Eventually, I hope to buy a machine that is more suited to machine quilting than my Kenmore (although I've got no complaints with it as a good standard sewing machine). And no, I won't be buying a long-arm--can't afford it. That said, I'd be very interested to hear what features you think are important on a machine dedicated to quilting, and which brands you like the best and why. TIA!
Eventually, I hope to buy a machine that is more suited to machine quilting than my Kenmore (although I've got no complaints with it as a good standard sewing machine). And no, I won't be buying a long-arm--can't afford it. That said, I'd be very interested to hear what features you think are important on a machine dedicated to quilting, and which brands you like the best and why. TIA!
For just pure quilting, you can't beat the Brother 1500s. But, you've got to have another machine if you do other types of sewing because it only does a straight stitch and doesn't have a free arm.
L> Eventually, I hope to buy a machine that is more suited to machine
Linda PATCHogue, NY
Michelle, I think needle down is a feature that really helps a lot; you don't take the chance that your machine will "lose her place". ;) I also love the knee lift that keeps my hands on my work as I lift the presser foot with my knee to adjust something. My own machine isn't one that's
*only* for quilting; it has embroidery capability (though I didn't buy the embroidery unit) and other little bells and whistles that I enjoy, but it does do a wonderful job of quilting; it's a Bernina 630. That said, a machine with a larger harp would be a good thing, too.Thanks Linda. :-)
Hi Sandy,
Now that you mention it, I remember the "needle down" function being mentioned in another thread. Imo, that would definitely be handy. I *try* to remember to stop with the needle down, but.... Okay, now to the knee lift, I've never heard of this before. Going to check out that Bernina 630.
Thanks!
Just a personal opinion, mind you--I love the old Singers, the Featherweights and the 301s. They are easy to fix, simple to run and adjust, and inexpensive. They are limited, however. Straight stitch only, no bells or whistles, and on the rare occasion they need serious repair, it can be difficult to find a reliable expert.
Howdy!
Found this article via other posts here last week:
R/Sandy -- hand quilter
Thanks Taria,
Yes, I want the machine for quilting. My Kenmore does a lovely job of piecing, and will quilt a nice straight line--but it's not really equipped to easily deal with free motion or stippling, or any challenging design for that matter. And as you said, a larger harp would be a plus.
Okay, I'm writing down your suggestions.... Thanks again!
I can certainly see the point in simplicity! :-) However, my Kenmore will do a straight stitch. I'm hoping to add free motion to my quilting repertoire, and the Kenmore really isn't equipped to do that.
Looks like a great article! I'm off to read... Thanks!
I would concur with the choice of the Janome 1600p, Juki 98Q, Brother
1500. These are all mid arm machines with a larger harp area and are capable of both piecing and free motion quilting. They are straight stitch machines only. You should look for a dealer of these machines in your area and try one on for size. I bought the Janome 1600 DB which is the cheapest of the three versions of that Janome machine for $600 on line and it came with a bunch of accessories and extra needles. Any of these machines would do everything you say you are looking to do but the availability of good dealer service is probably as important as brand and price. They all are similar and have their fans and detractors. You should be able to pick one that would do the job for you for about the same price between the bunch. Certain machines have some features and others don't. It is really a toss up which one to pick. Personal decision will be your guiding factor. Good luck.John
I've had my Janome 6500 for about 5 years and I love it. I love the needle threader, needle-down position, knee lift, automatic thread cutter, larger harp, tack stitch, 3-speeds, when I pick a fancy stitch, it "tells" me what tension to set and what foot to use. I like to use the built in alphabet to write labels. It came with an acrylic table and a large box of feet.
Denise
I think if you need an all round machine that is going to do everything this machine might be a good choice. I just think all the wear and tear MQ'ing does makes a dedicated SS large harp machine more sensible if that is what you are going to be doing a lot of. YOu could actually probably buy the 6600 and 1600 both and save on service bills in the long run. Max speed on 6600 is 1000spm while the
1600 is well, 1600 spm. Like a car, you w> The Janome 6600 is The Perfect Machine for quilters- I have loved mine
If you can put a darning/free motion foot on your Kenmore, you can do free motion quilting with it. Some sort of extension table also makes it easier. Both of those are probably available for your Kenmore if you don't already have them. You don't have to be able to drop the feed dogs; if you set the stitch length to 0, the feed dogs don't move. Of course, a machine with a larger harp makes it easier, but isn't necessary, as do some of the other features of newer machines, such as needle down and knee lift. I've found that some of the older machines actually have more space under the arm; both my old Elna Supermatic (40+ years) and my Singer 401 have somewhat more room than my newer Elna 6003.
Julia in MN
LOL Taria, I pieced my twelve 3/4 in. X 3/4 in.- *finished* size- PFP 'square within a square' blocks on that pocket quilt (*finished* size of the pocket quilt is 3 in. X 3-1/2 in.) using the Accu-Feed and those big 'clunky' feet! No problem- the space between the toes of the foot gave me plenty of room to see exactly where the needle was going and to keep it right on the stitching line and feed it very nicely thru the machine.
Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.
Hi Julia,
I'm going to try your suggestions--before I buy. :-) I'll admit a larger harp and a machine with a few more bells and whistles would be nice, but of course, price is always an issue.
Thanks!
I would concur with the choice of the Janome 1600p, Juki 98Q, Brother
1500. These are all mid arm machines with a larger harp area and are capable of both piecing and free motion quilting. They are straight stitch machines only. You should look for a dealer of these machines in your area and try one on for size. I bought the Janome 1600 DB which is the cheapest of the three versions of that Janome machine for $600 on line and it came with a bunch of accessories and extra needles. Any of these machines would do everything you say you are looking to do but the availability of good dealer service is probably as important as brand and price. They all are similar and have their fans and detractors. You should be able to pick one that would do the job for you for about the same price between the bunch. Certain machines have some features and others don't. It is really a toss up which one to pick. Personal decision will be your guiding factor. Good luck.John
I appreciate you mentioning the price of your Janome. I've noticed the websites seem to like to keep that information a secret. ;-) Unfortunately, most of the nearest dealers are 60 miles away in Vegas. The only dealer we have here in town is Bernina, and I don't see any mention of larger harp size on any of their machines--however, their website isn't the most user friendly. Ahem.
Thanks John!
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