Per request of Konstantin: My sewing machines- pro and con.
Singer touch and sew: Loved it, died at age 40, could put a single stitch anywhere I wanted with it, backward or forward.
Husqvarna Viking Designer 1 (6 yrs ago). (embroidery machine) Very good machine.!! Loved the drop in bobbin, the automatic needle lift feature when stitching stopped. The embroidery seemed not to stay within the lines and fill completely at times. The software for the embroidery seemed cumbersome, never really learned it.Computer interface was floppy disk which became extinct. Traded it in on:
Bernina 730: (3 yrs ago) Bought it because of the stitch regulator. (Found out it wasn't the answer to free-hand quilting, a person must still need talent.) :D :( .
I like the way it embroiders. I don't like the knee lever to raise the pressor foot when done stitching. The bobbin is on the front, and hard for arthritic fingers to manipulate. I LOVE the independent bobbin winder - use it to wind the bobbins for my other machine. Don't use it much for piecing because it is a 9mm and the feed dogs are too far apart to catch the 1/4 inch seam allowance easily. It has a lot of stitches, but about 10 that I really use, but a lot of potential for decorative work. The menu is hard to navigate, can't always find the stitch I'm looking for, and hard to remember what all the icons mean-would rather have words. It's is solid and reliable. I think the embroidery is of good quality. (Difficult to get the fabric in the hoop with the provided clips (I think some newer machines are improving this.) The entry embroidery software doesn't do much, and again is hard to learn, but if you are into this, there is (expensive), but advanced software available.
I feel I spent a lot of money for features I will probable never use, but always have a toy that will keep me learning if I use it.
Pfaff Expression 2036 - 1 1/2 years old. Bought it for the IDT (built-in walking foot and LOVE this feature!! It also has a 6mm stitch width max, so it good for piecing with these 2 features. Has 61 stitches and higher case alphabet. (I would like to have a lower case alphabet to make quilt labels with.) Can actually free motion on this machine as well as I can on the Bernina with BSR. Needle threader on this machine works great.
My dream machine would have a deeper throat for manipulating quilts and a lower case alphabet for quilt labels, but I'm keeping these. If I win the lottery I might buy a long-arm. :lol: Yeah, right!!
Featherweight Singer: Just a toy, like my other machines better.
Sorry, so long winded.