Brother LS-1217

by j. godsey, who blogs about making and repairing books (and other assorted topics, like making kitten slings) at Swill on a Stick

Love it, hate it, or something in between? Adore it. I used to own hand-me down machines: Singers and Whites that were attached to their tables; this was my first store-bought brand new machine. And it has never disappointed me. It worked like a dream straight out of the box, and if I don't use it for 6 months it still works perfectly.

When did you buy this sewing machine? About 8 years ago, I think.

When was it manufactured? I bought it brand new, but it was probably from the year before as it was on deep discount. I tried later to buy a second one as a gift and it had already been replaced with models I didn't think were as well designed. They had added preprogrammed stitches and replaced the knobs with buttons, etc...

Where did you buy it? Walmart

How much did you pay for it? $60 dollars down from $89

How many projects have you done on this machine? Hundreds.

Describe the kind of work you've done with it. I don't do clothes or fancy goods. No decorative stitches for me. I am home-project oriented; I see a sewing machine the same way I see a power drill. I have made curtains, bags, pet beds, stuffed toys, and fixed many things. I have even used it to stitch a book. I am presently making book covers and a bicycle seat bag.

What do you like and what do you hate about it? It's simplicity. With hand-me-down machines, I was always having to pay to get them adjusted. If I didn't use them constantly they went out of whack for some
reason. Sometimes I cover this machine up and don't use it for months at a time; then I pull it out and do a ton of things with it. It never fails me. I read the manual cover to cover when I got it, and it was so simple. The machine has 3 controls and once you have mastered that, you never have to THINK about it again. Instead of functions and electronic buttons, sometimes you just want a manual machine that does a few things very well. And its light weight and portability means I can just put it or take it anywhere I want to work.