Interested in designing clothes for yourself or others? Looking for a sewing machine that can stand up to fashion school and sewing clothing? Check out the best fashion designer sewing machines here. These sewing machines range from sewing machines appropriate for just starting fashion design school to heavy duty machines that will last you for years as a professional fashion designer. Learn which fashion sewing machine is best for you.
So what is the best fashion designer sewing machine? In general, fashion designers use high end industrial machines for their sewing. The machines in this article are geared more towards the fashion design student. If you are starting to get into fashion design or are attending school for fashion design, these are excellent sewing machines for sewing clothes.
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Best Fashion Designer Sewing Machines
Best Entry Level Machine
- 60 built-in stitches
- Nine included feet
- Hard case included
- 25 year warranty
Best Semi Industrial Machine
- Semi-Industrial machine
- 225 built-in stitches
- Can trim threads
- 12 included feet
- Dual LED lights for visibility
Best Mid-Range Machine
- 120 built-in stitches
- Built-in alphabet
- Can trim threads
- Seven included feet
- Hard case included
1. Best Entry Level Machine: Brother CS6000i Sewing and Quilting Machine
The Brother CS6000i is a highly rated sewing machine with a wide range of features and capabilities. This would make a great beginner fashion designer sewing machine. If you are just getting into the world of fashion design but don’t want to spend the money on a high end machine, this Brother sewing machine is a great place to start. This is a great sewing machine for making clothes.
The Brother CS6000i is really easy to use. Threading the machine is super fast, simply follow the numbered track on the machine. It has an automatic needle threader to make it really easy to thread the sewing needle (no more squinting and hoping). It also has a drop in bobbin, easy reverse stitch, and button for setting the sewing needle up or down. It also has an easy switch for controlling the max speed of the sewing machine. If you are new to sewing you will really appreciate this feature.
The Brother CS6000i comes with 60 different built-in stitches. These stitches include decorative buttonhole stitches, basic stitches, stretch stitches, and decorative stitches. There are seven different styles of one-step button hole stitches. Both the stitch length and the stitch width can be changed on this sewing machine. This computerized sewing machine is capable of doing free arm sewing. Free arm sewing is great for sewing things like pants hems, sleeve heads and cuffs, and collars.
This machine comes with nine different presser feet; a zig-zag foot, zipper foot, blindstitch foot, buttonhole foot, button sewing foot, overcasting foot, monogramming foot, walking foot, and a spring action quilting foot. It also comes with a detatchable extension table that makes it much easier to sew large projects. A hard case comes with this machine, making it great for taking to sewing class. It also comes with a 25 year limited warranty.
Product Features:
- 60 built-in stitches including seven styles of auto-size buttonholes
- Automatic needle threader and drop-in top bobbin
- Nine different sewing feet included; a zig-zag foot, zipper foot, blindstitch foot, buttonhole foot, button sewing foot, overcasting foot, monogramming foot, walking foot, and a spring action quilting foot
- Includes a hard protective case
- LCD screen for selecting stitches and settings
- 25 Year limited warranty
2. Best Semi-Industrial Machine:Juki HZL-F600 Computerized Sewing and Quilting Machine
The Juki HZL-F600 Quilt and Pro Special sewing machine is great for fashion designer school. This computerized sewing machine has Juki’s industrial sewing machine technology in a more convenient household size. This shows in a number of different features, including the industrial style box-feed system that ensures even fabric feed into your sewing foot. The feed dogs on this sewing machine are surgical steel for improved durability with heavier projects. It is capable of sewing at 900 stitches per minute, but has onboard speed selection where you can slow down the max sewing speed if you need to.
In fashion design school, most of the sewing machines that you use in class will be industrial grade machines. This Juki sewing machine has a lot of the same features as professional sewing machines, but at a lot cheaper price point. This is about as close as you can get to a professional sewing machine for designers without actually buying an industrial sewing machine. That said, the Juki is not a cheap sewing machine. If you are just starting out in fashion design and are not sure it is the path for you, you might be better suited with a more entry level sewing machine for making clothes.
The Juki F600 fashion sewing machine comes with 225 built in stitches, including 16 different professional buttonholes, four lettering fonts, and ten of the most common stitches programmed onto buttons for easy selection. It has automatic thread tension for these stitches, as well as manual override of the tension so you can get the perfect stitch. This sewing machine comes with an independant bobbin winder. This means that you can simultaneously sew and wind your next bobbin. It also has the ability to trim your threads when you are done sewing – either automatically or via button push or presser foot press. You can also easily set the thread tension, stitch length, and stitch width.
This Juki sewing machine comes with 12 different presser feet, an extra wide extension table, knee lift lever, and more.
Product Features:
- Uses a unique box feed technology to improve the material feed
- 16 different automatic buttonholes with a unique sensor for automatically detecting button hole size
- Can sew both super light weight materials or heavy weight materials
- Extra large attachable sewing table for greater control of large projects.
- Can do free motion sewing for quilting and embroidering
- Can trim threads for you – either automatically when programmed, or when you press a button or the presser foot.
- Can use knee with the knee lift lever to lift the presser foot
- Dual LEDs over your work area for better visibility
- Automatic needle threader
- Independent motor for bobbin winding – now you can wind a bobbin and sew simultaneously
3. Best Mid-range Machine:Janome 4120QDC Computerized Sewing Machine
This Janome 4120QDC is a great sewing machine for fashion design. It comes with a ton of great features for making clothes. Some of these include an extra extension table for working on large projects, a LCD screen for selecting your stitches, on screen stitch editing for adjusting stitch length and width, and an automatic thread cutter. This is a great sewing machine for clothes, and it sews at a super fast 820 stitches per minute. This machine also has a max speed slider so you can adjust the machine’s maximum sewing speed as needed. Threading this machine is easy, just follow the printed path on the machine. It also has an one-handed needle threader to make it easier to get the machine threaded.
This Janome sewing and quilting machine comes with 120 different built-in stitches. It also comes with alphabet fonts for monogramming your projects. It has seven different one step buttonholes. The ten most common stitches can be easily selected with buttons on the machine. For all of the stitches you can easily adjust the stitch length and width with the LCD display screen. Tension is manually controlled by the dial on the machine.
The Janome 4120QDC comes with a number of accessories. It includes a zigzag foot, blind hem foot, overedge foot, buttonhole foot, sliding buttonhole foot, zipper foot, and satin stitch foot. This machine also comes with the detatchable extension table. There is a hard case included with this machine, perfect for taking it to sewing class.
Product Features:
- 120 built in sewing stitches plus an alphabet for monogramming
- Automatic needle threader
- Jam proof drop in bobbin
- Handy function buttons – thread cutting, reverse stitch, and needle up / down
- Extension table included
- Hard travel cover included
- Multiple presser feet included; zigzag foot, overedge foot, zipper foot, satin stitch foot, blind hem foot, 1/4″ seam foot, automatic buttonhole foot
4. Brother XR9550PRW Sewing and Quilting Machine
This limited edition Brother Project Runway sewing machine XR9550PRW is great for fashion design sewing. This easy to use Brother sewing machine has many features for making your next project easier to sew. It has an automatic needle threader, a needle up / down button, and a reverse stitch button. This machine sews at 850 stitches per minute.
The Brother XR9550PRW Project Runway has a large LCD for selecting stitches and settings, and all of the stitches printed on the machine. It comes with 110 different built in stitches, including basic, decorative, and stretch stitches. This sewing machine also has alphanumeric stitches so that you can monogram or decorate projects. It also has eight different styles of one-step auto-size buttonhole stitches. With the large LCD screen you can easily adjust both the stitch length and width for the perfect stitch. Thread tension is controlled on the machine via a dial.
This Brother sewing machine comes with eight different presser feet; a zigzag foot, buttonhole foot, zipper foot, button sewing foot, overcast foot, monogramming foot, quilting feet, and a blind stitch foot. This machine also comes with a detatchable extension table to make it easier to work on large projects. It also has an included hard case to make it easy to take this machine to sewing class. This Brother sewing and quilting machine comes with a 25 year limited warranty.
Product Features:
- 165 unique built-in stitches including basic, decorative and stretch stitches.
- One alphanumeric font for embroidering letters
- Automatic needle threader and drop-in top bobbin
- Includes a protective hard cover and extension table
- Large LCD lets you change your settings with the push of a button
- Comes with eight different presser feet
5. Singer Heavy Duty 4432 Sewing Machine
The Singer 4432 Heavy Duty sewing machine is called a “true workhorse” and for good reason. This manual sewing machine is a truly impressive machine. It has a heavy duty metal interior frame, stainless steel sewing plate, and a 60% stronger motor. That stronger motor lends the machine more piercing power and an amazing 1,100 stitches per minute sewing speed. Don’t worry, this machine is labeled heavy duty, but it can sew the sheerest of fabrics too.
This machine is a purely mechanical sewing machine. There are no computerized components to go bad here. This heavy duty sewing machine comes with 32 different built in stitches. This includes basic stitches like straight stitch, decorative stitches, and stretch stitches. The stitch length and width are fully customizable, as well as the thread tension and presser feet height. Threading this machine is super easy – just follow the path printed on the machine. It has a no jam drop in top bobbin, and an automatic needle threader as well. This makes it super easy to get started on this machine.
This Singer sewing machine comes with four different sewing feet; an all purpose foot, zipper foot, button sewing foot and buttonhole foot. It also includes a soft sided dust cover. This machine has a 90 day / 2 year / 25 year limited warranty.
While this machine does not have all of the features of the Juki or the Janome sewing machines above, the Singer 4432 is a great sewing machine for beginning tailors. With it’s improved durability and piercing power it can tackle most any sewing project you throw at it. Sewing denim pants for your class? This machine has it covered. Tailoring a woolen jacket? This machine can handle it.
Check out our full review of the Singer heavy duty 4432 for more details.
Product Features:
- Heavy duty metal frame
- 60% stronger motor
- 32 built in stitches
- Automatic needle threading
- Easy drop in top bobbin
- Comes with four sewing feet; all purpose foot, buttonhole foot, button sewing foot, zipper foot
- Soft sided dust cover included
- 90 day / 2 year / 25 year limited warranty
6. Singer 7258 Computerized Sewing Machine
The Singer Stylist 7258 is another great choice for a fashion designer sewing machine. This is another great beginning fashion design student sewing machine to make clothes. It gives you loads of features and capability without the investment of the Juki or Janome sewing machine. This Singer sewing machine is super easy to use. It has the threading path printed right on the machine, with an automatic needle threader and drop in top bobbin. This makes it super fast to get this machine up and ready to sew. It also comes with a useful speed control slider, reverse button, and a needle up / down button. It has two LED lights over the sewing area so that it is super bright and easy to see as you sew.
This Singer Stylist has 100 built in stitches, from basic sewing stitches to stretch stitches and decorative stitches. It even comes with six different automatic buttonhole stitches. This machine automatically chooses the optimum stitch length and width for each stitch, or you can override these settings. With the large LCD screen, it is easy to see your sewing settings in one spot. The machine has all 100 stitches printed on it so you can easily select the stitch you need without having to reference the manual.
The Singer 7258 Stylist comes with ten different presser feet, including: all purpose foot, buttonhole foot, gathering foot, blind hem foot, darning / freehand embroidery foot, satin stitch foot, overcasting foot, narrow rolled hem foot, quarter inch foot, and a zipper foot. It also comes with a soft sided dust cover.
This singer sewing machine is designed for durability with it’s heavy duty metal frame. It also includes a 25 year limited warranty “just in case”.
Product Features:
- Easy stitch selection with large LED screen and stitches printed on the machine
- Heavy duty metal frame
- 100 built-in stitches
- Automatic needle threader
- Drop in top bobbin
- Two LED lights for more visibility when sewing
- 25 year limited warranty
What should I look for in a Fashion Designer Sewing Machine?
Fashion Designer Sewing Machine FAQ
What sewing machines do fashion designers use?
Professional fashion designers often use industrial grade sewing machines. These can include Juki, Janome, Consew, and more sewing machines. These are not your typical household sewing machines. To start, they cost quite a bit more than a home sewing machine. Industrial sewing machines quite often come built into a heavy metal table. They can sew at insanely high speeds, some as fast as 5,500 stitches per minute!
What is the best sewing machine for making clothes?
The best sewing machine for making clothes is going to depend on the tailor. If you are just starting out sewing, a high end industrial machine is going to be too hard for you to handle, and your sewing projects will suffer for it. If you are a more advanced sewer, a beginner sewing machine may be too basic for you and lack features that you need to complete your project. So, the best sewing machine for making clothes is a machine tailored to your skill level.
Can all fashion designers sew?
Being able to sew is not a requirement for being a successful fashion designer. More important to being a good fashion designer is to have creativity and an eye for design. A lot of the biggest names in fashion can not actually sew. However, these people usually came from other ventures where they had a following that allowed them to easily launch a new brand. So, while not all fashion designers can sew, most fashion designers that do not already have a following to bring to their clothing brand need to be able to sew in order to better sell their garments.
How many years does it take to be a fashion designer?
Being a fashion designer is a lot like being an artist. There is no formal training necessary to call yourself a fashion designer. Fashion designers can either start out on their own, making their own clothes and selling them. Fashion designers can also go to school for an associates or Bachelor’s degree to improve their skills and learn more about the craft. Fashion designers can even come from completely different fields and start a clothing line – like HipHop artist Sean John Combs and his multi-million dollar Sean John clothing line.
In summary
These are the top sewing machines for fashion designers. Each of these machines would make great fashion designer sewing machines. From the beginning fashion designer to someone who is dedicated to the craft and needs a high end machine. These are the best sewing machines for making clothing and for tailors to use. So which is the best sewing machine for making clothes for you?
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