Originally Posted by
meyert
Are these types of sewing machine truly capable of quilting?
I think this question has been overlooked. Teresa, most people start machine quilting by using either stitch in the ditch (SITD) or straight line crosshatching. To be clear, SITD means to stitch along the blocks' seams in your quilt. Crosshatching is going diagonally in straight lines across your quilt. To quilt intricate designs with a machine, you will need to learn free motion quilting (FMQ).
If you're sewing full-sized quilts, you'll need a machine with a decent sized throat or harp. For STID and crosshatching, you'll want a walking foot. For FMQ, you'll need a hopping or darning foot.
I've never FMQed. Even though I mainly crosshatch, there are variations you can quilt with a walking foot. I've recently finished my first all-curves quilting with a walking foot and I'm very happy with it. It's very gentle curves, but hey, you walk before you run.
Tate