Sewnoma

The perfect machine is whichever one that's right in front of me.

I have about a dozen machines now too, and there isn't a single one in the "family" that I don't like. Whichever one I've sewn on the most recently always feels like my favorite, then I use a different machine and I fall in love all over again. Each one is special (to me) in some way or another and I tend to pick my machine based on my mood. Some days I want everything as automated as possible; other days I want to play with cams and levers.

I haven't tried FMQ on any of them except my Janome 6600 though - that big harp is there to be used! And that machine does everything else I ask of it very well too, no complaints other than it's too big & heavy for me to consider it portable.

My current "perfect" piecing machine is my Singer Rocketeer that I just got for Christmas. Not only is it completely awesome to look at, it sews a really nice stitch and had a perfect 1/4" seam without any adjustments - only machine in the family that has that. That machine is just beautiful, inside and out.

Bubbie

Ms Grace, So very sorry for your loss. I also am a Pfaff gal, the old West Germany machines are just so very hard to beat. When I had to take mine in to be worked on, the guy who did it couldn't believe how quiet and what a wonderful stitches she still has. I have found that I am going backwards in Pfaff years. The new Pfaffs are nice, but just not the same. A LQS owner is a Pfaff gal too, her husband finds older Pfaffs and makes them purr like new. These are all before computer motherboards, but they sew like champs. I have found an Embroidery machine only on a good deal, so I have it for anything fancy I want. But still have my Pfaff for all of my sewing. This might be something you look into. Good luck

Texas_Sue

I love my Bernina 440 QE. It is so wonderful and I would hate for her to die. I know they are expensive, but mine has more than paid for itself with it's performance. I also have a Featherweight that I was taking for classes, but have since decided that I really like to sew on the Bernina only.

Rhonda Lee

I love my Baby Lock Ellisimo. It does everything I ask it to and then some. Very user friendly. Sews like a dream and when I am in the mood it does wonderful embroidery. I've made a lot of pieced quilts and used it to do the quilting. Love it.

w1613s

My beloved Elna Super 62c died a few years ago after 30+ years of constantly sewing everything I sewed and that was a great deal in every category you can think of including the top to my husband's MG.

It is hard to top that Elna but a Bernina 1630 is making a run at it. A beautiful machine. Keep in mind the Bernina is computerized so no more car tops. And it is rather elderly - 18+ years, I think.. It was purchased by a noted Canadian quilter along with two other, identical twin Berninas when she was in FL and used while she was in the states. When she headed back to Canada, she took one and left the other two with a friend. The friend kept one and I got the third.

Recently my father gifted me with a Husqvarna Designer Diamond Royale. To date, and I am determined to learn how to make this machine sit up and beg and love it dearly and sew on it until one of us dies, it does some things the Bernina cannot and it does them exceedingly well; but, I have concerns that only time and use will clarify so it not fair to judge this one as second to the Bernina.

My local Husqvarna Viking dealer is marvelous and the servicing arrangement is very hopeful. Having a factory trained repair person in a Husqvarna Viking run repair and service facility is wonderful too.

Your talking to the other sewers on this board is an excellent idea. Don't forget to meet the owner of the dealership and discuss not only the machine your 're looking at but how the dealer does sales and repairs/servicing as well. If you are in a quilting group, see how they like the particular dealers. If you can't get the service/repair/ parts/accessories on the "perfect machine" that you are interested in, you've bought yourself a real problem.

Have a good time on the hunt. There are many great machines out there like Gram's Singer treadle and Grandmother's Singer 403 and the sisters of my long departed Elna.

Pat

Snooze2978

Though I didn't use it for piecing I did make quite a bit of clothing with it including a wedding dress. It was an Elna SU62. It traveled to a number of states with me, got it back in 1978 and it never saw the inside of a repair shop. Heck back then I didn't know you were supposed to take them in to have cleaned, etc. Can't remember if I ever put a drop of oil in it either. Anyway, I sold it once I got my Viking Designer 1 in 2000 thinking I didn't need 2 machines. Boy was I wrong. Tried to buy it back from the lady I sold it to for twice the money and no deal. She fell in love with it too. My loss.

Anyway, it was a great machine, light enough to carry to class, the case made into a table that slid into the arm of the machine so you had a free arm and table model all in one.

Now my Viking D1 is my piecing machine and I love that one too. Though its an embroidery machine since acquiring another embroidery machine I use the D1 strictly for piecing. I love the way that I can program special stitches such as the scant 1/4" and save it so I don't have to reprogram it every time I turn the machine on. Plus it has semi-auto needle threader, auto thread cutter and the auto foot raiser or whatever its called with needle down makes strip piecing a breeze. Yes, I love my D1 and hope it lasts forever.

Lady Diana

I love both my Janome 6600 and my Janome 8900. The 6600 is a real workhorse....had it for years. The 8900 is a breeze at FMQ.....right out of the box, no special thread, needle, or tension....FMQ with no eyelashes....love it.

MargeD

My Janome 4000 and I have sewn and quilted too many quilts to count, and she still does a great job.

tlpa

My favorite for piecing is my Bernina 170, just love the stitch quality etc. It is on the verge of needing a new motherboard though....the stitch length wouldn't work so I put it aside and started using my Pfaff 7570. When my Pfaff started needing a tune up again (it seems to need tuning a lot, so this one isn't my favorite machine), I went back to my Bernina and found that it was working again...this was after about 8 months. Yeah!! just love that machine! For FMQ, my favorite is my mechanical Bernina 931. This just always works with no eyelashes or hassles.

SusanSusan33

I love my Juki TL2010Q for piecing and FMNing. She (he?) quilts up a storm. Isn't picky at all about thread (though the weights like to match) and can free motion with perfect tension without any adjustments at all!!