Hello!!!
 

I’m in California, and I’m very very new to everything. After deciding to teach myself to quilt (my local sewing shops aren’t offering any classes until September, and I want to get going NOW), I’ve been reading as much as I can online and watching videos etc. So glad to have found this board!

I bought a Janome Magnolia 7318 last month and have been setting up a sewing room. I’ve laid in a lot of basic supplies, including two extra Janome presser feet – a walking foot, and the clear presser foot with 2 metal flanges for ¼” and stitch-in-the-ditch seaming. My sweet husband helped me make a sewing table so my machine sits flush with the table top (an IKEA hack idea I found online).

I bought a quilt kit (60” x 60”), and have made it through the cutting, sewing, backing, sandwiching/pin basting stages without much trouble (yay – it’s so relaxing and fun!). I will mark it tonight, and will hopefully get it quilted this weekend.

I think I’m going to like quilting a lot. So much so that I’m already thinking ahead about upgrading to a better quilting machine. I really am impressed with my little Janome – so easy and intuitive to use, nice selection of included feet, nice stitches, etc. But I can see how helpful it would be to have some additional features like up/down needle positioning, a knee lifter bar, a start/stop button in addition to pedal control, and a decently-sized throat/harp. Adjustable presser foot pressure might be nice too. I don’t need lots of fancy stitches – heck, I think I’d be okay with just straight and zig-zag! Ideally I’d like a mechanical machine, and I’m quite happy to wait patiently for the right used / refurbished machine to appear. I’ve been researching about Berninas and Janomes, and though I’m really torn between the two, I’m kind of drawn to the Janome models because I really do like Janome’s up-top bobbin placement and because they are generally less pricey. But I’m having a hard time identifying a non-computerized model in either brand with the features I’m looking for. If anyone wants to suggest a good step-up model for me (older or current models) and/or trustworthy sources for such machines, I’m all ears.

Thanks for everything I’ve learned here already.

Thank you, Tartan.
Not sure/set on a price range. Maybe somewhere between $400-$1000? Would like to find a good used or refurbished machine in that range. Economy is good, as is recycling, but I'm willing to consider anything in that range.

Welcome from New Hampshire! I own two Janome machines and I like them a lot. You will thoroughly enjoy this message board. It is a treasure-trove of talented people. There are many skill levels here and many of the members are masters of their craft. The people are as nice as they can be and super-helpful. I look forward to seeing your posts.

Welcome from Southern California. Just stay away from marking your quilt with any COLORED chalk. White chalk remove easily but the colors seem to stay imprinted on your fabrics. Good Luck. Bernina 1020 are mechanical, everything after that has been computerized.

Thank you SewingSew and ManiacQuilter2. About the chalk -- I have a silver chalk pen but may use painters tape to get started this first time out.

welcome and waving to you from Virginia :wave:

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** Hi! Y'all from the upstate of South Carolina.
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Hello, and thanks for the greetings!

Another welcome from Southern California!

Hello! I'm new too! I think you're going to enjoy quilting a lot too!

Welcome from Arizona!

Welcome from western NY and happy quilting :)

Welcome from Michigan!:)

Hello and welcome from Australia.

Thank yous to quiltingcandy, homefrontgirl, cactus stitchin, QuiltnNan, LoriB, and Moonglow - what a nice welcoming group !

Welcome McG! I have a Juki 2010Q machine that I bought a couple of years ago for quilting. I love it ... it's a great quilter. No zig zag and not computerized, all mechanical and metal housing rather than plastic. They are selling for about $1000. I can do any kind of quilting on it. Has built in thread cutter, needle down positioning, walking foot, and most importantly, a large 'throat' space for the bulk of your quilts. Plenty of room. I bought mine from Ed Reichert in AZ. He ships free.

Before the Juki I used my Bernina Record 830... still great and I still use it.

Hello, and welcome! Sew glad to have you join in! :) Hope you find a machine (or two) ;) that you enjoy! For a mechanical machine, maybe consider an older Singer? A 301A can sew a great stitch, and is a workhorse. And you can service it yourself!

Thanks for the machine ideas, sewbizgirl and Mariposa! Never even thought about a Singer, but now I will look at them too. And sewbizgirl, I've read about the Juki 2010 a little. Very much like everything about it, except no top-loading bobbin and straight-stitch only. Truth be told, I bet neither one of those features is really a huge deal. It's just that the visible top-loaded bobbin on my Magnolia is such a pleasure -- I'm comparing it to whatever thrashed classroom machines were used in my 7th grade Home Ec class (I'm old enough to have lived through the time when every girl was forced to take that class!); they were constantly snarling and nesting and generally making life unpleasant. Hence my lifelong disinterest in sewing, until now! Does the Juki 2010 thread/bobbin easily? Does it have a control that lets you see without using the foot pedal?

Welcome from Manitoba/Canada.. I've gone through a # of sewing machines.. In the beginning would purchase low cost machines they had it's lifetime a bit short. Discovered that most machines can't be repaired or very costly to repair them.. Of course I still aiming for that wonderful machine. I loved serger machines and would like to own one again.. I do much clothes sewing on top of quilting..

Hi - welcome from TN - I love the Janome's I have/have had. They sew so smoothly, but I am not sure of a mechanical one.

Thank you all for welcoming me and giving me your perspectives -- I really appreciate you.