RelicStitcher

If you have the space, I got started on a singer model 27 treadle. That or a number 66 singer are both solid lockstitch machines, I do costume and reenactment work on my 66, it uses common needles and is what got the common 66 class bobbin started. more than qualified for quilting and if you have the space for a treadle and non-electric isnt a deal breaker (It actually isnt tiring or requires much effort, provided the machine is lubricated, and I actually find i have more control but ymmv.) Often these machines turn up at flea markets, craigslist etc for $100 give or take.

Jeanette Frantz

I am a Rank Amateur when it comes to quilting. I have made three total quilts in the past 6 years, only two of which were pieced-block quilts (Log Cabin Quilts), and one was a whole-cloth embroidered quilt with deep red borders. I learned almost immediately (before I ever cut the red fabric for my first quilt) that red fabric (and not only red fabric) can bleed. The bleeding can be prevented, but you have to treat the fabric BEFORE YOU CUT it. The last quilt I completed was made for a US Army Veteran whose mother is a very good friend of mine. He was seriously injured in Afghanistan, and was quite thrilled with the quilt. I pieced his quilt with a 1954 Singer Featherweight machine, assembled it with a 1952 Singer 403-A, and quilted it on a Singer 201-2 (I'm not sure of the year, but it's an old machine). In fact, all the sewing machines I have are vintage (more than 50 years old), one or two are more than 75 years old. I will say this, I have absolutely NO complaints about any of my older vintage machines. They work like champs. I like them because they are all-metal machines, and do not have plastic gears (which will break). So, I advocate a vintage all-metal machine. They are so easy to maintain that most of us who use them maintain them or fix them ourselves. The vintage machines should have a very nice straight stitch, which is what you need primarily for piecing quilts. However, I have been sewing all my life -- ever since the 6th or 7th grade in school (at that time I made my own clothing). I had never made a bed-size quilt until 2010, although I did make a baby quilt and hand-quilted it myself (I was working full time, so it took me 5 months to make the blocks, applique the blocks, and assemble them with the sashing and borders, and quilt it. You have some great recommendations above, so I wouldn't push you to buy a vintage machine. I've had my Singer 328-K since Christmas of 1963, when my husband bought it for my first Christmas as his wife. I have found the vintage machines to be very well-made sewing machines, and they work very well for me. Good luck! (My avatar depicts the red and white log cabin quilt I'm in the process of finishing)!

Jeanette

garnetnm

I have 2 Brother CS6000i machines that have been very dependable so far. I ordered both on line from Walmart for about $150 with free shipping to my store. WM has a good return policy, return to any store with receipt within 30 days for any reason for refund. I got the first one because it has so many features and is light weight with a hard cover for taking to sewing groups. I tried all the stitches, including all the button patterns, immediately. It included a walking foot for straight stitch quilting. It sounds a little rough, but makes a good stitch.

Lower end machines all have a smaller work opening, which limits quilting to runners, mats, pot holders, and small quilts. I've done a lot of these with my machine, which is about 8 years old. I decided to order a second machine so I could have one dedicated to quilting and have it set up with a walking foot. This was a very handy arrangement - one machine for sewing and one for quilting.

I continued to use the old one with its walking foot for quilting. It's still going strong, but something in the walking foot broke. So I pulled out the walking foot from the new machine, and it did not work. Both machines work fine, but I think the walking foot items are third party products that have been added to the Brother package. I should have tested the one that came with the second machine immediately.

Fortunately, I have a Janome 6500 with a walking foot, so I am ok for quilting. I paid big bucks for that machine to get a larger work opening, but it is not large enough for me to do bed quilts. Its walking foot is still working, and I hope it will be reliable. I still use a 25 year old Pfaff, which was top of the line when I bought it. It had been serviced a couple of times over the years.

Just thought I would share my success experience with the Brother machines and problems with the walking foot attachments.