pennysgirl

Thanks Iceblossom! I had a 25 year old kenmore that my husband bought me before we were married, just so I could hem pants for our soon to-be family... as it turned out, that machine served me well, and I made many things, including costumes as well as clothing. I decided to upgrade a few years ago and sold that machine at a garage sale for$40!!! I wish I had it now, in the interim... as I try to decide on a new machine! I totally agree that a good straight stitch is what I mostly need, but even though I only quilt 70x90 size or under, having a large throat area makes it so much easier! I had a lot of stitch choices with my quantum machine but honestly didn’t use more than a few of them... and since I mostly used my walking foot, I probably didn’t realize how poorly my feed dog function was working!

pennysgirl

I Love that idea, quiltingcandy... to stretch myself, not my budget... this concept applies to many things in life!

pennysgirl

Wow! I didn’t expect such a quick response and so much good advice! Thanks everyone for your help so far! I plan to investigate more in the next day or so and make a decision soon! I will probably have more questions when I narrow my choices down...

NJ Quilter

Welcome from NJ. Agree with everything that has already been said. Not sure where in PA you are but if you are near to central NJ I would highly recommend my dealer. PM me if you want details.

Lori B.

Welcome from Michigan!

osewme

Welcome from Texas. Good luck in your search for a new machine. I have a Janome Magnolia 7330 which I bought in 2009 for $329. At the time I was just beginning to quilt & didn't know what I wanted but DH was insistent that I get a new machine for my new hobby. I like the machine a lot but sure wish the throat was larger (it's about 6 1/2"). Also, it's hard to get my hands in to thread the needle. Now, it does have a needle threader which makes that function easier. Even though I don't use a lot of fancy stitches, I wish it had more to select from. It does have a needle up/down feature which I Love & a slide that allows to change the speed of the machine. I have heard a lot of great things about the Ever Sewn Sparrow machine but I don't know anything about them other than what I've read online.
Have fun with your new hobby. This board is full of encouragement & help. We also love to see pictures...hint, hint, hint.

Boston1954

Welcome from Oklahoma.