Hello all,
I just graduated from Nursing school this weekend (hooray!) and my fiance and parents surprised me with $1,400 for a new sewing machine. I was totally shocked!
So my questions is... If you had this amount of money (with possibly the option to add a bit more) what type of sewing machine would you invest in?
Any suggestions would be welcomed!

Oh my goodness, what a wonderful gift!!!! :)

Are you looking to do embroidery, free motion quilting, sewing clothes or piecing? Some machines are better at some things than others.

Congratulations on becoming a nurse!!!! :thumbup:

6600 is a good choice. If you could come up with a xtra $1,000 then the 7700 would be my choice.

Congratulations! Good luck in your career and with a new machine. What a wonderful gift.

Congratulations on your Nursing degree! And Woot! Happy shopping, as mentioned, it depends on what sewing you do or wish to do. A combo sewing and embroidery machine or just a great machine for quilting.!!

Congratulations on becoming a nurse. Thats a job in itself. I haven't a clue on what kind of machine to buy but I am sure that lots will be able to give you suggestions.

congrats on your graduation! my suggestion would be to go to a sewing machine center and try out the different types. that will give you a better idea of what would be good for you. there are so many great machines out there.

Go to more than one sewing machine dealership to try out machines in your price range. You may be surprised to find that you "bond" with one brand more than the others.

If you can, try out Janome, Bernina and Pfaff brands; they are three of the top brands right now.

Also ask at a dealership if they have used machines in these brands in your price range. You get more "bang" for the buck with a used machine; some people trade up every year, similar to cars.

Instead of going for a machine that can both sew and embroider, I would get one machine dedicated to sewing and another machine for embroidery. Embroidery takes time to sew out; with two machines you can still be piecing while one machine works for you on embroidery.

I would add that, for me, the sound of the machine is important. My Bernina purrs when I sew. Loud machines and clunky machines are annoying to me. However, YMMV!

congrats on your graduation, and what a wonderful gift...

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I would be using this primarily for piecing quilt tops. I'm not that into FMQing or embroidery.

Congratulations on your nursing degree!
I would only buy vintage machines since I'm into vintage.
Have fun shopping for your modern machine. If there is enough money left over for a cheap vintage machine that you can pick up from CLs then treat yourself to one, like a Singer 301. The cute 301s are cheaper than the Featherweights, you can take it to quilting classes, and when not in use it can sit on a bookcase to decorate your sewing area.

Well, I think it's HUGE overkill to spend $1,400 on a machine that will be used exclusively for piecing with no FMQing or embroidery. In that case, you just want a very reliable machine that makes a perfect stitch and have a few additional features such as:

needle down
variable needle position
variable stitch length and stitch width
standard decorative stitches (potentially for applique)
maybe auto cutter for thread

Many, many good quality sewing machines have these features for much less than $1,400 when you are not concerned about harp size (area under the arm that affects how much quilt can be stuffed in there when machine quilting). Maybe you can use the excess money for fabric?

I would second this, or even suggest a cheap! vintage to begin with. Put the money you save into FABRIC or savings for one with more bells and whistles later on! I started with an Elna SU nearly 40 years ago (sorry, it wasn't cheap then, but oh well) which I have used and even have a second one. However, I recently picked up a Featherweight (sooooo much lighter weight!). Given that I only piece and don't quilt, the Featherweight is really all I need. Besides, it's really cool!
Happy Quilting and let us know what you get.
Again Congratulations on your nursing degree! You go girl!

i would get the Juki F600 you can get it for about $900 and that leaves you with enough money to buy an awesome stash to go with it.

I agree with the folks who said $1500 was too much for a machine that you are just going to piece with. I would get one with as large a harp as I could, even if you are not going to FMQ now, you might change your mind! It is so nice to have the extra room to work, then you'd have all that extra money for fabric!!!!!!

I would get a top of the line used Pfaff. Many of us are sure we'd never do FMQ, etc. but later we might feel differently. With a machine like this you will easily be able to as well as doing excellent piecing. But then I am a Pfaff lover!

Check out your local dealers - it is so important to have a reputable dealer who can do on-site repairs. Congratulations on your degree!!

This is excellent advice. And someone else said to go to a few different shops and try out the machines. Janome, Bernina and Pfaff are the biggest names right now, so those are the ones you want to try out first. You're going to "fit" better with one brand than another, so it's going to be up to your own personal taste.

Needle up/down, a needle threader and a knee lift lever (for the presser foot) are my absolute musts on a sewing machine. I passed on a beautiful Bernina 150 because that model doesn't have a needle threader. Sorry, but these eyes just can't see to thread a needle anymore! :roll:

And although a new machine sounds wonderful, if you're not quite sure what you want in a machine, get a used one for now and put the money away until you decide what features you really "need" in a machine.

Just want to say congratulations on completing your degree!

Hugs and best wishes for the future!

CONGRATS!!!

Congrats on the nursing degree. For me a Janome would be my choice. I have a 6600 and have been looking at the 7000--some day.

First of all congratulations!! My local sewing machine dealer has an offer, if you purchase you have a year to trade up. Test drive and go for the fablous features suggested. In a year trade up, never know in a year what direction this will take you!! I am sure other dealers have the same policy.

Congrats on the nursing degree! I've been a nurse (BSN) for 15yrs, and still remember the immense relief when finishing school. My suggestions for you to look at are the Janome 6600, Pfaff Smarter C1100Pro, or a used Bernina. You can piece on a $50 vintage Singer, but I suggest you get something that you can grow into and that makes it easier and even more fun. I have several machines, and love the built-in dual feed on my Pfaffs. I got a used Bernina 440, and though it doesn't have the built-in dual feed, it's also a joy to sew on. Happy hunting!

I would check out Pfaff with their built in walking foot. Makes piecing so much easier!

I would look at a Janome 6500 which is the forerunner of the 6600 and the Horizon. It is a real work horse, has needle up/down, thread cutter, lots of stitches and a 9 inch throat space. I have quilted twin size quilts and one that was half way between a double and queen without any issues. They are selling new for around $1100 but you can find them on ebay for less than $1000.

Good luck with your search but most of all, CONGRATULATIONS ON BECOMING A NURSE!

Congratulations on lots of fun things in your life!

As for machines, we are a Pfaff house. We've never tried Janome, Viking, Bernina, Baby Lock, etc. The IDT on the Pfaff was a big selling point for us, although I understand other machines now have similar features. You should be able to find a Pfaff with some very useful features in your price range. Let us know what you decide.

Darren

Congratulations!

I love my Husqvarna Lily and SE...any Husqvarna would be a good choice...If your going old...I just bought a 301 and 301A Singers and love them both....

My husband just finished paying for my Bernina 430 for my graduation this month. I finished my BSN! yay! The machine was used, and cost about $1000. This is almost the same as the 440 QE from Bernina, and retails for about $3200 or so new. Look at these too, even if you are not going to do much FMQ right now, you will probably experiment with it later, and will be happy if you have a machine that will expand with your growing skills.
Congratulations on completing your nursing degree! :-)

LauraEllen, first of all, CONGRATULATIONS!! Becoming a nurse is a tremendous accomplishment and I salute you!

About the machine... several have mentioned going with a good used machine since you are considering using it for piecing only, and I agree... I'm still using the Bernina 830 Record my parents gave me when I graduated from college in 1975. My Bernina dealer knows I'm thinking about getting a new machine, too, and made me promise to never sell this machine. He says it has been a fantastic machine all these years... and, like others, this machine just purrs! The older machines should be considered!

Listen to the excellent advice on the QB, too... there are new features on newer machines, newer than the "old 830", that you'll want to think about...

Have fun shopping and be sure to tell us what you decide!!

Happy quilting!!

My 2 cents worth is ...Take your time, do your research after you decide what you want to accompolish with your machine. What features will mean the most to you? Will you have lessons to help you use the machine to its full potential? What can you truly afford? Get the very best machine you can buy with your funds and make sure you have a source close by for maintenance and educational possibilities.

Congrats on your education. I remember my DIL working so hard to get her nursing degree. She had 2 small children, my son was working 50-60 hours a week so she could work just on week-ends while she went to school and I was gifting foods for fridge and funds for gas, etc. I am so very proud of her!!! She is the daughter I did not give birth, but love dearly. Her education has made it possible for them to have a much more secure life.

Do post your new machine details when you decide.

What a great gift! Congrats on your accomplishment,Nursing school is very stressful.I always feel bad for the young girls I work with.
I have no clue bout the machine and can't imagine trying to decide lol. I did see a great looking Huskavarna/viking? at jo anns last week, it was about 1,000 bucks off till the end of the month,making it right at 1,000 I was very tempted.lol But For now I would rather buy other stuff like fabric, my old kenmore just chugs away, it is going on 30 lol, When I bought it ti was on the "fancy side, I have done no more than piece and occasionally zigzag something. it can do 30 diffrent sticthes and I have never even tried them so spending all that cash would be overkill for me.
I have been in nursing bout 30 years, aide, LPN,then RN, Currently in critical care .

If I had it to do over , I would make sure the machine had a good size throat for FMQ. Good Luck and be sure to tell us what you buy. This is a great present.

Congratulations Nurse! I received my BSN 40 yrs ago & can understand you're excitement to begin your career.
I'd Look at quality used machines for a first purchase - Bernina, Pfaff, older Singer. You won't need/use all the bells & whistles now, & can upgrade if you ever decide you need more options. Have fun trying out various machines in the shops before you purchase. Good luck & happy sewing & nursing.

A friend just got a new Janome machine and it is a dream machine.

Congrats from a nurse for 34 years, good luck. For me would def be a Bernina.

I'm partial to Vikings, but you should make a list of what you want in a machine, do lots of research, and lots of test driving of various models. Sewing machines are like underwear, we all like something different. It is good that they gave you the money instead of just getting you a machine. Good luck and have fun researching!!!

Congrats on getting your degree!!! May I recommend you get a machine at a quilt show.. many times at a quilt show they let you try out different machines etc.. and then they offer them at a discounted price after the show is over..not sure when the next quilt show is going on near you ..but it does save alot to check this out..by the way almost all the sewing machine folks are at the quilt shows... with all the feet you might need such as the quarter inch foot, walking foot etc...
Have fun shopping make a list of what you like and want in a machine.. and enjoy!!
Hugs
Quiltinmama

You only need a straight stitcher for piecing and FMQ. However, if you are going to do some applique by machine, you will need one that can do blanket stitch and zig zag. I find the brother Nouvelle 1500s ideal for quilting,=. It is a straight stitcher with variable foot pressure and a 9" throat.

I would also look at the viking. It has a wider throat and two lights for sewing. Try them out more than once.