capucine

Hello Ladies my DH is asking what i would like for Xmas I have been thinking of a sewing machine for my quilting but not sure which one there are so many on the market. So what better place to ask for advise but QB! Any suggestion will be considered. Thank you for taking the time.

woody

Do you have a budget in mind???
I'm just up the road in Canberra, Ulladulla is a gorgeous part of the coast, we don't get down that way often enough.

sewbeadit

It is helpful if you have a budget in mind for sure. There are so many good new and used machines. Let us know.

cats200cats

Look at Bernina always good value for money lovely to use even the really old models Jennifer

capucine

Hi neighbour I would pay i guess up to $500 i don't mind if it's second hand we are checking ebay as well. Have a good day to all

jitkaau

Apart from buying the best you can afford for its performance and features, the next thing that I think you should look at is the warranty and customer service. I have had a deal of trouble with lack of customer service with a once reputable company , that I'm thinking of moving to another brand.
The things you should look for in a good quilting machine are these: a wide throat or harp - 9" or bigger, ability to lower the feed dogs, a single stitch needle plate, a dual feed foot or walking foot, free motion quilting foot and a flat bed table. A knee lift is also helpful so that you can keep both hands on the quilt. If you find all of these features in the machine you are off to a good start.

mpspeedy

Having had a very irritating experience recently while making Christmas gifts for my friends I will offer my two cents. I have been a big Bernina fan eversince I worked for a dealer more than 20 years ago. I literaly wore out my Bernina 1260. As a quilter and crafter my biggest advise is to "not" get a machine that is capable of making a 9 mil wide stitch. I thought I would love the ability to stitch out motifs that required that ability. I discovered to my frustration this past weekend that sewing small items that need top stitching for example are very hard to do if they are to small to properly fit under the "feed dogs". For piecing and other basic sewing the wider stitch ability causes a less stable basic stitch. The little Singer Featherweights are a perfect example of a wonderful straight stitch.

raptureready

Get one that you have a local service center for. Luckily we have a wonderful Janome dealer nearby that's also certified to work on the machines so sometimes repairs can be made on a while-you-wait basis. As with any other fairly expensive purchase, it's the service afterwards that's the real deal maker.

Personally I like Janome. They come with many of the different feet that you need. While Bernina is a great machine you have to purchase the feet separately and some of them are really expensive. Decide what you need the machine to do and then get one that will do that---but also do as many more things as your budget will allow. You won't be sorry.

Oh, if you like to go to classes, retreats or anywhere else that you need to take a machine along with you, be mindful of the weight of the machine.

Jackie Spencer

Check out e-bay. I just bought a new Janome 3050 brand new still in the box, shipped free from the warehouse for $419.00 My sister bought the same machine back in Sept. from a Janome Dealer for$650.00 I bought mine Nov. 28th and received it on Dec. 5th Have been sewing on it everyday since... and I love it!

capucine

Thank you for your advise I have passed on the informations to DH and he is doing lots of research on will let you know if Santa find the right one for me.