Manufacturers need to wise up on what quilters want.
09-16-2013, 11:04 AM
#42
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 816
What I find especially funny is that garment sewers complain machines are made too much to suit quilters. You see this all the time on websites like PatternReview.com They want good utilitarian garment stitches- not fancy decorative stitches (which I guess they must think we use? Who does use those?)
09-16-2013, 12:56 PM
#43
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Burke, Va
Posts: 344
big throat
Originally Posted by toverly
When will they make a simple machine with a bigger throat? It shouldn't have to be an expensive machine just bigger. All I want is a large throat for FM quilting and a straight stitch. Doesn't have to be super fast, electronic, or super heavy duty. Old Singers seem to have huge throats, so I know they started out that way. Why pay big bucks for a commercial machine? Anyone else feel this way?
and love everyone. Viking and bernina also make "quilting" machines: Viking Sapphire 9.5 and Bernina - but throat isn't huge and it's 5K. I think Brother has a quilting machine for a reasonable price, but not sure how well it holds up.
09-16-2013, 04:56 PM
#44
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Nevada
Posts: 6,958
Greensleeves is correct, Juki/Brother make a single stitch machine with a larger throat: http://jukihome.com/products/quiltingmain.html. The co-owner LQS near my old home had one that she either for straight use/FMQ or repairing quilts.
09-16-2013, 07:18 PM
#47
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Dallas area, Texas, USA
Posts: 3,042
Originally Posted by Neesie
I'm not trying to defend the manufacturers; I'm just saying how businesses usually work. Please don't fuss at me, for saying this!
Businesses need to make a good profit, to stay in business. Designing and manufacturing any new product, is very costly. In order for a new production to be worthwhile to the business, it must cater to a HUGE market and produce a HUGE profit. Needless to say, businesses like to steer as many customers as possible, to their higher price items. There IS a huge market for machines with longer throats BUT a good percentage will bite the bullet and pay the higher price, if there's no other way. IF a simpler, less expensive machine were produced, many would still want the bells and whistles BUT a good percentage would probably buy the less expensive machine. . . which means less profit, for the company.
Needless to say, the best business to produce the simple long-throat, inexpensive machine, would be one which doesn't already produce a bunch with bells & whistles. That way, it wouldn't be competing against itself. Perhaps quilters should start petitioning the smaller companies, to produce this machine.
I hope my rambling makes sense, as I sometimes have trouble explaining my thoughts.
Businesses need to make a good profit, to stay in business. Designing and manufacturing any new product, is very costly. In order for a new production to be worthwhile to the business, it must cater to a HUGE market and produce a HUGE profit. Needless to say, businesses like to steer as many customers as possible, to their higher price items. There IS a huge market for machines with longer throats BUT a good percentage will bite the bullet and pay the higher price, if there's no other way. IF a simpler, less expensive machine were produced, many would still want the bells and whistles BUT a good percentage would probably buy the less expensive machine. . . which means less profit, for the company.
Needless to say, the best business to produce the simple long-throat, inexpensive machine, would be one which doesn't already produce a bunch with bells & whistles. That way, it wouldn't be competing against itself. Perhaps quilters should start petitioning the smaller companies, to produce this machine.
I hope my rambling makes sense, as I sometimes have trouble explaining my thoughts.
I'm just curious to know if anyone has done a customer survey to find out what percentage of people who sew are making quilts.
Still, the question that nags at me is why anyone who wants a nice, big throat area and a straight stitch would even care whether modern plastic machines are available for this purpose. Singer and other companies made literally hundreds of thousands of machines that meet this need, and you'd be surprised to see how many of them are still working. They were made before someone dreamed up the concept of planned obsolescence. If a machine like my 201-2 is still running well after more than 70 years, you know there is almost nothing that could happen to it that would put it out of commission as long as it's not left out in the rain or dropped out a 3rd story window onto concrete. Even the motor is a pretty simple design that can be repaired or replaced if need be. It has a drop feed, and the throat is almost 8" by 5.25" tall. You won't find anything that makes a better stitch. And bonus: when the unknowing see that black thing in your house they assume it's an antique just to look at and they're less likely to ask you to hem their shorts. I paid $100 for it and it has a beautiful solid wood art deco cabinet and came with several attachments in addition to the basic feet, a zig-zagger and buttonholer and some old pinking sheers. I thought the wiring was a little iffy, so I bought a new power cord for about $16. I keep it oiled and put fresh grease in the motor, and it's already seen quite a bit of use in the 7 months I've owned it.
I guess what it boils down to is that there may be a lot of us who would rather not buy a new machine for quilting unless it had a bigger throat area than this, needle down, drop feed, direct drive and metal gears, and maybe a needle threader. A girl can dream!
09-16-2013, 08:13 PM
#49
Power Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 26,073
My Juki2010Q has a HUGE throat space... just got done doing a really big quilt on it. It is specifically a quilter-- strong, powerful, FAST and all-metal, no plastic body. Stitches like a dream for FMQ. And it only costs in the neighborhood of $900, just a fraction of what the computerized machines with tiny throats sell for!
http://jukihome.com/products/quilt_tl2010q.html
http://jukihome.com/products/quilt_tl2010q.html
09-17-2013, 03:51 AM
#50
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Brighton, MI
Posts: 355
My wish in a sewing machine is for the bobbin to be able to be an entire spool of thread! I just don't see why they can't make a machine to either hold a spool for the bobbin or have a way of threading an external thread held on a spindle!!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Psychomomquilter
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
144
02-11-2011 12:46 PM
Favorite Fabrics
Links and Resources
2
08-25-2009 05:56 AM
