ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Great beginner sewing machine, Brother XL2600i

Updated on October 12, 2014

Brother XL2600i is a great beginner sewing machine

If you're looking for a great beginner sewing machine, consider a Brother XL2600i. It's got all the basic features and then some for less than $100.

Being a beginner, you probably don't want to spend a lot of money on a sewing machine until you find out how much you enjoy sewing. But you want a reliable machine that makes it easy to create all the projects you've been dreaming of. And it would be great to have a sewing machine that will grow with you as your skills and confidence increase.

Let's see why the Brother XL2600i is the perfect choice for a beginner sewing machine.

All images from Amazon.com

Is this a good sewing machine for a beginner?

Yes, the Brother XL2600i is a great beginner sewing machine.

The Brother XL2600i sewing machine was designed for beginner sewing because it doesn't require a lot of adjustments. You only need to select the type of stitch, the stitch length and thread tension, by simply turning a dial. This may sound intimidating to a novice, but it's fairly easy and you'll get the hang of it in no time.

While this is a great sewing machine for beginners, more experienced users find that it suits their needs as well. It has some nice features like an automatic needle threader,

built-in thread cutter, drop-in bobbin and automatic bobbin winder.

It also has 25 stitches for utility and decorative sewing and quilting projects.

And my favorite feature is the automatic buttonholer. I think it's brilliant that all you have to do is put the button in this gadget and the machine automatically sews the right size buttonhole.

Great for beginners

"...I am happy to report that I have not yet found a project I could not do with this machine. It is easy to thread both the needle and the bobbin and rarely breaks a thread or catches. It has been a great machine to learn and grow on."---Melanie E. Rose, Amazon.com

Can the Brother XL2600i sew heavy fabrics?

Yes it can.

The Brother XL260i can sew heavy fabrics like denim, canvas, tweed, velvet and upholstery material. So you'll have no problems shortening a new pair of jeans, making blazers or whipping up some drapery panels. You just need the right size needle and the right thread. Refer to the manual for fabric, thread and needle combinations.

Pleasant surprise

"I'm just finishing up four elaborate Ottoman Ren-Faire costumes, complete with millinery and this machine has been SUCH a trooper! It managed to sew through layers of material and heavy upholstery bullion fringe and not break a needle. I made hats, turbans, used a bunch of the embroidering stitches---they were very pretty! Throughout all of it, the machine has been amazing. This is a great purchase!"---Coriolana, Amazon.com

How good could it be since it's so lightweight and inexpensive?

The Brother XL2600i is made to last for years.

This sewing machine is designed to be portable which is why it's so lightweight (only 11 pounds). Being lightweight doesn't indicate a lack of quality. Brother has backed this sewing machine with a 25 year limited warranty, so you can expect to get many years of service from it.

My favorite

"This is my favorite sewing machine. I've had one for 3 years and have never had any problems. Works great every time and I use it at least 3 times per week."---Jenny B., Amazon.com

The drawbacks of the Brother XL2600i sewing machine

Even a great beginner sewing machine has some limitations

The main drawback of the XL2600i is that it does not have adjustable presser foot pressure. This could be a concern when sewing knits as sometimes too much pressure will the cause the fabric to stretch out.

Another minor point is that the stitch width only goes up to 4mm.

For a sewing machine that addresses these concerns, look into the limited edition Project Runway machine. It does have adjustable presser foot pressure, maximum stitch width of 7mm and a host of other goodies offered by a computerized machine for around $200.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)