How much are you looking to spend? Another option, instead of buying a new machine is to look on your local craigslist. I know in my area I see sewing machines posted all the time because people think they’ll get into the hobby, use them a few times and then it sits in their closet for a few years forgotten. That’s a great way to maybe get machines that are a little more expensive for a great price. The well known brands on the lower end are Singer, White, Brother. Out of all of those, I’ve only used Brother and it was fine. The higher end, more expensive machines are Pfaff, Husqvarna, Juki, and Bernina. If you ever find one of those on craigslist for a good deal, then even if it’s a few years old, I would recommend. There’s always risks buying a used machine but do a test drive at their house and even if they’ve only used it twice, if it’s been sitting around for more than a year, you should take it to a local sewing machine shop for a cleaning and maintenance (this usually cost around a $100 bucks) to get the machine back in tip top shape.
In the meantime, you can always buy a cheap magentic seam guide. This is something that sits on the base of the machine and gives you an adjustable guide for sewing seam allowances https://www.anniescatalog.com/detail.html?prod_id=92473&cat_id=1904 Or you can just put on a piece of painter’s tape and mark your own seam guide. Hope that helps 🙂
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