Whether you are new to crafting, an advanced mender or an avid quilter - the Brother XL-3750 Convertible 35-Stitch Free-Arm Sewing Machine With Quilting Features, to give it its full description, is right up your street.

It's probably true to say that people expect to pay big money for quality and believe that inexpensive goods just don't deliver. Be ready to be amazed then because at around $115 this machine certainly bucks the trend.

It is light in weight (12 pounds) and has 35 integral utility, decorative, quilting and heirloom stitches, with 73 stitch functions to help you master any undertaking. And if you are sewing denser materials or doing quilting then you are assisted by the included outsized table attachment, the walking foot, quilt guide and the reinforcement function. Controlling the stitch width (max 7mm) and the stitch length (max 5mm) is easily done by utilizing the dial.

If it's just a simple task you are involved in though, then transforming from a flatbed to a free-arm sewing machine is a piece of cake for the Brother XL-3750.

People who own this machine have been swift to praise it and here are some of the things they have highlighted positively:

- It is effortless to set up and this is aided by the provision of a diagram chart showing how to get the bobbin and machine threaded

- The auto threader functions superbly

- That it has loads of attachments

- It is really lightweight

- The clear bobbin area means that you can promptly and easily see how much thread is remaining and also anticipate any jamming before it happens

Conversely, some have pointed out that:

- The foot pedal cable could do with being a little longer

- The work light is not as brilliant as some other sewing machines

- The presser foot could do with the pressure being adjustable

In addition to features already recounted, Brother also lists:

- Integral thread cutter as standard

- Drop-in bobbin loading

- Automatic bobbin winding function

- 1-step auto-size buttonholing

- Variable needle positions

- 4 needles as well as 4 bobbins

- There is a screwdriver included

- It is supplied with a limited 25-year warranty

Power is supplied by a 110 volt motor and its flex is capable of being stowed inside the body of the machine.

Starting the machine and altering its speed (up to 800 stitches per minute) is by way of the foot pedal. A prominently displayed and very responsive button allows you to reverse stitch and adjustment of the thread tension is by means of a dial. Also, with the stitches clearly displayed on the side of the machine, identifying which you want for a given job becomes child's play.

Presser feet furnished with this machine are as follows:

- General presser foot

- A zipper foot

- Buttonhole

- A button-sewing foot

- A narrow-hem foot

- Blind stitch

- A walking foot,

which all snap on for fast transposition and many of the attachments stow conveniently inside a compartment in the free arm.

To round off the package, the machine is supplied with a cloth carrying cover to protect it from dust and to keep it clean when not in operation and there is also a transportation handle built into the top of the machine.

So, if it's a low-priced, versatile, user-friendly, feature-packed sewing machine you are looking for, then the Brother XL-3750 definitely merits further investigation.