You’d need a decent desk lamp when working late at night on this machine (you’d expect to use a lamp late in the evenings with any machine, but I have definitely used machines with brighter lights built in).

The machine comes with a 3-year warranty through Brother so you can be sure that if any issues occur in that time you will be covered.

The manual is quite brief, however there are good basic instructions for the features of the machine as well as an instructional DVD.

As with most electronics, the entry level items are often not the most accessible, but I feel it’s only fair to include my thoughts on these aspects in this review.If this occurs, place thin paper or stabilizer material under the fabric and sew it together with the fabric. The illustrations in the manual are a bit on the small side, and are all in black and white (this would be expected in any manual though) – so you may need glasses/a magnifier if you struggle with your vision. A zipper foot comes included in the box, and the machine is supported with a 3 year manufacturers warranty. The machine’s built in light is quite dim, I tested the machine during the daytime with my blinds closed to get an idea of the light quality. It comes with 14 built-in stitch options, including straight, zigzag, and buttonhole stitch, giving users the flexibility to create different types of stitches for their projects.

When lifting the machine, be careful not to make any sudden or careless • movements, otherwise you may injure your back or knees. The Brother LS14 is a sewing machine designed for those who want to start with basic stitching and sewing projects. The included screwdriver is a flat metal piece, so is more slippery than a standard mini screwdriver. I couldn’t sew perfectly straight with the standard foot, so many of my blind hem stitches didn’t catch the hem!

There is no speed control which can be useful for beginners or even for more advanced sewists when approaching corners/intricate sections. My old machine had a horizontal 'leg' at the back which supported the sewing table better when using the free arm mode. The foot doesn’t grip the fabric enough when you’re sewing multiple layers, so it does wander slightly to the left or right by 1/8″ (3mm). The stitches were consistent, but when I look at them up close, there’s a weird pucker between them. There is a helpful diagram for how to insert the bobbin on the needle plate, as well as clear measurement markings.