With so many options from darning to decorating, home sewing is a fun and rewarding activity.

By giving a little thought to what you're likely to use your sewing machine for, it's easy to find the right one for all those special projects.

The sewing machine you decide to buy will depend on your needs and level of expertise.

For beginners, there are simple machines with basic functions to choose from. If you’re a more advanced sewing aficionado, you’ll benefit from a greater range of specialised features.

The three main types of sewing machines available on the market today are electronic, computerised and overlockers.

Electronic sewing machines: use a foot pedal to work the needle, and control the sewing speed and feeding mechanism simultaneously, leaving your hands free for guiding the fabric. You can select your stitch length and type using a dial on the control panel.

Simple, yet offering a wide range of functions and stitches, electronic machines are by far the most popular for home sewing. They often have time-saving features, like single-step buttonholing, drop feed and automatic threaders.

Computerised sewing machines: give more versatility for experienced users. They use a number of motors to drive the various functions (compared to the electronic machine’s single motor that drives only the sewing mechanism).

Extra functions make literally hundreds of different stitches available, and some can download online patterns when connected to a PC. Some have a memory function for saving previous projects and recalling them for future use. These models generally have a keypad for selecting stitch types and other functions, and an LCD screen.

Overlockers or 'sergers': are finishing machines for professional looking hems and seams to prevent fraying - great for curtaining and taking up trousers. Some also offer decorative stitching options. Overlockers use loopers for sewing stitches, unlike conventional sewing machines, and have a set of knives that trim as you sew.

Lacking the versatility of a sewing machine, they can’t tackle jobs like buttonholes or zips - for which you will need a standard sewing machine. Great for simple jobs, they can sew a seam, finish the edge and trim the fabric in a single step.

This depends entirely on your needs and level of expertise. A standard sewing machine will offer straight stitches (like lockstitch and chain-stitch), stretch stitches, zigzag and hem stitches. These are all ideal for basic dressmaking, home furnishings, repairs and alterations.

For more involved work, like quilting, embroidery and upholstery, you’ll need a greater range of stitches found on more sophisticated machines.

Electronic sewing machines generally offer 1-step or 4-step buttonholes. 1-step buttonholes are simpler, since the machine is programmed to switch between stitches, manipulating the fabric itself. 4-step buttonholes will take longer, because you’ll need to stop between steps to move the dial.

Computerised sewing machines usually have an automatic buttonhole function and can often be programmed using sample buttons to create identical buttonhole memory.