Going Digital ...

 It's official. I've gone digital ... introducing my new sewing machine .... the Singer Confidence 7470.

I took delivery of the machine last Friday and spent a very enjoyable evening setting it up and testing it out. There was nothing really wrong with my previous machine. My parents brought me a Singer Promise 1408 as a birthday present about 2 years ago, not expecting that my sewing hobby would take off like it has. Whilst it still works perfectly fine, there are some things which I found frustrating, such as a limited number of stitches and no measurements on the base plate. After hearing me moan about it yet again, my husband finally convinced me to treat myself and buy a new one.

I decided to go for another Singer machine as I already have a number of presser feet for the singer machines and this one comes with a 15 year guarantee. I chose this machine in particular for the number of stitches it does. You can see from the chart above, that it does a whopping 225 stitches, including 7 different types of button holes, basic, stretch and loads of decorative stitches. It can even embroider letters! I was particularly on the look out for the stretch and overlocking stitches.

Some of the stitches on my new machine ... not sure what happened to the one in the middle but it massively puckered the fabric!

There are some features of this machine that I really love. It has a top loading 'drop and sew' bobbin system- no more messing around with bobbin cases- and an automatic needle threader. I'm still getting used to all the functions but so far they all work very well and have been really straight forward to learn. I especially like the measurements (in inches and mm) on the baseplate, which make sewing to a specific measurement much easier. 

The digital screen and buttons are really straightforward and easy to use. The bottom row has buttons for frequently used stitch settings- a very useful shortcut. I also like the twin needle button, which automatically adjusts the machine when your using a twin needle. There seems to be loads of other settings and functions which I have yet to discover, such as the one step buttonholes, but so far I am pleased with the machine. 

 

I ordered the machine online from singerdirect.co.uk. My machine is an ex-display model, so I got it for £299, a reduction on the usual price of £329. Its in almost perfect condition for an ex-display model and it doesn't look like it's ever been used. With my machine I also received a free set of 24 reels of thread and a three pairs of scissors, always handy to have!

However, although the website and company is completely legit, I received no confirmation email and after the money was taken from my account I got extremely worried it was a dodgy site. After a week with no email or delivery, I called their website and spoke to some really helpful people.

They tracked my order and called me back to let me know that the delivery company had tried to deliver it three times ... all times in the morning when my mother-in-law was out walking the dog!! I arranged to have my husband collect it at the depot the next day and so I got the machine in the end. Had someone been home to collect the machine I would have received it within 2 days of ordering - a very speedy service.

I feel very lucky to be able to purchase this machine. I wouldn't usually spend so much but I envision myself using the machine for many many years to come, so I think of it as an investment.

What machine do you have?