Help!! I have been quilting by hand for years, I'm still a beginner. I would like to learn to use a sewing machine to make some of my easiest projects go faster and actually get done. But the problem is I don;t even know where to start on buying a sewing machine. Brand, style, etc. I want to be sure to get a good one because I will have to save up some money and will be using it for a long time to get more than my moneys worth,lol. any suggestions would be great!
Thanx,
Star

I love my 20+ year old Bernina!

I love my 5 year old Juki TL98E

Thanx for the input. I am going to start looking. when i buy a machine do they offer classes??

There are as many opinions on which sewing machine as there are which car to buy!!!! I love my Janome.....but that's because it's an improvement over my 30 yr old Kenmore!

I don't know about other makes, but Bernina give a free class if you buy one. I would suggest you investigate what makes are available near you, as buying the machine is only the first step. You will be forever grateful that you bought a machine from a service dealership near you. Ask around anyone in your area, then ask to test drive as many as you can, in your price range. Also ask if they have any used machines higher up the range, that might come within your price range.

If you can, buy from a dealer near you so that you can take advantage of their classes and service. The sky's the limit on options available. I love my old Bernina and have recently "inherited" a Pfaff 2144 from my dear MIL which does pretty much everything, including embroidery.

You'll have a lot of decisions to make so take your time. You might ask about when they have sales and about machines turned in on a trade-in. People tend to have allegiances to different brands so don't be surprised by those attitudes.

I really love the convenience of needle up/needle down, needle threader, and separate motor for loading the bobbin on my Pfaff. I would definitely want those if I was looking at buying a machine. I haven't had time to learn all the ins and outs or the embroidery stuff yet, but I can't wait.

Good luck on your purchase. You're going to have such fun!

It depends on where you buy your machine. If you get it from Walmart or on E-Bay or Joanns or something, no, they won't offer classes. My suggestion would be to go to a local quilt or sewing store that sells machines and try out several in your price range. Many shops will only sell one or 2 brands of machines. I have a Bernina and an older Pfaff. I never got lessons on my Pfaff cause I bought it in the town where my parents lived and I lived 300 miles away. I wish I could have had lessons. It was a fantastic machine, a real workhorse and I would have purchased another except I would have to travel 45 miles or so for classes and repairs on it. There is a Bernina dealer within 1.5 mile of my house. I bought my machine on e-bay, but then was able to take classes on it at my local store. Originally they were going to charge me for the classes but then didn't. I guess that's because I have bought furniture and sewing chairs and thousands of dollars in fabrics there. It is really nice to have someone close by to go to for questions or problems or extra sewing feet. They are really helpful with that. You will want to be able to take the classes, the minimum would be on how to fully use your machine and also extra classes on other features. Many of our quilters here love their Janome's as well. I looked at them and I have a Janome dealer within 12 miles but I liked the Bernina better.
Many times they will have gently used machines that you can get a good price on. Try several different types, find what works well for you. Make sure you get a 1/4" foot and also a walking foot would be a must. I love the Needle up/down feature on mine.
Hope you have fun finding the right sewing machine for you!!!

I looked up a few on-line and they are all about 25-30miles away!! we used to have a store right in town but they went out of business last year. I guess thats not so far, atleast for service but i think it would be hard for me to make it to classes and such with my schedule. but like i said im just starting to look! :D

25 - 30 miles away? That's a walk in the park. My nearest dealer is the ONLY one in the country, and he's on the other side - almost 200 miles! If I had wanted lessons, he doesn't do them, and I would have had to go to London. Now you know how much I really like my Bernina.

WOW!! that's far.

I just had another thought to pass on. My MIL had purchased my Pfaff in Longview and then moved to Houston so the store that sold it is not here in my area. When I went online I found out that Pfaff has videos online to demonstrate how to use various things on the machine. It's not like face to face, but it definitely was helpful. I imagine there are other videos like this that could help. I know on both the Pfaff and the Bernina website there is a lot of info as well as videos. It would be a way for you to start to find out what is available. :-)

That's a hard question because there are so many different brands w/ different options. I started out w/ a machine from Wal-mart. I bought it 20 years ago with my first paycheck. It cost $89 and I had NO clue how to use it.

Since then, I have purchased 4 more machines. Some were less than $200 and one cost more than my first car. I'd try to determine what was absolutely necessary for you to be happy completing a quilt. Then, I would set a buget. Try out machines and don't be hesitant to look at used ones too. I'd try to get the most for my $$.

this is what i would do if i was buying a machine now...go to different dealers and try their machines and try all kinds with different features that way you will find what you like and need in a machine. Take your time and dont rush into it...Talk to lots of people..go to a local quilt group and see what they use thats where i found lots of useful info after i bought my machine...
Buy from a dealer and get lessons so you can use your machine to its fullest. Also get to know your dealer so when you need to service your machine or get it repaired you need someone you trust. Find out how much a machine is to service as the computerised ones cost more to service..
these are all thing I didnt do and definitely would do as a machine is expensive and an investment. Look at used ones as i bought mine used a couple of years ago and have had no trouble.
The features that i would look for are what feet come with machine and if you love quilting try to get a walking foot thrown in as they can be expensive!! Also see if you can get a 1/4 inch foot and a darning foot thrown in as these are all feet I had to buy afterwards..
Decide what you need in a machine ie do you really need an embroidery machine as a lot of the machines come with so many stitches. i bought a Bernina Artiste 180 with embroidery hoops and all but have not used the embroidery bits at all yet as i have not had lessons and the shop i bought from i found out afterwards that the guy who owns it is not trustworthy (this i heard from several people afterwards)
I do love my machine and even if your machine is basic try to get one with the needle up/down feature as that is one feature i do love on mine. Also when testing machines some are noisier and some are smoother so look out for that as well. Another thing is throat space.. get a machine with as much throat space as possible if you have a choice on that.. Good luck in your search and let us know what you end up with

SO much good information!! well my next question is since I have never used a machine before how do I "try them out?' I wouldn't even be sure if I could keep the stitch going straight, LOL. am I just trying which one feels comfortable to use?

When you go into one of the dealers, let them know that you have never used a machine before. They will walk you through it. Ask them for brochures if they have them, take notes, and don't be afraid to ask them questions, it is there job to give you any and all info on their machines. If you don't understand something or get overloaded with info you can always come back here to get more opinions or suggestions and help!! But most of all have fun playing with all of the different functions these new machines have to offer :D 8) :D

thanx amma! I just didn't want them to blow me off or try to tell me I needed the most expensive machine out there when I already have my own two hands, :lol:

At least you HAVE one in your country. There are no places except KMart to buy a machine here and NO ONE here fixes them!

well i guess i don't have it bad at all!!

I would suggest that when buying a machine....think about what you want to do with it. Then, from there, start pricing them.
I think the $$$$$$ ones can and will do the same job as a $$ machine. You really don't need all the bells and whistles to make anything great.
I'll admit, I have over 100 stitches that my machine will do, but I have yet to use them all.
You get what you can afford and what you feel comfortable with. I know a lady who went and bought a cheap $100 machine from Walmart and puts out some AWESOME things with that.
Just my 2 cents!

thats what I was thinking of for my first one just something really cheap so that i can learn the basics, but all those other ones are so PRETTY and sound so NICE it just makes you want one. I m sure i will only be using one stitch for a long time :lol: Then again I don't want to regret not getting something that had a little more.

I learned to sew on my Mom's Singer Touch N Sew.
When I got married and started making clothes for my girls, my mom and dad bought me a cheap $80 Singer. I used that for about 20 years and ended up giving it away. It needed a HUGE cleaning and that was going to cost me about $100, so didn't feel I needed to pay that. I did have a Kenmore standby that I used. That one is probably about 15 years old and works great too!
My main machine is a Kenmore Ergo3. It retailed at the time for almost $2000 and I got it for about 1/2 that. What I liked was that it had the embroidery machine built in as well, so I "bit the bullet" and bought it. I just love it! I've had it for about 4 years now and it's going great!

what a deal though! my husband wants to buy me a machine and keeps aking which one i want but I don't know thats why I started asking here. He seea all those fancy ones that do all the awesome embroidery, which I also like. but it seemed that you could buy so many different embroidery software that I was intimidated by this. Do you have to buy different cartridges or software for your machine? just wondering if that is an added cost.

My good 'hand' quilting friend did the same as you:)She went around and tried everyone's machines and bought a Janome like mine;)She just finished a flannel quilt on it!:)You won't be sorry!:)You can go to the site direct of machines, such as janome and select what features you are interested in and the list of machines will pop up:)(helps with learning different options)I started out w/the janome 3200 and have since upgraded to the 6600 for more speed and a bigger throat area to make machine quilting on it easier. Was doing all of it on the 3200...which worked fine...just tight on those bigger quilts:)Good luck and enjoy the search!Skeat

thanx skeat i need all the help i can get :-)

I'd back up what Terri said by saying start with a basic cheap one - we all quilt differently and the features indispensible to some of us a re useless to others - you need to discover what kind of machine quilter you are first! Just my 2 cents!

Exactly! You can pick up an inexpensive Singer at Walmart or even a Brother at Kmart. Won't cost you over $100 until you get the hang of it.

Darn tootin, Loretta!
I'd love to have a $5000 machine, but will it do something different than the one I have? Probably not. Might have a bigger throat for FMQ, but if I'm going to spend that much on a machine, it better cook dinner for me and draw me a nice bubble bath too! :)

LOL Loretta, mine too!
There were no free lessons for mine since I bought it at Sears. But, I did find a Yahoo Group that helped me tremdously.

I've read all the posts, and I think the most important thing to do is to test drive a machine....Go to all the sewing machine dealers in your area, and check out the machine that they recommend to you, and a few others...just explain to the sales person that you are just trying to find a good fit for you... they will understand.....PLEASE, make sure that you get a machine with a strong enough motor, quilting takes it's toll. Many of the cheapy machines can't handle 1/2 hour of stippling without shutting down...
P.S. I have worked for a dealer for many years, and have helped many newbies find the right machine for their needs. Good Luck, Susie

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.