bill scotese

Hi everyone, my name is Bill and I am not a quilter but my wife is and I would like to buy her a good sewing machine for Christmas. Can anyone give me some help on what brand you would recommend and anything I should avoid etc.

Thanks

Nanaquilts44

I use a Baby Lock which I just love. There are all sorts of price ranges - hopefully you'll hear from soem others here.

ebsgranny

I am sold on Janome. You can see if there is a dealer in your area and they can go over your options.

Mazda

I love my Brother sewing/embroidery machine.

apiarist

I would give her a gift voucher and let her decide for herself. She knows better than others what it is that she likes to do and what machines would suit her purpose.

Lori S

There are several good choices out there, First find a real dealership where she can get support, lessons, maintenince etc. when needed. ASk if they do repair at the place of purchase or do they send the machines out for serivce. Look at warrenty! good brands that come to mind are Viking, Babylock, Bernina, Janome and Phaff. Make sure to tell the dealer that she is a quilter and needs the proper feet to go with the machine ( walling foot, free motion and 1/4 inch foot )... do purchase extra bobbins .. a quilter can never have enough bobbins. Determine ahead of time if she wants a machine that embroiders as well as sews this will help to narrow your search.
If she has a favorite Local quilt shop , they may also sell machines and have some knowledge of what she might want or has had her eye on.

QKO

There are many good brands out there, but not knowing anything about her intended usage, it makes it pretty difficult to recommend any particular machine. Different machines are intended for different purposes, with many different features.

You can spend anywhere from a few hundred dollars up to over 10 thousand for a machine.

My advice would be the same as a previous poster -- figure out how much you want to spend, then go to a reputable dealer and buy a gift card or gift certificate from them.

soccertxi

OH! I SO agree with this! My family , years ago, was going to get me a serger. My mom was going to order it out of a catalog , sight unseen. Luckily for me, I found out and was able to get the one I wanted. A handmade gift certificate would work for me!

merrylouw

I agree with others who have suggested a gift card. A sewing machine is a very personal purchase.

That being said, I LOVE my Baby Lock machines. There are models for all types of sewing, and I just got an e-mail from them that they will have Black Friday specials, as well as special financing available. I got a Baby Lock serger last year with 2 year no interest financing, which made it affordable for me.

Also, kudos to you! You're a very thoughtful husband.

SuzieQuilts

My husband did the exact thing for me 5 years ago. I did not have a clue that I was getting a new sewing machine until I opened the box. That is why it was so special is that he was able to get what I wanted with out me knowing. He knew that I was happy with the Bernina I had for 20 years and the local Bernina dealer because of the great customer service I had recieved. He went to that dealer and told him what he was doing and that I had just started to get into quilting. He purchased a 440QE with the BSR and embroidery and a lap top. So the question is, do you want to surprise her? If so, do your research, is she happy with the brand she has? If so, go to that local dealer, and tell them what you want to do and what kind of sewing she does. If she is not, then what brand has she talked about? If brand or cost is not a issue, then go with a Bernina (not a bernette, it is not the same) You can't go wrong. It is, hands down, the best machine on the market, but also the most expensive. They offer a large price range in machines and choices. If it is not a surprise, then get her imput. Good Luck, it will mean the world to her that you care about her passion.