Onebyone

The Bernina dealer here sells Eversewn. Online I've seen them at Amazon, The Quilt Show, Quilt in Day, and other well known quilting sites.

MountainMomma

Thank you all for your input. I greatly appreciate it. I guess now it's back to Google and start comparing more models. Thank you all again. I really am looking forward to learning to quilt and who knows where it will lead .

salederer

I'd say a big fat NO to a singer! You'd get a lot more for your buck with a Brother or Baby Lock.

Lady Diana

Go to your nearest JANOME dealer.....their machines are designed for quilters....check features you want on their website ie.,auto threader, up down needle button, auto thread cutter..great for piecing, auto foot lifter, wide throat space...decorative stitches ..NOT IMPORTANT TO MOST QUILTERS ...ask dealer for show machine for lower price..... what price RANGE? PM me for recommendation, glad to help.

sxboyer

I have been a Janome fan for years, back when they were called 'new home' here in the us. I recently purchased my third one, (use all three depending on the job) and would not consider any other brand, have used a lot of them just to test.

Pennyhal

First decide your budget and buy a machine that is in that budget. Then make a list of what you would like to have in a machine...however, if this is your first machine you may not know what would be nice to have. To me, the most important thing is to purchase a machine from a store that will provide support for you and does machine repairs. If you find a store that puts a lot of pressure on you to buy their machine, I'd look around at other stores too. I don't know where you live, but hopefully you'll be able to visit more than one shop.

Patchwork is just straight stitching so most machines nowadays can do that well. I find having a needle up/down function is great and I like having a foot pedal. If you plan on doing machine quilting, I'd get the largest throat area too...throat area is the space to the right of the needle. Different feet will come with the machine. Awalking foot is good to have too, but if it is not included in the purchase price, you may want to buy one. You'll be able to tryout sewing on a machine at a store, so do that too. Some shops only have a fabric that shows off their machine, so bring some quilting fabric to stitch on to see how the machine perfoms with quilting cotton.

My favorite machine is my Bernina, but they can be expensive. I bought my first Bernina used and it is my workhorse. I also like my Babylock. If you have a friend who sews, it would be nice if she could go with you. In the end, it is personal preference.

llong0233

This question is asked very often. If you have the time, I suggest you check out the threads on this subject as there is a lot of opinion, experience and advice already available to you. Good luck.

simpsonfs

I would NOT buy today's new Singers. The vintage machines are wonderful but Singer just isn't it nowadays. Of course, consider your budget first....then shop around. If you live in a area where there are dealers, I suggest buying one from good dealer. Visit their shops and see what other things are offered. If you are just beginning, it would be nice to have some classes at the shops. You will meet others who can be mentors. Learning to quilt is a journey and you do not have a clue where you will end up...so many techniques and choices. Keep us posted on your decision. There are also lots of experienced people here on the board that can help.

bernamom

I have that machine and I really like it. I also have a Pfaff now, but I still use the singer as my main piecing machine. The only gripe I have is that when you start sewing, it will come unthreaded if you don't hold the end. You get used to it after a while and remember to hold it when you start off.

AVFD215

It depends on your budget. When I started a few years ago, I got a Janome 2128 (128 is the same and about $120) and have made most of my quilts (over 30) on it. If you can afford a high end machine, that is the way to go.
My point is, don't be afraid of SOME of the low end machines.
Happy Quilting