Just wondering. If you went from and older mechanical machine to a new computerized one, did your quilting drastically improve? Or if you just upgraded to a really nice machine, did you drastically improve? Was your new machine transformational? If so, why do you think?

It was huge for me to go from quilting on my "regular" machine to one that is on a frame. HUGE.

I quilt now on domestic machine, it is a Viking Mega Quilter so it has a 9 in. throat and it is fairly easy. Getting a frame for it next week so I don't know. I'm hoping it will make it easier and bypass all that pinning and basting once it is on the frame. I know there will be a learning curve. I have a couple of tops I finished years ago lined up to be practice models.
Rebecca VLQ, can I ask what you mean by HUGE. Was it harder, easier, did it take long to learn, etc. I am excited to get my frame, but really don't know what is involved.

Yes! Finally got a Pfaff and I can't believe what a HUGE difference it made to have that IDT. My quilting is much better, more even and way easier to do.

Like me, I bet alot of you do one step at a time.
It costs more in the long run when you try plastic tables, sliders, halos, new computer machine with large throat, etc.
I am now going into the long arm set up with no long arm just a strait stitch. Money is the bottom line.
It would have been cheaper to just get a long arm to begin with but few have the funds to do that.
The long arm machine is way over my budget so will contend with a straight stitch with a 9 inch throat.
Nothing compares with a long arm.

My old and new machines all have their own special features/qualitites. I use them all, and it has improved my quilting. :D:D:D

I had an old, small Singer and went to a Janome 6600. My FMQ is improving all the time. I love having the larger throat, love the "needle down" button, and it's much easier to regulate the sewing speed now. If finances allowed, I'd have a longarm, but that's not in the picture for me.

Yes. I can make big quilts now without having to move heavy fabric bits. Also, no more spray adhesive!

It wasn't so much going from mechanical to computerized, as going from crappy to quality. I went from a 1990's basic Singer (junk) to a Baby Lock Quest Plus. Immediately, the accuracy of my piecing improved. I was then able to start machine quilting, something that Singer never did decently. I'm still very new to machine quilting, but I've added Berninas old and new and found that I enjoy machine sewing more than ever before. I now look for opportunities to incorporate deco stitches into projects and am starting to use the machine for appliqué and quilting, which I used to do exclusively by hand.

Absolutely!

I would say yes. I was lousy at FMQ on my Bernina. Bought a mid arm and I love that once it's loaded, I have no problems with bunching or puckers. The backs look as good as the fronts. Also, I have the free motion control on the mid arm and it does a really nice even stitch.

In 2006, I bought my first Janome, it is nicknamed the Rose O'Donnell machine. When she was on the View, she said she didn't sew because she couldn't find a machine that did everything she wanted it to do. Janome came out with the Janome 2007DC LE, and gave her one and everyone in the audience was also given a machine. I found one on ebay, bought it for $200 and I love it. It is a workhorse of a machine and I do everything on it plus have bought other Janome's since then as I really like them.

yes absolutely - it the best!

When I went from my circa 1976 JC Penny machine to my Bernina my piecing accuracy did improve but what I really noticed was the experience of sewing increased exponentially. I compared it to going from a bare bone basics car to a luxery car. My Bernina would now be considered an "older model" because I bought it over 10 years ago. It is the 153QE so has some fancy computerized stitches but really I don't use them very much. Anyway I think my piecing improved a lot and things that were difficult for me before like Y seam and curves just seemed easier to do with the Bernina

Now if we are talking quilting getting a LA absolutely transformed my quilting. I was never very good at FMQ on my Bernina. I suppose more practice would have made me better but I just found it stressful and hard to devote the time for practice to something I didn't find thouroughly enjoyable. Not to mention the pure torture and drudgery I considered the sandwiching part.

The LA totally transformed that and when I don't have a quilt on the rack I feel something is missing from my life so it is easy to put in the practice time required to get better.

Yes, there is a learning curve...even to just pin it up so it's even, but it's not too difficult.

I'd say my favorite improvements by going to a frame is the fact that I don't have to pin the layers together (and unpin when I'm done, lol!)

Also, on my "standard" machine, rolling and unrolling, and stuffing the excess quilt into the throat space...took so much time. And then I was only doing SITD, no curves or anything. Once you get the hang of it on a frame, stipple and swirls are SO easy. And relaxing.

I dunno if it is much faster to quilt this way, but I can do MORE quilting on each piece in the same time, kwim?

Oh, I'm loving y'all's answers! Just the info I was hoping for. Keep 'em coming?!

it was like night and day.

How did you like using it without the frame? Well, I guess you still weren't totally happy, thus the frame that's on it's way. Please post back after you get it!

Does your machine have a 9" throat and do you use it on a frame?

I never tried FMQ on my old one due to the size of the harp being small therefore I don't know if it makes a difference. I however love my new machine and now can't live without its features. It was pretty easy to learn, Ive had it for a year and a half but i find I learn new things everyday that it does, so I feel i can really grow in my quilting with this machine. I still piece with my older one when I have to, but I find I miss the features on my newer one.

I have more success on the mechanical machine.

When my 1969 White (mechanical) died, I replaced it with a Janome (computerized). I never had 1 complaint about my White, but now having 9" throat, needle up/down, auto thread cutter, and speed adjustment to name a few features, I have to say my sewing life is better.

My move for piecing was from a singer 301 to a bernina 640 and yes my sewing improved. Specifically the ease there is something to be said for thread cutters and for the needle up down and oh please don't forget being able to position the needle. Makes scant 1/4" sooooooo easy.

when I got my new Brother with push button speed I was able to FMQ much better with the stability of the speed. I love it!

You know what changed my quilting, the number of feed dogs. I went from a wonderful cam Kenmore with only 2 feed dogs to a computer Kenmore with 4. I've had my new K for over 10 years now and she's still my favorite. I only wish for a auto needle down position. I do have older mechanical machines with 4 feeds and they work just as perfect as my K. I wish I had known this little tidbit when I was selecting my older K. I do envy my gf her new Janome with the adaptor in the feed dog area to go from single hold throat for straight stitching to a wider multi-stitch throad plate, all by selecting her stitch.

I can't tell you all how helpful your comments have been! Obviously I'm considering a new machine and had just about talked myself out of it. I love my old Kenmore. My husband bought it for me. I was thinking I just needed to keep at it and learn to better use what I already have, but after reading your comments I really think a more up-to-date machine would be a great benefit. Now to decide which one! Thanks for all your comments....but please bear with me. More questions to come, I'm sure!

HI--noticed your Tree quilt. A neat idea to just use one. It looks like the Piecemaker tree quilt. Have you done the rest?
I did the whole "calendar" and it hangs on our living room and so enjoy it. Couldn't help but notice yours. Quilter in AZ

Well for me I was having a real hard time with stright 1/4 seams on both my Babylock and Elna. Then joing here and reading about the vintage machines I ran across one a 15-91 cheap and now I can stitch a stright consistant 1/4 in seam with it. My peiceing is getting better as I keep going. Feed dogs are closer together and my material feeds in stright as with my other ones it feeds in cockeyed and I have to keep a death grip on it. So I am happy with my 63 year old machine, and use my Babylock for embroidery and fancy stitching, and my elna is just a nice little backup machine

Hind sight I would have bought a used long arm and then pieced on a vintage machine like a Singer 301 or 401. I would have skipped the embrodery machine all together. I do like and quilt on my Janome 6500 but a long arm machine on a frame would have been nicer. I do miss the automatic thread cutter and sewing foot knee lifter when not using the janome 6500.

There was an instant and dramatic improvement in my piecing when I went from an old Montgomery Wards machine to a new Pfaff 2030. You couldn't sew a straight quarter inch seam on the Wards machine, you had to sort of sew at an angle. Even the quarter inch foot didn't help on that machine. It always made a groaning sound with the quarter inch foot on it.

I can't free motion on the Pfaff but I can straight line quilt on it with no problems because of the built in walking foot.

It made a huge difference for me. The machine sewed so poorly (tension issues, stitch length, etc) that I actually hated sewing. When I got a new machine (just happened to be digital) it did such a wonderful job that I remembered how much I loved to sew.

Whether the machine is mechanical or digital is less important than whether or not it sews well. You have to find the machine that you love to sew on.

Yes, it made a tremendous difference! I have my mom's Singer 100 which is ok for piecing.... and great for grandchildren to begin on. I've had an old Viking cam style (was the "best" when it came out and great for sewing clothes), then a Baby Lock which I got because a quilting friend (I was a beginner) liked hers so much... BUT she is a machine piecer and a hand quilter! The Baby Lock died on me (burned it out). The repairman man told me the best repair record on mid-priced machine (Bernina is out of my range) was the Jannome 6600 (this was a couple of years at least ago). I can do anything I've thought of doing with it. I'm in hog heaven!

Yes and it made me walk on water also LOL All kidding aside a machine can only do what you can do. I have basic machines and fancy dancy ones too but I am still me and no mach8ien is going to change that. Wish they could...

I am hoping to get a longarm so I can start quilting my own tops!

About 18 years ago I went to a then "new" Bernina and although computerized it wasn't on a par with those of 2011. It absolutely transformed my quilting. The stitching was even, the seams were straighter and I enjoyed what I was using. I only piece on the machine and send all large, queen sized quilts out to be quilted. I have no desire for a long arm machine.

I took an 8-week course to cover all basics of quilting. We used the book "Machine Quilting Made Easy" by Maureen Noble. That improved my confidence level. IF I actually practiced - now THAT would improve my skills. The sewing machine helps though and my Baby Lock is a smooth operator.

The big change for me was getting the larger throat opening so I can get more quilt into it for machine quilting. Also the automatic thread cutter is a time saver as well as a thread saver. I think this one will do me for a long time to come. Its a Pfaff Expressions 4.0 Jan

What's an IDT?

Drop your feed dogs and loosen your bottom tension just a smig, and you should be able to FMQ okay. Jan

I don't know about "better" but a new machine will definitely more than the old ones do and make some techniques easier.