Most domestic machines will work for Fmq.

So what you need to think about is whether you want a machine that will also do decorative stitches, regular sewing and embroidery. To get something that does all of those things and has a wider throat you will be looking at spending upwards of $2000 for a new machine with a harp space of at least 10". These domestic machines have lots of bells and whistles, but they also take up a lot of space.

If you want a machine for Fmq only then you could go with a straight stitch only domestic machine that has a 9" harp space for between $600 and $1000.

I personally like to have the convenience of a needle down option for Fmq, but I fmq'd for many years on a vintage Brother machine that did not have that option. For me speed control isn't as much of a concern since my main Fmq machine has a very responsive and easy to control foot pedal-- some machines have foot pedals that are not so easy to control and those do require some form of speed control if you are planning on doing long quilting sessions.

Rob

Thanks, everyone, for all the great input! You've given me a lot of information and a lot of things to think about as I consider making a decision. :thumbup:

I have a Janome 6600 that I bought a few years ago for the same reasons you explain. I like it a lot. It is excellent for FMQuilting and has a wide walking foot for straight stitch quilting that works very well. It has a big throat and can hold up to a king sized quilt.

I definitely recommend trying to take the machine you want for a test drive first (otherwise, make sure they will take returns & if so, find out if there's a re-stocking fee). I really thought I wanted a machine with a larger harp, but after I went and tried them out, I went with a Bernina 350 that had the smallest harp of them all (5.5"). I still have no problem FMQ'ing up to a twin sized quilt in it using very thick batting (W&P). With Hobb's wool batting in the store, I was able to easily fit up to a Queen sized quilt in the harp. I love the durability and reliability of my Bernina & now better appreciate that sacrificing every other feature I wanted just to get a larger harp was not a great trade-off.

That said, there are others who feel the exact opposite of me & their opinion is ever bit as valid. :cool:

I also have a Janome 6600. I am very happy with it. Not the biggest harp but I've done queen size quilts on it. It's not fussy about thread and works quite well. I do have to slow down when I FMQ feathers. :) I've used some of the decorative stitches in my quilting. It does not have an embroidery module and that's fine with me. It isn't cheap though.

I have quilted on machines with smaller harps (small singer machine) and larger harps (brother 1500). I would never go back to a small harp if I was at all serious about enjoying quilting (especially) FMQ. I have done a king size quilt on my small singer, using a walking foot. 25 years ago. Not fun. The brother machine is a good alternative. There is a similar Juki machine. I just needed a machine that did more than just a straight stitch.

Just Me's suggestion is a good one - love, love, love my Janome 7700 for reasons too numerous to list here.