Patti, my quilting machine is a 1956 model. The only speed control it has is me. You can quilt with any machine that has an adjustable pressure on the presser foot. Is Nelly Belly a zigzag machine? I think you'll need that for your Sunbonnet Sue.

My vintage machines have speed control - Me!! :D

I love my speed control. I seldom set it at full speed. I feel more in control at a slower speed. And I think my machine makes a nicer stitch at a slower speed. Precision is more important to me than speed. But then I don't drive above the speed limit either. LOL

Same here!

My old Kenmore only has one speed, and that is "if I were a car we would get a ticket right now". My new HQ/V does have a speed control, but it is a wasted function since it is always set to rock n' roll.

Tammy, it sounds like you are not happy with the top speed on your machine. Is it really that the machine will not sew any faster, or do you not have the speed control adjusted to the upper limit? If you set it at the top limit, you should have no problems.

I have a Quilter's Star with a speed control, loved it, only one I've had. I wish the others had them, really nice once you get use to it and really helpful on some things.

I love my speed control because I have learned to sew and quilt without the foot pedal (not even sure where either foot pedals are to my machines). Also slowing the machine speed down lead to greater accuracy with 1/4" foot and piecing. You still have a choice of how fast you want to go - it's just done differently.

There are some machines where the top speed seems to be slow as molasses! I owned a White sewing machine a few years ago that was that way. It drove me bonkers.

My new machine has options- slow, medium, fast-as-a-speeding-bullet, you get the idea.

I love the speed control on mine. I think that I use it all the time and not just when my DD and DS are stitching.