What should I look for?
Hey all, I am an art quilter and do a lot of quilts using decorative stitches, in addition to Fmq. I have a 1955 FW that I love and a larger straight stitch only machine (pq1500s) for quilting. I also have a vintage basic machine (VX560) with some utility stitches and a satin stitch that I sometimes use. However, my machine with the most decorative stitches ( the PC420PRW) has been used hard and is starting indicate it may be time for a replacement. I am thinking of replacing it with a vintage machine that uses cams for decorative stitching. I tend to sew through multiple layers of materials and have been known to use unusual materials (think very thin metal and quilt sandwiches stuffed with uneven layers of scrap fabrics). So I am looking for a machine that can handle thick quilt sandwiches, and uneven layering, but that also has readily available cams with good variety of decorative and utility stitches. I should say that I'm also pretty comfortable using a variety of machines and doing basic trouble shooting.
I'm wondering if folks could suggest machines meeting my needs that I should be on the lookout for?
Are any of the following potential matches for my needs?
Kenmores in the 158 series ( not sure I've got the numbers right-- working from memory on what I've seen avaiable)
Singers in 300 or 400 ( again, I may not have the numbers right) series or "rocketeers" that take cams
are there others that I should think about?
Rob