Blahel is absolutely right, there are as many opinions as there are machines. And everyone of them is valid. I don't like Bernina, I am a Janome fan. My best quilt buddy had one, top of the line, and after sewing on my little basic Janome changed brands. And there are as many people that do the opposite, so it's all a matter of taste and what you want to do.

I do just straight piecing, with maybe some decorative stitching. I have an older Janome that can do some fancy stitches and buttonholes, but I don't need a machine that can calculate the square root of pi to the 100th position. Try to figure out what you will use the machine for the most, and start there. Then try and decide if you would be able to even figure out the more expensive models. Some of them have a fairly steep learning curve. Do you really want to HAVE to take a separete class just to learn how to make your machine do one of it's functions? Then go to different dealers and ask for a demo and to be allowed to play with the machines for a while. Any reputable dealer will be happy to show you everything they've got and let you try the various machines. Then go home and sleep on it before plunking down your cash. Unless you have a more experienced quilter to go with you and guide you.

Good luck and let us know what you got!

I suggest if you have a friend who sews or quilts ask for their opinion. then find a dealer who sells machines and is willing to let you try them out and help you decide . Tell them the price range you are willing to pay.
I have three Janome machines. Not one of them has ever had to go to the shop for a repair. Bought my first one ten yrs ago. They are workhorses. And good luck in your search. Marge

I have two Bernina's (153 and 640). My favorite is the 153 which is longer made. My first suggestion is not to rush into buying. Go look take notes and compare. As you review your notes make new questions and then when you have narrow down your choices go back and get those questions answered. Everything looks wonderful, because they are, but your needs are the most important issue.

The only person I can ask clos eto me is my mom but she doesn't machine quilt really so I don't think she would know to much. Thats were you guys have come in handy with all the suggestions. I will have to plan a weekend for my husband to drive me out to the shops(because i wouldn't know how to get there) so I can look around and try them out. thanx everyone, all the 2 cents are adding up :lol:

If you want to machine quilt free motion styley, make sure you get a 'Big Foot' and that you can drop the feed dogs. If you're doing lots of big quilts then a larger throat might be important but I get a queen size with cotton batting no prob through a standard throat. I don't have it, but they say being able to adjust the speed of the power from the pedal is a good thing too. Although KLue has a brace for her pedal to stop it going too fast - it's on hubby's list to make me one! :D

I would want to go slow just so I don't mess up! here is a list of a few things that I'm not sure of


needle up/down (is that where you can lift up the needle to get your piece underneath it?)

walking foot and darning foot

I don't have the needle up function either but I think it's where you can set it to automtically leave the needle in the fabric when you stop sewing - you should always start with needle down, if you don't have this function, you have to manually put the needle down every time;

You need a walking foot for quilting striaght lines and putting on binding - it 'walks' up an down over the sandwich so the layers don't shift. The darning foot is what I called the 'Big Foot' - it's a big, round job that you use for free motion quilting (don't EVER admit to being able to do darning, mending or putting on buttons - I tell my family I can't do THAT kind of sewing! :lol: )

Now that I have needle up and needle down, with the touch of a button, I couldn't live without it. It is wonderful, especially if you are turning corners or stopping and starting to always have the needle stop in the down position. The only thing I don't have that I covet (but don't really need) is automatic thread cutter!

My Bernina has a slide on the front to control the speed of the machine so I have variable speed control. When I was teaching my sons girlfriend how to quilt I set the speed a lot slower because she was not used to me machine and was nervous about it going fast. I will slow it down some when using some of the specialy stitches or alphabets. Occasionally I will slow it down for the embroidery unit too. My older Pfaff had it on the foot control, though only 2 speeds. When you are just starting out you probably don't want your machine going 90 miles an hour.
The needle up/down is one feature I just love. You can set the machine to always end with the needle down, that way if you are in the middle of quilting and you have to turn the corner or leave the machine or whatever the needle is automatically down so you can start again exactly where you left off. Too many times I ended up with a little "jump" when I forgot to manually put the needle down when pausing. I have a little button on the front of the Bernina to lift or lower the needle or set it one way or the other.

I wish I had an auto thread cutter as well, but I like the other features my machine has that another brand with the auto cutter did not have. I do have 3 places on my machine that has a "thread cutter". I like the separate motor for bobbin winding as well, though I like to have lots of extra bobbins and wind them all up before I start sewing so I don't have to stop for winding. If you get a machine without the separate winder for bobbin, I hear those little bobbin winder thingies are great. I don't need one for me.