Howdy y'all :c)

Although I'm well aware that sewing machines can cost into the thousands of dollars, I'm poor. LOL! I'm fairly new to quilting, and I've made about 9 quilts and a dog bed so far. I've made a full-sized rag quilt, a twin-sized fat quarter quilt, several lap-sized fat quarter quilts, and a dog bed. I also made several scrappy pincushions as Christmas gifts using a log cabin design. I made my first quilt (the rag quilt) in August 2010...just 4 months ago. The rag quilt and the dog bed were "quilt as you go", and the fat quarter quilts were fairly simple to quilt just by making X's across the fat quarters, then sewing around the edges in straight lines. But I'm wanting to get into making some more complicated quilts that need to be quilted after the top is done. To be quite honest, it doesn't seem feasible to me to pay a boat-load of money to have someone else quilt a top for me if I can do it myself.

Wal-Mart has a Brother sewing/quilting machine for $199.99. I'm sure it's probably not as good as some that cost much more, but would it be good enough for someone who is just starting out and learning how to do it? I was thinking about getting this machine when I get my tax refund, but don't want to just throw away a couple hundred bucks if it's not worth it. Does anyone know anything about this machine, or can advise me on whether doing my own quilting is something I want to even get into at this stage? I would sure appreciate it! :c)

Donna

I was told by a brother dealer not to buy walmart brothers. She said they are poor quality, she suggested I buy a used one out of the paper or online.

First off I love the brother machines. I have 2 of them. I quilt on both and both have a 6in. throat, quilting anything bigger then a lap quilt is a major pain. You might want to check around for machines that have a longer throat. Now having said that how big of a throat does it have??

I bought both of mine at walmart and paid less than $60.00 for each and have had them for about 2 years and they still run perfect.

WalMart machines are on the low, low, low end of quality and will not handle constant and larger sewing loads. You will also have a difficult time getting it fixed - almost as much as the purchase price. Look for a better brand Brother at a sewing machine shop or on craigslist or in the paper. Check it out before buying so you can determine if the machine needs any fine tuning or adjustments; especially if it skips stitches. Look for that when you are buying used machines. Brother makes great machines, but don't get the WM one there.

Janome also sells great inexpensive machines and my machine was purchased at Fabric Art Shop in Lake City Florida. Google them, ask for Barbie and have her explain to you all the good stuff about Janome sewing machines. She has several to fit everyones budget. Maybe she can ship you one. Depending on how much you put into quilting, over time the better machine will be worth your investment. Buy the best machine you can afford even if it means putting it on layaway and making payments. You won't regret it at all and you can sew on the smaller one until it's paid off.

Good luck and enjoy the hunt because you will learn a lot about sewing machine features along the way.

I have two brothers. Both are embroidery and sewing machines. Both work super great. They are very easy to learn. I don't know about the walmart thing but I wonder why would brother manufacture a low quality machine just for walmart? Never heard of this before.
My two cents.

I bought a brother machine from walmart and had nothing but trouble with it. I traded it in on a babylock (and hated it too, btw, but not as much).

I would get a machine at a quilt shop if at all possible. I bought my Janome for $399 (they do have less expensive models) and all the machines at my shop come with free maintenance for a year, free classes, and lots of discounts for fabric and notions. Plus, if you ever have trouble with your machine, the owner knows you and will take care of you. You won't get that a at Walmart.

Besides price, what would the difference be between a Brother CP6500 purchased at Wal-mart and a Brother CP6500 purchased at Jo-Anns?

If you contacted Brother, how could they tell from the model number where you purchased your machine.?

Joann's is no better than Walmart when it comes to machines. Also, does Joann's even sell Brother? I thought they only sold Singer and Simplicity machines.