What Machine should i buy!?
 

I have a sort of conundrum, and am completely torn. The machine i was using for quilting is no longer available. So I am looking to buy a machine. From here it gets...fuzzy. I have a machine with 11" on throat space...so decent...it does embroider and fancy stitches. it is really very good, but not superb as say the Luminaire....which i am wondering if i should take a loan for a sewing machine?! i want to...it looks like this machine does it all with pizzazz!! it is supposed to be amazing for in the hoop quilting!!! with hoops that do that well and are large enough to make sense! It has a camera for perfect alignment. it can also some of its own digitizing utilizing the camera to make designs !!! amazing! I am sure it can do the FMQ as well as any domestic machine. ! it has 13.1" harp space!!!! wowsers....sounds a dream...and a fortune. if i am going to spend that much ( and it is hard to determine how much that is. please PM if you are willing to share what kind of deals i should be looking for cost-wise) as a dealer said i should consider single purpose machines as well....i really love embroidery and i really love quilting...so i could pick one and do it well, i could get a 10 needle emboidery and continue to sew and quilt on the other machine...i can make it work.....or i can look for a reasonably priced longarm on a super deal sort of thing...and get a !!!! i am giddy with the thought of the machines, they all seem so wonderful...i think that the one the most 'different' than i have is the frame long arm---i really have a hard time with the quilting....but i am not sure, i think i will ultimately spend more actual stitch time on one of the others. I am sooo conflicted...i really want a goal!!! i just don't know which direction to go. Please share your perspective with me. (I cannot afford all 3, though I would it)

Tartan is right make a list of your must haves and what you can afford. Buying new is not always a must. You may find a better deal on a floor model, last year's model or even a trade in. Watch warranties with a used machine. You may be very surprised what is out there.

If I have to take a loan out for a sewing machine....I can’t afford it. Happy shopping.

Wouldn't it be nice to win the lottery? And grats to all those that have big spaces and big budgets. Undecided, I understand your situation, I had access to a friend's long arm that I no longer have and my backlog is piling up. Trying not to think about it but over 20 by now and I used to be the "finish every quilt" type.

Set a budget that you can afford. Figure out what you need to put down and what you want to pay per month and start saving for it now as you make your decisions -- you might give yourself a bigger or smaller budget with the reality of it in the budget. For new machines there will be sales, prices will go down, and some people will trade back. Sometimes though you just come across a super offer and you know when you have to take it -- and you will be ready.

Yes, it is/can be expensive but I can say that I spend more time at my sewing machine than I do in my car. A lot of people trade up several times and actually lose more money in the long run. You already know most of what you want, make a list and put down some "it would be nice to have". One of the things I found about the machine my friend gave me is that it has a proprietary bobbin and I can't buy pre-wound bobbins. Might not bother other people, but especially with embroidery I would want a big pile of available bobbins.

Now, look at your available space? Does that put any constraints on you? For me I would so love and so need a frame but I have a small house and that would mean giving up on any sort of living room. Which, on the one hand, we don't really use. But on the other hand, I already have the small bedroom as my sewing room. My friend was rather unprepared for the shear amount of space it took to store her embroidery machine and all it's gear even with a dedicated sewing room and Koala cabinet. The thread, the hoops, the this and that. One of the sit-down set-ups is still too large for anywhere in my house except to take out the couch -- but can fit in some houses better than the stand up and can be a great option.

And third, look at the time factor. With my backlog and I piece quickly enough that I could easily make a quilt a month, it would be used often enough to not collect dust. I can say from the time I had available on my friend's set up that I needed to use that long-arm regularly or else it really showed in my results and what I could do, if it had been more than 3 months since I last quilted I had to run some practice pieces first. If you are only going to use a long arm a couple times a year, does it still justify the amount of space it takes?

Sometimes it is entirely justifiable to give yourself an ample budget to have someone else quilt your quilts. While I can and do my own work, I'd be happy with a bigger budget and having someone with a set of skills I don't have improve my projects.

For me I had hoped to find someone's home long arm to rent a couple days a month, don't see that happening in the Seattle area now this year and am just going to ignore the to be quilted pile until it falls down on top of me.

Whatever you do, good luck and enjoy your purchases. We deserve nice things. I rather enjoy my vintage machines too, but yeah... there are things I can't do well on them and that includes machine quilting. Other people can machine quilt a queen sized project on a featherweight but that's not my skill set!

Hi & welcome!

Take a demo lesson or two on the different machines you are considering. If your dealer has an event you can attend, this allows you hands on experience with the machine. Be sure there are classes to attend to learn the different features. Make sure you have the time to invest in learning the machine features otherwise they are lost.

I have done a few quilting ITH projects with my machines (Dream and Luminaire). I love the larger hoop but in my opinion, it's not for large quilts and better suited for small projects up to baby quilt size. There will be drag from the larger quilt on the embroidery arm which can pop the hoop. Larger quilts also requires multiple hoopings. You can position with the camera but remember with a large hoop and large design there still isn't much space to move the design.

I use a magnetic hoop for the quilting projects. You can also quilt the borders using the machine. It will tell you where to hoop and when to re-position the hoop for the next design. I've had my machine since last August and still learning different buttons.

Right now, I'm waiting for the next release of machines in perhaps August or September to see what is offered in the line for the 10 needle. I use my machine every day.

Good luck on your decision!

I think all the previous posters have given good advice. I think that until you narrow down what you really want, it will be difficult to "settle" on your shopping criteria.

I have four friends that have the Luminaire. They spend more time formatting the machine the sewing. Quilt in the hoop is beginning to be tiresome to them, too much hassle, they send out all but the smallest quilts to the LA still. The upgrades are very expensive, the yearly maint cost is expensive, and each one wishes she didn't buy it after having it for awhile. It's a wonderful sewing machine but requires lots of TLC. When they were buying these machines all at once I was with them. They tried to talk me into getting one so we could all come for lessons together. I saw a used Juki for $200 on the trade in table. Also a Brother 8500 embroidery/sewing machine for $199. Both fully serviced by the shop. I bought them both. Love my Juki with the large harp and the Brother sews and embroiders just fine for what little embroidery I do. I found out I don't care for embroidery as much as I thought. If I had a business then the high end machines would be worth it, if I got a lot of enjoyment from all the features and used all of them it would be worth it. One of the friends is trying to sell hers, she rarely uses it and said it was to complicated. So be very sure before investing.

When I was looking for a sewing machine-I wrote down all the features that I wanted in a machine. Sometimes this will help you make your decision. I found a used sewing machine at our local quilt store and they were very helpful, gave me a warranty and a good price. Good luck to you.

I don't have a Luminaire, I have the Viking Designer Topaz 20 and I love it. When I got it, it was the floor model, and being sold with a discount and a full warranty. If it dies I will get another one of the same series because mine is no longer made. But it is still supported by the dealers for repairs. And my dealer gave me a year to upgrade with full trade in value. I have had it for 6 years now and so happy I got it. So decide what you can afford and go for it.

I don't have room for a long arm or even a mid arm machine - (my sewing room has my 15-91 w/cabinet, Damascus treadle, Janome MC 6600P in its table, and my Topaz) it's a pain to put machines away, so I don't. Also, I like to leave my ironing board up all the time, luckily my cutting table folds up to make a full length mirror. Since I embroider more than I quilt, most of my quilting is sent out. But a local store is starting to set up lessons on long arms and then you can rent their machines, and I am seriously thinking of doing that when the current situation is over. After I am done making face masks, then I plan to try a QAYG quilt with my embroidery machine.