Buying a Sewing Machine for Quilting
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Buying a Sewing Machine for Quilting
 If you are a beginning quilter who is in the market for your first sewing or quilting machine, there are plenty of offers out there to encourage your purchase. But buying a machine at a good price is worthless if the machine is one you won’t use. There are several things to consider when you think about buying your first sewing or quilting machine. The first consideration, obviously, is to know what you can afford. Will you pay cash for the machine or are you planning to take advantage of a zero percent interest for several months plan? Here’s a tip: if your local machine dealer is having a special on financing machines, they will probably be glad to pass along a deal to you for paying cash as well. Don’t think you have to choose the finance option just to get the deal. If you do use the finance option and are taking advantage of a low or no interest payment plan, be sure you understand the offer’s fine print. It may be that one payment that posts to your account only a day after it was due will void the offer and you might find yourself paying almost 30 percent interest. Don’t blame your dealer. In most instances, the finance company and dealer are two very separate entities. Next, you will need to be honest with yourself as far as knowing how much you plan to use the machine. If you plan to use it daily, but have 10 kids, four dogs, a fulltime job and weekend volunteer work, you probably won’t get to use it every day after all. Set realistic expectations for yourself. Know the reason you will use the machine, too. Sewing for personal purposes and sewing for customers might require a different machine. Will the machine you are looking at multi-task? Some machines do a great job at multi-tasking. They can sew, embroider, and quilt. If you don’t machine embroider and have no desire to, why buy a machine with that option? The same is true for quilting machines. If you enjoy hand quilting and really don’t know if you will like quilting by machine, don’t invest in a quilting machine hastily. Instead, sign up for a few classes at a nearby sewing or quilting store. Determine whether you would even use the machine before you make an investment in one. You’ve got to know yourself, too, and how well you learn things. This will help you buy a machine with the right options for you. If you hate computers and they make you nervous, you probably will never enjoy a computerized sewing machine. On the flip side of that coin, if you are new to sewing and machine quilting but love computers, a computerized machine may be right up your alley. One of the best features on a sewing machine is the speed control feature. On some machines they are slides or knobs. You can actually adjust how fast the machine stitches. This is a great feature for the beginner who feels like fabric gets away from them once it’s under the needle and the machine is turned on. As your confidence level grows, you can turn the speed up for faster sewing. Some machines have features to sew on sequins, make buttonholes, and even have stitched programmed in for appliqué or embroidery. If you love learning new techniques, maybe a machine with those offerings would be a good choice for you. The best advice is not to be in a hurry to buy. A store special may expire tomorrow, but it seems like there’s another always around the corner. Do your research, know your wants and needs, and you’re sure to buy the machine that’s perfect for you. For years the only sewing machine I used was my little Singer Featherweight, years old. Then I decided I wanted to get a machine so I could do some machine quilting. Since the Featherweight didn't have that ability, I shopped for a low-cost machine that would allow me to machine quilt - not all of the fancy embroidery, computerized, whiz-bang stuff, since I don't do that. Maybe some time in the future, I'll get interested, but for now, I have my Featherweight and a mid-level Janome. The Ulitmate Sewing Machine Buying Checklist With the variety of sewing machines available, making a decision of which sewing machine to purchase is much more complex than it was way back when….. Today’s quilters are presented with some interesting and fun options that can make their quilting more interesting and relaxing. Many of the more popular brands, including Singer, Simplicity, Janome, Brother, White and Necci sewing machines feature an LCD display, dial-a-stitch selector, automatic needle threader, convertible free arm, extension table, electronic speed control, drop in bobbin, and computerized stitch selection, to name just a few. These machines sew not only straight stitches, but zigzag, button hole, and fancy embroidery stitches. Several sewing machine companies cater to the quilting market by including speed adjustments to make machine quilting easier. The White 1740 Quilter’s Machine has an extra wide extension bed to support your work, and reduce pulling and stretching. The Simplicity American Quilter sewing machine features a convertible free-arm and snap-on presser foot. All of that and they are lightweight, too – so you can easily transport your machine to your quilting class. In addition to regular sewing machines, there are sergers and longarm quilting machines to consider. Prices for sewing machines range from around $100 up to, well, in the thousands. All of these choices are wonderful, yet how to decide. All of these choices are wonderful, yet how to decide. Each one of the tables below presents some options and questions you might ask yourself as you shop for your new (or used) machine and make your decision about which machine will be best for you. Fill in the blanks as you consider your purchase. Feel free to make copies of the pages so you will have plenty of space to make your notes. Have a great time in your shopping adventure. Download your worksheet for buying a sewing machine. TIP: Machine Stitching Placing a piece of wax paper between the pieces of fabric you are sewing keeps them from sliding around. Once the pieces have been sewn, tear the wax paper away. Using wax paper or freezer paper under your sewing (on top of the feed dogs) will allow the fabric to glide right through your machine. This can be helpful if you are sewing curves. Ironing pieces right sides together will make them stick together when you sew them. Smaller pieces may not need to be pinned at all. Collect your threads as you sew: • A small paper bag taped to your sewing table • A damp washrag on a plate • A small piece of batting • Masking tape, folded sticky side out
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