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266 of 270 found the following review helpful:
 Easy to use (except zipper foot). I like it! Sep 27, 2006
By Julia Amiya Messersmith
"Searching Woman"
I just bought this sewing machine about three weeks ago. I got it as a replacement for a Bernette that I used for about thirty minutes total that the repair man could not figure out how to fix. I am working on my fashion certificate and needed one right away. I picked this one partially because it was PINK!
This machine is easy to use - bobbin winding, changing stitches, portability, two-needle. I like a mechanical machine. I have not tried the buttonholer yet. A great first machine! This is my fourth. I like the reverse, the freearm, the size.
Petty annoyance - the presser foot is low when up, so when you need to know where your needle is going into the fabric, you have to knock the foot up with your finger so you can see - not a big deal. BIG deal - put the zipper foot on and then you have to adjust the needle width out of the zipper foot groove to get the seam close enough to the zipper, because the foot is wide(???) at the back and on the same level(???) as the foot itself. Maybe I'll just use invisible zippers.
If you are rough with things, do not buy this machine. Many of the parts are plastic, like the presser foot lever. We use that a lot.
I have sewn with many layers of denim, very light fabrics, and much in between with great success. Just change the needle after each project.
I hope I have given you enough information to begin to make an informed decision.
130 of 130 found the following review helpful:
great machine, perfect for beginners Nov 02, 2008
By Dayna Winchester
"break, break, break, on thy cold grey stones, O sea! And I would that my tongue could utter the thou"
I just got this machine about a week ago, and am asolutely thrilled with it!
I needed to sew some trimmings on a coat for my Halloween costume. The jacket is a vintage London Fog coat made of a heavy canvas material. This machine had NO problem sewing through the thick layers.
What impressed me the most is i'd previously been using my mother in law's $800 sewing machine, and after constant adjustment and realignment I still broke 3 needles and had a problem with my backstitching. This machine handled the problem beautifully, and it's only a fraction of the price!
A few things I might note:
The pink is a a little darker than that in the picture. This did not bother me since it's still pink, which is what attracted me in the first place.
I gave it four out of five stars (wish I could give it 4 1/2!) because the machine is so lightweight, a couple of times it wanted to move around while I was readjusting my fabric. This wasn't an issue with the actual sewing and after using it a couple times I figured out how to handle it so it stayed put. I don't think this would be a problem with lighter weight materials.
I noticed other reviewers said they couldn't get the backstitch to go in a straight line. The only time I had this problem was when I was sewing through several thick layers. It was partially my fault because I had the pedal pushed down too far and it kind of jump started the machine and took off. Every other time was no problem, so maybe it's something they're doing?
The instructions were VERY clear. I have very little patience when it comes to instructions and these were a breeze! It's also very helpful that bobbin and needle threading diagrams are etched into the machine itself, for quick reference. I got a bobbin threaded in no time, no hassle.
The speed is perfect for me, it's not too fast but not too slow, I imagine an expert sewer might want something a little faster. For me, it made it that much easier to control my stitching.
I actually got the machine for half price using my Amazon reward points, from my Amazon credit card. I got free shipping and saved $15 more by choosing super saver shipping, and the item arrived after a really reasonable amount of time. I think it's worth waiting an extra two days to save money on shipping!
All in all I would highly recommend this machine to anyone who is inexperienced at sewing, like myself, or for light duty jobs like stitching hems, etc.
I think this would make a perfect gift for a teen/young adult, because it's smaller, lightweight, easily portable, and the pink makes it so charming!
I just started sewing again after taking a sewing class in middle school, and this machine has got me really excited to take it up again.
102 of 105 found the following review helpful:
 Great Buy! Jul 07, 2006
By T. S. Reichert
I love my new sewing machine! My husband, who had never sewn with a machine before, set it up quickly and we both can use it easily. It's so easy to use I am planning several more sewing projects for this summer. On my last project, the machine had no problems sewing through denim seams and pockets. I am very pleased with all of the features (59 different stitches, a double needle for gathering, needle threader, button foot) I got with this relatively inexpensive sewing machine. Everything is working great so far. I would recommend this machine for anyone looking for the basics plus the capability for more advanced sewing down the road.
41 of 41 found the following review helpful:
all good, except one thing.... Aug 05, 2010
By edy
I have the sewing machine (Brother XL 2610)for about a month now. I bought the machine when my Singer's gear broke, and the sewing machines tech asked me for $150 to fix it. I found the broken part and I am going to fix it myself. But in the mean time I needed a sewing machine. So, I got on Amazon.com and searched for a cheap sewing maching that does the job.
So far, this machine is great, it goes over jeans fabric, or 3-4 layers of fabrics, doesn't skip, the manual and instructions are well written.
But there was something what wasn't in the manual... OILING. I called Brother Intl-USA, and asked them how to oil this machine. The CSR told me that it has to be done by a specialist at an authorized dealer in my area. Since I am very krafty, I asked him what kind of oil I need... He insisted that I can't do it because the machine has some electrical parts in it. However ... on the Brother's site, it says that the machine needs to be oiled about each 300-500 hrs of use. I looked online for the authorized dealer in my area (Sarasota, FL), and the lady there was very kind to tell me that I "got a Hell of a deal" on Amazon.com, by paying only ~$84. But the bad news is that the oiling is going to cost me $79.99 for a mechanical seing machine (like the one I have), and $89.99 for a computerized one.
Now, the good part is that the machine doesn't need to bo oiled only maybe once a year... but it will cost me as much as I paid to buy a new machine... So ... my idea is to just use it until it breaks and buy a new one...
SO, PEOPLE BE AWARE WHEN YOU BUY THIS MACHINE. IT IS A VERY GOOD MACHINE... BUT KIND OF DISPOSABLE...
I don't know if I would have bought this machine if I would have had this info... Fact is... I was very upset when I did the research and found out this oiling info.
Good luck to everyone.
28 of 28 found the following review helpful:
Everything I needed... Jun 05, 2009
By E. Jones
I consider myself a professional seamstress but the only machines I regularly used were Singers - one antique featherweight, and an older industrial machine. I didn't have access to fancy stitches before, but the garmets I was constructing were not stretchy so the straight stiches worked fine.
Now I'm interested in stretch garmets and I chose this machine because of the variety of stretch stitches. I have already used the Stretch Blind Hem stitch to shorten some of my stretchy slacks, and it sews perfectly. I didn't have to adjust the tension or anything else; i just followed the threading instructions (making SURE to thread in the right direction) and it was a breeze right out of the box.
PROS:
*Variety of stitches
*Variety of STRETCH stitches
*Ease of selecting the stitch (just turning a dial)
*Easy to thread and operate
*Additional foots will come in handy (like the narrow hem foot); additional foots available for purchase too
*Stitches smoothly through everything I have so far...although I've not attempted to stitch through multiple layers of denim yet.
CONS:
*As other reviews mentioned, the presser foot lift is made of plastic. I am used to it being directly behind the needle, but in this model it is to the right of the needle, so I need to get used to using my right hand to lift the presser foot lever
*Same as another review about the light - it is to the left of the needle and I'm used to it being to the right.
*It is slightly larger than I expected
OVERALL: I would recommend. I am very happy I bought this machine (and at a very reasonable price). I love the variety of stretch and regular stitches (i'll be using some decorative stitches on paper for scrapbooking as well!). Sounds smooth when stitching, easy to control the speed of stitching, overall easy to use. 5 stars!
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