KathyKat

I recently bought a Husquavarna Viking Sapphire 870 and I love it! I bought it froma local shop that has been in business for over 25 years. These are popular machines in the Midwest.
Features:
automatic tension adjustment for thicknest of fabric (love it!)
needle threader
you can operate by using start stop buttons or large foot pedal
button to cut thread (love it!)
can refill bobbin while machine is still threaded
presser foot up/down buttons
needle up/down buttons
5 speed control settings(love it!)
loads of stiches
easy to use buttons and screen which tells you what function you are on and what foot to use
large throat for machine quilting
you can select "fix" to make several stiches in place to fix your row of stiches
check it out online and read review. I think it's great but it's always good to get a machine that is siold and serviced locally so maybe it's not available in your region.
Goog luck!

leamelon

I have a pfaff hobby,an elna jubilee boughtnew also a bernina 1630 given to me used from a friend two singers and am elna 9000. I love them all I mostly do top stitching by hand I had had a few top stitched on a long arm but I have done sme stippling by machine on most of them. Hope you find one that you like. I invest enough on fabric and notions not on a fancy machine good luck on your quest

pieces

CherylR,
I have a couple Berninas, and thats all I've ever sewn on.
I wouldn't buy anything else but a Bernina.
The needle down/up is a great feature as well as the knee lift.
My 180E is a older machine but still sews perfectly. With this type of machine you can piece quilts and machine embroidery.
What I don't use is all the decorative stitches.
To keep within a budget consider buying a used machine, you can then buy a "good" machine that will give you quality performance. Buying a new "cheaper" machine may not give you a quality performance. Its kinda like you get what you pay for. Don't rush your purchase, research the information on the net and test drive all the machines available.
Waving back from Missouri.

mhansen6

I have a Pfaff. I have had Pfaffs for over 30 years. I just recently burnt out the motor on the Pfaff I used the most. It served me faithfully for 20 years. The thing I like about the Pfaff is the IDT, Integrated Dual Feed. It is a built in walking foot. I bought a Pfaff Creative 4.0 to replace my old Pfaff. So far I just love it. I looked at all sorts of different brands when I went to replace the machine I burnt up. I always came back to the Pfaff. Buying a new machine is definitely a personal thing. You must go out and try as many as you can. Don't be in a hurry to buy a machine. Look at them all.

Good Luck.

jacqstash

Hi,

I also was new at quilting a few years ago - did it all by hand - hated sewing - never wanted a machine. Then I decided putting on borders by hand was boring and maybe I should buy a "cheap" machine (not the $5000 Husquevanas that my quilting friends had) just for borders. Well Janome had a small machine that 3 of the 14 friends bought. (Now I think there are about 20-25 who have it and love it). It is the Janome Gem platinum (they found a good deal for $400, including walking, 1/4 inch, and darning feet) (feet can be expensive), loved it, and told me that is the one I should get for a starter machine. I did - LOVE it - a little work horse - only thing missing is the scissors cutters - only has 60 stitches but a good place to start for me. Since it's small the quilting "bed" is very small and hard to use to quilt larger pieces (even twin size). BUT, it is small and light (only 12 lbs) so is great to take to classes and on weekend retreats. A GREAT STARTER MACHINE - until you decide what features you really want/need on a machine. I will NEVER get rid of it! Use it all the time now - hand work is now only redwork and applique - pieceing is done on my little Janome). I just bought the Janome Horizon (about $3000) which I now know has some great features that I wanted. Haven't used it much yet but it is getting great reviews and selling fast. Does not do embroidery - I "never" want to do machine embroidery - however, if my "never" changes and I still love my Horizon - Janome does have a machine that does just embroidery - so I could just get that machine and still keep my Horizon piecing and quilting while the "embroiderer" is busy embroidering on its own - don't like the idea of tying up my "pieceing" machine to do embroidery. Some of these comments (embroidery) come from hearing my quilting friends. They have Vikings, Bernina, Phaffs, Janomes. Heard lots of complaints about Vikings. Heard lots of praise about Phaffs (like have 3 and never would be without one - by a teacher - who bought the Janome 6600 (predecesor to the Horizon/7700)a year ago ($1200) and loves it). Also have 3 other friends with the 6600 who love it. SO - I guess my advice sums up to be to buy the little Janome Gen PLATINUM to use till you see what features you really want/need. SORRY FOR THE LONG STORY and GOOD LUCK with whatever you decide!

stillwaters

I think Lab Fairy made a lot of good points. The walking foot, feed dogs the drop, etc. I have a 20-something year old Pfaff which I LOVE! When I first "invested" in this machine, my DH took me to the fair and made me "test drive" every model that was there. It was a good plan.

kbwoody

Just to chime in, I have a new Babylock for quilting and I love it. It practically sews by itself. I'm using it to teach my grandchildren, age 6 and 9, how to sew also. It has three speeds. Slow for beginners, medium for most uses and FMQ, then let her rip for long continuious seams. I gave away my Singer that was 42 years old because it frustated me with sloppy tension. I'm now in the market for a good little machine for portability. Thanks for all the discussion on this topic.

dixiechunk

I'm waving back at you! I live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland near Salisbury and have visited your area more than a few times. Had a nephew stationed there in the navy a couple of years ago. Now I have another nephew who lives down there with his girlfriend.

You'll get a lot of ideas about sewing machines, probably enough to confuse you. I used to have a Bernina 1230 and loved it, loved it, loved it. Now I have a Bernina 440. It's great but I don't love it. I miss the metal bed from the 1230, have had to replace the plastic one on the 440. Somehow, fabric just doesn't glide over the plastic one (when machine quilting) like it did the metal one.

dixiechunk

Reminds me of an old Singer model called the touch 'n sew. If you got a good one it was great, not so much if you got a lemon, then you called it the touch 'n jam. Fortunately, my grandmother had a great one, I learned to sew on it. If she'd had a lemon I probably would have given up.

bob1414

I learned to sew on 2 Sears Kenmore machines as well as a treadle sewing machine. Look into Kenmore machines at Sears. They are priced very well and always worked for me - simple to operate.