Choosing a Sewing Machine

If you plan on making your own cosplays, it will be important to have a reliable sewing machine to get you through your costumes. 

Note: I have only ever had the chance to sew on my mother's old Singer, but it has always done the job, so this post is primarily based off of other user's experiences.

What You Will Need

Depending on what types of costumes you plan to make, you will need varying qualities of sewing machines. If you plan to make costumes that involve leather or thick materials, you will need a heavy duty machine, but if you plan to cosplay mostly everyday characters you may be able to get away with something of a lower quality.

Types of Sewing Machines

Overstock.com has a wonderful guide to different types of sewing machines. The biggest differences you will most likely deal with will be computerized or regular electric sewing machines.¹ If you are looking at computerized machines, the price will likely be significantly higher than if you go for a standard electric machine.

High Quality Machines

The author at Quiltbug.com suggests that you "buy the best you can afford. A top of the line sewing machine can cost as much, or more, as a major appliance. If you really want something and get something else because of cost you will regret it for the life of that machine. (10 to 20 years on a high end model.)"²
 

ConsumerSearch.com suggests several Brother machines, with the Bernina Activa 220 as its pick for a high-end computerized sewing machine.³

Affordable Machines

If cost is a major concern, but you don't plan to sew heavy fabrics, a machine like the Brother XL2600I may be a good choice. It can be bought on Amazon for less than $100, and has mostly positive reviews. But, beware, if you want to sew heavy fabrics this is not the machine. Reviewer Cassiopea says, "The only major limitation of this machine is that it can't really handle heavy weight fabrics or multiple layers very well.⁴

Right in the Middle

There are plenty of sewing machines that will do very well for most beginning to intermediate sewers in the $150 to $250 range. One Amazon user suggests the Singer 7258, saying "The best machine I have ever owned is the Singer Stylist 7258, and I have 7, one of them is the Brother CS6000 and the Singer puts it to shame."⁵ That particular machine can be found on Amazon for around $175.⁶   


References

1. Writer. (n.d.). Sewing Machine Buying Guide | Overstock.com. O.co: Online Shopping - Bedding, Furniture, Electronics, Jewelry, Clothing & more. Retrieved October 29, 2011, from http://www.overstock.com/guides/Sewing-Machine-Buying-Guide 
2. Choose the perfect sewing machine for your needs. (n.d.). QuiltBug Quilt Shop - Quilt Fabric, Patterns, Batting, Books, Notions & More for Sewing Store. Retrieved October 28, 2011, from http://quiltbug.com/Articles/sewing-machine.htm
3. Sewing Machine Reviews | Best Sewing Machines. (n.d.). Product Reviews and Reports - ConsumerSearch.com. Retrieved October 28, 2011, from http://www.consumersearch.com/sewing-machines
4. C. (2008, January 17). Amazon.com: Cassiopea's review of Brother XL2600I Sew Advance Sew Affordable.... Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more. Retrieved October 28, 2011, from http://www.amazon.com/review/RBBVW91V65N0I/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#RBBVW91V65
5. Amazon fan. (2010, October 26). Amazon.com: Customer Discussions: Reasonable sewing machine for heavier fabrics? Brother cs6000i?. Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more. Retrieved October 28, 2011, from http://www.amazon.com/forum/sewing/Tx3SVIU1J7IT9F2 
6. Amazon.com: SINGER 7258 Stylist Model Sewing Machine: Arts, Crafts & Sewing. (n.d.). Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more. Retrieved October 29, 2011, from http://www.amazon.com/SINGER-7258-Stylist-Sewing-Machine/dp/B003KK807M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319860636&sr=8-1