayed by features you don’t understand. Check out my free guide above and learn what they do so you can make an informed decision.