Hello Everyone. I would like to hear you opion on what would be a 1st Machine Quilter? New Or Used? Brand? I don't have a lot of money so what would be the best deal for me? I love the thought that I could (hopefully) learn to do my own machine quilting making beautiful designs on the quilt I made from the beginning! So any help would be great!
THANK YOU!
Vonnie

Hi Vonnie,

Are you asking about a machine for piecing quilt tops or one for actual quilting, like a mid arm machine?

There is no best machine really. You will get as many different answers as there are machines on the market. We have people here on the quiltboard who piece and quilt on treadle machines made in the 1800s all the way to those of us who have computerized embroidery machines for piecing and longarms for quilting and every possible thing in between. Sorry to say there is no right answer for your question. You simply have to try out machines that are in your price range and get the best thing for YOU that fits in YOUR budget. If funds are very limited I recommend starting out with a second hand machine from a thrift store or good will. You may just totally luck out and find yourself a sweet little Singer featherweight for a song, like some members here have.

If you are looking for a domestic machine to do your own machine quilting on I recommend trying to find something where you can drop the feed dogs, have a foot for FMQ (some of them are called free motion embroidery foot), be able to put flush with a table top and the biggest harp or throat space available.

You can also look into rack setups with a carriage that holds the machine.

There are midarm setups by HQ, Bailey and a few others. You can check Craigslist and the internet for used. But before you do that you should really seek out dealerships or quiltshops that have that kind of set up available for demo, lessons or rental so you have an idea of what you like and what feels right to you.

If you don't have the big bucks to spend on a longarm, your best bet for a first quilting machine is to find a Singer 15-90 or 15-91. I've seen them offered for free or almost free on craigslist.

Replace or re-wire the motor ($20 & $70, respectively) and replace all the electrical components (power cord, foot control, light) for about $50 and clean the machine thoroughly.

And with this small investment of anywhere from $70 to $200, you will have a fabulous machine for piecing, free-motion and machine-guided quilting.

It takes standard low shank attachments, a class 15 bobbin and the 15X1 needle. Beautiful stitches, easy to maintain and easy to operate. You really can't go wrong with this model. :)

There is a lot more room under the arm of a 15 than there is in most modern domestic sewing machines. I regularly quilt queen and king-sized quilts on mine. I like feathers and loops and vines and tendrils and hearts and flowers - you're not at all limited in what you can do with FMQ. :)