Singer Starlet 6680 sewing machine, 80 stitches, 6 buttonholes, free arm

Stitches on the Starlet 6680 are chosen with push buttons, and the machine automatically sets a suitable width and length for each one. A beginner therefore does not need to know which width suits a zigzag or an overcast edge: choosing the stitch is enough. When a job calls for something else, you can adjust stitch width and length yourself, for example shorter on a light fabric or wider for a decorative effect.

The 80 stitches cover making, mending and altering clothes, edge finishing and hemming, with some decorative stitches as well. All six buttonholes are sewn in one step: the machine completes the buttonhole in a single cycle and the fabric never has to be turned. You can choose the buttonhole style for the garment and the button, so shirts, blouses and jackets each get a suitable one.

The automatic needle threader passes the thread through the eye of the needle in one movement, and automatic bobbin winding fills the bobbin evenly. The machine has a vertical shuttle, with the bobbin loaded from the front into a bobbin case. Together these shorten every thread change and cut out the mistakes beginners most often make with a badly wound bobbin or incorrect threading.

A free arm means part of the sewing bed comes off, leaving a narrow arm under the needle that sleeves, trouser legs and small children's garments slip over. That way you can hem a sleeve or shorten trousers without unpicking the seam. The LED light illuminates the area around the needle evenly, which helps when you work with dark fabrics and dark thread.

The Starlet 6680 suits a beginner or home sewer who wants the machine to handle as much of the setting up as possible: stitch width and length are set automatically, needle threading and bobbin winding are automatic and buttonholes take one step. At 6.6 kg it stands steadily on the table but is still easy to lift out of a cupboard and put back.