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3 Responses to “What is a good quilting machine for home(not long arm)?”
If you are looking for a budget machine that will be simple to use and have space for quilts, but don’t want lots of different stitches, look for a nice old Singer 15 series machine with the feed dog drop facility.
If you are looking for a quilting machine and frame type system check out the short arm or mid-arms. These frame systems are set up to prevent the struggle of pinning and basting the layers together, then trying to shove the whole thing into the small opening of a regular machine and then trying to sew the layers together by moving them under the needle. There are some quilters who seem to do a great job doing it that way, but, it takes tons of practice.
It’s also kind of like holding a pen stationary and then trying to move the paper underneath to write. This is totally foreign to most peoples brains. On the frame system, the machine sits on 2 stacked platforms which have wheels that sit on rails and usually has handles attached to the machine. This allows the operator to move the machine in any direction and feels like you are drawing or painting. The layers of the quilt are rolled seperately on their own rails and allows the quilt sandwhich to be rolled up as it is quilted. You quilt the layers together, by moving the machine to create stitches by following a pattern or meandering or stippling in a random design.
The size of the quilting area will depend on the size of the throat area of the sewing machine. The distance to the right of the needle bar is the throat area, which could be anywhere from 6″ to 22″, depending on the machine you have. Ther larger the throat area, the more expensive. Most home sewing machines measure 6 -8 inches wide and about 4 – 6 inches tall. The smaller the opening the less room you will have to quilt. The ‘take-up’ roller, which will hold the quilted sections, will ride inside this area. The larger the quilt thickness, especially the batting, the less room you will have to quilt.
Also choose a frame that will fit in whatever space you have chosen for it. Remember that the frame itself could extend in length from 5 and 12 feet long and you need room on both sides and the back of the frame. Your living room is not usually a good place, it tends to take over the entire area!
The amount of money you want to spend will depend on how large a frame and/or machine you will get. They run from $1000.00 and up. You can probably find a really nice system for about $3000.00, which usually include a frame and machine.
You can check out frame systems online, but the best way to test them out is at a quilt show. The top manufacturers are usually there and will allow you to test them out. Sometimes you can buy a used system, but make sure it’s one that will work for you and beware that you might be getting someone else’s problem. You don’t want to be stuck with something that might need to be repaired. If you can buy one from a dealer, you will also get service and help learning how to use it.
This is something that has a learning curve, some people
catch on quicker than others and it depends on how much time you put into it.
I have a Little Gracie II frame and a Janome 1600P-DB machine with a 9″ arm. The setup cost me about $1200 and I can do up to a queen size quilt on it. It isn’t perfect – I’d like to have a longer arm machine because I only have about three inches of quilting area by the time I get to the end of a queen size quilt. However, for a relatively inexpensive setup, it’s a great place to start.
December 6th, 2008 at 5:12 am
cebar
These are all good quilting machines:
If you are looking for a budget machine that will be simple to use and have space for quilts, but don’t want lots of different stitches, look for a nice old Singer 15 series machine with the feed dog drop facility.
December 8th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
ragland
If you are looking for a quilting machine and frame type system check out the short arm or mid-arms. These frame systems are set up to prevent the struggle of pinning and basting the layers together, then trying to shove the whole thing into the small opening of a regular machine and then trying to sew the layers together by moving them under the needle. There are some quilters who seem to do a great job doing it that way, but, it takes tons of practice.
It’s also kind of like holding a pen stationary and then trying to move the paper underneath to write. This is totally foreign to most peoples brains. On the frame system, the machine sits on 2 stacked platforms which have wheels that sit on rails and usually has handles attached to the machine. This allows the operator to move the machine in any direction and feels like you are drawing or painting. The layers of the quilt are rolled seperately on their own rails and allows the quilt sandwhich to be rolled up as it is quilted. You quilt the layers together, by moving the machine to create stitches by following a pattern or meandering or stippling in a random design.
The size of the quilting area will depend on the size of the throat area of the sewing machine. The distance to the right of the needle bar is the throat area, which could be anywhere from 6″ to 22″, depending on the machine you have. Ther larger the throat area, the more expensive. Most home sewing machines measure 6 -8 inches wide and about 4 – 6 inches tall. The smaller the opening the less room you will have to quilt. The ‘take-up’ roller, which will hold the quilted sections, will ride inside this area. The larger the quilt thickness, especially the batting, the less room you will have to quilt.
Also choose a frame that will fit in whatever space you have chosen for it. Remember that the frame itself could extend in length from 5 and 12 feet long and you need room on both sides and the back of the frame. Your living room is not usually a good place, it tends to take over the entire area!
The amount of money you want to spend will depend on how large a frame and/or machine you will get. They run from $1000.00 and up. You can probably find a really nice system for about $3000.00, which usually include a frame and machine.
You can check out frame systems online, but the best way to test them out is at a quilt show. The top manufacturers are usually there and will allow you to test them out. Sometimes you can buy a used system, but make sure it’s one that will work for you and beware that you might be getting someone else’s problem. You don’t want to be stuck with something that might need to be repaired. If you can buy one from a dealer, you will also get service and help learning how to use it.
This is something that has a learning curve, some people
catch on quicker than others and it depends on how much time you put into it.
Cheryl in Washington
December 11th, 2008 at 6:23 am
homad
I have a Little Gracie II frame and a Janome 1600P-DB machine with a 9″ arm. The setup cost me about $1200 and I can do up to a queen size quilt on it. It isn’t perfect – I’d like to have a longer arm machine because I only have about three inches of quilting area by the time I get to the end of a queen size quilt. However, for a relatively inexpensive setup, it’s a great place to start.