Finally back to quilting and looking for a machine
 

Finally retired! I am getting back to quilting after an 18 year break (working full time and more). I have a Brother PC 4000 that I purchased when I was quilting and loved it. However I would like a new machine with more stitches and features. What are your recommendations for a machine that has features but does not "break the bank" for a retired lady? Most of the sewing shops are about 40 miles away so I need a reliable machine. I have not free motion quilted, but do applique and stitch without free motion. I am looking to finally learn free motion as I have time on my hands. Thanks in advance for any suggestions:):confused:

I have a Brother SQ9000 (five years old) It was only $199.00 at Walmart. Has loads of feet, 80 stitches and bunches more. They are now calling it SQ9050. I LOVE mine.

Welcome back and welcome to retirement. It is delightful. I will watch this with interest because I am considering a new machine. I have a Viking Sapphire but don't really know how to use it to its full potential. I need a machine with classes! I bought mine at a shop that closed soon after I purchased it and I need more instruction.

The shop I purchased my machine from also closed, so I will have to drive to find the machine I want. I will probably also need classes. There is a local guild I am considering joining again.

I am not familiar with your DSM. I have a Bernina 1530 that I bought in the 90s and I am still delighted with piecing and quilting on it. I bought it for the buttonhole applique stitch. Best place to go shopping is a quilt show that will attract a lot of dealers. They discount the machines at the end of the show plus you get exposure to a variety of machines. Good luck and enjoy your retirement.

That is a good idea. I am signed up already to go to Paducah in April 2016.

I don't know what spending level will break the bank, but for free motion without as much stress I highly recommend a Bernina with the BSR (stitch regulator). I believe the Bernina is still the only DSM with a stitch regulator, which assures that your stitches are all the same size.

I have the small husqvana viking h100 mixture of stitches and light to take to class. Against is its small throat which would make quilting on it difficult.
my main machine is a bernina 440 nq, janome and a juke. The juki only goes back and forwards and with its larger throat is great for quilting. These three all around £1000 or$1560 approx.

The Bernina is the machine that interests me the most. What models have the BSR?

check out the yahoo group for Sapphire -- it's a good resource....love mine, it's 7 years old now, still don't use all the features but get great satisfaction from those I use

If possible buy from a local shop where the sales folks really know the machines -- they are a resource better than any other...

Try the Janome 8200 and 8900. Lots of happy quilters have them. They have the 11" harp space.

I love my brother dreamweaver. It has been the best machine I have ever sewn on. Its not the cheapest but it is also a workhorse and a good investment. You can get a stitch regulator for it but I don't really recommend it. It FMQ very nicely has a large throat and lots of decorative stitches

Six months before I retired I bought myself the Janome MC 6600P from a very established shop in San Diego. They had advertised it with the sewing table as part of the purchase. I purposely went in late to see the machine, thinking I would check out a few, go home think about the different machines and return the next day. Like you I wanted a new modern machine (my others are a Singer 12-91 circa 1949, and a 1925 treadle machine) and I didn't want to buy something with a lot of things I would never use. The place where I bought it had free lessons for the first 2 years, if you keep the box you want to up grade they give full cost up-grade for 6 months. Needless to say, I took the machine home, set up the table and after the first class I knew I was going to keep the machine. (But just to be sure kept the box and all the packing material for well over 6 months. I even bought the traveling case on wheels - the brand that starts with a "T" so nothing would happen to it while taking my classes to learn more on how to use it.

Two years later I bought the Viking Topaz 20 - it is a sewing and embroidery machine. After being on this site and going to shows I became infatuated with machine embroidery and the Topaz is not an over-the-top embroidery machine and my sister had moved 1300 miles away, so she wasn't here to talk me out of it. But I can honestly say, it is so much fun that I am so glad I bought it! A friend and I get together and have so much fun. And I have made a few quilts with embroidered blocks that turned out even better than I thought they would. Now I just need to get brave and try quilting with it.

So go and try out several brands and several levels. I know my shop would let me buy it on time with no interest, but I ended up paying cash because I could. Ask them too what type of return policy they have in case you get one home and decide you want to up-grade. At first all the bells and whistles seem like a waste, but once you learn how to use them you may want to up-grade sooner than you think.

Not sure what your budget will allow but I also took up quilting after a 25 year sabbatical and ended up with a Janome 6600p which does just about anything I need, including FMQ. I since have purchased another Janome but decided to hang on to the 6600 because it is such a work horse.

I bought a Brother Dreamweaver less than a year ago and LOVE it. I am partial to Brother machines though and still have my NX600 . Both of these machines are workhorses and I have never had any problem with either. Also had a Janome 6500 Professional, which I also loved but sold it when I got the Dreamweaver....not enough room for all of them
Good luck in your search. Sometimes the stores sell the machines they used as demo machines at the quilt shows/expos at great discounts. That's how I got my Dreamweaver - it only had 1,000 stitches on it, came with everything including the very nice rolling travel bags and was discounted almost $1000. Full warranty too.
Hope you find what you want.

T he BERNINA 440,550,730,820 al have BSR's that come with the machine.

It sounds like you're getting some wonderful advice.... but if you're like me, the more choices I have the more difficult it becomes.

I'd suggest you sit down and decide exactly what you want your machine to do. Do you want embroidery? Will you use it? A lot of people want it but then never use it..... like me. Do you want mainly to put tops together? to quilt your tops? Every new machine will have different features and you need to know what you're looking for first.

I don't know exactly where in Wi you're located but the Quilt Extravaganza in Madison will be going on the middle of September and I've not been there but hear it is amazing. You certainly could see a lot of machines there and try them out. I know you want a machine from a dealer close to you..... check out what dealers carry what machines within driving distance from your home. Getting the perfect dealer that will service your machine and give lessons would be something I'd want. You just need to take the time to do the research. And now that you're retired, you have the time, right?

Okay, now I have to say.... I do have an embroidery machine that I purchased used several years ago and I love it. It's an older Viking.... but what do I use the most for my piecing and quilting? I have vintage Singer machines. I use my 1953 FW (Singer 221) to piece just about everything I make. And I love my 1942 Singer 15-91 for quilting. If I don't hand quilt something, it's done on the 15-91. I spend my money on fabric and batting and thread. I'm so happy with my older machines. I can repair them myself.... I know, it's not for everyone, but I'm happy with my set up. I won't be shelling out the cash for an expensive machine any time soon.

Hi Jean
Do you FMQ on your 15-91? I have a Singer 301A I use for piecing. I am looking for a more modern machine to FMQ and do several different applique stitches. I don't plan on doing any machine embroidery.

Yes, the reason I first got the 15-91 was for FMQ. The feed dog drops and it works wonders better for me than the fancy $$$ Viking I have. I've heard the 201 drops the feed dogs but I don't know about the 301A. You could go over to the vintage folks. They'd know for sure. I just don't have a 301A or I'd check for you.

What applique stitches are you talking about? Button hole?

If you don't want embroidery, I'd think you could find something not too pricey. But I do love my vintage machines. And, I have a zig-zag attachment for them if I want to use that.

Two things I think you should consider before brand. One choose a dealer that is close to you, not two hours away over the mountains...and two if you want to do machine quilting the size of the harp or distance from needle to motor, the place where you are going to have to bunch up all that quilting bulk is important. You are going to need at a minimum seven inches, nine is very good and eleven is heaven. I have had a few high end big brand machine fiasco's just because of this. It is not really all the bells and whistles it is the usability. Mostly, even when quilting you will be doing straight sewing. Having a dealer close is important because despite how well made the machine things will go wonky. The more complex the machine, the more computerized the more complex the wonky-ness. Also big machines are heavy...will you have someone to help you lug it out to the car for transport. Some can weigh as much as 40-50 lbs. Some machines brands are almost identical the difference in cost being the brand name. A difference in thousands sometimes. If you want an embroidery feature you will pay for it, is it worth the extra cost if you will only use it a couple of times a year for simple projects? Check first what dealers are most local to you and go do some cost and use comparisons. Lastly sewing machine dealers are like car dealers in that the manufacturer gives them a base price and then they can charge what they think the market will bear. So if you are comfortable with it dicker with them for discounts and extras. As I said I have had several high end machines, some purchases worked out better than others so all this info is hard won from success and failure, especially the long distance hauling of sewing machines back and forth to far away dealers. That sale price discount is swallowed up by time and gas dollars in the end. Good luck and I am here to tell you that being retired and having time to sew is wonderful and you will enjoy every minute of it all.

Thanks for the great advice! I will be taking my time making my decision. I am attending quilt shows and will check out the machines demonstrated there.

I bought a Janome 8900 a couple of years ago. It is a wonderful sewing and quilting machine. It has all the stitches and feet you could ever need. It has a 11" harp space which gives you lots of room to quilt. It has good lighting, needle up-down, and auto scissors. I don't know what you consider too expensive, but Janome machines are very reasonably priced machines in my opinion. I have quickly learned to FMQ on mine. It does a wonderful job. The machine is very big and heavy, however, and you would not want to take it to classes with you. I recently bought the table that is made for it, and I like it even better now. Good luck in finding the right machine for you!

I have this one also and love it. My DD has the newer version of it from last Christmas and loves it.

Welcome back to quilting. I love my Janome 8900. It is my third machine since I started and I definitely prefer it to my Viking Designer 1 (first machine) and my Pfaff (second machine). I haven't used all the options yet, but I definitely prefer it.

lovstoquilt, Joanns sells Viking machines now, and youshould be able to get classes for it there. Are they close enough to you?

My Brother 5130 is the less expensive Walmart machine. Got it fifteen years ago, transported it cross country four times by Greyhound, in the original box and packing material, (those baggage handlers are paid to move, not be careful) and it still works as well as the day I bought it. Never been in a shop, and as long as I keep it clean, it may never need to. (Unless I do something stupid) you just can't beat them for easy learning curve, durability, low maintenance, and phone support from the company. When I bought a fancy machine at a regular sewing machine dealer, I opted for another Brother machine. (Threads needle, cuts thread, monograms, and it even sews sideways.) it was about 8x as much, but I would buy the Brother Innovis NX650Q quilting club machine again too.

Do some experimenting with your 301 - the feed dogs will drop - turn the big screw to the left of the bobbin. (put it back when you are done...) There are QB members that swear by the FM on the 301. The Singer 15s have a bigger bobbin and have more space in the throat. I haven't tried using the 201 for FM yet. Some people like a treadle for free motion because if you can treadle well you can go slow when you want to. The newer machines still only do the same straight stitch as the 301 when you sew FM... For applique, the Singer 403 is my go to. For what little machine embroidery I need, I have a friend with a real nice embroidery machine. I just happily pay her... much cheaper than buying a machine I seldom use, she knows how to use it and does nice work.

I have the same machine and I love it. No matter what I put it through it works great.

If you have a Viking dealer close to you, you may be able to get classes from then, albeit not free (mine was $40/hour on a used serger I was gifted) but a lot cheaper than buying a new machine!

I also have a vintage machine, a Singer 201 from 1951/2. I haven't tried FMQ with it yet but I think it's possible. I just have to figure out how to lower the feed dogs, by lifting up the machine I'm told. I do a good share of my piecing on it and it has wonderful stitches.

I have a janome, it cost around 1,300 dollars a few years ago. I like it alot, it has a bigger throat and all the stitches that I will ever need. What you want is one that will put your needle down, a good stitch to go around your appliques! this machine has it all I believe it's a 6500 series.

Go to WWW.sewingmastery.com they have wonderful video tutorial on many Viking machines. I have a Ruby Deluxe and found them more helpful than dealer classes. I will bet you will find sapphire tutes there as well.

I have a brother sq9050...100 stitches and monograms..tons of feet...been using it for a LOT of sewing for over 2 years now, and no complaints at all. Nice little machine..figure I can buy a ton of fabric by not buying a high end machine..they all do the same thing...if it died tomorrow, I'd go right back and get another one. On line for about $170.00...
Only thing with new machines...any brand..you have got to keep the lint cleaned out of the bobbin area...much more so than old machines that would sew with a pound of lint in them! It will make all of these little machines skip stitches and generally misbehave..but if you just do a quick lint cleaning with every bobbin change, you'll be fine!

I agree with Boston1954. I have a Brother SQ9590 and I LOVE it! I still do my piecing with my FW221, but when it comes to doing appliqué or the actual quilting I use my Brother. I got mine at Sears so I end up paying a bit more than Bosto1954 ($249.99), but it's been worth every penny! Hope this helps! 😊

Donna

The most important thing to me on a quilting machine was the harp space which is why Janome 8900qcp was in the running. There are other brands that have the 11" harp as well. I went with the Janome because I felt it was the best value for the price. I'm not sorry I did. It is a dream to work on a quilt with the extra space between the needle and side of the machine.

The Janome 8900 has really caught my attention with the harp space. The prices are all over the place on this machine. I am hoping to get one from someone who is upgrading to a newer machine. Thanks for the advice.