about the stitch regulator:
the stitch regulator comes built into the lizzie. so i'm using that as an example, because i have one.
a stitch regulator relies on your ability to move the needle around at a constant speed in order to maintain a regular stitch length. it does not do it all alone. please don't make the mistake of thinking it will. you have to co-ordinate speed and stitch length, both preset by you. if you don't preset it exactly right for that quilt it doesn't work. it skips. if you don't move smoothly, it won't stitch smoothly. especially around curves. in fact, some regulators are so fast that they run away with you and start skipping stitches. professional machines have ones that are very differently made, and that almost just need to be guided, but we're not talking about professional machines. before you think that you must have a regulator, pin down the dealer and make him say what it will and will not do and exactly how it works. ask for lessons. on a hobby machine, getting them set right for each quilt is such a pain that i don't use mine at all anymore. i use my machine on manual only and so does Mary Stoaks (sp). we both feel we are in much better control when we don't let the machine take over. if you never tried it, try it now and a lot. with and without. i didn't have it on the brother and it was the best machine i ever used for quilting. why not pm Mary and ask her opinion?