The Makery Recommends
We use, love and fully recommend the following sewing machines and supplies. We’re happy to help you make a selection or guide you in your purchase for yourself or someone else. We also service and repair sewing machines regardless of brand. Please e-mail or call us for a free quote.
The following recommendations are our tried and true favorite tools that are readily available online. These are affiliate links, so your purchase helps support our mission of teaching people how to craft, create and connect with others who enjoy making things. We also carry some of these items in the studio for your convenience. Thanks!
Sewing Machines
*Since Covid, sewing machines have become harder to get and are priced higher than in the past by $50-$100*
We use and sell Babylock sewing machines at the studio. They are a higher end machine with all metal parts and gears. They have lots of great features and are easy to use. We love Babylock machines and can sell you one in the studio, but we know the higher price tag isn’t a right fit for everyone.
We also use and sell the Eversewn Sewing Machines. We like the Eversewn Sparrow 25 the best. It is a high quality computerized machine that has great easy-to-use features and comes at a more reasonable price point at $359. We also really love the Eversewn Charlotte for something at a lower price point at $224. This all metal machine has the features we love, like the drop in bobbin and speed control and competes with the cost of the plastic machines you’ll find on Amazon. We are excited there is finally an affordable, high quality option. This has fewer features and stitches than the Sparrow 25 but is still easy to use. We sell the entire line up of Eversewn machines.
Check out our Shop as well to check out the machines, tools and notions we have in stock at The Makery. We ship and provide free local pick up as well. We have a selection of fabrics and project kits available in the studio too.
I do have some recommendations of some lower priced machines available on Amazon (around $200). Click the images below for affiliate links.
What to look for: the most important feature to look for in a sewing machine is a “drop-in bobbin”. This feature is easy to use and ensures more successful independence using the sewing machine. The front loading bobbins are more complicated and in my experience create more room for error.
A “nice to have” feature, especially for beginners and kids, is a Speed Control. Some kids struggle with controlling the speed of a traditional sewing machine, which prevents them from learning and enjoying the other aspects of sewing. Eliminating this struggle allows for faster progress in learning the other important things about sewing and also is a great safety feature that makes me feel more confident in keeping little fingers away from sharp needles. The machines with this feature tend to be a little pricier.
I recommend staying away from any toy, “simple” or beginner machines. In my experience these tend to cause a lot of frustration and interfere with the users ability to enjoy and learn sewing. To get a machine that your child will be able to use independently, you really have to spend at least $150. Sometimes it’s better to invest in some classes first to make sure they’ll want to stick with it before getting a machine at home.
Here are my recommendations:
Brother Computerized “Project Runway” Machine
I have this machine as a back up in the studio and have been happy with it. It has a Drop-in Bobbin and a speed control. It has some nice convenience features and features a beginner will grow into.
Brother Computerized Machine
This machine is usually lower priced than the previous recommendation. Many of my students have this machine and it works well. It does have both the Drop-in Bobbin and a Speed Control as well as lots of stitches. I find it is slightly louder and lighter than the Project Runway one.
Brother Basic Machine
This is the lowest priced option I recommend. It has a Drop-in Bobbin but does not have a speed control.
Other Sewing Notions and Supplies
Sometimes success is all about having the right tool for the job. I’ve tried many different brands of sewing notions and tools and have found these to be the ones that work the best.
Oliso Smart Iron
I know, it’s just an iron, but this one is a game changer. When you grab the handle, the feet come up and the iron flattens onto your fabric. When you let go, it raises itself back up. This keeps little fingers safely away from the heat source and makes ironing a breeze.
Clover Wonder Clips
These little things changed my life. We use them in place of pins for most projects. We love that they aren’t as “pokey” as pins and they prevent holes and snags in the fabric too. The generic ones are harder to open and tend to break more easily.
Rotary Cutting Mat Set
I do not typically recommend this set for kids, but it’s great for adults and teens. The mat, clear ruler and rotary cutter make cutting straight and properly sized pieces a breeze. As for mat size, the bigger the better!
Magnetic Pin Cushion
Because no one wants pins all over the floor! The magnetic pin cushion keeps your pins safe and spill proof.
Magnetic Seam Guide
This smart little tool sticks onto the metal seam guide area of your machine, what we call “the Danger Zone”, and gives your fabric a physical wall to bump up against to help create nice straight stitching lines. A must-have for every sewist.
Seam Ripper
This is every sewists best friend. Mistakes happen, keep calm and grab the seam ripper!
Rainbow Unicorn Scissors
Perfect little thread snips. They are sharp and pretty and fit in the little secret compartment of your machine.
Gingher Fabric Scissors
These scissors are lightweight for even little hands and stay super sharp. Just hide them away and make sure no one cuts paper with them!
Swedish Tracing Paper
This paper is slightly see-through and feels kind of like fabric. You can iron it, sew it and it does not easily rip. We use this to trace patterns.
Crayola Washable Markers
We’ve tried every fabric writing utensil there is and we come back to the good old Crayolas every time. They are tried and true washable for fabric markings even after a long time. We use these to trace patterns and make important markings onto the fabric.
Clover Chalk Wheel
For dark fabrics where a marker line isn’t visible, this little chalk wheel works great and draws a nice thin and precise line.
Seam Guide and Measuring Tape
The Seam Guide and Measuring Tape are 2 other important tools for everyone’s sewing box.
Perfect Basic Tool Set
These scissors aren’t as great as the Gingher ones, but this is a great little starter tool set that has lots of useful items for a beginner.
Coats & Clark Thread
Thread Matters! Some machines are really picky about thread. Gutterman is a good brand, and so is Coats and Clark All Purpose Thread. This is a great little gift set with a variety of colors to get you started.
Schmetz Machine Needles
This is a good quality brand of machine needles and a nice variety pack. We mostly use 90/14 needles or 80/12.
