My wife is a crazy quilter. I am sure many on this forum know what I mean.

She is really great at it and has been doing it for many years.

She is ill, however, and I want to really surprise her at Christmas this year with a top of the line sewing machine for her quilting.

I just snuck into her quilting room - yes, she has an entire room devoted to quilting with a work table, sewing centre etc. From what I can tell (I can't find the specific model number on the machine, it just says Husqvarna
Viking) she currently has a Husqvarna Platitmun machine (the instructional manual that I found is for Plantimum 730, 750 and 770 models so it has to be one of these).

I would like to get something significantly better. I think she would also enjoy/like something with embroidering capabilites for shirts, jeans, blouses etc.

So, here is the big question. If you were my wife and currently owned a Husqvarna Viking Plantinum series quilting/sewing machine ... what would you like if you were upgrading?


Since we live in a small city with a Husqvarna store in it and given that she currently has a Husqvarna machine which she is familiar with ... I think (for my own sake) I better stick with another Husqvarna model.

So there you have it ladies. Please fire away at me and please give me your divine guidance. I know that buying a sewing machine is to women what buying a new car is to us guys ... so I know I am on thin ice here. Help me not to break through! If you can suggest specific model numbers that would be very helpful.

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are going to upgrade to a embroidery machine, it may be a good idea to stick with a local dealer. She is going to love being able to take classes from them on how to use it. I would also make sure that the dealer agrees that you can return it, if it is not the model she has in mind. No offence, but sometimes it is more of a personal decision... You are awesome to think of surprising your wife with a new machine

She'll love you for wanting to do this for her. But if my DH bought me a new sewing machine without my input I would love the gesture but be disheartened too. A sewing machine is personal to most quilters and lots of research and thought goes into a new machine. Go to the dealer and see the prices of the various machines and then give your wife lots of new machine brochures along with a check! :)

I don't know sewing machines- but have you done a search on top-rated, etc machines? I know it's way different, but that's the way I picked out my vacuum cleaner (which I am IN LOVE with), and now I do that with every big purchase I make.
It may even help to go to the manufacturers websites and see if there aren't reviews online from people who have purchased that particular model, for instance. People are sometimes partial to their own machines, so it may be better to seek out a site like I mentioned above. ? The thing is that a manufacturer may say- model ABC is the best, but if all the reviews say otherwise, well there you go. At least it's better than nothing.
As far as a machine specific to what she does??? Maybe you can set up your sister or daughter or something to grill your wife about what she thinks is good (as if they were going to take up quilting??? however you do it) about her machine and what she wants in a new one. Then they can relay that information to you. :)
That may or not help, but that's all I can think of- you are so sweet to take the time to search out a forum and think of getting your wife something that will mean so much to her!
Good luck- I hope you get more good ideas from the many experienced quilters on here!

I think you are GREAT and what I would want my husband to do is get me a real nice card, with picture of what you think she might want. The local Quilt Store should be able to help you if they know her. Put the pic in the card and tell her she can have that one or anyone she might like better, or prefer. Like BellaBoo said it is a personel item that only she is going to be working with so she should pick it out. Have a GREAT Christmas and it sounds like both of you are very lucky to have each other.

Oh forgot I have a Viking Sapphire 850 love it

While this is an incredibly thoughtful gesture on your part you may be setting yourself up for a world of hurt and disappointment. Like other posters a machine is very personal. I would be very angry with my husband if he did this as I am currently extremely pleased with the machine I have now, as your wife may be with hers. She may secretly covet something else and not want the hassle associated with a new machine. Please seek out this posting: http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-28927-1.htm for some insite about this kind of "surprise".

Hi Guy! What a wonderful surprise you are planning for your wife. I worked at a quilt shop/sewing machine store for several years, and we repaired them also.

First of all: definitely whatever brand you buy, make sure it is from a dealer, and not off the net or from WallyWorld. She will need the support/lessons/warranty from a dealer.

I quilt on one machine and embroider on another. It is wonderful to do it that way as you can be embroidering while you are quilting. The "all in one" QUEEN machines that do it all limit you to be able to do that, so while she is embroidering on her "all in one", she will have to continue to use her other machine she owns now to quilt & do regular sewing. Don't missunderstand me...the "all in one machines" are WONDERFUL and TERRIFIC in today's electronic digital world, but you can only do embroidery OR sewing on them..........not both at the same time.

If there is a Janome Dealer in your city, be sure you take a look at their machines. They hardly ever need repair and are very user friendly and most owners can do their own oiling/cleaning maintenance on them. The Corporation is a good company and they are definitely customer service oriented. They have a machine that does ONLY embroidery and that's all it does...(I have one of those)..and then they have other machines for quilting & regular sewing. Yes, they have one of those "all in one QUEEN" machines too, and it is TOP OF THE LINE...excellent.

Hope you have a computer and high end one, as she will need it to store all of her embroidery designs...or a separate external hard drive (which is what I have).

Now...that I've totally confused you. LOL! Have a good time looking and surprising your wife, and be prepared to spend more than a few dollars!

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and her! You are one terrific Santa!

That is really a sweet thought. But I'm with most of the other people here - I would want some input on it.

Before you commit to this, you might want to do some shopping yourself - some of these machines are spendy!!!!

(The only reason I mention cost is because I can't afford a new one right now - and I am mostly happy with the ones I have.)

Go to the dealer where she got her last machine. Talk to them. Has she been in there lately to lust after some new machine?
I agree with the previous comments, I would not want someone else to actually BUY a machine for me, but maybe a gift certificate, or an actual visit with me to pick out a new machine in aprice range. I think doing research together would be lots better than a "surprise"!

I haven't even looked at price tags lately - last time I had serious sticker shock!

wow, what an awesome idea... That's so incredible sweet of you. I'd have to agree with the others, tell her you need some help shopping for ... something. and then surprise her by taking her to the quilt store and tell her to pick out a machine (or go to several stores). Women enjoy the anticipation as much as the event itself, and since you're dropping a chunk of change, get your money's worth. tee hee

What a wonderful husband!

You are just sooooo thoughtful!

Surprise her with a night out (no cooking--a nice restaurant) and give her a gift certificate (that you made) indicating it is good for the sewing machine of her dreams. I guarantee you she will know exactly what she wants. Every quilter on this board has "their" favorite machine and they aren't the same. lol......

The Designer Diamond is the newest embroidery machine. I would love one, but can't see that happening for a while yet.

I have the same machine as Guy's wife and I love it for taking to classes. It stitches really well but does not have a large enough harp to quilt queen size quilts. I would seriously look at the Sapphire 870 as it is a beautiful machine for quilting with many embroidery stitches and a huge (10") harp for quilting. It also has the automatic thread cutter which is a feature quilters love.

You must be a wonderful loving dear husband,what a thoughtful gift idea! I am thinking that maybe your wife would like something diffrent than the huskavarna! I know women who have several of one brand machine but while they love that brand would also love buying a diffrent brand when they have a chance! Hope that makes some sense, maybe secretly, she may want a serger or an old treadle or such! I think every quilter has there special wish list that they keep to themselves. Whatever you do, I am sure she will just love it because it came from you and your heart!

Please let us know what you decide to do!

maybe you should talk to her friends as she may have told them what her dream machine is!

For my money, I would recommend the Husqvarna Viking Designer Diamond.....It is their top of the line machine, and besides having a 10" throat, it does phenominal embroidery, and has so many wonderful features.........If that one is too much for the budget (they are running sales right now) have them demo the Designer Topaz....also has a 10" throat, and does very nice embroidery designs.......just does not have all of the features that the Diamond does...............ALSO, the service after the sale is worth as much, if not more, than the sale itself.........if you local dealer is anything like mine in Leesburg, VA, service will be Bodacious!!

I wholeheartedly agree with BellaBoo!!! This way she can have exactly what she wants.

I agree its a personal item. One your a DOLL for doing this, she is one lucky woman and I am sorry she has been unwell. How about a BIG BOX? put a brick or two in it so she has no clue what it is.. wrapped real pretty with a gift certificate to the quilt store near you that sells those machines she can pick exactly what she would wish for and take those classes.. its a lot nicer than just a card under the tree.. as well its a HUGE gift? you could also say.. oh so and so from the.. somewhere.. wants to buy his daughter who sews a lot a machine.. any suggestions? feel her out. Or say you heard these two women arguing on which was the better sewing machine (name two you can recall) and it was so funny as you knew she would have been good at solving that question.. and well what would you have told them?? be sneaky .. its ok and allowed at Christmas.

It is so nice of you to want to buy your wife a new machine. Glad you came here for some info, Wish my husband had. I agree with the girls who say give her a gift certificate or money for a new machine. My husband suprised me with am embroidery machine several years ago. It was way more then I wanted or needed therefore it is not being used. A waste of good money.

Hello Guy and welcome to the forum. You obviously want this to be a surprise, so why not try a bit of subtle curiosity. Flick through one of her quilt magazines, they usually feature a sewing machine or two and casually slip in how impressive these latest computerized machines are then at the right moment casually ask what her dream machine would be. You could then express your alarm at the potential price to throw her off the scent. Good luck, and do let us know what the outcome is. Best wishes. Sue

You are a very DH!! Get her a gift card with no limit on what it costs, and then go with her to the Viking shop. She already has a very good machine , and may like, or need, only some upgrades. What a Guy!! Did they clone you somewhere along the way? Ha ha Just kidding! Best to you both.

YTQ

If it were me, I would prefer a hand made gift certificate to be used at anywhere so I was not limited to looking at only those sold at my local quilt shop. What a wonderful, thoughtful man you are. Merry Christmas to you and your lucky lady.

My DH suprised me w/a Husqvarna 870 Quilt machine a couple years ago and I just love it for quilting, however, I had to purchase a seperate machine for embrodery. I'm sure she will love anything you buy. Good Man choosing to buy her a machine. That was my best gift ever.

Hi. Good man! Good plan! I agree with everyone that your wife will probably want to make the choice of which machine to buy. Also, I think you'd be wise to keep in mind that pre-Christmas sales can save you big bucks on a machine.

Going to a dealer is an absolute must! Not only can they explain qualities of machines, but they also give instructions on machine you purchase. My personal choice is a Janome 11000. However, be prepared to write a BIG check, although some dealers have same as cash deals or special credit cards

aint you just a peach of a guy!!!

when my hubby decided to get me a new machine, he took me to the store, I picked and he paid.
that may have been one of the sweetiest things he has ever done for me :)

What a sweet husband! I feel as others have stated that a sewing machine is a personal item and I bet your wife would love to have some input of what kind you buy.

I have a Bernina 200 which also has the embroidery unit. I absolutely love my machine! The most important thing is to buy from a reputable dealer where she can get lessons in using it (most are free) and supplies (feet, bobbins, etc).

If I were you, I would give a card with a picture of a sewing machine inside and a note saying you are taking her shopping so she can pick out a new machine. She may like the embroidery unit, or maybe she would rather have all the bells and whistles for machine quilting. Let her decide. SHE WILL LOVE YOU FOR IT!!

You said your wife is ill?

Is she well enough to be interested in sewing/quilting/whatever?

Is she well enough to even care about a different machine?

I hope she is - just wondering.

Hi All - and thanks so much for the helpful suggestions.

Based on your ideas, I am going to call our daughter tonight and see what she thinks is the best option from those offered. She may even be able to have a "mother/daughter" discussion about the various machines without my wife getting too suspicious.

I am also going to call/visit the local quilting shop / Husqvarna dealer. My wife spends a lot of time there and knows the owner well. I will ask her if she has any ideas based on what my wife currently owns and may have talked to her about re: future machines. My only reluctance in doing this at the very beginning was a little concern about being steered right to the top of the line model.

If neither of these options proves fruitful, then I get the impression from most of you that a new machine is a matter of personal preference and that given your druthers you would like to make it yourself ... so as many have suggested I will get a big decorated box, put in a couple of books or house bricks for weight ... and then add in a cut out picture of the top of the line Husqvarna machine. If my wife thinks that is too extravagent or prefers some other model ... when then that is what she can purchase.

Thanks a bunch everyone ... you've all been so helpful!

Cheers.

I would go to the local store, get a brochure on the top of the line machine, wrap it up with a note saying it's waiting for you at your local dealer or your dealer of choice. Merry Christmas.
If they have a little sewing machine or pin, I would purchase it for a wrap up gift.
I quilt and do a lot of other kind of sewing and the Embroidery machine isn't the best for piecing. It's great for embroidering and other things. I have a Pfaff for most of my sewing, a Singer feather weight for piecing, a Bernina that I use for heavy types of material like upholster, etc. Each machine has it's place.
I would hate for my husband to purchase my sewing machine even though I'm sure he would do a good job. Kind of like me buying my husband a new Pick up truck or a gun. You don't hung deer with a 22.

GUY, i kept reading this all the way thru. and i'm glad i did. everyone was so tactful, and peachy nice, and i'mmmm sooooo gladdddd you took their sweet, kind nice advice, and going to let the wife pick out her own machine. you sure did the right thing, and you sure won't be in any dog house now, but you sure would have, if you had bought her one. FOR SURE. congrats on the decision.

I think you will do fine, sounds like you are going about it exactly the right way. It sounds like your wife has a great relationship with the LQS and Husqvarna dealer. If you wife likes her Viking that is probably a safe way to go too.

I lover my Viking Designer Diamond. It is the Cadillac of sewing embroidery machines.

Hi Guy,

I agree that buying a machine is personal. Learn the price range of the machine and arrange a gift card type of gift for the machine.

Your wife has a Viking Platinum. The step up would be a viking saphire or the embroidery machine would be a topaz. I stepped up one level at a time as I could afford it along that same path.

Yes, stick with the same brand she loves. She will be able to use ALL the machine feet and accessories from the platinum on either the saphire or topaz. That will save a lot of money and frustration as you already pointed out, she will know her way around the new machine more easily.

Get the prices on the trade-in or full price and figure out a great way to gift her the new machine, but let her go in to the husqvarna viking store and pick it out.

You are the best!!

Give her a card explaining your idea. I think she may enjoy the thrill of choosing her own machine. Think about how you would feel if she puchased a new car or truck for you. You would miss the thrill of the test drive and the new smell.
You have got to be a special man to care this much for your wife. I am blessed to have a wonderful husband. Bless you and and your wife. Have a Merry Christmas

One more thought, how about printing all these suggestions and clipping them into separate slips and put in the box with your gift. She may very much enjoy reading all the suggestions and thoughts on this subject, especially about what a great hubby she has, your thoughtfulness in searching for right purchase for his dear wife! It may mean a lot to her, I know it would me. Of course elimated this one :) Just a thought. best wishes to you both!

Someone mentioned a gift certificate . My daughter gave me one the other year. You cannot get your money back if there is nothing she wants to purchase. So I would think hard about a gift certificate. I would have her pick out the machine and then pay for it. That way you aren't stuck with a gift certificate that you can't get your money back. Just a thought.
Good luck.