a new addition to the studio…
This is not a sponsored post, just my own honest experience.
I learned to sew on the family machine - my mom had the same model her mom did, a Singer 401A Slant-O-Matic. I know, it’s pretty much the best name ever and perfect for a vintage 1950’s machine!
A vintage, metal, Singer brand sewing machine, surrounded by fabric, scissors, and a pair of reading glasses, in front of a window.
Over the years, my mom has sort of collected 401As, which was great - if one was starting to act up a bit, I could call her and she’d bring another one from the collection over. Having a supply of backup machines also gave me the confidence, with the help of Sew Save Me on YouTube, to take one mostly apart, clean and oil it, and put it back together. That experience cemented my desire to stick with mechanical machines, so when I decided to get a more modern machine with a larger harp for quilting, I went with a semi-industrial Juki straight stitch (the TL-18QVP). I adore my Juki and she deserves her very own blog post, but one drawback of such a solid machine - a drawback shared by the Singer 401A - is that it’s HEAVY. I mean, it’s got a handle, and I *can* carry it, and I have lugged it to camp in Maine and to teach classes at Cary Quilting Company. But especially for teaching, when I only actually use my machine for maybe 10 minutes? The effort to pack it up, lug it downstairs from my studio and back up afterwards - it was getting old. So I’d been thinking about a second “travel” machine for a while.
When I was researching, several factors came into play:
Cost. I didn’t want to spend more than $200 on a machine I’m not going to use very often - and really, I wanted to keep it under $150.
Quality. I don’t like to spend any amount on junk! I read lots of reviews and steered clear of models that seemed plagued by tension issues or cheap parts that broke easily.
Weight. My Juki weighs 20+ lbs, and I was looking for something in the 10-14lb range.
Size. I knew this machine would be smaller, but I wanted something with full-size feet, not a miniature machine. I’m not getting any younger, and neither are my eyes!
Ease of maintenance/repair. I wanted something that I could theoretically maintain & repair myself - no chips or motherboards to go bad (especially since my budget meant I wouldn’t be investing in top of the line computerized parts!).
After casually searching for several months and then a few days of more dedicated research, I landed on the Janome Signature Charm. Note: this is apparently the same as the Arctic Crystal and 311PG models - it seems the color is the only difference.
Speaking of the color - it’s lovely! A subdued sage green - it stands out but not as wildly as some of the Arctic Crystal model colors. Also on the aesthetic front: it’s got good sticker real estate, which I’ve already taken advantage of.
How does this machine stack up?
Cost. The MSRP on the Janome website was $199, and I found mine for $140. The Arctic Crystal variations seem to run $129-$159. This was a great price point. Note: I purchased from a big box retailer that I generally do not patronize.
Quality. So far, so good! Right out of the box, it stitches well, with no tension issues. It feels as sturdy as a machine this size can.
Weight. Perfection: 12 pounds!
Size. It’s not ridiculously tiny, and I had no trouble threading, winding the bobbin, etc.
Ease of maintenance/repair. TBD, but with this being a straightforward mechanical machine, I’m feeling good about it.
Other models I considered, because you may have different needs & budget:
Bernette - I know Berninas and Bernettes have a well-deserved reputation for quality and durability, but the least expensive Bernette was still over $300. If you’re thinking about a Bernina/Bernette, my friend Radha (@sewingthroughfog) is a Bernina ambassador.
Singer - I stalked the Singers at my local JoAnn as they were liquidating, but ultimately passed on them. I’ve used one of their Heavy Duty machines at a Slow Stitching retreat - so those models seem pretty good, but the price point (~$200) and weight (~15 lbs) weren’t quite right.
Brother - again, I stalked some of these as JoAnn was closing, but the prices weren’t quite right. I know a few folks who are very happy with their Brother machines, though, so if you’re looking for a budget primary machine, that could be a good option.
Juki - Have I mentioned how much I love my Juki primary machine? Alas, their least expensive model is ~$700, is computerized, and still weighs 20+ pounds.
So there you have it - I’m really pleased with my cute little green travel machine and can’t wait to take her on lots of adventures! Do you have a dedicated travel machine? Are you a machine monogamist? Tell me in the comments!
