Suggestions for best machine for quilting/sewing?

Sandy, have you tried sewing a scrap of fabric right before you start your square or corner that catches the beginning and you just keep on sewing then cut the scrap & thread when you finish your piece.  I have a Viking Sapphire machine and I like it.  It has been complicated for me to learn but as I do I really like the extra room in the neck for quilting. Good luck

Joyce

Sandy:

this machine does not like to start at the beginning of the piece and will jam a little.

               I have used several different machines and if you start sewing at the very beginning of fabric some machines will catch and jam.  Try a small piece of fabric first and just continue on with yours and it should work. Some of the instructors I have been taught from do this all the time. Hope this helps !  Susan

Thanks, I just watched a video earlier today and she put a piece of material in front of her piece and thought that was a great idea then got suggestion from both Joyce and Susan

Sandy, I hadn't tried this on a regular basis til this last week. We were traveling, so in the RV on my portable Featherweight 222. Thought I'd try it as I had alot of piecing to do. I just used a scrap piece of material, I did double it over, then used it at the beginning of each chain I was doing. The other thing I found was when I was doing a line of pieces, that reminded me of which end was the first block as that end had the "thread bunny" on it. I'll be doing it all the time now, I had no catching on my starts, had no catches of thread into the bobbin either. Love it now!!

I have a BRother pq1500 and Janome 6600 but I would love to have the sweet sixteen  on a frame.  the Brother accomodates my larger quilts and I haven't started using 6600 yet but it has alot of stitches.

and if you do like Bonnie Hunter, sew 2 pieces together (as if yu are making a block) you will eventually have enough doubles to put together to make a quilt. (always keep a new 'block' under your needle) i have started doing this with my scraps and have soooo many sewn together, i just know i will be doing a scrap quilt soon!

Sherry, Just saw your comment. Do you use a certain size scrap when doing this? I like this idea, just have my scraps cut into a certain size from the quilt I am working on? Then as I am doing one quilt, use the scraps and put together as a block? Do you have a picture how you do this? I'm always looking for an organized way to cut the scraps and have in a basket to make a scrap quilt. Thanks