Charming

All my machines are Viking including my long arm and love them all..as for batting warm and natural by the bolt is cheaper from Joann's website with a 50 or 60% coupon (a lot cheaper than the store itself) or you can get it without waiting for coupon or even the Hobbs 80/20 from www.marshallsdrygoods.com
As for fabric when I first learned quilting I was told to get a yard each and many times I was out of fabric when enlarging the project or changing pattern or whatever the reason is so now I either buy a bunch of different precuts with at least 3 yards of two of the coordinating fabrics for borders and smashing or I would just pick a line of fabric and get few yards of at least 4-5 fabrics of it that I like best. Now lately I am just buying bolts as it gets a lot cheaper and worth it.
Hope this helps

jollyquilting

There should be a good machine in that category but I suggest getting a machine that you can get some information on it and maybe try one out to see if you like it. I have a Janome and love it , but there is also a place I can ask questions of.

MacThayer

When I buy a fabric I've just fallen in love with, I try to find yet another coordinating fabric to go with it that I also love. Then I buy at least 3 yards of each, sometimes 4. I've got lots of blenders in my stash so I don't bother with that, unless there are some wonderful blender fat quarters that would be terrific. I've learned the hard way that if you get too little fabric, and then want to do a quilt, you won't have enough fabric if you only get a yard or so. I tend to "bundle up" coordinating fabrics for projects so that the colors are already selected by the time I decide what to do with them. This often involves several shopping selections, and Aha! That will go with my "peach and aqua collection!" or "what a fantastic contrasting color for my purple and yellow collection!" It seems I get my colors collected, and then I start my project, not the other way around.

As for sewing machines, there are lots out there. I picked up a second hand, barely used Janome for $800 (was selling in the store for $2,400), and I'm just in love with it. Sews like a dream! Best machine I've ever owned. But do make sure there's a place where it can be serviced before you buy a brand. Or visit their service department. They may be able to tell you what's about to come in on trade, and whether its worth buying, especially if they've been servicing it for a while. I almost got a Janome that way, but in the end, the woman decided she couldn't part with it. The one I found was on Craig's list.

Best of luck to you, and happy sewing/quilting!

NJ Quilter

Another Viking girl here. Love my Platinum - which is about 10+ years old now but sews like a dream. The only thing it hasn't handled thus far was the welting on the boat canvas DH wanted me to repair! As to stash - I'm not a 'stasher' per se. I only buy for projects and just over buy what I'm getting for any given thing. I'm not into scrappy quilts and would just be afraid my tastes would change or that I'd decide I wanted to make x size quilt with y fabric and not have enough of it in my stash! Plus I have zero extra space for much of anything, despite (or maybe because of) DH's penchant for bringing all kinds of stuff home!

Wyldwytch

Thank you everyone for all the help, it seems Viking and Janome are the top winners here. I also have a Bernina store less then 10 minutes from my house so I am going to check them out as well.

As for fabric, I love scrappy quilts, but I am also in love with the Stack and Whack quilts. So I guess if I bought 2 yards of fabric to stash for scrappy quilts and then 5-10 yards of fabric for my Stack and Whacks then I should be good. I'll still buy my fa quarters for throw quilts, baby quilts, and wall hangings.

Rosie the Wyldwytch

Maureen NJ

Servicing is the big thing. And classes too. I have a 1980 Viking which is still working great. Have in for servicing once and never oil. I have done many window treatments, cushion covers, quilts, clothing construction on it. I am religious about cleaning the lint out from the bobbin case. I bought a Bernina 3 years ago and biggest mistake. I wanted to use it for embroidery and quilting and big problems with tread breakage. Finally resolved after many many trips to dealer. I now learn that it should have been sent back to bernina in Chicago for servicing. Stick with Viking or Janome.

Yarn or Fabric

I just bought a Juki 2000 and I love, love LOVE it! I am kicking myself that I didn't order one sooner! It's under $1000 pretty much everywhere online and in stores. I'm not sure where you live to locate a dealer for you.

The machine is lightning fast and the stitch quality is superb. It has a 9" throat. I now actually do my large project quilting on a sit down Tin Lizzie but I've got friends who use their Jukis to quilt all of their quilts with. I bought both machines at the same time (I was going to buy a HQ Sweet 16 but for the same amount of money, I was able to get both the Lizzie and Juki and I liked the Lizzie more than the HQ)

Brother and Janome also sell machines that have a 9" throat. Brother's is cheaper, about $600 I believe. I'm not sure how much Janome's sell for.

They are straight stitch only machines so the stitch they make is just fabulous! You'll probably want to do all of your piecing on one of those. I keep my older Janome for when I need to do anything other than a straight stitch

Kris P

I purchased a 1 year old trade in Janome 6600P from my dealer for just $1100. Same warranty, etc as a new one. The previous owner decided to trade up, and I benefitted from it. I just love the 9 inches to the right of the needle. Sews like a dream!

JNCT14

If you want to do FMQ I would strongly suggest that regardless of brand, you go with a mid arm machine. They have a lot of features that regular sewing machines do not. I was not good at FMQ on my Bernina, which I love, but when I got my BabyLok mid arm I was AMAZED at how easy FMQ is to do. Mid arms are about $1000 and worth every penny.

Dodie

I have learned through the years if you are buying fabric you really really like with no idea what you are going to do with it get at least 2 yards I don't know how many times I have went to my stash found the perfect fabric for something but not enough so had to go buy something else also if you are buy a machine that you may want to do your own quilting on check out the ones with larger harp areas