I pieced my first few quilts on a 1959 Montgomery Ward machine. After I got a walking foot for it I quilted at least two full size and two twin size on it before I bought my Pfaff 2030. I love that Pfaff. I also have a Janome 6600. It sews really fast, has a larger throat and it's fabulous to quilt on. I still love the Pfaff for piecing and putting on binding though.

I have a Bernina I bought before I retired. Came with walking foot and BSR. Has all the perks, needle down ect. I love it. But the love of my life is my featherweight. Its great for taking to classes, retreats and sewing get togethers with my friends.

I have a Pfaff Creative Vision that does everything, but the machine I use the most is a little Janome that is light weight enough to take to classes, it's a full size machine, has thread cutter, needle down, walking foot, 1/4" foot a good number of stitches....love it, priced well under $1,000

any sewing machine in good working condition with a good straight stitch is all you need for quilting...you do not need anything special...our great grandmothers made quilts just as beautiful (and more so) as we do with their treadle machines, or little bitty singer featherweights...there is nothing that says you need a $5000 viking or pfaff to make a good quilt...you only need the desire and motivation to make a good quilt...you know, plenty of people still make plenty of quilts with no machine at all

I have a Pfaff Creative 4.0. It has a built in walking foot and a 10.5 inch throat. I have quilted several smaller quilts and it works wonderfully. I am sure I could quilt larger ones too, but I just haven't. There is an embroidery unit that goes with it, I just don't have the time to do the embroidery so I didn't spend the money to get it.

I have had Pfaff machines for 30 years and I wouldn't own anything else. I am sure most ladies feel the same way about their machines. It takes quite a bit of research to find one that fits you. But the research is well worth the time if you find a machine that you love.

When I bought my Pfaff I thought it was the perfect machine for quilting. I love it- it is easy to use, sews beautifully & the IDT (dual feed) is wonderful & can be used with all of the feet. However, after I quilted my 1st bed sized quilt on it I realized I would like a larger throat space & being newish to quilting hadn't looked for that when I made my purchase. A few years later I ended up buying a machine with a larger throat space & love to do my quilting on it. You could do a toddler or a twin on your machine- I did, but found I liked the quilting process better with the larger throat space. Mine is 9" & there are 11" ones out there too.

I forgot to mention if you can get 1/4 inch foot and a walking foot (or an even feed foot) for you machine it will make things a little easier. But other than that you should bne fine with what you have

My machines that I feel are necessary for quilting are my Featherweight and my Gammill. The Featherweight for piecing and the Gammill for quilting. I also own a Brother Embroidery machine and another Singer which has a lot of decorative stitches, but I seldom use them (the stitches and the other machines).

There is no such thing as a "needed" machine for quilting. This is an art that can be done completely by hand. Most of us want faster results. Any machine that fits your budget and is reliable will make your quilting easier. Most of us do our piecing with basic machines. Some want and can afford more and that is what we have. As far as a machine on a frame, there are a few different types such as short arm, mid arm, and long arm. Long arms are financially out of reach for many of us (me), but I am researching mid arm machines, or maybe just a frame that I can put my basic machine (short arm) on. There are options available in all price ranges. I personally can't justify the price of a Gammill or any other long arm, and spending more than I can afford would take all the joy out of quilting. Enjoy whatever you have and move up as you decide what you want and can afford.

I have a Janome memory craft 3000 and do all my quilting on it, small to king sized. The throat/arm is only 6 1/2 - 7". Wish it were longer, but I make it work. Sometimes feel that I'm wrestling! I'd absolutely love getting the Janome 7700, but need more cash! Oh well, someday, maybe!!