Are you a beginner quilter who doesn’t currently own a sewing machine? Are you confused and overwhelmed by the number of machines on the market? Let me help you.

Is a Quilter’s Edition Sewing Machine the Best Machine for a Beginner

So you may be wondering if a Quilter’s Edition sewing machine is the best machine for a beginner. My answer is a resounding NO. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a Quilter’s Edition sewing machine, but you don’t need to purchase one.

What is a Quilter’s Edition Sewing Machine?

A Quilter’s Edition sewing machine is a machine that has certain features and is packaged with extra tools that are helpful for quilting. THAT’S IT! There, I have taken the mystery out of it.

The machine may even be the exact same model number as another non Quilter’s Edition model, but will have QE at the end of the model number to indicate Quilter’s Edition.

A Quilter’s Edition sewing machine often comes with a higher price tag to account for the extra goodies.

My Machine

Take my main machine, my Bernina B770QE. It comes with a 10” harp or throat space which makes it easier to quilt a large quilt. It also comes with the following accessories:

• Dual Feed (makes quilting the quilt sandwich easier as it feeds all three layers at the same rate)
• Bernina Stitch Regulator (provides stitch regulation during quilting which helps keep stitches the same size)
• Quarter Inch Presser Foot (to maintain a quarter inch seam as you sew)
• Slide On Table (enlarges your working space)

Please note that you do not need a Bernina 770QE or other expensive machine to get started quilting. I got mine in 2017 when I had already been quilting for 14 years.

Top Quilting Features

Out of all of these quilting features, the most important one is a Quarter Inch Presser Foot. If one doesn’t come with your machine, you should be able to purchase one that was made for your machine by the manufacturer. This should not cost too much.

A plexiglass table would be helpful, but again isn’t necessary.

A larger harp/throat space will help you, but you could easily send your finished quilt top to a long arm quilter to do the quilting for you.

My Final Thoughts

As I said above, you do not need a Quilter’s Edition sewing machine to get started quilting. I simply wanted to demystify what exactly a Quilter’s Edition machine is. Any machine will do as long as it has a straight stitch.

I hope you have found this helpful. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to email me here.

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