Sewing Machine Store Near LAX With $50 Classes: Tanner's

Tanner's Sewing and Vacuum Center, at 6230 W 87th St, has served the Los Angeles area since 1964 and opens Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturday from 10am to 5pm, with Sunday closed. For anyone on the Westside or in the South Bay searching sewing machine store near me, it sits a few blocks north of LAX in the Westchester Triangle, sells Baby Lock, Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff machines, and repairs sewing machines and vacuums in-house.

The shop calls itself old-fashioned service and top quality products, and the details back that up. Staff will help carry a heavy machine in and out of your car, the technicians are certified, and the store pitches itself as a place for face time rather than a checkout queue. It also does lamp repair and scissor sharpening, which is why you will see table lamps waiting on the bench next to embroidery machines. The full name on the sign is Tanner's Sewing and Vacuum Center and Lamp Repair.

Westchester is a neighborhood of 1950s and 1960s commercial blocks, and Tanner's fits that era. Planes climbing out of LAX pass overhead while you test-stitch. The customers range from retirees bringing in Kenmore and Singer machines for a tune-up to quilters ordering a new embroidery unit, plus parents signing children up for Saturday classes. The store's own line about supporting the independent sewing and vacuum dealer explains the mood: this is a shop that wants a long relationship.

The sewing brands page lists Husqvarna Viking, Baby Lock and Pfaff, along with Horn and Koala sewing cabinets. On the Viking side, the floor features the Designer EPIC 3 with its redesigned embroidery unit and reversible hoop, the Designer Ruby 90, the Designer Sapphire 85, the Designer Topaz 50 and 40, the EPIC 95Q with Wi-Fi connectivity, the Sapphire 930 and the Brilliance 75Q. The homepage invites shoppers to stop by for a demo of the Baby Lock Radiance.

Two policies make buying here different from buying online. Every machine sold in the store comes with a five-year labor warranty. Baby Lock sergers, sewing and embroidery machines can also be ordered through the store's own online shop with flat-rate shipping of $45, so you can test in Westchester and still have a heavy box delivered. Free owner classes are offered to buyers, which matters because an embroidery machine can take several sessions to learn properly.

Adult classes run on Monday mornings, afternoons and evenings, Thursday mornings, afternoons and evenings, and Saturday afternoons. A single adult class costs $50, and a six-week session costs $250 for whichever time slot you choose. Kids get Saturday morning sewing at $45 for a single class or $225 for a six-week session, and the store also runs kids' sewing camps. The store's own advice is to sign up early, because classes are kept small and seats go to whoever pays first.

The class policy is strict, and it is worth reading before you pay. All registrations are prepaid on the website, and a seat is not held until payment arrives. Once registered, you are expected to attend. If you miss a class, there is no refund and no transfer to a later date. A class needs three paid students by 3pm three days ahead or it may be canceled, in which case Tanner's issues a refund or store credit.

Repairs cover both sewing machines and vacuums, and the store is a SEBO and Miele dealer as well as a stockist of Riccar vacuums, which it highlights as made in America. SEBO uprights and canisters are priced on the site, from the Airbelt E2 Turbo at $749 to the D4 Premium canister at $1,449. Buy a SEBO in the store and Tanner's adds a free extended ten-year warranty. Bags and belts for many vacuum models are on the shelves too.

For sewists, the useful shelf stock includes needles, Mettler thread, Sulky embroidery thread, Maxi Lock serger thread, stabilizers and general accessories. The store can order sewing cabinets and chairs, and it sells Husqvarna Viking mySewnet embroidery software. Skip buying thread in bulk on your first visit. Ask which needle and thread weight your project needs, buy that, and keep the receipt as a record for the next refill.

Westchester is easy to combine with other errands. Sepulveda Boulevard and the Westchester business district are a short drive away, and Loyola Marymount University sits on the bluff to the north. If you are dropping off a machine on the way to a flight, the store's location a few blocks from the airport makes it practical, though you will want to plan your pickup for a Saturday or a weekday before 6pm when you return.

If you want a Bernina rather than a Baby Lock or Viking, Tanner's is the wrong stop, since Bernina is not on its brand list, and Mayhall's in Montrose is the authorized Bernina dealer north of downtown. For industrial machines and garment-factory parts, ABC Sewing Machine on South Main Street downtown is the specialist. Tanner's sweet spot is the home sewist who wants Baby Lock or Viking, embroidery support and a store close to the coast.

Tanner's Sewing and Vacuum Center, 6230 W 87th St, Los Angeles, CA 90045. Store hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 10am to 5pm, closed Sunday and on major holidays. All major credit cards are accepted. The store keeps an FAQ page and a mailing list that sends class news and free embroidery designs to subscribers.

Bring the whole machine for a repair, including the power cord, foot pedal and bobbin case, plus a fabric sample that shows the fault. For a purchase demo, bring the fabric you sew most and a list of projects, such as quilts, garments or embroidered gifts, so the staff can match a model to how you work. Children's classes fill fast because they are small, so register as soon as dates are posted.