My wife uses a more expensive machine for most of her quilting, but has a more portable (read cheaper) machine she takes to local quilting get-togethers. She says it's OK for under $300.
I restored an old singer 201-2 from the fifties. My wife is using it now to make some denim quilts for Christmas gifts. Those old singers with a potted motor have a direct drive geartrain with no belt to slip. They can handle multiple layers of denim no problem. I’ve also used it to sew lightweight nylon hammock material with nice even stiches. Before I got the singer I actually bought my wife that same brother model. She used it to make a denim quilt a couple years ago, but the experience was a lot different. It has a lot less power than the old singers do. It couldn’t handle as many layers of fabric and needles would break more often on her. We still have both machines the only time she breaks out the brother is if she needs to take it somewhere, because it’s portable.
Yeah, but I don’t think I can help you with the machine recommendation. I like mine, but I think it’s sold out everywhere unless you look for a used one
It’s a Singer 100th anniversary edition, circa ~1951. Beautiful and well built machine.
Some old pics. We still use the machine often, but haven’t quilted much in recent years. When we did, we always machine stitched the tops, but did the actual quilting by hand.
That’s a sweet looking machine. Today we picked up a Singer classic 44S. The nice lady in the fabric department at WallyWorld, recommended it for a beginner. It doesn’t have a computer like the newer ones.
It was pretty involved. The wiring needs to be redone because the original wires get brittle. There is a kit and instructions online. I had fun bringing it back to life. If you ever see one of them at a thrift store or yard sale, consider it for a nice project.
That newer singer you ended up getting your wife looks fine and I’m sure it will serve her well too.