Quiltingboard Forums - Most useful features of a sewing machine to U?

Quiltingboard Forums (https://www.quiltingboard.com/)

- Main (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/)

- - Most useful features of a sewing machine to U? (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/most-useful-features-sewing-machine-u-t58107.html)

retired2pa; a fabric guide, is that different than the 1/4" pressor foot? I've noticed lines with measurements on the face plates below the pressor foot, is that what you are speaking of?
Thank you,
Jack

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lori S

Call me old fashioned but I love the good old knee control for speed. Too bad they do not make these anymore. I guess when the companies got away from putting machines into the cabinets whenthey sold them , that is when they dropped the knee speed control. And by the way I also miss buying the cabinet with the machine.
New options are :more in the feet , Free motion, 1/4 inch, walkingfoot, open toe applique, piping, cording, you just can not have enough feet.
A cabinet ( so the machine base is recessed) with a really nice big surface area around it would be a great. I would accept less options on a machine to get a great base cabinet. I would forgo a needle up or down for a great cabinet( but most machines have this as a standard unless a really inexpensive machine) . The surface area you have is so important. After that the biggest opening for rolling up quilts to do the quilting.

I miss the knee control too. I still have my mother's old White machine in the cabinet. I don't use it currently but I was taught how to sew on this machine and which the knee control would come back. I also like the wide area that you had for sewing. I made many drapes for my house using that machine.

Thanks for the drive down memory lane. :wink:

For me, the most important feature is a bright light.

Would hate to live without my needle threader. I also have a Clover needle threader for my hand quilting needles. Great time savers.

My favorite thing is a foot...my walking foot. I use it almost all the time and think I'd like to have a built-in walking foot (on my Bernina it's not built in).

I also miss the knee pedal. Like crafter005 I also learned on my mother's White (1947 vintage) with the knee control. I've had trouble learning to use the free hand system knee thing on my Bernina because I just revert back to moving my knee to make it go!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by koipuddle

Mad quilter; a cleaner stitch than a pfaff? Could you explain what to look for please? Not really sure what you mean, so not sure what to look for.
Thank you,
Jack

I tried a few of the fancy stitches and compared them. The Pfaff does a pretty good job on the button-hole (or blanket) stitch, for example, but some of the stitches were off. Not exactly skipped, but looser than the others. My older Brother used to skip stitches, so I know the difference. The Babylock keeps the stitches more consistent.

OMG - how could I forget the needle threader. The Babylock Espire has one of those "push one button and the needle is threaded" features. It's all still new to me but I lOVE it.

I personally love the lock stitch as well as the needle up/down feature. Anything else beyond that is just gravy :D

When I'm paper piecing, I love the thread cutter best.

needle down/up, drop feed dogs/free motioncapability, walking foot, blanket stitch

The auto thread cutter is a favorite feature for me.

For the machine I piece with, I couldn't live without the needle up/down feature - and also the 1/4 inch foot and the walking foot.