Brother CS7000i Computerized Sewing Machine with 70 Built in Stitches, White

Before buying a sewing machine, I had done months of research to find the one that would suit s beginner with big dreams the best. Brother was the brand that kept coming up as a user-friendly option with simple mechanics and a lot of room to grow and get better. When I got the machine, I was not disappointed. It was excellent right out of the box. The user manual that comes with it is very straightforward and detailed with regards to how to set up the machine and various problems that might occur, including skipped stitches or thread being pulled through fabric. It was easy to follow the directions, thread a sewing machine for the first time, and simply jump into the fun! It's been about a month since I first unboxed this bad boy and I have certainly given it a good work out - made 2 nice skirts and over 45 masks with it. I am absolutely loving it! The operation is smooth, generally quiet, and it tolerates a newbie fiddling with it constantly. I am a master of the straight stitch now, and I will be endeavouring to learn all the others!

I bought this sewing machine for use by myself and my teen daughters. I had barely any experience using a machine, but they had all taken a class in middle school that taught them sewing machine basics. I wanted something that offered basic functions, but that we can expand on as we gain skill. Two of my daughters are also trying their hand at historical reenactment, and I wanted this machine to be able to make costumes. The machine has some nice features to expand to. Because it’s controls are digital, it takes a little learning. I found that the manual could easily be followed step-by-step. I used it like a textbook, and began working my way through it from front to back. I experimented with all of the different stitches and buttonholes on a scrap of fabric. It clearly described steps, and the terminology wasn’t over my head. However, there are two things I learned from videos and reviews more than the manual: how to thread the needle using the built in needle threader, and, most importantly, what brands of thread to use. Thankfully, the two most recommended thread brands - Gutermann and Coats & Clark - also happen to be the most common (and affordable) at our local Joann’s. The machine comes with three bobbins, but it also doesn’t hurt to pick up a few more if using many different colors of thread. The machine also comes with a decent selection of different presser feet, tools for cleaning, etc. The various small parts pack into a small pouch, and the pouch can be stored in the machine base. The quilting platform fits nicely onto the base to expand it, and can be helpful with other tasks, as well. We have used the machine so far to make rice heat packs, reverse engineer a costume, and make curtains for the windows and nesting boxes of a chicken house. The machine has performed well, and any problems have generally been user error because we didn’t review the manual instructions well. I have monitored how clean the machine stays, and kept up on minor maintenance. It is stored, cover off, in a large cabinet. I did buy a free standing lamp to help increase visibility at night because the built in light only illuminates a small space, and the ceiling light above our work area is not extremely bright and is off for the angle of work. Overall, I am very happy with this Brother machine. The price was not exorbitant, it does what we need, it doesn’t lose calibration (like a cheap Singer that someone once bought me as a gift) or need frequent repairs. Because of my experience with this machine, I would recommend Brother machines, this model especially, to those who want a good basic machine that offers the ability to have fun learning new skills.

I love this sewing machine. I’ve had 3 other machines in the past, and frankly some I liked, some I hated, and others I was just lukewarm about. It seemed as if every machine I’d own would have some glitch or be fussy in certain areas. Not this wonderful, remarkable Brother machine!I have had the Brother CS7000i for 4 months, but I wanted to run it through several sewing ‘scenarios’ before posting a review. First and foremost, let me get something out of the way. Tension. Seems every machine I’ve owned (2 Singers and an off-brand) were a bit finicky when it came to tension. One required constant tweaking but was usable, 2 others were always irritatingly fussy. Not this machine. Ever. It’s a miracle.I’ve sewn heavy fabrics, doubled heavy fabrics, stretchy knits, and sheer fabric (using the correct needles, feet, and stitches). I easily sewed hems in denim jeans and sewed a denim skirt. Buttonholes, zippers, blind stiches… I’d go on, but you get it. And I consider myself a novice as I’ve never followed a pattern… until recently. I have learned pattern sewing on this machine, so I would recommend it for beginners as well as those with experience. It’s such an easy machine to use!I had trouble with the self-threading feature at first but decided to try it several times in one sitting, and from then on, got that nailed, too. And the Brother CS7000i comes standard with a walking foot… Wow! If you’ve never used a walking foot, I recommend finding a video or two to learn how wonderful (useful) they are! And this machine is quiet, too.Finding and selecting my stiches, customizing them, and the plethora of feet included… all so easy to do. I do like the back button and the needle up button – both located handily and work wonderfully. And the bobbin is so easy to fill and set in. Never had problem one with the bobbins! This is also the easiest, most straightforward machine to thread. Oh, and it’s lightweight, making it a breeze to move and set up. And the extended table was something I thought I’d never use, but I’ve started my first quilt, so yep, handy! Mostly, the fact it can handle so many fabrics with ease, can handle doubled fabrics easily, maintains wonderful tension and gives me perfect stitching… I love this machine! Sewing is such a joy with it!

We purchased this for my teenage daughter, who likes to sew. She had been using my old Kenmore machine and was often frustrated with how much manual adjusting it took to make the Kenmore do what she wanted it to do. I was concerned because this one is so light and feels like it is made of plastic - it really ferls like a toy - but so far it has worked without a hitch and has had no issue with heavier fabrics.This Brother model was easy to set up and my daughter was creating beautiful items within the hour. She loves all the different stitch options (at least a dozen of her outfits now have heart-shaped stitched borders) and is still exploring what it can do. The more she uses it the more excited she gets, and I have honestly never seen her so excited about anything we've ever given her. In a ratio of smiles and thanks per dollar, this is a real bargain!I've seen reviews saying it came with an instructional DVD; ours didn't, but the written/pictorial instructions were adequate and the online resources are great.I needed to fix a sleeping bag liner before a camping trip and decided to try this machine. It was so much quicker and easier to set up than my "old faithful" and I was done in minutes. Changing the thread takes just a few steps and the horizontal bobbin is the easiest configuration I've ever used I think I'm going to just use this one from now on.

Before I bought this, I was given an old Brother machine that had been sitting in an attic for about 15 years. I was getting frustrated because I could never get the tension right, the machine kept skipping stitches, the thread would become loose every time I took pressure off the foot pedal, and the foot pedal was difficult to get the speed you wanted. It was stressful and an awful experience.Enter the Brother CS7000i. It was the breath of fresh air I was looking for!! The foot pedal is so much better at control the speed, especially now that I have the speed toggle. I can sew in strait lines much easier, threading is a breeze with the thread helper, the bobbin pop top makes live so much easier (don't have to pull the thread out after loading, just load and go (for the most part), and all the different presser feet and button attachments make life amazingly easier.The seam ripper that comes with it is mostly garbage but that's a simple purchase and one should have a couple on hand for those moments when you're getting stressed out and using the seam ripper, set it down, forget where you set it down, and move on to another until the original one shows up. ha ha The fact that it comes with a seam ripper is unusual so I'll take it.This is great for beginners because you have so much control and ability to do so many things right away!! All the feet open up so many opportunities. (Please note there was not an invisible zipper foot or an invisible zipper setting so i had to buy and figure out on my own.) I highly suggest this model and the price is A+ for what you get.