Need advice on a good cheaper quilting machine
 

Ok I am new to quilting. I have a Babylock tempo basic machine. I am looking for a good but yet inexpensive machine for quilting. Preferably one that helps guide me and one that could do a twin to queen (I think that means a larger harp right?) I dont know.

I have been looking online at the following: singer 9960 quantum stylist 600 stitch and Brother hc 1850. I was thinking that one of these computerized machines would be easier. I also would like one that helps me with the steering if that even makes sense. Remember I am new.

I was given a $150 amazon gift card which is the reason why I mentioned the two above. They were on amazon. I know of some more that arent on amazon but in order to use the gift certificate, amazon is what I have.

Please Help. I can spend more money than the $150, perhaps up to $300 but cant spend a lot more than that because my husband just bought a car and our kids our in music lessons.

I was hoping for advice or if someone happens to find something on amazon that would work for me. I would appreciate all the help I can get.

I currently am making corded quilted baskets and have to rent the machine and stay at a quilt shop because the babylock doesn't go high enough for the cording to thread over the cord. So, that has been another problem.

Thank you so much

I have a husqvana Viking h100 which I use as my light weight machine to take to classes. It has a list of features which are useful to quilters. The harp and weight are the disadvantages. Cost in UK £200.

Welcome to the board! :) You've given a bit of a tall order, inasmuch you're right that you won't find a large harp in your price bracket. Normally I would suggest you look for a good used machine (it's still unlikely you'd one with a large harp), but that's no good if you want to use your Amazon voucher.

Unfortunately machines at your price point are often made of lightweight plastic and tend to be lighter, ergo not 'sturdy' enough for what you want it to do. I am speaking about here in the UK however, and there's more choice in the US (as well as cheaper), so someone else may come up with a suggestion.

Another suggestion might be to save for a little longer for a machine with better features, if that's an option for you.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by 'steering' - could you explain a little more please? Happy Quilting! :)

Welcome to the world of quilting. You'll be sure to have a great time here. I think you're a little confused about the vocabulary, or maybe I'm the one that's confused😊.
They are 3 basic things we do with our sewing machines, patchwork, applique and quilting.
For patchwork you need a good way to make an accurate 1/4 inch seam, for machine applique you need a machine with an adjustable zig zag stitch, for quilting you need a walking foot and an free motion foot.
As far as "steering " goes, that is practice.
I suggest watching some u tube, or an experienced friend to see how others control their machines.
My advice on a new sewing machine would be a used vintage machine. You'll get a heavier machine that will stand up to the demands of pushing a big quilt through the small harp. There's a board here about those.
Again utube for demos on how to set up your table to make it easier. I've quilted queen size quilts on a regular sewing machine. Takes some doing, but possible.
Good luck.

Ps, I love my Baby Lock, I have a Crafters Choice, does everything I need, and never breaks down.

I would stay away from the Singer. They are just a piece of plastic junk now a days. There are some board members that post about how much they enjoy sewing on their Brothers.

PS Welcome to the board.

Hi and welcome to the board.

Ok as far as your current machine not sewing over the cording, of which I am assuming you are doing the baskets made out of clothes line where you zig zag the clothesline to form the basket, you may wish to refer to your manual. There is a section that indicates what to do when sewing over really thick fabrics and alludes that the machine is capable of handling thickness up to 1/4". Most cotton clothes line I have seen will compress down to that. Here is a link to the manual http://babylock.com/ftp/whitepapers/...uctionBook.pdf I found the instructions on page 52.

I could not find a price point for the machine you currently have, but based on google reviews of the machines capabilities it appears to be in the same price point you are looking at. So I feel you may just be throwing you money away on a machine that doesn't really have any different features than the one you currently have. Quite honestly your very basic Babylock Tempo appears to be a nice starter machine and should get you going on all of your quilting needs, from peicing the top to finishing your quilt. It takes time and practice. Most machine quilting beginners start with the walking foot and straight line quilting. Many progress from there. Some, like me, never did get any good at FMQ (free motion quilting) my quilts on the machine so I hand quilted my larger quilts and did straight line quilting on smaller quilts. I dabbled in FMQ but never could get the hang of it and I didn't like the results. So I saved up until I could afford my longarm machine which is quilting on a large rack (10 ft long) and takes up an entire room in my home and cost over $10K with no computer guidance.

Computerized machines just mean there are small modules in the machine that can do fancy stitches for you and some embroidery capability, like say lettering for monograms. It appears your current machine has some built in stitches and you can "program" certain features so your machine and the two you mention are in that category.

Nothing in either of these machines, nor any machine in the price range you are looking for is capable of "steering" for you as far as quilting is concerned. They have built in decorative stitches you can use for quilting but they won't stitch out a quilting motif for you. The machines capable of doing that start at thousands of dollars and go up to the price of small car! Yes there are computerized longarm setups that can run $20K to$50K.

I would recommend trying to get your machine to do what you want it to. If you decide it isn't right for you, you will have to visit some dealerships to see what features it is you are really looking for and need and then start your Amazon search from there. Your GC shouldn't expire so that will give you plenty of time to decide if that is what you really want to use it for or maybe something else.

I agree with the other posters. For your price point, you probably aren't going to get much more than you currently have. A computerized machine will just have more decorative stitches, not one that will guide or steer you (if I understand you correctly). That would take an embroidery machine or a long arm computerized set up. I would use a small portion of your amazon card & purchase Marti Michell's book: "Machine Quilting in Sections". This explains several quilt as you go (GAYG) techniques that enable you to more easily quilt a large quilt on a small domestic machine.

http://www.amazon.com/Marti-Michell-...=marti+michell

You might also want to invest in some special feet for your current machine. I would get a walking foot and an edge guide foot for 1/4" seams.
I would take some of the additional money that you have and take a couple of quilting classes at your LQS, to get a bit more experience and understanding of what you really want your machine to do. Then you can make a list of needs and get the right one. Those baskets are really nice, but the machine requirements don't have a lot in common with a machine that you want specifically for quilting. You probably want a more generalized machine.
It also sounds like you have a good dealer. I would work with them and investigate getting one of their used trade ins. You might need to save up a bit, but in the long run this will be a better option.

Are you wanting a large harp space to piece the quilt together or to do the quilting after you piece it together? I have a very small vintage machine with a small harp (called a Featherweight) that I have pieced king sized quilts on. But I would never consider quilting a king on a small harp machine. It is when you do the quilting where you need a large harp machine.
Since you already have a Babylock, I would suggest looking for a good vintage machine. I use a vintage Singer 15-91 for my quilting. I have done twin and queen sized quilts on it. Try looking for videos on YouTube on quilting with vintage machines if that interests you.
If you want a computerized machine, I would suggest either a Brother or Janome in your price range. I have used both in the past and have been pleased.
Good luck with your decision and let us know what you decide! Welcome to the board!

I had the Baby Lock Quilter's Choice Pro and it had a larger harp. I believe the equivalent these days is the Jane. I believe Brother has a very similar or same machine with a different name. The harp is about 9 inches which is a couple of inches larger than regular machines. Also they will stitch 1500 stitches per minute. Mine came with a table and walking foot in addition to the regular accessories. They only straight stitch. I went to a mid arm which has a 14" harp.

Hi and welcome to the board. Feline fanatic and the others all gave you great advice. Some have mentioned a vintage machine. I would also suggest one. You could get a nice vintage 301 or 401 to quilt on for not a lot of money. The 301 has 7 1\2 inches of harp space, which is good for a little machine. But its metal gear driven and a work horse. I have one on a frame and it gives me beautful stitches. I would stay away from a new Singer. Brother machines are still made by Brother and are better machines, if you are buying new.
I wish you good luck in finding the perfect machine. Gina

Welcome to the board.

If I am correctly understanding what you are looking for - it seems like a lot to expect from any onemachine.

It may exist - my "newest" machine is from the 1980's, so I do not know what is currently available.

From general experience, though, I feel that any tool that tries to do many functions, does not do a superlative job at any of them.

Clothesline baskets really give the lightweight machines a workout. I would search craigslist in your area for an older machine that zig zags. The heavier weight will help.

Welcome to the board. Look at your manual closely. You may be surprised what your machine can do for you. Keep an eye open for sales on Amazon. ALso check and find out when that gift card expires many do. Also check with your local quilt shop and see what they have so you could possibly try one out. One local shop near me teaches long arm for a fee of $25.00 an hour for a 2 hour course. Then another $15.00 an hour to rent their long arm. It's a Gammill. My thing is it would be worth it to me if I ever have to or want to quilt a large full-King size. I've still got a couple more places to check. Will also be a way for me to see about a gift for myself in the future. My thinking is you possibly could see if a dealer is nearby and you could try one that interests you and see if they allow or have a lay-a-way.

The singer she mentioned is very popular model with good reviews

I have the Singer Futura Quintet, which is a sewing, quilting and embroidery machine. I love it, it does a good job. But, it is out of your price range. Just saying, not all Singers are "plastic junk". I would recommend that you start with a machine that is not an embroidery machine. The Brothers are good machines at a price that is more affordable. I also have a Juki 2010Q that is a work horse. But, it is more expensive. Brothers are probably going to be your best bet. I agree with checking what your machine really does, sometimes we already have what we need, just have to learn all it will do. Good luck and happy quilting.

Machine for quilting
 

I would say your tempo should work for quilting. Does it have a darning foot? If so, you can quilt with it. You are not going to find a machine that will "guide" you as you quilt. If you are doing straight lines...your regular or walking foot should have a wire (L shaped) that slides into the back of the foot...you adjust for the width of the lines you are doing.

If you are set on a new Machine...I'd get this one:
http://tinyurl.com/gukkjsw
Singer 9960
The above link is to the machine on Amazon.com

You don't need a larger harp to do even a king size quilt. Look on youtube for info on how to quilt on a domestic machine. I did it for years and years. It's all about how you do the quilting. Remember, you quilt from middle out...so even king size is never more than twin size in depth. Divide into 4ths...baste (pin or large hand stitches...spray baste is ok...but works loose as you go...pins or thread is best). Start by squishing (don't roll, as it takes up too much height) the edge of the quilt sandwich under and over until you reach the middle of the quilt...stitch in the direction of the machine harp area...pulling the quilt from the harp area as you go.

One really important thing...you need a huge surface for support of the quilt. I used my machine table (a little desk at that time), shoved the dining room table into a corner, put the school desk at the right side of the table front... and the dining table supported the king size quilt...having the table in the corner of the wall, let's the wall keep the quilt on the table...no drag (or very minimal).

I'd try with the one you have...see if you like it before buying a 2nd machine...unless you really just want a 2nd machine.
Marge

If you are looking for a basic machine, please consider 2 things. How big is the harp? and does it have a walking foot. Getting a great deal on a machine is no deal if it doesn't do what you need it to!

Marionquilts today
See

I used to sell new Singer machines, totally agree don't buy one.