TransportGal

Hi Everyone!

I am looking to buy an embroidery and sewing machine that also has a large enough throat size to machine quilt. I currently have an 8 year old Janome New Home that I have been using to piece quilts but the throat space is too small to easily machine quilt. I have always wanted an embroidery machine so I was thinking about using my stimulus money to upgrade my machine.

I am currently looking at the Brother SE1900 but I am not sure if the throat space is large enough to machine quilt. I also want a machine that has an embroidery space of at least 5 x 7 inches. I want functionality to embroider caps and other apparel such as jackets in addition to machine quilting.

I am not in a rush to buy one because I am currently a graduate student and I am not going to have much time to play with the machine until I graduate in December. My budget is pretty flexible, particularly if the government releases more stimulus money that I can combine with money in savings. I have looked at Husqvarna and other higher end sewing/embroidery combo machines but I am not sure if they will have the same functionality as a Brother product.

My husband doesn't want me to buy a machine that I am going to outgrow in a few years so I am leaning towards a machine at the top of my budget. I have searched for ratings of the best embroidery machine for home use but I can't get a definite answer because every reviewer recommends a different machine.

patricej

Brother Luminaire or it's Babylock equivalent.
hands down.

juliasb

M favorite machines are Janome and Brothers. My thought is the Brothers 1900 as I have heard a great deal of good feedback on this machine. This may be a good time to buy since so many places are struggling. You may be able to cut a very good deal. As far as the throat goes I don't see why you wouldn't be able to make the Brothers 1900 work. There are not any, as far as I know, machines with a wider throat when it comes to embroidery/sewing machines. Of course I could be wrong but to date I have not seen one.

UFOs Galore

You may want to consider getting a Babylock Jazz 2 for your free motion quilting. It is not an embroidery machine, but it has 12 inches of throat space for quilting. You could then get a separate embroidery-only machine. You would be able to get a better embroidery machine, because you would not be paying for the sewing features.

Rhonda K

You are correct to make sure you get the most machine so you can grow into it. I would also suggest a larger hoop so you can use larger designs if you want to. Many ITH (in the hoop) projects are designed for at least the 6x10 or 8x12 hoop. Some of the machines can be upgraded to a large hoop also. Be sure to check that option.

There were many new releases or new-name re-releases last year for the Brother/BL machines. Some use an app now on your phone or ipad.

My experience is with the brother/BL machines since about 2014. I have the Luminaire and the Crescendo and still send quilts out to the LA for quilting. I don't enjoy the process of manipulating a quilt through the machine. I do like having separate machines for either sewing or embroidery. Easy to have both set up and ready to go.

Good luck on your decision.

Iceblossom

From what I hear about embroidery machines, people love their Brothers.

And yes, get the largest possible workspace you can for quilting or embroidery. Machines can be expensive, but I spend more time behind my sewing machine than I do my car these days and you do lose money by continually trading up.

For a used machine, you might see if you can get a Bernina 830 with some sort of service plan. I've been using an 820 given to me by a friend (same model no embroidery unit) and like a lot of things about it. Unfortunately, it does need to go to the shop for I think a thread that I can't find... anyway, the 820/830 models were not super popular with the public and is easy to find negative reviews of them. As a working machine, I was very happy with mine. Huge throat space, well lit, auto thread, auto bunch a things and bells and whistles. The one thing I wasn't so happy with is especially for an embroidery machine I would want the ability to buy prewound bobbins. The Bernina bobbin is expensive and proprietary, it isn't a 15, L, M or whatever. Bobbin winding is fast and easy and the bobbin is large but in a my world, I rather like just popping in a prewound.

sewingpup

my advice would be somewhat different....I have multiple machines....and actually if I had to do it all over again, I would still have a least 2 or possible 3 machines....I mainly quilt....so I need a machine that has a nice straight stitch to do the piecing on and I have found that I really, truly, like machines with the narrow feed dogs for that...yep...the 5.5 mm ones...I find the wider feed dogs that are 9 mm wide just plain and simple do not do as a nice of a straight stitch ….and it takes a bit of fiddling to get a nice accurate 1/4 inch seam on them especially if you are piecing triangles. also to do quilting on a domestic machine, you need a nice straight stitch.....Now to do embroidery....and decorative stitches....the wider feed dogs are nice plus all the stitches can be fun....so I would recommend getting a basic machine that has a nice straight stitch and a fancy dancy machine for doing the embroidery....Actually my go to machines now are a basic electronic Bernina with narrow feed dogs to do piecing on, my fancier Bernina 570 to do embroidery and other fancy stitching on, and my APQS Lucey which is a long-arm....oh...I can also take the little Bernina to classes as it small and lite enough to carry......and tee hee....have extra machines to keep me busy if one or two of them are in the shop for repairs or their annual cleaning....too many machines? Well would you expect a carpenter to have just one saw?

SusieQOH

I have the Bernina 770QE and it has an embroidery module. I don't have it but you can get it if you wish. I just don't do embroidery so I opted to not get it.
It's a great machine for quilting. Large throat area and the BSR- Bernina Stitch Regulator

quiltingcandy

I am curious what type of machine quilting you want to do. The reason I ask because I just recently found that the Husqvarna has a Designer quilting frame to use with their designer sewing machines. I have not seen it in person, and I have not talked to my dealer about it yet. But am very tempted. I have the Designer Topaz 20 which says it will fit - but I hope to upgrade next year to the 50 or higher end. I am using my Topaz to do the quilting on a QAYG with the 8 x 8 - just wish I could to the large. But If I had the frame, I may not need a bigger hoop.....

QuiltingVagabond

I'm with you sewingpup. Each machine has its best features and that's the way I like it! The right tool for the job...