Best Quilting Machines – 2023 Product Reviews & Product Buying Guide

If you’ve always admired enormous, gorgeous quilts but don’t have the time to work on one by hand, you’ll need the best quilting machines.

Quilts are great because they serve both ornamental and functional purposes. Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned quilter, sewing on a specialized quilting machine will be a pleasurable experience. We’ll help you select the correct unit and tell you all you need to know before making your final choice in this post. So, without further ado, let’s get started with our quilting machine reviews and purchase advice!

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Buying Guide: How to Find the Best Quilting Machines

Making a quilt is a satisfying pastime, but you’ll need a few things to get started. Before making your final decision on a quilting sewing machine, there are a few things to keep in mind. In this article, we will discuss the fundamentals of purchasing a quilting machine, as well as dive into the specifics that differentiate quilting machines unique from conventional sewing machines.

Whether or if you already own an all-purpose sewing machine is the most crucial consideration. There are two main categories of quilting machines on the market: general-purpose sewing machines that have certain quilting functions, and dedicated quilting machines that have fantastic quilting capabilities but cannot do ordinary sewing jobs like the zigzag stitch. Both of these kinds of sewing machines were discussed in our evaluations, and we encourage you to choose the one that best suits your requirements. Let us now guide you in finding the best quilting machines:

Throat size

Stitching throughout the length and width is necessary while making a quilt, and most people begin their stitches near the middle. For this reason, you’ll need a significant amount of room around the machine, especially at the neck, to accommodate your quilt. Having greater room between the machine’s motor and the needle will make it simpler to manage the growing quilt on your right.

Quick threading

Quilts are sewn all over because keeping the three or more layers together may be quite a chore with heavy materials. Inevitably, this requires a substantial amount of thread. This is why it’s important for quilting machines to be simple to thread. Automatic threaders and drop-in bobbin systems are essential for stress-free quilting. Big bobbin rotary hooks and thread supports for huge cones of thread are a nice perk.

Stitching speed

Home sewing machines, even the best of them, often run far more slowly than their industrial counterparts. Sewing machines for the home may produce between 800 and 1100 stitches per minute on average. This is not good enough for quilting. Quilts need continuous sewing, so the sooner you can work, the better. Modern high-end home quilting machines may produce up to 1500 stitches per minute.

Extension table

Quilts are cumbersome and usually rather lengthy. That typically means they’re very cumbersome to work with, particularly when you consider the effects of gravity. An extension table on a quilting machine increases your working area and gives you more control over your stitches to solve this issue.

Feed dog adjustment

You should opt for a machine where the feed dog adjustments are conveniently located if free-motion quilting is your desired method of self-expression. The rows of teeth beneath the needle are called feed dogs, and their back-and-forth motion is responsible for feeding the fabric rearward. In order to lower the system for fabric feed on a conventional sewing machine, some disassembly is required. Nonetheless, quilting-specific machines often incorporate simple sliders or cranks to retract the feed dogs. There are even more complex configurations available for certain devices.

Presser foot adjustment

Both the fabric feed and the presser foot need to be adjustable. Rarely seen on sewing machines, certain models allow you to adjust the height and pressure of the pressure foot. There are several layers in a quilt, including the puffy batting, so this is crucial.

Presser foot knee lifter

Although this special function has its uses, it is not widely used by businesses. A knee lifter is an attachment for a presser foot that allows the user to adjust the foot’s height using just their knees. When used in conjunction with the needle up/down button, this approach lets you to maintain both hands on your quilt while switching between stitch types or navigating tight corners.

Needle up/down button

Conventional sewing machines include a foot pedal that must be depressed to keep the needle spinning; once the pedal is released, the needle stops spinning and must be lifted by hand. However, machines that offer a Needle Up/Down button enable you pick whether you’d want the machine to complete the stitch in a low or a high position, sparing you of that unnecessary tedious work. Keeping the needle down is helpful for turning tight corners during quilting.

Quilting presser feet

All quilters need to have both a walking foot and a darning foot in their presser foot collection.

While the walking foot is often reserved for stitching with sticky or thick fabrics, it becomes invaluable when working with the many layers of cloth that comprise a quilt top. The feed dogs at the top of this foot type coordinate with those at the bottom. Both sets of feed dogs work together to ensure that the fabric layers are fed through smoothly and without puckering.

The darning foot, usually also called the quilting foot, is used during free motion quilting. This foot only makes contact with the cloth when the needle is at its lowest point in the sewing process, so it won’t damage the fabric. Simply said, it travels at the same speed as the needle, exerting pressure while making a stitch but allowing for unrestricted fabric movement when the needle is at its higher position.

Best Quilting Machines – 2023 Reviewed

In this first segment, we review seven of the best quilting machines on the market as of now:

The Brother PQ1500SL is a top-tier quilting sewing machine due to its automated thread trimmer, knee lever, and automatic needle positioner.

The highest speed that this machine can achieve is 1,500 stitches per minute, and the enormous table and long arm, both of which can be extended, provide a tremendous amount of area for working.

The stitch tension can be altered quickly and simply with a dial, and the feed dog height can be customized to fit quilts of varying thicknesses. These features make this machine excellent for free-motion stitching.

In addition, you will find a large selection of various attachments, such as seven distinct feet to accommodate all of your quilting requirements.

The Juki TL-2010Q is a single needle machine manufactured from aluminum die-casting, exactly like industrial machines, but it is quiet enough and light enough to be a dream for home usage, making it ideal for quilting and piecing. It is really the best of both worlds, combining the excellence of an industrial machine with the convenience of a home appliance.

Examine how large its neck is in order to determine its size. This Juki has sufficient area to tackle huge quilts and home décor projects with ease, and it is capable of generating exact stitches in a regular manner.

Because of the size of the machine, those who are tall will like the fact that they can sit straight while still being able to see what is going on around the needle area.

Your ability to adapt from traditional stitching to free motion sewing in such a short amount of time is even more astounding. Speaking of which, using this machine to do free-motion quilting is a piece of cake. It glides through thick fabric like butter, and the moderate speed accomplishes its purpose well. In addition to that, it has the most sensitive pedal, and it also includes a speed slider, which can be an absolute godsend when you’re dealing with complicated components. In all seriousness, the rate at which your FMQ talents increase will rival the speed of light.

As you can see, this machine comes equipped with all of the necessary characteristics that are necessary for quilters to have, such as a large workspace, high stitch quality, and control over the machine’s speed. If I were forced to come up with a drawback, it would most likely be the enormous size of the machine, particularly if your sewing area is on the smaller side. Despite this, the vast majority of the computers included on this list are on the quite large side.

There are several advantages to utilizing this machine that make it well worth the initial investment, despite the fact that some individuals may believe that a Janome 9850 quilting machine is too pricey to be used for quilting purposes. The Janome 9850 is a computerized machine, which means that it can be set to make a variety of stitches in any combination that you want. This is only one advantage of this model. When it comes to quilting, having a machine that is capable of doing a wide range of stitches is essential, as this allows for the creation of a wide variety of patterns.

The Janome 9850 also features a big stitching area, which is very useful when quilting since you often need extra room to handle the fabric. This feature is one of the reasons why the Janome 9850 is so popular. In addition, the Janome 9850 is very long-lasting and dependable, so you can be sure that it will serve you well for many years to come. The fact that the Janome 9850 can embroider in addition to its other capabilities and that it is quite simple to use makes it an excellent option for you if you are searching for a model that can do a variety of tasks and have a more generous budget. In conclusion, the Janome 9850 is an excellent machine for quilting, and purchasing it is absolutely money well spent.

This top-of-the-line quilting machine is one of our top selections since it comes equipped with all of the essential functions that are need to produce high-quality quilts.

The quick and powerful Juki TL-2000Qi functions much like an industrial machine, complete with a large work table that can be extended and a long arm system that offers a lot of room to stitch in.

This quilting machine has a maximum stitching speed of 1500 stitches per minute, creates a straight stitch that is flawless, and comes with a selection of interchangeable presser feet, including a specialized quilting foot and a free motion foot.

This machine has automated needle threading, a top-loading bobbin, and an automatic thread cutter. Additionally, it features a knee lever that lets you to raise or lower the presser foot without using your hands.

The lightweight aluminum chassis of this quilting machine allows it to maintain its portability despite the fact that it is much heavier than a typical home sewing machine.

The Janome 3160 is without a doubt the most popular sewing machine for quilting weekends and classroom instruction. In addition, it weighs very little and takes up very little space, so it is an excellent addition to your camper when you go on vacation.

Although this weight of the project or fabric does not cause the fabric to be pulled, this sewing machine is ideal for working with larger materials or projects. It comes with a table that extends the space where you can stitch.

This machine learns your preferences from the very beginning, regardless of your current level of competence. You won’t have any trouble threading it at all, even if you’re just starting out, and as you get more experienced, you’ll realize that you can do everything with this model that you can do with a larger machine, with the possible exception of large quilts. This makes it an excellent choice for a second machine in your home or to bring with you to a sewing retreat.

Even if you’re an experienced quilter, you’ll discover that this machine offers every function you could possibly need to make the most of your abilities. It’s true that the maximum stitch length might be increased to a larger number, especially because the maximum length for machine basting is just 5 millimeters, but I’d say that’s the only drawback you’ll come across.

There is no need to go any farther than the Quantum Stylish by Singer if you are searching for the finest sewing machine for quilting that costs less than $500. It is a computerized machine that is not too expensive.

Although it is simple and straightforward to use, it is appropriate for quilters of all skill levels, even those just starting out. It is equipped with a top drop-in bobbin system that is simple to use. The process of threading is swift and done automatically.

The most exciting part? It is pre-programmed with 600 different stitches and 13 different types of automated buttonholes that may be created in just one step. In addition to that, it provides quilters who are interested in monogramming their work with five lovely typefaces to choose from.

My favorite feature of this sewing machine is the amount of control it gives you over the tasks you are working on. You have the option of modifying the size of your stitches. Stitch elongation, mirror imaging, automatic reverse, and other features are also available.

If you are enthusiastic about quilting, you are going to like some of the quilting features such as a big table, 18 presser feet, a heavy-duty frame, 25 needle settings, and other similar characteristics. Additionally, the pace of the stitching may be altered.

The Janome MC6650 is a computerized sewing and quilting machine that comes with a variety of features that are specific to quilting, such as a huge extension table and a quilt kit. In addition to that, you will get a choice of stitches.

The simple and straightforward layout of the LCD panel is one of the aspects of this model that appeals to me the most. Consider purchasing this economical model manufactured by Janome if you are looking for a quilting machine that you will take pleasure in using for many years to come.

Janome is a well-known brand name in the industry for producing high-quality sewing and quilting machines. And one of their most impressive works is shown here by this model. It comes with 170 pre-programmed stitches and six buttonholes already built in. The process of threading is really simple.

Automatic threading is enabled on this model, which will both save you time and save your eyes from becoming tired. It works well for someone with my eyesight condition, who is a quilter like me. In addition to that, it has a top-loading bobbin mechanism that is resistant to jamming.

The device is equipped with a thread cutter that can automatically cut your thread to the desired length. In addition, there is a button for the reverse stitch, a button for the lock stitch, which is used for completing stitches, a button for start/stop, and a button for needle up/down.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

We finish off by answering some of the common questions about the best quilting machines:

Q1. Is it difficult to quilt with a sewing machine?

A. It is not at all difficult to do so. Pick something simple, such just piecing together a variety of squares ranging from 6 to 12 inches, or go for a straightforward design, like a log house or a snowball. All of these things are simple to do, but depending on the color scheme and the layout, they might give the impression that they were challenging tasks to do. When making quilts, you should only use materials that are 100% cotton.

Q2. Can I quilt with a standard sewing machine?

A. The answer is yes the vast majority of the time; but, it won’t be as simple as doing it on a sewing machine that is specifically designed for quilting. Quilters are constrained by the capabilities of standard sewing machines for a variety of reasons. For instance, you won’t be able to tackle bigger quilting projects if your neck space is limited. For free motion quilting to be possible on the machine, the feed dogs need to be able to be retracted, and the machine should be able to handle heavyweight fabric.

Q3. Do I need to purchase a certain kind of sewing machine for quilting?

A. Quilting may be done with just about any standard sewing machine, but a quilting machine has a number of add-ons and features that set it apart from conventional sewing machines.

Q4. How is a quilting machine different from a standard one?

A. A quilting machine is, at its core, the same thing as a sewing machine; but, in contrast to a standard sewing machine, it has an expanded selection of attachments and additional functions. A standard sewing machine has a far more limited amount of room to work with in comparison to a quilting machine.

Final verdict

Due to its intricate design and elegance, quilting is an old technique that is being practiced today. However, quilting does not have to be labor-intensive with the aid of contemporary technologies. Amazingly, quilting machines allow us to make beautiful works of art in a fraction of the time it would take to do it by hand.

We really hope that you found our reviews of quilting machines helpful in narrowing down your options. In case you still have questions after reading the purchase guide, please feel free to contact us. Your time has come to use the best quilting machine available.

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