What type of sewing machine?
 

I have never quilted before and am not wanting to spend a lot on a sewing machine. What would be he best sewing machine for somebody on a budget. I would like to spend less than $200. What are the essentials I will need on a sewing machine? Thanks in advance for any help.😀

I did my first 12 years of sewing on a $250 five stitch machine with a four-step buttonhole. Works great with a walking foot and it's the one I FMQ on. Completely mechanical, all it's needed is the occasional tune-up. My new one is still mechanical but it has 18 stitches and a one-step buttonhole. I highly recommend Janomes as a good start, you might look at 2212, HD1000, and Magnolia 7318. Go find a Janome dealer and see what you like, also the Magnolia 7330 is a good machine, I know several folks that have one. It's electronic but not computerized. There are other great brands but Janomes are well built and take generic accessories. Good luck!

You mentioned that you have never quilted before, but not whether you have other sewing experience. If you have not sewn before, you may want to sign up for some lessons at your local quilt shop. Check to see if they have machines that are used in lessons. And in this case, I would suggest buying from a dealer. You may not be able to find any machines selling for under $200 at a dealer. They tend to focus more on higher end machines, though that's not always the case.

The main things you need in a quilting machine are a good quality straight stitch for piecing. A 1/4" piecing foot is a very nice thing to have and even if the machine you choose doesn't come with one, chances are if you stick to Janome, or Brother you will be able to find a generic 1/4" foot to fit. Other useful feet include a walking foot (for use in quilting) and a Free Motion Quilting foot (also sometimes called a darning foot). I would also take into consideration the throat size of any machine you are looking at. Some of the lowest cost new machines have very small throat spaces and it can be very difficult to get a quilt through the opening when it comes time to do the quilting.

If you do have sewing experience and are therefore familiar with basic operation of a sewing machine, then there is no need to go through a dealer for a good machine in the price range you have indicated. As the previous poster mentioned, Janome makes a very good, basic, reliable sewing machine. Another brand to check into would be Brother.
Both Janome and Brother can be purchased over the internet from Amazon.com, and also from various of the Big Box stores. In order to find out which machines each makes that has what you're looking for go to the Janome and the Brother websites, they both list their machines and mention what features each machine has.

If you are going this route, then I would get on Amazon.com, look up the model machine you are thinking about and see what the reviewers have to say. Also do a google search to find reviews on the machines, there are a couple of websites where experienced quilters or garment makers review machines--I can't think of their URLs right off the top of my head but you can put in the model machine you're thinking of and find reviews that way.

I purchased my PC420PRW from Amazon for under $400 and it has some extra features which I like,( but aren't necessary for quilting) that the less expensive machines don't have. These are needle up/down function which allows you to set the machine so it stops with the needle in the down position, very reliable auto threader, thread cutter and a 7" throat width which is nice to have when quilting a larger quilt as it can get quite tiresome shoving a large quilt through a small throat space.

You might also think about a vintage machine if you do have sewing experience and are comfortable finding your way around a variety of sewing machines. You won't get needle up/down, but you may get a larger throat space (more like 6.5-7") than in the very lowest end Brother and Janome machines.


Rob

If you have several dealers in your area, visit and try out their "starter" machines. I found one of my machines by comparing at a county fair that had three brands for sampling.

A lower end machine will do you fine as a beginner. Several things to look for were mentioned above. The extra perks but not necessities are needle down ( the machine will stop with the needle in the fabric which helps on long seams). Another perk is auto thread cutter. I have this on my new machine and love it. I prefer top load bobbin to front load. These are all things you can do without but the are a joy to have. It took me ove 40 years to move up in machines. I had to move up as I sewed so much I would wear out the gears. Cheaper to buy new than pay for repairs on those machines. I still do not have top of the line but have no desire for one either. The biggest thing is to get comfortable with what you can afford and enjoy quilting

I wouldn't buy from Walmart. I had a Brother Project Runaway from there several years ago. I paid $300 and it only lasted two years before the computer in it went wonky and it died. It was then that I bought my favorite machine from Amazon.com for $150. It is the Singer Heavy Duty 4423, and I love it. I quilt full size quilts on it and FMQ too. My MIL is a professional seamstress and makes wedding dresses. She sewed on my Singer once and said she now wants one too! Since there is no computer or plastic parts, I'm hoping it will last me for all my sewing years. Just my experience:-)

A low end brother would suit your needs well. The SQ-9185 is popular and can be found at walmart. This is the model that replaced my SQ-9050 and my SQ-9050 is a workhorse. I got her from walmart 5 years ago and she runs as beautiful as the day I purchased her and I haven't even serviced her yet and sew on her many different projects. I do have my high end brother as well but my little baby never dissapoints, even with super thick layers she has been a trooper

I must have had the only dud on the shelf then:) My first machine was a cute little Brother... I don't remember the model; I had to leave it in NZ when I moved over. Isn't it great that there are so many nice sewing machines out there for everyone's differnt needs and personalities! I love my singer 4423...a real workhorse and quilting partener for me!

I bought the Janome Magnolia 7318 some months ago and think it's a pretty nice starter machine. All mechanical = nothing computerized to fail. 18 stitches the bobbin drops in from the top and is easy to keep an eye on because the bobbin cover is transparent. Very easy to thread and it has nice looking straight stitches too. Bought it new on Amazon for $218.