Tin Lizzie 18 Sit Down Long Arm Quilting Machine

I have had my machine for six months and love it. I had one issue which was resolved by Sewing Machines Plus. It did arrive by two separate shippers and at different times which unnerved me because I could not track the machine shipment. Otherwise I would buy it again in a heartbeat.

I just bought this machine with the table from SewingMachinesPlus at the 2014 Quilt Fest in Houston. I'm a beginner free motion quilter and have taken a class with a large long arm machine at my local quilt shop. To be honest I'd never heard of the brand but the deal at the show was just too good to pass up. Not to mention, Nedra my sales rep was awesome. I can't say enough about how good SMP was to work with during the purchase.Now for the machine. This is a sit-down machine with no frills other than a programmable needle up/down which is very handy and a variable speed control. That's it. Oh, and a lamp and it will fill a bobbin for you while you quilt which is very cool. Anyway, I told someone at work that the machine reminds me of the 1968 VW Bug I learned to drive on. Standard transmission, roll crank windows, power "nothing" and AM only radio. I'm not even sure if you can upgrade it to add a computerized feature. If you could, you might as well drop the extra bucks and go for the $10k model right out the gate.The machine is a real work horse. It's a bit noisier than my computerized sewing machines, but nothing I can't live with. The bobbin is old-school where you pull the little tab out and it slides sideways into the machine from under the table. Not convenient, but not unlivable since I can slide it in without looking. It reminds me very much of my mother's machine from 1972 before the drop-in bobbin was invented. And this thing is metal all around. There's a plastic cover to go over the rotating mechanism on the back, but otherwise, you're not getting a cheap piece of flimsy plastic anywhere else. It's easy to thread and is really just a bare bones sewing machine that only does one thing...an up and down stitch. That's it. The machine was timed fine when it arrived and the directions were printed in color from an office laser printer - no fancy printed booklet here. They are about 15 double-sided pages with a staple. But hey, they work and you really don't need much more. Oh, they could state that it doesn't matter which way the thread is wound on the bobbin, but I found that out on a YouTube video from the company. My first attempt at the old stand-by (placemats) was a success. The stitches were nice and even once I got the tension right, and it was really very easy to FMQ. The table has a surface that allows fabric to glide over it fairly easily and there's a ton of landscape to work with. Really, the only thing I wish this did was go without the foot treadle. Pushing down on the treadle for 20-30 minutes gets very old very fast. I looked at the Sweet16 and HandiQuilter and while they are computerized, they are also another $1500 from the price I got at the show. For a beginner machine for me, I decided that this one will work fine. I don't have the space for a large frame and I didn't want to stand up while quilting. I like doing things by learning the basics first. Pressing a button on a computerized machine is not the basics. It's pressing a button. This machine cannot even have a stitch regulator added to it. But I really think my quilting skills will be better in the long run by learning the craft of machine speed to fabric movement. I'll be using templates to create designs on my quilts.SewingMachinesPlus - I know some will say to buy from a dealer for the customer service but I happen to have a very handy hubs who was able to put the table and machine together in no time. The accessories for the machine even come with 3 screw drivers from the mfg. I'd already been to a class so I didn't need that. SMP was very good about keeping me informed about when the machine was due for delivery. The table arrived first and the machine about 2 weeks later (they had a bunch of orders from the show). SMP even graciously offered a compensatory gift for my wait time. Nice! Their customer service was excellent from start to finish and I'd go the same route again if given the opportunity.

First of all, I dislike standing up and doing the cha-cha while quilting. The tin lizzie has saved me from a lifetime of dancing back and forth. I can sit and, as Ricky Tims says, "sew a potholder at tne time,"And I get my quilts done. I love it. The mechanics of the tin lizzie are pretty simple. Check the oil dipstick every hour or so of sewing and you'll be fine.

Both pieces arrived in perfect condition and am happily learning to quilt.