Sew Mini Sewing Machine for travel

When I travel, I often like to take a sewing machine with me. A regular size/weight sewing machine can be a bit difficult to lug around, and takes up precious cargo space in the van. So I take our Janome Sew Mini sewing machine  with me. It weighs 4.5 pounds, and fits in a regular size tote bag! When our charity sewing circle travels and conducts sewing demonstrations, these are the machines we use. You can click the picture for more details.

I have seen negative reviews for this machine. Because it is a small size machine, people think it is a toy. If they have used it, people complain that it is slow, and that it has no light. Know that the first opinion is not true--this is definitely a real, working sewing machine--and the other two complaints are a small price to pay for the convenience offered by this machine. Sewing super fast when I travel is not a priority, and I just strap a  headlamp onto the machine.

Here's something that many people don't know; it can go through thick or several layers of fabric! You may need to hand crank the wheel over the seam allowances, but the machine will still operate just fine once you've passed over these!

A mini sewing machine does not necessarily mean that it will be a mini stitch sewing machine. The Sew Mini has regular length stitches. It has straight stitch and zigzag stitch options. When I travel, I only need the basics, so this suits me fine. Using it is very straightforward; of course, read the Sew Mini sewing machine instructions before using it, but in a pinch, you could use it without reading the manual. It is that simple to operate.

This is, as you would probably expect, a great sewing machine to purchase for a child. It is affordable, small, lightweight, and its slower sewing speed gives a child time to learn the basic mechanics of sewing.

I cannot offer any personal review for other small machines--the Shark mini sewing machine, the mini Rex sewing machine, the Sew Crafty sewing machine, the mini Brute sewing machine, just to name a few. I do not have any personal experience with these machines. But I do know that the Janome Sew Mini sewing machine is definitely a good little machine, and worth considering.