JaneH

I'm lusting over a Silver 20HD sewing machine, It's apparently specially-made for quilting, and I'm just getting into quilting. A real novice but bitten by the bug..... so is this machine, or any "quilt" machine likely to make a difference? From the sales hype, it has a large arm space under the machine for heavy quilts, comes with all kinds of special feet, 391 stitches, 25 specialist quilt stitches, yada yada.

Does anyone have one of these? Or has anyone tried one? Thanks for any info.

Quiltgirl26

I have a Quilters Choice by Baby Locks and I do think it makes a difference. You will need the extra throat space to sew your quilts and the special feet always come in handy. I too have a zillion stitches and have not used them much but when I do decide to get "fancy" with sewing down my appliques its good to know that I a ton to pick from.

IAmCatOwned

I don't have your particular machine, but after looking at this link, I can tell you that a machine that has a wider base between needle and motor makes a HUGE difference. Specialty quilt stitches are a must. What I don't see on this list is the common feet needed for quilting. Before buying the machine, check with a couple of folks who fix sewing machines. Find out the ups and downs with that. Paying less for a machine that requires more expensive regular maintenance can be a real problem on a limited income.

One feature this machine has that my Bernina 440 QE does not is a Vertical thread delivery system, which is helpful when using cones.

mpspeedy

I hate to keep raising the question but why does everyone assume that the only kind of quilting is machine quilting? I will admit the only things I machine quilt are no larger than twin size and they are done very simply as I make a lot of Linus quilts. While I rarely handpiece I almost always handquilt anything other than items that will go to people who have no notion how to care for handwork. Even at that I machine wash all of my handquilted quilts that I use in my home. If you are a person who likes to go to workshops, retreats etc. The larger heavier machine created with the deeper throat will be harder to move around. The added expense is something that could be used to purchase more fabric etc. I have been sewing and quilting for more than 40 years and have never felt the need for the larger space. While I love my fullsize Bernina that I use at home I purchased a less expensive model that weighs considerably less than the one I use everyday as it has a lot more plastic in it's construction. It tends to vibrate when I do my high speed sewing but it is sure easier to lug to other locations for workshops etc.

CorgiNole

As a fairly new quilter, I think the hype of 391 stitches and 25 quilting stitches is overdone. I use 2 stitches - straight & zigzag. If I ever want to get into machine embroidery, I would look for a separate machine for that. I don't think that you need to invest in an expensive machine to enjoy the hobby. Also - looking at the space to the right of the needle, it is not that much bigger than many domestic sewing machines. From what I can gather, the 365 mm (~14 inches) is the length of the entire sewing space not that to the right of the needle.

If it is an affordable machine, you would probably have fun with it. I don't like it when ads claim a large quilting space, and then the truth of the measurement is merely a few inches different.

I do agree with the suggestion to test sew on multiple machines.

Cheers, K

JaneH

Thanks for the replies. Looks as though opinion is split. MPSPEEDY, I don't think all quilting is machine by a long shot! I can't imagine finishing a quilt completely without a good bit of hand sewing, but I would like to have a machine to do what it can, where it can, and when it can.

Corginole, I agree that probably most of those stitches would be wasted on me, but it does do a couple of alphabets, which I think would be handy as I do sew on cards and scrapbook layouts, too. The machine is expensive at just over 600 British pounds, but then EVERYthing over here is more expensive! They are throwing in a lot of extras, probably nearly 100 pounds worth. It's from a craft channel on TV so no way to test it, unfortunately. No sewing machine shops around here to look at either. I have a Brother PS550 now, which hasn't been used enough (according to my husband, at least) but I really, really liked the demos on this Silver machine.

KerryK

Don't buy it if you can't test it. Too many chances it might not be to your liking. You also need to think forward about maintenance and/or service, should it be needed.

Holice

the extra space is the only thing worth the money.

Jackie Spencer

I love my Bernina, but one thing that convinced me it was the one I had to have , was the stitch regulator, my stitches are always consistant when I free motion quilt. I love it.

BKrenning

Comparing it to the other machines I am familiar with--the Janome MC6600, Elna 7300 & Janome Horizon 7700--it does look like a good deal to me but I am not familiar with the Silver brand. I would do a google search for reviews and see what others who own Silvers have to say.

My Singer has about a 6" throat and my Elna has 9". That is a big difference when you're trying to paper piece, add large or mitered borders, quilting or thread painting.