LegallyPhysics

Hi, everyone. This is my first post and I hope this forum is much more friendly than the legal forums I usually peruse. My wife is a stay-at-home mom and she loves sewing and just got into quilting. She is just finishing her first quilt and the machine I bought her (some $300 Singer) is great for small things, but for the large, thick quilt she is working on, it just cannot do the job. My wife has made some comments that she believes the sewing machine isn't able to handle the thickness of the quilt she has made (she took all of her old jeans, cut them up, and made this really cool quilt with them). I want to surprise her with a machine that can handle thick fabric so that she can continue to make her quilts without frustration; she has resorted to hand quilting the aforementioned quilt. We have a rule that whenever we buy each other a gift just because, we try to keep it around $1000, so any recommendations you have will be incredibly helpful.

TLDR (Too Long, Didn't Read) version: I need advice on the best machine to buy my wife, around $1000, that will be able to handle quilting and sewing on really thick materials.

Tartan

I use my old fashioned treadle for sewing on blue jeans. I have a $3000 dollar Bernina but it cannot handle the seams or the double fold edges from blue jeans. If she is looking for a good sewing machine for regular quilting, I will let someone else give you some names of reliable but less expensive models. What a nice gift you are planning for your wife!

annthreecats

You are going to get lots of suggestions. I don't own either of the machines I have in this response, but I have heard lots of good stuff about them on this board. You can do a search for either machine model and find lots of folks who love theirs.

Brother PQS 1500

Juki TL 2010

Here are links to descriptions at allbrands. com and it will give you details and prices for each machine.

http://www.allbrands.com/categories/...machine-699-do


http://www.allbrands.com/categories/...uilt-machine-1


Have fun deciding.

LegallyPhysics

So, after a cursory Google search, it looks like a treadle is a machine that does not use electricity, which seems interesting, but what is the reason it is better for denim and thicker materials?

momto5

I have a Janome 6600P which does fine with thick fabrics; also have a Husqvarna Platinum which is a workhorse...and we won't go into the numerous older machines that I think will handle most anything you can throw at them. THe Janome was about $1400, a bit more than you asked about; the Platinum was a steal at auction for about $450. Good luck...you might also try Craig's List in your area or visit your local sewing machine shop and talk to the owner for his/her ideas. Good luck!

myreda

Another machine to consider is the Juki F600. It has a larger harp and also features a box feed system that is supposed to be great for thick fabrics.

MadQuilter

What a nice hubby you are. Is it important that she gets the machine as a gift? Just wondering because I would prefer to pick my own machine. Maybe you could find out what features are important to her. I can tell you that for quilts my must haves are needle up/down, needle position sideways, motor speed control, easy threader, LARGE THROAT, handle thick layers.

Is she going to keep the Singer for regular piecing? In that case you may consider a simple mechanical straight-stitch machine such as the Brother 1600, Pfaff 1200, Yuki 980 etc (they are all essentially the same machine). This machine has a large throat and it sews at 1500 to 1600 stitches a minute BUT it only goes forward or backwards.

My favorite brand is Baby Lock but I don't know what their prices are. Whichever one gets chosen, I'd want to take her for a test drive.

dunster

I concur with getting an older machine for the jeans. It doesn't have to be a treadle, though - a Singer 15-91 would be fine and would probably be under $100. Then add a check for the difference and let your wife pick out the machine she wants for all her other quilting. (Or not. She may want to buy fabric instead.)

Caroline S

Can't help you with deciding on a new, fancy machine. But I do really like my vintage 1953 Singer 15-91. She never balks at thick seams or layers and the feed dogs drop for free motion quilting. I think I would take your wife sewing machine shopping so she can pick the one she wants.

virtualbernie

For $1000 you could get a better Singer that will sew through anything. I have a Singer Quantum L-500 that sews through anything I put in it. I also have a Juki that I love and sews through anything. They both cost slightly under $1000 when I got them. I also have 15-91's both treadle and electric and Singer 66's treadle and electric and they all sew through anything! Those old machines were/are true workhorses and meant to last!