GH Institute

All Craft

• 
  Review of Toyota SPA15 sewing machine

  Features

  Full-sized. Weight: 6152g. Features: 15 stitch options, auto 4-step buttonhole, foot control, reverse stitch, integral toolbox. Attachments: 3 plastic spools, zigzag foot, zipper foot, buttonhole foot, felt, spool cap, buttonhole cutter, needle set, screwdriver. Dimensions: H27cm x W37cm x D19cm.

  Comments

  Good points: Very easy to select stitch, especially for a beginner because stitch length and widths are pre-set. Guide on the machine for threading the needle and refilling the bobbin. Performed well on cotton and delicate fabric. Trouble-shooting guide on the machine.  Drawbacks: Uneven stitching when sewing thicker fabrics and long lengths of curtaining. Bobbin can't be refilled without removing spool. Quite noisy. No satin stitch.

  Rating: 75/100

  Price: £89.99

  Stockist: 0845 640 3030 - http://www.argos.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - June 2009

  
  

• 
  Review of Janome J1012 sewing machine

  Features

  Full-sized. Weight: 6487.8g. Features: 14 stitch options, auto 4-step buttonhole, foot control, reverse stitch, integral toolbox. Attachments: 3 plastic bobbins, buttonhole opener, needle set, zigzag foot, buttonhole foot, darning plate. Dimensions: H28cm x W38cm x D15cm.

  Comments

  Good points: Bobbin can be filled without removing spool. Guide on the machine for threading needle. Easy to fit spool and bobbin. Performed well on cotton, stretch and delicate fabric. Stitch length and width can be manually altered. Drawbacks: Fiddly to make buttonholes. Not intuitive to use, beginners very reliant on instructions. No guide on the machine for threading bobbin.

  Rating: 72/100

  Price: £99

  Stockist: 08456 049 049 - http://www.johnlewis.com

  GHI Test Report - June 2009

• 
  Review of John Lewis JL125 sewing machine

  Features

  Full-sized. Weight: 6790g. Features: 18 stitch options, auto 4-step buttonhole, foot control, reverse stitch, integral toolbox. Attachments: 4 plastic bobbins, buttonhole opener, buttonhole foot, zigzag foot, screwdriver, needle set. Dimensions: H28cm x W37cm x D15cm.

  Comments

  Good points: Bobbin can be refilled without removing spool. Guide on the machine for threading needle. Easy to fit spool and bobbin. Performed well on cotton and denim fabrics. Stitch width and length can be manually altered. Drawbacks: Not intuitive to use, beginners very reliant on instructions. No guide on the machine for threading bobbin.

  Rating: 70/100

  Price: £99

  Stockist: 08456 049 049 - http://www.johnlewis.com

  GHI Test Report - June 2009

• 
  Review of Singer 1507 sewing machine

  Features

  Full-sized. 6433g. Features: 8 stitch options, auto 4-step buttonhole, foot control, reverse stitch. Attachments: 4 plastic spools, general purpose/zigzag foot, zipper foot, buttonhole foot, button sewing foot, screwdriver, brush and seam ripper, oil bottle, needle set, seam guide/quilting bar, darning plate, spool holder. Dimensions: H30cm x W38cm x D18cm.

  Comments

  Good points: Guide on the machine for threading the needle and refilling the bobbin. Performed well on denim fabric. Drawbacks: Bobbin can't be refilled bobbin without removing spool. Motor labours when sewing thick layers of fabric.

  Rating: 67/100

  Price: £99

  Stockist: 020 7336 7986 - http://www.singerco.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - June 2009

• 
  Review of Brother LS2125 sewing machine

  Features

  Full-sized. Weight: 5921g. Features: 14 stitch options, auto 4-step buttonhole, foot control, reverse stitch, integral toolbox. Attachments: 3 plastic bobbins, buttonhole foot, zigzag foot, button foot, zipper foot, screwdriver, needle set, twin needle, darning plate, extra spool pin, screwdriver. Dimensions: H30cm x W38cm x D15cm.

  Comments

  Good points: Coped well with thick layers of denim and long lengths of curtains. Guide on the machine for threading the needle and refilling the bobbin. Drawbacks: Toolbox stiff to remove and refit. Noisy and vibrated in use. Awkward to alter stitch tension.  Poor results when sewing delicate and stretch fabrics Stitch dial is awkward to line up. Can't refill bobbin without removing spool.

  Rating: 59/100

  Price: £78.29

  Stockist: http://www.brother.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - June 2009

• 
  Review of Singer 7462 sewing machine

  Features

  30 stitch options; removable flat bed; reverse stitch; auto stitch width and length; 1-step buttonhole.

  Comments

  Great value for a computer machine. Easy to thread. Stitch selection very simple - simply press the button until pattern is selected. Stitch width and lengths are pre-set but can be over-ridden. Excellent stitch quality but slight puckering when sewing delicate fabrics.

  Rating: 82/100

  Price: £199

  Stockist: 020 7336 7986 - http://www.singerco.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - December 2006

  
  

• 
  Review of Pfaff Smart 100S sewing machine

  Features

  28 stitch options; removable flat-bed with hinged extension; reverse stitch; 4-step buttonhole.

  Comments

  Facia looks cluttered and so appears complicated. Hinged extension table is useful to support fabric as you are feeding it through. 4-step buttonhole not as easy to do as the others. Instructions could be more comprehensive. Coped well with layers of heavy fabric. Some puckering and uneven stitching on stretch fabric.

  Rating: 60/100

  Price: £199

  Stockist: 01527 519480 - http://www.pfaff.com

  GHI Test Report - December 2006

• 
  Review of Husqvarna Huskystar e20 sewing machine

  Features

  13 stitch options; removable flat-bed; reverse stitch1-step buttonhole.

  Comments

  Straight forward basic machine. Stitching slightly uneven on heavy fabrics. Excellent buttonhole. Slight puckering on stretch fabric. Stitch selection dial a bit stiff to turn.

  Rating: 69/100

  Price: £139

  Stockist: http://www.husqvarnaviking.com

  GHI Test Report - December 2006

• 
  Review of Janome J3-24 sewing machine

  Features

  70 stitch options; removable flat-bed; 1-step buttonhole.

  Comments

  Easy to thread but arrow guides on the machine are not very visible. Poor results when making a buttonhole. Good stitch quality on all fabrics tested. Simple and clear instructions.

  Rating: 74/100

  Price: £149

  Stockist: 0161 666 6011 - http://www.janome.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - December 2006