We interview Steve Broomhall who went from servicing sewing machines to running his own sewing machine store - Sewing Machine World.

How did you get into the sewing industry, please tell us a bit about your background

I've always been mechanically minded, even as a child I loved taking things apart and putting them back together again.  At the age of 18 I got a job with Martello textiles as a sewing machine engineer, it was the first job I fell into and I have been in the industry ever since.   I also studied clothing machine technology at the London College of Fashion.

What made you decide to open your shop?

I spent a few years working for Pfaff both on the technical side of things as well as on sales.  During this time I was visiting dealers in their shops and realised that I wanted one of my own.

Please tell us a bit about your shop - Sewing Machine World Online - what do you stock?  What makes you different from other stores?

We mainly stock machines but we also have accessories, quilting notions, a small amount of fabric plus some haberdashery items.

I think there are 2 things that make us different from other shops, the first is that we have the best warranty terms.  We cover everything during the manufacturer's warranty period, with no small print or exclusions.

The second is that we offer another level of customer service compared to our competitors; we treat our customers as we would want to be treated ourselves.  We will not have an unhappy customer; we will do whatever it takes to make that customer happy again.

Do you sew yourself?  If so what type of things?

I am more interested in the mechanical side of things but I do make curtains for my home, and I embroider.  Another hobby of mine is restoring classic cars and I do the sewing involved in that, seat covers etc.

What machine(s) would you recommend to someone new to sewing, and to a more experienced sewer?

My main tip for a first sewing machine is to go for a reputable brand name, such as Janome or Frister Rossmann.  They are many cheap Chinese imitations on the market which are very poor quality, do not waste your money on these.

For a more experienced sewer there are 2 brands I would highly recommend, Bernina and Pfaff.   They are more expensive for a reason, they are superior quality and you will see the difference.  My dad always told me to buy the best you can afford and I am a firm believer in that. I'd also say don't just buy one with the features you want now, buy one with some additional features that you can learn in the future, so you can grow into your machine instead of growing out of it.

I understand you offer part exchange deals on sewing machines, could you tell us more about that?

We are proud to be the only online retailers offering a part exchange deal on sewing machines.  If you give us a call we can give you a price for your machine and arrange free collection. 

The old machines go to very good use, some of them are sold on, others go to the local sewing school and those that can be converted to a hand machine are taken by a charity that send them to Africa.

You've got some useful video clips on your site, what made you decide to do those and what subjects to you plan to cover in the future?

Our aim is to create an online video library to help our customers get the most from their machines.  We currently have video tutorials on threading various makes of machine, buttonholes and setting up overlockers.  We have Ann from Suffolk Sewing School coming in soon to film some videos on different techniques and we are constantly adding new videos.  We will also be adding them to You Tube.

Do you have any sewing machine tips you could pass on to our readers?

Although this may be pretty basic I find the thing that most people have a problem with is tension.  When threading a machine you need to lift the presser foot up and thread it as far as the needle and then pull the thread.  Bring the pressure foot down and pull the thread again and it should feel a lot tighter.  They way it works is when you bring the pressure lever there's a mechanism that pops the tension unit right open so when you put the thread in it goes right in it.  If you do it when the lever is down the disks are still together so there's no tension.

You've recently joined Facebook what type of thing can people expect from you if they become a fan?

We are doing monthly Facebook giveaways, this month the prize is a Janome XT2200 Sewing Machine!  We also have a section on our discussion board where you can post details of any problems you are having with your machine and we will help you.  We also keep fans updated with details of new products and offers.

Do you have any new products or offers coming up which you could tell us about?

No new products at the moment, we find out around the same time as the public when it comes to new products.   We do however have an offer starting shortly on the Horn cabinets; we will be giving away an adjustable LED light worth £80 with selected cabinets.  Details will be on the site shortly.

Finally what are your future goals?

Our goal is to be the number one online retailer of sewing machines, without losing that personal touch.

To visit Sewing Machine World Online please go to: www.sewingmachineworldonline.co.uk

To visit their facebook group please click here.