drj2athome wrote:
When I had a crummy machine ... I did very little sewing
When I got a good workhorse machine.... my sewing improved and I sewed more.
Sewing machines are an investment.

You might want to look into a good used machine.... older mechanical
Singers 201-2 are recommended by several bloggers/ pod-casters who use sewing to supplement family income.

201 was a commercial heavy duty machine and can be found readily...You get a lot of machine for lower price.


Hope this helps




Look up QUILTING CUPCAKE and she talks about her SINGER 201-2 and how she uses it.
http://quiltedcupcake.libsyn.com/webpage/2009/06

http://quiltedcupcake.libsyn.com/

Wed, 17 June 2009
Ep 8: Ode to my Singer 201-2




See my blog for details: http://quiltedcupcake.blogspot.com

Great ideas. I probably should work with my machine to see if can do well enough. For the amount of sewing I have been doing I should not be thinking of a new machine. I will however keep checking with my local dealers and try some machines to see if it would make a big difference to me. I've made two quilts on the embroidery machine I have. Maybe I could get some help in purchasing a new one by trading it in. It is probably 9 or 10 years old though. Not probably worth a lot.
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And if a dealer some distance away offers you a good deal, tell the dealer closest to you about it and ask if they can match it.

For what you are asking for mostly will be expensive, but as suggested by Lorchen look at the dealers and see what they have second hand, even if you phone around all the dealers way outside your area, I dont know what distance you would travel but perhpas allow for two or three hours travel. Also try the larger department stores in the city of the country you live in.

Good luck.

If you want a larger harp space, then your choice of machines is very limited. A friend of mine compared prices in the UK about a year ago, and the best prices for machines with a larger harp were for Janome and for Husqvarna. I managed to buy a machine that I normally wouldn't have been able to afford by being very nice to the dealer (well, just smiles, nothing more - honest!), and he offered me their demonstration machine at a super price. The same dealer also sells lightly used machines when customers upgrade. These machines are always snapped up, so you need to check out what is on offer in your area, if you don't mind a machine that's not brand-new, but comes with a decent guarantee and has been fully serviced.

Good luck in your search!

I wish you well on your job hunting!!

Have you looked at Leah Day's blog? She shares a free motion design every day (or most days) and also has reviewed sewing machines that are good for low budget and quilting on, not just piecing. You may have to search for the posts about the sewing machines...

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/p/start-here.html

Scroll down a bit to find the box on the right side that says " Search for Specific Designs" Put in there "Sewing Machine Reviews" and a list will pop up for her posts about her reviews. Many pages!

HTH!!

Thanks, Michelle. I just can't afford that now. Even the 400$ I need a job to do that. Will put my heart into that after the holidays. I kind of want a workhorse that is easy for a new quilter to do,say, full bed sized qults on it. (With a generous harp and easy to free motion on.)

I take it you mean a sewing machine. I have a Janome 760 Jem Platnum that was about $400 that is very good. It's popular for take alongs as it is smaller than a regular machine and lighter, but still usable at home.

I think $700 for a Bernina is not all that expensive... I have a Bernina QE 153 and it was $1500 on sale. And it is no where near the top of the line!

Remember that sewing machine are like cars... you really need to test drive alot of them cos they all 'fit' you differently.

How much and on what kind of machines do you need to spend for one that will be dependible and give good stitches and won't break? I would love a Bernina but would have to spend 700$ for one. I also would like a good camera that's easy to use. Thanks for your help. Jan