Brother SQ9185 Sewing and Quilting Machine with 130-Stitch

I am posting this review as part of my entry in Walmart's Holiday Sewing Contest. I was FINALLY able to get a sewing machine this year and I am very pleased with my Brother 130-Stitch Sewing and Quilting Machine, SQ9185 thus far. I have several projects waiting for a machine, but since it was a long, long time ago when I last sewed on a machine, I started with a basic and made matching sci-fi themed bandannas for my family—great for camping! They were easy to sew a hem upon, so I took the next step and tried my hand at a reversible bib for a friend’s niece. I used the monogramming function to add the baby’s name to the bib’s tie. It worked well, but I will need to get a pair of sharper thread cutters to make the letters look crisp by closely trimming the extra thread between the letters. Pictured is this reversible bib, although after the picture was taken I did add a stitch about ¼ inch along the edge to tidy the bib up a tad. Since this bib, I have made some quilted bibs. After watching a video on how to attach the walking foot, it was fairly easy to attach this foot and sew along the quilted bib as needed. I have also made a blanket, 2 pillows, and a skirt. (Remember, I mentioned I had a lot of projects lined up!) The wide table was not only quick to attach, but very steady as well. It really helped when sewing the blanket. Pros: Easy to use. Easy to follow instructional DVD. Easy for a beginner but has plenty of functions and options for a beginner to move to master. Clear bobbin cover makes keeping an eye on the bottom thread a breeze. Quick needle threading with the needle threader. Walking foot makes very smooth stitches. The monogram function is easy to program and the letters come out nicely. The wide table is very sturdy. Cons: Fabric tends to pull to one side a bit, but I am still new to sewing machines. This very well may be operator error. All-in-all, so far, I would say this is a great sewing machine for the beginners and the experienced alike!

I was very happy with my purchase. Everything was in the box to start sewing and quilting. The extention table alone is $150.00. If purchased separately. There is a walking foot included. Plus all the other feet.

I am getting back into sewing and wanted to upgrade my basic Singer. I did some research and this machine kept popping up. I bought this online on June 4th and picked it up the next day up in my neighborhood store. This machine is excellent and has such wonderful features such as bobbin drop in and automatic threader. It had many stitches to choose from. The DVD that accompanied the machine was very easy to understand as well. I called the Brother 800 number and they were also very helpful. I would highly recommend this machine.

On the plus side: lightweight, easy to use, great DVD to watch to learn how to thread the machine, it is very quiet, and I like the footless feature. All the stitches are easy to figure out and the results are beautiful. I have not tried the buttonhole function yet. On the minus side: bobbin function not easy to use, the thread does not wind easily and you have to tie a knot at the beginning if you want it to work. The carrying cases sold by Brother are all too small for this machine so you have to spend (a lot of) money and go to a specialized store to find one. I find the needle threader difficult to use and do better without.

This really surprised me! I did not expect this machine to be so nice. It is awesome! I love it! And it does so much more than I even expected it to do. It is quiet and smooth, too. I highly recommend it for all sewers from beginners to the pros.