My only suggestion is to stay away from Singer. But thats just my opinion.

i think most of the companies have the bigger throats on some of their machines......so much will depend on what you want to do with it and how much you want to spend.

I have a Bernina, which has a stitch regulator foot for freehand quilting. I XRU

My computer just had a mind of it's own. Anyway, I have a Bernina, which has a stitch regulator foot for freehand quilting. I don't think that the throat is longer than any other machine, but I quilt from the center out, adding batting and backing as I quilt. It makes for a less tidy back, but it quilts the front really well. And the stitch regulator foot makes even quilting on the top where it counts.

If you make smaller projects than queen- or king-sized quilts, just rolling the excess out of the way works fine with a machine with a stitch regulator. I put an extra table in front of where the quilt comes out of the machine in order to lighten the weight on the foot and needle. That way I have a long area that holds the weight of the large piece, making the quilting process much easier.

Maybe you could try those methods before you buy a new machine; although, a new machine does sound exciting.

I agree with avoiding Singer. I think both Pfaff and Bernina have the larger sewing opening. Personally, I'm a Pfaff girl and love my Creative Vison. It also does embroidery so I don't know if you want that option. I've never done more than stitch in the ditch and just purchased a long arm for the top quilting capability.

I would go to a dealer you trust that carries several models and see what works. Maybe you go to a couple of dealer.

Good luck

Carol

Thanks to all of you.........when my old Singer, circa 1968, died, I went for a new one. I took that piece of junk back in a heartbeat! I bought a Kenmore, which I truly like, but I am looking for a love affair, guess I'll have to shop around! LOL

Bernina has caught my eye so I will certainly look at those.

I have a Bernina with stitch regulator also. I don't have the artistic ability to machine quilt like I would like to but it does make what I do look better! If you have lots of money the new Bernina 820-830(thinks that's the #'s). It has a real wide throat and has everything but birth control!$7,000 without embroidery module, $9,000 with.

Bernina is the Cadillac of sewing machines....(wish I had one)...

Wouldn't it be nice to have $10,000 to spend on a sewing machine?.........See if I was a guy in search of a toy, that would be a pittance....why is it that it makes my heart stop to contemplate even 12 or 14 hundred? Must be genetic!!!!

I've a Janome Memorycraft 6600 and find that I can do up to a double bed size easily. It has no stitch regulator, but it has tons of patterns and three alphabets. The throat is decent, it does have a speed regulator that's helpful, and the price was far more manageable than the Bernina.

One tip I'll pass along is that I bought my machine at a large quilt show, and got a huge discount for doing so. If you have the ability to attend one of the bigger shows, you may find that the price options are lots better. In addition to a 20% discount for buying at the show, I got a table extension and a rolling cart as part of the package. Tough to turn down.

Also, I spent a lot of time test driving a ton of machines. I'd had a New Home (mother of Janome) for decades, so I must admit I was partial. For the price differential, I made the decision, but trying the Pfaff and Bernina and Baby Lock and anything else I could lay my hands on was a really helpful experience.