Are there feed dogs on a sit-down quilter?
 

I am looking at getting a Sweet 16 or Bailey 15 sit down machine sometime in the not too distant future. I don't really have a place I can see the Bailey. I do believe there is a local place with a Sweet 16 and I am planning to take a day trip there. But before I do, I am wondering, do these machines have feed dogs that you can use with a walking foot to do stitch-in-the-ditch quilting or are they exclusively free motion?

Also, are there other machines I should be considering? I do not want a stand up long-arm machine with a frame. I need a sit down version.

Thanks in advance for your help!

I really don't see how these sit down sewing machines work. I have quilted for over 25 years quilting on my Bernina 1530. I have done numerous queen size quilt, won many awards and successful sold many of my quilts. I constructed support sections around my Bernina that supported a quilt of that size. Those tables in magazine ads do not show any support. That is why so many people have gone for the frames. I can understand a larger harp but I had no problem with rolling up a quilt to the center and working my way out quilting as I go. Good luck with your final decision.

re: the Bailey. Chuck Bailey is really customer friendly and is happy to answer questions over the phone... give him a call at the number on his website. i'm sure he'll tell you much more than you ever thought you didn't know :)

I bought my Sweet 16 last August and I love it! It has no feed dogs but stitch in the ditch can be easily done. Almost any tool that can be used on the stand up machines you can use on the sit down versions. It is extremely easy to use if you have ANY free motion experience, even my 5 year old granddaughter had fun on it.

For or the uninitiated--a Sweet 16 is the same machine head as the stand up versions and can easily be put on a long arm frame. This was a great selling point for me.

There are no feed dogs on a Sweet Sixteen nor on anyone that I know of. Straight line stitching is done with longarm rulers for guidance (or your own hand if steady:)

No, there are not any feed dogs on the S16.
Just because you do not have feed dogs or a walking foot, does not mean you cannot do SITD .... it will be FMQd. A bit of practice and you will not find it is all that hard.

You can also use rulers to help keep your stitching straight, whether for SITD or other straight line quilting you might want on the quilt.

The BabyLock Tiara is the same machine as the S16 .... made by HQ and re-painted/branded for BL.

Innova has a sitdown model.




ManiacQ ..... Congratulations on all your successes. What works for one, does not always work for others. Many have had equally good successes with the modern technology offered in these sit down machines ... and other types of machines. And have even sung praises to them ... right ... here ... on ... this ... board.

Hopefully, some will find this thread and share.
I test drove them a year ago ... and am still lusting over them.
Someday!!!!! :)

Sit down quilting machines only quilt. They have no feed dogs. Feed dogs are used to pull the fabric along.

Another one ............ Husqvarna Platinum 16

Like others have said, here are no feed dogs on sitdown quilting machines. To do stitch in the ditch, you use rulers similar to a long arm machine. They really act just like a DSM with the feed dogs lowered.

Pam