mike'sgirl

Hi and welcome to the board. Feline fanatic and the others all gave you great advice. Some have mentioned a vintage machine. I would also suggest one. You could get a nice vintage 301 or 401 to quilt on for not a lot of money. The 301 has 7 1\2 inches of harp space, which is good for a little machine. But its metal gear driven and a work horse. I have one on a frame and it gives me beautful stitches. I would stay away from a new Singer. Brother machines are still made by Brother and are better machines, if you are buying new.
I wish you good luck in finding the perfect machine. Gina

bearisgray

Welcome to the board.

If I am correctly understanding what you are looking for - it seems like a lot to expect from any onemachine.

It may exist - my "newest" machine is from the 1980's, so I do not know what is currently available.

From general experience, though, I feel that any tool that tries to do many functions, does not do a superlative job at any of them.

toverly

Clothesline baskets really give the lightweight machines a workout. I would search craigslist in your area for an older machine that zig zags. The heavier weight will help.

tessagin

Welcome to the board. Look at your manual closely. You may be surprised what your machine can do for you. Keep an eye open for sales on Amazon. ALso check and find out when that gift card expires many do. Also check with your local quilt shop and see what they have so you could possibly try one out. One local shop near me teaches long arm for a fee of $25.00 an hour for a 2 hour course. Then another $15.00 an hour to rent their long arm. It's a Gammill. My thing is it would be worth it to me if I ever have to or want to quilt a large full-King size. I've still got a couple more places to check. Will also be a way for me to see about a gift for myself in the future. My thinking is you possibly could see if a dealer is nearby and you could try one that interests you and see if they allow or have a lay-a-way.

Dolphyngyrl

The singer she mentioned is very popular model with good reviews

sputano

I have the Singer Futura Quintet, which is a sewing, quilting and embroidery machine. I love it, it does a good job. But, it is out of your price range. Just saying, not all Singers are "plastic junk". I would recommend that you start with a machine that is not an embroidery machine. The Brothers are good machines at a price that is more affordable. I also have a Juki 2010Q that is a work horse. But, it is more expensive. Brothers are probably going to be your best bet. I agree with checking what your machine really does, sometimes we already have what we need, just have to learn all it will do. Good luck and happy quilting.

margecam52

I would say your tempo should work for quilting. Does it have a darning foot? If so, you can quilt with it. You are not going to find a machine that will "guide" you as you quilt. If you are doing straight lines...your regular or walking foot should have a wire (L shaped) that slides into the back of the foot...you adjust for the width of the lines you are doing.

If you are set on a new Machine...I'd get this one:
http://tinyurl.com/gukkjsw
Singer 9960
The above link is to the machine on Amazon.com

You don't need a larger harp to do even a king size quilt. Look on youtube for info on how to quilt on a domestic machine. I did it for years and years. It's all about how you do the quilting. Remember, you quilt from middle out...so even king size is never more than twin size in depth. Divide into 4ths...baste (pin or large hand stitches...spray baste is ok...but works loose as you go...pins or thread is best). Start by squishing (don't roll, as it takes up too much height) the edge of the quilt sandwich under and over until you reach the middle of the quilt...stitch in the direction of the machine harp area...pulling the quilt from the harp area as you go.

One really important thing...you need a huge surface for support of the quilt. I used my machine table (a little desk at that time), shoved the dining room table into a corner, put the school desk at the right side of the table front... and the dining table supported the king size quilt...having the table in the corner of the wall, let's the wall keep the quilt on the table...no drag (or very minimal).

I'd try with the one you have...see if you like it before buying a 2nd machine...unless you really just want a 2nd machine.
Marge

klswift

If you are looking for a basic machine, please consider 2 things. How big is the harp? and does it have a walking foot. Getting a great deal on a machine is no deal if it doesn't do what you need it to!

matraina

Marionquilts today
See

purplefiend

I used to sell new Singer machines, totally agree don't buy one.