It is not easy to match the joy and satisfaction you feel when you create something with your own hands. And with your sewing machine. Sewing can be a perfect outlet in this rushing and stressful millennium. It is an escape from your daily routines and moreover, it is a productive one. However, learning to sew can be difficult and even annoying. Brother SQ9185 Sewing Machine is a great choice to get you through these early stages with minimum annoyance. It is a machine that will grow on you and help you master a variety of sewing skills with ease and fun.
Brother SQ9185 is a pretty popular computerized sewing and quilting machine. The concept behind this machine was to create a sewing machine with features of high-end models, but with affordable price tag. Also, it should cover all the needs of an entry-level sewist, and provide an opportunity to upgrade the mastery level, while keeping the performance level high.
Is it too many promises to deliver? Well, the users seem to quite like it. We’ll take a closer look to find out if this machine is as good as it looks.
Contents
Features of Brother SQ9185 Sewing Machine
Stitches
Brother SQ9185 is loaded with features. It has 130 built-in sewing stitches including utility, decorative, heirloom and quilting stitches. This variety really allows you to be creative and to experiment for a quite long time before you run out of options when it comes to stitch selection. It also includes 8 one-step buttonholes. If you are interested in monogramming, there are 55 alphanumeric stitches and a built-in font for it. There is only one font available and it is pretty small, but with those 55 stitches it should be quite enough for your first monogramming steps.
On the front side of this machine, there is an LCD display. It is backlit so you can read it easily in the dark. The display shows the selected stitch number as well as stitch settings, stitch width and length and even a recommended presser feet. Stitch length adjustment is also available. Maximum stitch length is 5 mm and the maximum stitch width is 7 mm.
Speed control
Controlling the speed of your Brother SQ9185 machine is important for good results. With Brother SQ9185 you can control the speed either with the foot pedal, or using a speed control slider and the start/stop button. The speed control button has three different positions with a maximum speed of 850 stitches per minute.
Many sewists prefer foot pedal and ignore the automatic options. However, if you work with heavy fabric and struggle to keep it at the table those buttons can come quite handy. You can move your Brother SQ9185 machine to the floor to avoid the sliding of the fabric. Using a pedal in that position would require some serious yoga skills. That’s where the start/stop buttons come in even if you don’t use them regularly.
Some more features
A needle position button is another nice feature that will allow you to choose the position of the needle when you stop sewing. It is helpful when you are removing the fabric or pivoting. Seven-Point feed dogs provide smooth fabric feeding. There is also a drop feed option for free motion quilting. Automatic needle threading system is super easy to use.
When it comes to bobbin, Brother SQ9185 never disappoints. The winding system with the top drop-in bobbin is practical and quick. The machine comes with a free arm to handle collars, cuffs, and sleeves. It is equipped with a reverse stitch button, another advanced but necessary feature to reinforce your stitches or just to make them pretty.
Accessories
For an entry-level sewing machine, Brother SQ9185 has an amazing variety of presser feet. It comes with a buttonhole foot, button sewing foot, overcasting foot, zipper foot, monogramming foot, zig-zag foot, walking a foot, blindstitch foot and quarter-inch quilting foot with quilt guide.
Accessory storage is built-in and easy to reach if needed. The storage contains needle set, ballpoint needle, twin needle, seam ripper, cleaning brush, screwdriver, extra spool pin, four bobbins, bobbin clip, eyelet punch, Instructional DVD and Operation manual.
An attachable wide table is an excellent addition to this machine. Additional space is really useful to take on any bigger project either sewing or quilting. The working LED light is bright enough. And you don’t need scissors as there is a manual thread cutter on the side of the machine.
What do customers say about Brother SQ9185?
Brother SQ9185 is a popular sewing machine so there is a huge number of online user reviews. According to those reviews, this machine is very impressive. Over 80% of users gave it five stars rating and over 90% gave it four or five stars rating. I have read many positive and most of the negative reviews. I will address it in a ‘Pros’ and ‘Cons’ sections, but I have to admit that most of these guys with negative comments have had unrealistic expectations.
Pros
Great value for the money – While this machine is very affordable, it comes with a wide variety of options and accessories. You can find a better high-end machine, but when it comes to price/performance ratio, it is hard to beat it.
Versatility – The number of options is fantastic considering the price. With this machine, you can do all kind of projects with different patterns and techniques. It is really an all-purpose sewing and quilting machine.
Great performances – Brother SQ9185 runs beautifully. This machine delivers professional looking stitches. It’s perfectly capable of sewing thick and multiple layer fabrics just make sure to use a proper needle.
User-friendly – Operation manual and DVD lead you through the process with clarity. Brother has created both manual and DVD specifically for this model. The machine has a lot of options and functions, so you might have to go through manual over and over again in the beginning. But, it is designed to be easy to use and help you level up quickly.
Larger working area – An addition of attachable table made many users happy. This machine provides a helping hand in every department.
It is portable – Brother SQ9185 is a lightweight machine especially for a quilting machine. These days manufacturers successfully make lighter models while keeping the high-quality standards.
Cons
Considering a price and its segment there are no cons if you ask me. However, there are some common issues that some users objected to.
Small monograms -The size of the monogram is about ¼”. You can not adjust the size and there is only one font.
No presser foot pressure adjustment – You can use a walking foot, but it comes as a little surprise that this beauty doesn’t have the pressure adjustment.
Plastic parts – Well, this is not really a con, but some purists insist that metal parts are much better. Both metal and plastic have some advantages and disadvantages. However, lightweight, entry-level modern sewing machines cannot have all metal parts.
Conclusion
Brother SQ9185 is an impressive sewing and quilting machine. A wide variety of features, excellent performance, and affordable price makes it a great deal. It is a perfect choice for beginners even though it offers much more than beginners need. This machine will spark your creativity and as you progress it will only get better. It will inspire you to try new things and you will never get bored with it. To make a long story short, this beauty is a low-end when it comes to price, but high-end when it comes to many of its features and performances.
- 185 Built in Stitches, Including 8 Styles of 1 step Auto size Buttonholes and Alpha Numeric Stitches
- Large Backlit LCD Display with Simple Push button Stitch Selection
