The Mini Sewing machine can come to your rescue.  AS Seen On TV has a mini sewing machine available for twenty nine ninety nine ($29.99) with nine ninety five ($9.99) in shipping and handling and for an additional five dollars ($5) you can get expedited delivery.  Another company sells the same product under the name Sewing Genie for thirty nine ninety five ($39.95) with eleven ninety five ($11.95) shipping and handling but you can get a second Sewing Genie for only twenty seven ninety ($27.90) and seven ninety five ($7.95) shipping and a free foot pedal.

On the As Seen on TV site the Mini Sewing Machine has the following characteristics.  It comes pre-threaded and ready to use once you add the four AA batteries it requires or by plugging the optional AC adapter (not included).  It uses power alloy gears for longer machine life and uses an interlock stitch.  It has two speeds that can be controlled with the included foot pedal.  You also get four bobbins and a needle threader.  It’s a great gift for the recent college grad or for someone moving into an apartment for the first time.

The Sewing Genie has the following characteristics.  For the additional ten dollars ($10) you get a carrying and storage case, sixty four piece thread and bobbin kit, the foot pedal and an easy to read instructional guide.  The Sewing Genie says it will sew through leather and denim easily and will have no problems with delicate fabrics like lace and silk.  Uses for your mini sewing machine are making alterations on the spot, repair a pocket or school costumes during a play and any other sewing needs that come up.

Having your young child use a full size sewing machine can be a daunting and dangerous task especially when considering the speed of the swing needle or if you have an electronic machine that can be easily messed up.  Before the late 1960s when mom still stayed at home, had dinner on the table when Dad got home from work, and sewed many of the clothes the kids wore along with darning socks, repairing rips and tears in anything, patched holes and put buttons back on coats and shirts a toy of choice for girls was the Children’s Sewing Machine from Singer.  It was a working sewing machine in a smaller size than Mom’s Singer but your daughter could sit by you and work on her own projects.

There are some new children’s sewing machines on the market in licensed versions from Hello Kitty, Barbie and reproductions in children’s sizing of the original Singer kid’s model.  There is a kit from Sew Fun that retails for sixty dollars ($60) that looks suspiciously like the Mini Sewing Machine from As Seen on TV that retails for only thirty dollars ($29.99) on their site just in a different color.  The Sew Fun Kit does come with a carrying case, foot pedal and an AC Adapter but will also take four AA batteries if you need to sew where there is no plug available.  It is available in blue with pink accents for the little seamstress in your house.

JoAnn Fabrics has a Singer sewing machine comparison chart on its website in PDF form.  You can print it out and take it to any sewing machine store that carries Singer machines and use it to make your choice.  The one thing I do not like about the chart is the lack of pricing.  They do, however, separate the various models into three categories so you can narrow your choices down accordingly.  The Singer machines are divided into standard sewing machines, serger feature machines and sewing and embroidery machine categories.

Each division has the appropriate category specific features listed and a bullet point in the appropriate column if that model has that feature.  For example the serger feature machines have a column for how many threads they can have (2, 3 or 4) while that is not an option on the regular sewing machines.  You will find out the maximum stitch size the machine is capable of, what kind of light it has, stitches per minute, number of needle positions, what kind of feed system and the number of available stitches.

Other sites allow you to compare models side by side with pricing as well.  Sears allows you to click on the items you want to compare and then hit the “Compare Now” button to look at them side by side.  I chose two models for my comparison – the Brother Computerized Embroidery and Sewing Machine and the Singer Futura Sewing and Embroidery Machine.  The Brother model is on sale for $499 and the Singer model is on sale for $549.  It is interesting to note that consumer reviews on the products give the Brother machine a 5 and the Singer machine a 3.  The Singer machine is more streamlined and sleeker looking while the Brother machine looks like a standard sewing machine.  The Brother machine has seventy stitches built in and the Singer machine has only twenty four stitches.  Based on the sewing machine comparisons I would choose the Brother model.

Alterations like taking in skirts and pants, shortening or lengthening a hem or cuff, repairing seam tears and other clothing related tasks have almost become a thing of the past yet people are flocking to sewing classes at JoAnn Fabrics and Michaels in record numbers.  Many beginners or people beginning to sew again are looking for a serviceable machine that they can bring out and set up in a limited space without having to use a forklift.  This will require the purchase or use of a small sewing machine.

Every manufacturer has opening price point models in both mechanical and computerized forms that will allow you to sew your own clothes or make repairs and alterations to your existing wardrobe.  The key is finding a small sewing machine that is both affordable and will be durable.  A great place to look for small sewing machines is How Stuff Works in their product search area.  You can type in “small sewing machine” and you will see over one hundred ninety results.  Each result gives you the price range that product has at all the sites that it is sold at have listed, a summary of the features the machine has, warranty information and expert reviews if any on the product.

Depending on just what you want to do you can check out slightly more complicated machines that have computerized stitches and will allow you to add cartridges that have even more stitches on them.  Most small sewing machines without computerized stitches come with less than twenty mechanical stitches that are accessed by different lever placements on the machine.  Most basic machines will allow you to sew seams, make buttonholes and some times basic embroidery.  These mechanical machines will almost always be under two hundred dollars ($200) and many are close to one hundred dollars ($100) for small sewing machines.

On How Stuff Works website they have a section called Consumer Guide Products.  You can type in the product you want to compare and it will come up with what is available on the web and the price range for each available product that comes up on websites selling that product.  Unless a product is only sold in one online store you will get a price range not a manufacturer’s suggested retail price.  How Stuff Works also provides “Expert” reviews on almost all of the product that comes up in your search.  When typing in long arm sewing machines it came up with one hundred ninety one results from manufacturers like Brother, Pfaff – Baby Lock, Singer, Bernina, and many more.

They also categorize machines into computerized, non computerized and serger and overlock machines.  This helps you narrow your choices down.  With each selection you can click on an individual machine and see if there are sewing machine ratings for you choice of machine.  On the main search result page you will find featured items and the beginning of the total search results.  On the right you will see a question asking if you are looking for more and it will have a list of at leas five expert sewing machine ratings that you can click on to get the details of the review.

Consumersearch.com is another excellent source for sewing machine ratings and they show the Top 5 rated machines in different categories like basic sewing machine, basic electronic sewing machine, budget computerized sewing machine, high end computerized sewing machine and luxury quilting machine.  The price for the basic machine was about $120 and the luxury quilting machine was over $3000.

The “mini” sewing machines that you can find on several websites including the AS Seen On TV site are lightweight, extremely portable machines that you can take anywhere in the car, RV or boat in case you have issues that need to be taken care of immediately.  Ever have a button pop off just as you were getting ready for a sales presentation.  Your wife or husband, if so inclined, probably groaned when you asked them to get out the sewing machine.  You will have to clear a space for the repair, make sure the right color thread is available and that you have the appropriate needle and a pair of tweezers and magnifying glass just to get the needle threaded.  A simple button repair is now a huge project.  You do not have time for that.  If you had a mini sewing machine that you could pull out of its case and start sewing you could be on your way in minutes instead of an hour.

Your choice of mini sewing machines is limited compared to full size machines just due to the space you have for any electronics or other features.  Here are a couple of mini sewing machines and their features and prices.  The Sew Pro Compact is a lightweight free arm sewing machine with zigzag stitching, utility stitching and does button holes as well.  It has a drop in bobbin, bobbin winder, foot pedal and instructional DVD for less than one hundred dollars ($99.99).  Another model is the Euro Pro EP150.  It weighs only four pounds, has metal internal parts, a drop in bobbin, eight stitches, adjustable stitch length, start and stop capability, and a reverse for less than one hundred dollars ($99.99).

I would like to go through some of the things you need to know to make quilts and how it affects the type of machine and accessories you will need to make a quilt with a minimum of fuss and bother.  The first thing you need to do is decide how big your quilt will be when finished.  You then need to determine the types of thread you will be using as this will affect the type or types of needles you will be using during the construction of your quilt.  Your quilting needles need to be sharp so as not to make sloppy stitches or tear the fabric as you go through the layers and the batting.  A company called Schmetz makes excellent quilting needles in two sizes for different thicknesses of batting.  If during your quilting you notice the needle looking dull during thread changes, popping noises when going through the fabric instead of being silent or sloppy stitches, stop and make a needle change right away.

There are different threads for hand quilting versus machine quilting and you should never use a hand stitching thread on a machine.  Metallic thread, monofilament and other hand stitching threads will not work well with any machine as they can not be put on a bobbin.  Rayon is great for a wall hanging, but if you are going to make a quilt that will be washed on a regular basis you should probably stick to one hundred percent cotton thread.  A rule of thumb is to match the thread color to the backing you are using unless you are trying to contrast the colors.

Here are some tips when using a quilting sewing machine to get the best results.  Trace your quilt pattern on freezer paper and press to the fabric or use light weight paper and pin it to the fabric and sew along the pattern edge.  Putting a table the same height as your sewing machine next to the work area will help hold the quilt and make it easier to keep straight lines and tight seams.  Use a walking foot so that the quilt will not tend to bunch up under the presser foot and use a straight stitch needle plate to prevent the quilt form being pushed down into the throat plate.

Explaining what a serger sewing machine actually does is usually discussed in terms of what kind of seams the machine sews.  The type of seam finished by serger sewing machines is many times found on the side seams of sweat shirts and tee shirts.  Overlock and Merrell are other terms used for this kind of sewn seams.  Merrow is a sewing machine company that makes a large number of machines for various uses including sergers and quilting machines.

There are numerous manufacturers making machines that will serge and overlock including Brother, Bernina, Singer, Feiyue, Juki and more.  On Consumers Guide website there are one hundred ninety four (194) serger and overlock machines listed.  Computerized serger sewing and overlock machines are more than double the price of their mechanical counterparts.  For example a Brother LS-2125 with ten stitches can be found on the internet between $71 and $104 while a Brother LB6770 is between $399 and $499 with seventy computerized stitches, five monogram stitches and over one hundred twenty frame pattern combinations.

Bernina has been at the top of serger, overlock and quilting sewing machines for many years.  They have a great quality reputation and prices to match.  One of the best reviews I have seen for serger sewing machines was on the Bernina 1150 MDA.  Most people use these machines for finishing and regular stitching of fabric.  The next step is to rolled hems which usually requires a change of feet and attachments and takes quite a bit of time on most machines.  You can switch between rolled hems and finishing or regular switching with the switch of a lever.  There are no presser feet or switch plates to change.

One of the most difficult tasks with almost any sewing machines, let alone sergers, is the threading of the needle.  The Bernina 1150MDA uses a lay in threading system with a lower loop threader.  No more sore wrists or tweezers and a magnifying glass to get the thread started in your sewing machine needle.

It has been traditionally difficult for quilters to make quilts of any size with a regular quilting sewing machine.  The depth from the inside of the machine to the needle on normal machines make it difficult to handle large quilts (queen, king, etc.) and make sure the seams are straight and have no sloppy stitches.  This is where the long arm quilting machine comes in.  Twenty one years ago Nolting introduced the first hand fed long arm sewing machine for quilters.

Nolting machines are for the professional or commercial quilter or for the home quilting expert who enjoys making larger quilts.  Where you can by a very good regular arm sewing machine for quilting for under one thousand dollars ($1000) the Nolting machine packages start at over seventy four hundred dollars ($7400).  These long arm sewing machines have reaches between seventeen and thirty inches.  The Nolting packages include the appropriate machine, twelve foot table, five patterns, bobbin winder, needles, cable chain and clamps.  They have lesser packages for the less commercial quilters called Fun Quilter and Quilting Bee starting at forty two hundred dollars ($4200).  Financing is available on all packages and they have used machines for sale as well and financing for them.

You can really go hog wild with accessories for these durable machines and just about double your investment in your long arm sewing machine.  They have a Needle Positioner System with lasers with programmable stitch speed for a thousand dollars ($995) and the Stitch Regulator with all the Needle Positioner System and the added bonuses of a motion detector on the continuous speed control, the ability to set between one and twelve stitches per inch and a precision quilting mode for extra detailed stitching on your quilt pieces.  This is a mere twenty six hundred dollars ($2595) more.