The buttonholes look OK, but you’ll need to adjust the screw to make the left and right bars look the same.

We class the Brother LS14 as “Very Basic“, meaning that this machine has features that are suitable for a sewer working at a Very Basic skill level. It has the most important stitches: straight, zig zag, blind hem, rectangle buttonhole, and a few extras. The stitches were consistent, but when I look at them up close, there’s a weird pucker between them. There’s a good distinction between the instructions for winding the bobbin and threading the top half, so you don’t get them confused. I don’t have any visual or hand mobility issues, but a needle threader is still a must for me, it can shave five minutes off your prep time and get you sewing quicker!

Full-size machines are usually wider than compact machines and this gives you slightly more space to manoeuvre the fabric around the needle area. On many machines, these results will only be achieved with the correct needle and thread combination, so specialty needles and threads may need to be purchased separately and may not be supplied with your machine. Note that the adjustable stitch width control on this model appears to be fairly limited, and may not affect all of the inbuilt stitches. The Brother LS14s sewing is an entry level sewing machine that is intended to be affordable and easy to use. At Brother, we pour over 100 years of sewing expertise into every machine we make, whether it’s for a big manufacturer or a casual crafter – and we’ve carefully designed the L14S to ensure it’ll give you all the reliability and flexibility you need.

To help you achieve the best possible stitch quality across different fabrics the Brother LS14 adjusts the tension of the upper thread using an Adjustable / Manual Control.This computerised machine offers 30 stitches (adjustable length and width), a top loading bobbin and is easy to thread. Whether you’re taking up trousers, adding a buttonhole or repairing a seam, the L14S makes every day sewing tasks simple to complete.

This model appears to have no special features for presser foot adjustment, so if this feature is important to you, you may like to consider machines with manual / adjustable presser foot pressure. A screwdriver is also needed to remove the presser foot, whereas some machines come with a quick release button to swap the feet over – have a look for machine with this feature if you think fiddly screws might be an issue for you. The Brother LS14s comes with with a clear zip foot (makes it nice and easy to see what’s going on under the foot as you insert a zip) and a buttonhole foot. For example, this model does not have automated controls for the needle stop position, automated back tacks or automated thread trimming.

As the needle area is quite low under the main threaders section of the machine, you need to hunch over a little to see the needle area to thread it. The Brother LS14 has basic features such as a Free Arm with Removable Cover, Standard Foot Pedal, and an Inbuilt light for safe and easy sewing. There are only a few important stitches to choose from, and the stitch length and width settings are pre-set.