Best Portable Sewing Machines For Quilting

Best Portable Sewing Machines For Quilting to bring to your quilting classes and retreats is a list of models with all the features you need to make your quilts, small or regular size.

Being a quilter myself, I know all quilters love the idea to learn new techniques and patterns to make the next quilt, but at the time to sign up to a new class, you might be asked to bring your own sewing machine, this is why it’s good to have a portable sewing machine you can bring to any class and retreat that has the features you need to work on any quilt.

I think you will be with me, at the time to attend to a quilting class, you don’t want to carry a big and heavy sewing machine, as you well know, quilters have a big list of materials to bring to any class, this is why a smaller and lightweight sewing machine with enough features to work on the piecing, and the free motion quilting will be your best option.

So let’s take a look to a list of sewing machines I made that will help you to work well on any new quilt.

Best Portable Sewing Machines

1 – Brother CS6000i Sewing Machine

Brother is one of the most known sewing machine brands around the world by their quality and because they design machines with enough features to help beginners and more advanced sewers to work with ease on most sewing projects, the Brother CS6000i model has become one of the favorite for many sewers to have in the sewing room or as a portable machine.

Core Features

• It comes with enough features to help beginners and more advanced sewers to work on different projects.
• Easy to set up and start sewing
• The Brother CS6000i comes with 60 built-in stitches
• It has an automatic threader
• This machines comes with an LCD screen to set up the different features

Pros

• Affordable
• Lightweight
• Easy to switch from one feature to another
• Speed control
• Good for sewing and for quilting

Cons

• It’s not built to sew at high speed
• This is not a heavy-duty sewing machine

You can read the Brother CS6000i full review here!

2 – Janome C30 Sewing Machine

This is a small size with lightweight that is designed and built to last with enough features to help any quilter, beginner or more advanced to work on their projects with ease.

Janome sewing machines are well-known around the world for it’s high stitch quality, these machines are built with most of their parts made of steel, which means they will last for many years in you’re sewing room and the weight will help you to work with ease on any quilt size.

You can read the Janome C30 Sewing Machine Review here!

Core Features

• 30 built-in stitches
• Drop feed function for quilting
• Portable size

Pros

• Great stitch quality
• As this machine comes with drop feed function, it will help you to work on the piecing and the free motion quilting as well.
• Easy to set up and start sewing and quilting
• Affordable price

Cons

• Walking foot and darning foot must be purchased

3 – Janome JW8100 Sewing Machine

A great sewing machine from Janome with the right weight to be portable and with enough features for any quilter to bring to the quilting classes is the Janome JW8100.

Whether you want to do piecing on your new top for a quilt with you’re sewing machine to later work on the hand quilting, or if you want to work with you’re sewing machine on both, the piecing of a new top and the free motion quilting, this model has everything you need.

Easy to carry around the house or to your quilting classes, as it’s only 12 pounds.

Core Features

• Lightweight
• 100 built-in stitches
• LCD screen

Pros

• Easy to set up and start sewing
• Great model for beginners and more advanced quilters
• Reasonable price

Cons

• You might need to buy some extra feet for quilting

Note: When shopping for this sewing machine, look for a seller that includes the quilting feet set.

4 – Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist Sewing Machine

If you’re loyal to the brand Singer, you might know about the Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist as a good model for all you’re sewing and quilting projects. Singer has designed and built this model to help you to work with ease on all your projects as you keep making new quilts.

When you’re interested to learn more about how to make a quilt, you might want to attend to a few new classes and retreats to learn a few new techniques to make your quilts.

You can read the Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist Sewing Machine Review here!

Core Features

• This model comes with 600 built-in stitches
• LDC screen
• A good number of presser feet which include the walking and darning feet.

Pros

• Self cutting thread
• It’s portable – 10 pounds
• Built-in handle

Cons

• It doesn’t come with carrying case

5 – Brother SQ9130 Sewing and Quilting Machine!

I included the Brother SQ9130 Computerized Sewing Machine on this list of the best Portable Sewing Machines For Quilters, as this is the machine I have at home.

As a quilter I like to attend to a few classes every year to learn more about new techniques to make my quilts at home, I find the Brother sewing machines comes with everything a quilter needs to work on the piecing of a new top and also with all the feet and the drop feed system to work on the free motion quilting.

This machine is light enough to carry around the house and to carry it to your quilting classes and retreats, it’s easy to set up and start sewing and it has the right size and weight to help you to work with ease as you work on the free motion quilting on your quilts.

Core Features

• 140 built-in stitches
• Drop feed system
• A good number of pressing feet

Pros

• Easy to set up and start sewing
• Lightweight with a built-in carrying handle
• It comes with all the presser feet you need to make your quilts

Cons

• Throat is not big enough for free motion quilting big quilts

FAQ For The Best Portable Sewing Machines For Quilting

How To Know Your Sewing Machine Is Good To Be Portable?

When you think about attending to quilting classes or retreats, you might know already what tasks you will be working on at each class project, it can be making a simple beginner’s project or you might be working on a more advanced quilting project.

As a beginner you will be attending classes and quilting retreats to make basic quilting projects where you can learn the basic of quilting, a good portable sewing machine for you will be a lightweight machine with enough features to work with and at an affordable price.

For any advanced sewer, you might be attending to quilting classes to learn more about new quilting techniques. You will do great bringing an affordable lightweight machine, with a few up to date features on most of the classes you will be attending, it’s always advised to ask the teacher who will give the classes, and if you need a certain feature on you’re sewing machine.

What Features You Need In A Portable Sewing Machine For Quilting?

Good Stitch Quality – Whether you will use your machine for piecing your quilt tops or if you’re planning also to do the free motion quilting, you need a good stitch quality all the time.

Drop Feed System – When thinking about making a new quilt, you might be wanting to work with you’re sewing machine from day 1 to finish the quilt, by this means you’ll be working on the free motion quilting also, you need a model that has the drop feed system already in your machine by just turning on and off a button or a lever.

Quilting Presser Feet – Most of the sewing machines designed and built for quilting from the best know sewing machine brands have done their work well know any quilter’s needs at the time to make a new quilt no matter if it’s a small one or if you’ll be working on a full size quilt, they know pretty well what steps all quilters work on at the time of making a quilt and these machines come up to the market with everything you need.

Some of these models with everything you need in the market are very high in price and some of them are heavy and big, these don’t make them perfect to include in the portable sewing machines category, all these machines are the best machines to make quilts, but they are made to keep them in the sewing room.

At the time to do the research for this article, as a quilter myself, I thought about some sewing machines that I would like to bring to a quilting class or retreat to have some of the features needed to make most of the different patterns or designs to make a quilt with a low price and with a lightweight.

Best Portable Sewing Machines For Quilting Closing Thoughts

I hope you find helpful this short list of portable sewing machines for quilting to bring to a new class or retreat to work on your next quilt to make. I thought about a model light enough for any quilter to bring along all the materials and notions you will need for any new class you will be attending.

I also looked to find a model with the features you will need to work on a new top or for free motion quilting, I hope you find this list helpful and you find a portable sewing machine for quilting to bring to your next class or retreat.

Happy Sewing!