10 Best Lightweight Sewing Machines for Quilting in 2018
Not all users are able to afford or operate a long arm quilting machine. And those who can, usually lack room in their sewing spaces as they are huge and bulky. The solution is to go for smaller, lightweight sewing and quilting machines that perform almost as well. Unfortunately, the existence of a large number of products on the market confuses most buyers. Therefore, we did the research for you and compiled a list of ten of the most efficient sewing and quilting machines that do not cost a fortune. You have come to the right place if you are in search of the best sewing machine for quilting.
10. Brother PQ1500SL High-Speed Quilting and Sewing Machine
Details:
- Stitches: N/A
- Product size: 25 x 11.8 x 14.8 inches (63.5 x 29.9 x 37.6 cm)
- Product weight: 33.4 pounds (15.2 kg) assembled
- Warranty: 25 years
Considered by most experts to be the most effective sewing machine for free motion quilting, the Brother PQ1500SL is a powerhouse designed with the quilter in mind. It features a high-speed straight-stitch sewing mechanism with the capability to produce up to 1500 stitches per minute. Its selling point is practicality. It includes a well-placed knee lever to lift the presser foot, a large extension table, retractable drop dog-feed controls, an automated thread cutter, and plenty of feet accessories. No wonder many consider it the best sewing machine for quilting.
Pros
Cons
9. JUKI TL-2000Qi Sewing and Quilting Machine
Details:
- Stitches: 1500 N/A
- Product size: 17.8 x 8.6 x 13.8 inches (45.2 x 21.8 x 35.1 cm)
- Product weight: 37.8 pounds (17.1 kg) assembled
- Warranty: 5 years
JUKI is responsible for some of the best sewing and quilting machines on the market, and the TL-2000Qi is no different. It is a workhorse boasting sewing speeds of up to 1500 stitches per minute. On top of speed, this machine’s stitching quality surpasses most users’ expectations. It features an aluminum die-cast construction that minimizes vibrations and comes with an automatic thread cutter and well-placed LED lights. The TL-2000Qi can handle anything that you throw at it, from silk to leather.
Pros
Cons
8. Brother HC1850 Sewing and Quilting and Embroidery Machine
Details:
- Stitches: 130 in-built (8 styles of one-step buttonholes plus quilting, heirloom, and decorative stitches)
- Product size: 12.5 x 19.25 x 15.25 inches (31.8 x 48.9 x 30.74 cm)
- Product weight: 10.14 pounds (4.6 kg)
- Warranty: 25 years
The Brother HC1850 is a versatile, feature-packed, and reliable sewing and quilting machine that offers 130 stitches and operates on speeds up to 850 spm. It comes with an in-built sewing font for monogramming, a detachable foot controller, 14 quilting stitch functions, 8 specialty feet, a bilingual users’ manual, and an instructional DVD. Its low price and simple design make it ideal for beginners and intermediates. It surely competes for the title of the best sewing machine for quilting.
Pros
Cons
7. SINGER 7469Q Confidence Quilter
Details:
- Stitches: 98 inbuilt stitch patterns for embroidery, decorative sewing, heirloom, quilting, garment construction, and fashion sewing.
- Product size: 17 x 8 x 12.5 inches (43.18 x 20.32 x 31.75 cm)
- Product weight: 22.8 pounds (10.34 kg)
- Warranty: 25 years
Although SINGER advertises the 7469Q as a beginner’s option, it includes enough features to suit most advanced users. It is among the few products on the market with a true focus on the quilter’s needs. This sewing machine provides four quilting feet with a solid metal frame for support. It carries a long list of superlatives among them a drop-in bobbin system, an auto-needle threader, electronic twin needle control, and up-to 13 adjustable needle positions.
Pros
Cons
6. JUKI HZL-F300 Sewing and Quilting Machine
Details:
- Stitches: 106 in-built (3 fonts, 16 automatic electronic sensor-controlled buttonholes)
- Product size: 17.5 x 8.3 x 11.4 inches (44.5 x 21.1 x 28.9 cm)
- Product weight: 21.6 pounds (9.8 kg)
- Warranty: 5 years
The JUKI HZL-F300 is a high-end sewing and quilting machine with 106 stitches and speeds of up to 900 stitches per minute. It features bright LED lighting, a free arm, foot pressure adjustment, and variable speed controls. It also includes an independent bobbin winder, a thread thinner and cutter, direct pattern selections, memory capabilities, and a 7-point feed dog system. The HZL-F300 allows for easy free-hand embroidery and free-motion quilting, which makes it a candidate for the best sewing machine for quilting.
Pros
Cons
5. Brother Laura Ashley Limited Edition CX155LA
Details:
- Stitches: 155 in-built stitches ( 55 alphanumeric, 1 sewing font, and 8 styles of one-step buttonholes)
- Product size: 12.48 x 8.03 x 17.32 inches (31.7 x 20.4 x 43.9 cm)
- Product weight: 11.02 pounds (5.08 kg)
- Warranty: 25 years
Also from Brother, the Laura Ashley CX155LA is a heavy-duty sewing and quilting machine capable of handling multi-layer fabrics such as denim. Its intuitive, no-frills design makes it one of the best options for quilting beginners and intermediates. Of course, it is also a favorite for many professionals. It is a reliable and feature-packed machine with an undeniable aesthetic appeal and 11 sewing and quilting feet.
Pros
Cons
4. Brother XR9500PRW Project Runway Limited Edition
Details:
- Stitches: 100 built-in and 140+ stitching styles (31 decorative, 10 adjustable-density decorative, 67 utility, 10 one-step buttonhole, 16 satin, 5 cross, and 3 font styles)
- Product size: 20.3 x 12.7 x 17.6 inches (51.6 x 32.3 x 44.7 cm)
- Product weight: 9.92 pounds (4.5 kg)
- Warranty: 25 years
The Brother XR9500PRW is the manufacturer’s latest addition to its line of world-class offerings. It is quite similar to the Brother CS6000i, albeit with more bells and whistles. Apart from providing more built-in stitches, it offers a brighter back-lit LCD display to aid in such functions as stitch selection and adjustment. The Brother XR9500PRW is home to 13 feet, built-in sewing fonts for monogramming, a free arm, a removable table, and a jam-resistant drop-in bobbin. All this makes it worth a place on the list with our quest to find the best sewing machine for quilting.
Pros
Cons
3. Janome MC-6300P Heavy-Duty Computerized Quilting Sewing Machine
Details:
- Stitches: 66 Stitches with 4 buttonholes
- Product size: 13 x 26 x 18 inches (33.02 x 66.04 x 45.72 cm)
- Product weight: 36.2 pounds (16.42 kg) assembled
- Warranty: 25 years
The Janome MC-6300P is for users who want a high-performance sewing and quilting machine with little fluff. It comes standard with a plethora of extras not found on its peers. Moreover, it includes an independent bobbin winder, memorized needle up/down functions, snap-on presser feet, five memory banks, a knee lifter, a 5-piece feed dog, and an automatic thread cutter, among others. This machine provides about nine inches of workspace for large projects and 13 foot accessories. It is the best sewing machine for quilting if you do not mind paying a little extra.
Pros
Cons
2. Brother CS6000i Feature-Rich Sewing Machine
Details:
- Stitches: 60 built-in sewing stitches (20 basic, 20 decorative, 7 quilting, 7 one-step auto-buttonhole styles, and 6 heirlooms)
- Product size: 16 x 6.7 x 11.4 inches (40.64 x 17.02 x 28.96 cm)
- Product weight: 13 pounds (5.9 kg)
- Warranty: 25 years
The Brother CS6000i is many an expert’s choice for the best sewing machine for quilting. It is an easy-to-use, beginner-friendly sewing machine that offers a long list of features than its closest competitors. It is considerably portable thanks to a lightweight build and compact dimensions. The machine provides an LCD screen display to ease the stitch selection process and an adjustable sewing speed capability to allow users to customize their sewing spaces. It comes with an automatic needle threader, a quick-set top drop-in bobbin, several attachable accessory feet, a large table, and a fully-loaded accessory pouch.
Pros
Cons
1. Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist
Details:
- Stitches: 600 in-built (13 styles of automatic 1-step buttonholes, 5 fonts)
- Product size: 17.2 x 8.2 x 12 inches (43.7 x 20.8 x 30.5 cm)
- Product weight: 20 pounds (9.1 kg)
- Warranty: 25 years
Although not designed for the novice user, the Singer 9960 is intuitively designed and it takes a very short time for the controls to become second nature. Boasting a segment-leading number of stitches with over 600 built-in utilities, it is our choice of the best sewing machine for quilting. It also provides five fonts for monogramming, 25 needle positions, horizontal threading, 18 different presser feet, and automatic reverse. The Singer 9960 is a feature-packed offering that does not break the bank.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
As seen from the products above, not all sewing and quilting machines were created equal. It is also almost impossible to place your finger on the best sewing machine for quilting. Therefore, you should look at the highlighted products and find one that comes closest to your ideal machine. We welcome your feedback. Please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions on the listed products and to suggest any item that you feel should be included in our list.
Top recommended read:
