'Can you suggest a good machine for a beginner and how much do I need to spend?'
I always recommend the Janome DC2101 which retails for $499. I think it is a great little machine for the money and I have one in the studio. It is a computerised machine with about 30 stitches and has a fabulous fully automatic buttonhole.
I love the automatic buttonholer so much that it is the machine I use to do all my buttonholes, I even prefer it to the buttonholer on my Quilters Edition 153 Bernina.
If I had an unlimited budget I would buy a Benina, but for $499 this is a good machine to learn to sew on and it has many features and accessories which will take you beyond the learner phase. I have seen a lot of beginner sewers come into the studio having spent only $200 on a machine and these cheap machines really do make the job of learning to sew harder, they are harder to control, the stitch quality is poor and they have no muscle when you need to get through thick layers of fabric.
So, I would stay away from cheap machines, spend around $500 and always buy from a sewing machine shop where the staff are happy to help and give you support when you need it. Buying from a sewing machine shop also means the staff can always advise you on the different accessories available for your machine and more importantly show you how to use them.
Happy Sewing
Kerrie
