Newbie Quilter Needs Your Input & Recomendations Desperately!!
06-16-2010, 08:01 PM
#21
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Ramona, California
Posts: 2,999
I have a Brother Star 230 E which I bought in Australia while living in that neck of the woods (and haven't been able to find it here). I run it on a transformer here, since it is 220. I love the machine for piecing (have made over 28 quilts with it so far), have only machine quilted a couple of small quilts with purchased (about $45.00) walking foot(usually hand-quilt), but I do applique some quilts by machine. There is no blanket stitch which I really wish it had, so use a zig-zag stitch as the default stitch. If you want the machine for just piecing, I don't have a complaint about my Brother, but will be looking to purchase a new one this year so I will be in the same boat as you. I am reading everyone's comments with interest!!
06-16-2010, 08:17 PM
#22
Power Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Ohio
Posts: 17,068
Hi Cheryl, First of all, welcome to the board!!
I have a Bernina and absolutely love it.
I sewed on a Kenmore for many years before I got my new one.
Mine is computerized although the older Berninas are great as well.I know many people who have them. You already got lots of good advice. For your first machine I probably wouldn't get too fancy and that will lower the cost as well.
Let us know what you end up getting :D
I have a Bernina and absolutely love it.
I sewed on a Kenmore for many years before I got my new one.
Mine is computerized although the older Berninas are great as well.I know many people who have them. You already got lots of good advice. For your first machine I probably wouldn't get too fancy and that will lower the cost as well.
Let us know what you end up getting :D
06-16-2010, 08:28 PM
#23
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
In my opinion, you need to set your budget first. That will narrow down the range of machines to consider.
I have a Bernina 1230 that I love; some of the newer Bernina's I would not like as much. Bernina's are pricey, though; you don't need a Bernina to quilt! You need a machine that you enjoy using.
You really want the needle-down feature, and at least a few different needle positions (to be sure you can adjust for a scant 1/4-inch). You need infinitely adjustable stitch width and stitch length (so you can do different types of machine applique). You will want a walking foot and a darning foot.
Bring a quilt sandwich and some fabrics with you to test drive machines.
The first thing that always strikes me is how noisy the machine is; I like machines that hum or purr, not ones that clink and clank! Make sure the machine sews a nice 1/4-inch seam on the fabrics *you* bring in. You don't want the feed dogs pulling your fabric to one side or the other, you don't want crooked stitches, and you want the stitch to look nice on both the top and the bottom. You also want to be sure you can adjust the needle so that your fabric covers the feed dogs while you are sewing a 1/4-inch seam. Run flimsy fabrics through and a couple layers of denim; the stitches should look good on both without having to adjust the tension. (Having a machine that does not maintain good tension while you sew is one of the worst problems you can have!) Check the wide, long zigzag stitch on both top and bottom; the zigzag is the best way to check that the tensions are balanced, as it will show up any imperfections.
Not all machines make good stitches on a quilt sandwich. If you already know how to free-motion quilt, try that out on the machine to make sure that the stitches look good top and bottom. A walking foot made especially for the machine often works better than a generic walking foot.
Make sure that the machine is full size. You need enough space under the arm to fit a quilt.
Most of the bells and whistles on newer machines are completely unnecessary for quilting. My Bernina has more decorative stitches on it than I will ever want to use. You do want a good blind-hem stitch (the stitch used for hemming curtains) and the ability to mirror-image it so you can do invisible machine applique later; however, even this stitch is not absolutely necessary because you can also do machine applique with just a zigzag.
My advice is not to spend too much money on this first machine. Develop your skills, take classes, see what other quilters are using, try out machines at dealerships whenever you have an hour to spare, and take your time before investing in an expensive machine. It's a good idea to have a backup machine anyway.
I have a Bernina 1230 that I love; some of the newer Bernina's I would not like as much. Bernina's are pricey, though; you don't need a Bernina to quilt! You need a machine that you enjoy using.
You really want the needle-down feature, and at least a few different needle positions (to be sure you can adjust for a scant 1/4-inch). You need infinitely adjustable stitch width and stitch length (so you can do different types of machine applique). You will want a walking foot and a darning foot.
Bring a quilt sandwich and some fabrics with you to test drive machines.
The first thing that always strikes me is how noisy the machine is; I like machines that hum or purr, not ones that clink and clank! Make sure the machine sews a nice 1/4-inch seam on the fabrics *you* bring in. You don't want the feed dogs pulling your fabric to one side or the other, you don't want crooked stitches, and you want the stitch to look nice on both the top and the bottom. You also want to be sure you can adjust the needle so that your fabric covers the feed dogs while you are sewing a 1/4-inch seam. Run flimsy fabrics through and a couple layers of denim; the stitches should look good on both without having to adjust the tension. (Having a machine that does not maintain good tension while you sew is one of the worst problems you can have!) Check the wide, long zigzag stitch on both top and bottom; the zigzag is the best way to check that the tensions are balanced, as it will show up any imperfections.
Not all machines make good stitches on a quilt sandwich. If you already know how to free-motion quilt, try that out on the machine to make sure that the stitches look good top and bottom. A walking foot made especially for the machine often works better than a generic walking foot.
Make sure that the machine is full size. You need enough space under the arm to fit a quilt.
Most of the bells and whistles on newer machines are completely unnecessary for quilting. My Bernina has more decorative stitches on it than I will ever want to use. You do want a good blind-hem stitch (the stitch used for hemming curtains) and the ability to mirror-image it so you can do invisible machine applique later; however, even this stitch is not absolutely necessary because you can also do machine applique with just a zigzag.
My advice is not to spend too much money on this first machine. Develop your skills, take classes, see what other quilters are using, try out machines at dealerships whenever you have an hour to spare, and take your time before investing in an expensive machine. It's a good idea to have a backup machine anyway.
06-16-2010, 09:11 PM
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Wichita Falls, TX
Posts: 640
Janome has a new machine for quilters...Model 3160QDC. It's only been out a few months. It is a dream for quilters, with lots of bells and whistles. Our local quilt shop had it on sale, so you may find it for less than the $799 retail price.
I have three friends who purchased one and they absolutely love it. I don't need a new machine, but if I did I'd get this one. You can check it out on Janome's web site.
I have three friends who purchased one and they absolutely love it. I don't need a new machine, but if I did I'd get this one. You can check it out on Janome's web site.
06-16-2010, 11:14 PM
#26
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Mapleton, Oregon
Posts: 5,922
Hi Cheryl;
Wow, getting a sewing machine is such a personal thing, you really need to test them out for yourself. One thing can be a high selling point for one person, and the reason someone won't buy that machine.
I have a janome, I absolutely love her, she has a thread cutter(automatic), and a few bells and whistles. I have tried the bernina and found it to be very user unfriendly, and I found the babylock not for me, too complicated. Pfaffs were too small. And I was able to use my machine from the get go.
But you might not like the Janome, for one reason or another. I know now is a good time to get a Janome because people are turning in their older models to get the new one that just came out, so you may be able to get a good deal.
Don't make any hasty decissions, try them all out, then think about it. After all, yu won't be able to buy another one for a while, so make sure you like it.
Another thing is make sure they come with classes on how to use the machine, you can learn so many tricks and pointers that will make your sewing life so much easier.
Good luck,
Lucinda
Wow, getting a sewing machine is such a personal thing, you really need to test them out for yourself. One thing can be a high selling point for one person, and the reason someone won't buy that machine.
I have a janome, I absolutely love her, she has a thread cutter(automatic), and a few bells and whistles. I have tried the bernina and found it to be very user unfriendly, and I found the babylock not for me, too complicated. Pfaffs were too small. And I was able to use my machine from the get go.
But you might not like the Janome, for one reason or another. I know now is a good time to get a Janome because people are turning in their older models to get the new one that just came out, so you may be able to get a good deal.
Don't make any hasty decissions, try them all out, then think about it. After all, yu won't be able to buy another one for a while, so make sure you like it.
Another thing is make sure they come with classes on how to use the machine, you can learn so many tricks and pointers that will make your sewing life so much easier.
Good luck,
Lucinda
06-17-2010, 02:42 AM
#27
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 3,877
I went through this a few months ago and boy do I feel for you. Soooo much info out there and so many different machines it gets soooo confusing. I didn't check out the Bernina because the dealer I called didn't have time to discuss any machines. I didn't feel I would get very good service there, so I went to Viking and Janome.
Viking has some beautiful machines but are $$$$$. Wonderful features. They also have trade-ins that were OK priced. If I would have had the disposal $$$$$ then I probably would have purchased one of these without going to anywhere else. That wasn't the case so I continued on.
Janome also has wonderful machines. Very well built!!! No plastic at all, ball-bearings. Hubby loved this fact since he's a mfg. eng. and knew how long it would last. I made him go with me to check out the mechanicals and ask those kind of questions. I actually ended up purchasing the 6600P which has just been delicious!!! Wonderfully easy machine to use. With the new Horizon, a lot of individuals have been upgrading so you'll probably get a good deal on one of these. I paid $1049 for mine and has actually been worth every penny. Would recommend highly.
My other machine I have I've had for 17 yrs and purchased it just to make clothes and home decor. I never thought about quilting. Used it to piece and to do some machine quilting, but because the throat was so small it was very limiting. Luckily I love hand work so I learned how to hand quilt.
The only piece of advice I can actually give is, get as much as you can afford. Give yourself room to grow. It'll be cheaper now than in the future.
Good Luck!!!! :-D :-D
Viking has some beautiful machines but are $$$$$. Wonderful features. They also have trade-ins that were OK priced. If I would have had the disposal $$$$$ then I probably would have purchased one of these without going to anywhere else. That wasn't the case so I continued on.
Janome also has wonderful machines. Very well built!!! No plastic at all, ball-bearings. Hubby loved this fact since he's a mfg. eng. and knew how long it would last. I made him go with me to check out the mechanicals and ask those kind of questions. I actually ended up purchasing the 6600P which has just been delicious!!! Wonderfully easy machine to use. With the new Horizon, a lot of individuals have been upgrading so you'll probably get a good deal on one of these. I paid $1049 for mine and has actually been worth every penny. Would recommend highly.
My other machine I have I've had for 17 yrs and purchased it just to make clothes and home decor. I never thought about quilting. Used it to piece and to do some machine quilting, but because the throat was so small it was very limiting. Luckily I love hand work so I learned how to hand quilt.
The only piece of advice I can actually give is, get as much as you can afford. Give yourself room to grow. It'll be cheaper now than in the future.
Good Luck!!!! :-D :-D
06-17-2010, 02:54 AM
#28
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: cleveland ohio
Posts: 3,876
I have 2 bothers, CS6000i can get at walmart and ULT2005 with disney. Love them both, no problems other than normal maintenance. It really boils down to what you an afford, people who you can go to for questions and servicing of your machine.
06-17-2010, 04:19 AM
#30
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Missouri
Posts: 396
I think you'll find we all have our favorites - and you will too eventually. I have an older model Pfaff, a newer Bernina and a BabyLock - what can I say? It's an illness. I use all three although the BabyLock is mainly for classes & travel. My suggestion is to find dealers in your area and 'test drive' their machines. Pick the one you can afford and that best meets your needs.
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