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QUILTING FOREVER

Brother CS6000i Sewing And Quilting Machine Reviewed (2020)

By DandelionclubPublished 3 years ago 15 min read
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There are many people that share a passion for sewing. At the outset, it seems a straightforward thing but there is so much thought that goes inside designing and sewing articles and items to wear or adorn your house. Being able to create things from scraps adds another feather to your cap. And when you are able to reasonably make do with the work, you can teach your circle and allow them to share the love of creation with them.

But before the real action starts, you need to have reliable equipment and tools to work your way around. A sewing machine is a primary tool that you should have to succeed as an amateur fabric creator. It is not easy to find the best machine for your work, not that there are not many models in the market but on the contrary. There is so much to shovel through before you could find the perfect fit for your work.

Based on functions and work options, there are many models for you to choose from. Your budget may be the determining factor, along with the level of expertise and what you need to do with it.

If you have set your eyes on computerized sewing machines and still want to save some big bucks, Brother CS6000i is a great option for you.

For starters, it is very light on the pocket so you do not need to break your bank account to get your hands on this one. This machine is packed with features that only premium models provide. So, it is always a catch for those who need to have a machine that does everything in the books but costs much less than their expensive counterparts.

There is a premise that needs to be made. Mostly, sewing machines with advanced features like these are not suitable for beginners or for those who do not need to do much with their sewing machines. But in this instance, we can make a clear exception. This sewing machine, Brother CS6000i, covers all the bases that a modern machine should without putting a dent in your pocket.

It is one of the renditions by Brother – a leading brand in the sewing and tailoring industry. It offers a great user experience with easy handling, so you are set up in no time at all because you will hardly find useless “options” on these machines.

For the professionals as well as the amateurs, you will find this machine to be adequate for all kinds of operations including sewing in different patterns and so on. There are many leading artists in the industry that have this machine as their daily driver for the projects to go.

Before we delve into the details about the operations of this wonderful piece of hardware, let us go through the specifications and features of Brother CS6000i.

Brother CS6000i Specs & Features

Here are the salient features of this incredible machine:

• Over 60 built-in stitch types.

• Automatic Needle Threader.

• Speed Controls (For fast and slow operations).

• Quilting Table.

• LCD Control Panel.

• Hard Cover Included.

• Stitch Length & Width Adjustment.

• 7.1 Step Buttonhole Options.

• Start/Stop Button for no-pedal sewing.

& So Much More!

This list was cut short so that you do not have to wade through reading other features, there are many that are left. This sewing machine has so much to offer to its users. You can check out other features online. Now, to the review!

Brother CS6000i Review

When you are buying from Brother, you are buying from the best. Not only they provide quality hardware, but they also do not spare any expense while providing accessories to the users. You will get a hardcover for this machine to protect it from dust and debris all the time. This might be not much of an importance for an average user, but you can find comfort in the fact that your machine is literally covered from damage. This machine shines through its rivals in terms of how much care had gone into this machine, its accessories, and packaging.

In the box, you will find these:

• 9 Different Presser Foot.

• Needle Set.

• Ripper.

• Bobbins.

• Eyelet Punch.

• Spool Caps & Pins.

• Cleaning Brush.

• Accessory Pouch.

There is one other thing that we need to talk about this machine – the warranty.

For what it counts, it may look like perpetuity. It is because this machine comes with under a 25-year warranty contract for breakages and other disruptions. The company will replace or repair your hardware without charging a fee for it. There may be shipping charges involved if your machine has to cover some distance to reach the site.

The best part about this machine is that you can often find it online for just around $150.

It is as versatile and feature-packed as you would find other expensive counterparts. For beginners or passionate novices, this could be the best starter.

Setup Made Easy

With the latest and greatest machinery baked into this machine, you can run this hardware for what it is made of just out of the box.

Threading

There is a marked and numbered diagram for threading the machine which will indicate all the different threading spots. This will allow you to thread the machine even if it is your first time threading a machine ever.

Automatic Needle Threading System

Once you are done with the threading, you can head to the automatic needle threading system. All you need to do is press the lever situated on the side of the machine and the Brother will take care of the rest. Unlike other machines, you do need to crouch there, poking your fingers for 20 minutes around the needle to slip the thread through its eye. You press the lever, threading gets done. It is that simple!

Automatic Bobbin Winding System

There is a diagram included in the box that will show you how to use the automatic bobbin winding system of the Brother CS6000i.

This includes a quick-set, top drop-in bobbin which prevents the incidents of trying to fish your thread. This may be the most repulsive thing about setting up a sewing machine before starting work.

Now that you have reached here, you can turn on the work light and continue in the same fashion, or you can start on to your next project!

Quilting Table

It might be a part of your setup to attach the quilting table with your hardware. The table is large and sturdy that will allow you to wade through your tricky and hard projects with much ease. This means even when you are a novice, you can take on the hardest quilting work with no trouble at all.

Stitch Selection

One of the things that make this machine an enticing piece for beginners as well as professionals is the features that this little baby is packing. With a price tag as low as around $150, you will find many features that its expensive counterparts usually sport, as the LCD screen for selection and control.

Through this LCD, you can choose from among the 60 types of built-in stitches. To the right of the machine, you will find a detailed diagram with marked designs and numbers of stitches to choose from. This gives you a clear path to choose what would suit your work more.

By merely pushing a button, you will be able to select the appropriate stitch length and width. This is a great relief for the novices and beginners that are already overwhelmed by the bells and whistles of the new and sophisticated hardware.

There is a whopping 60 stitch selection included in this machine. With an easy setup and selection mechanism, you will be up and running within no time at all.

Here is the number-wise breakdown of the stitches:

• 7 Auto-Buttonhole Styles.

• 6 Heirloom Stitches.

• 7 Quilting Stitches.

• 20 Regular Stitches.

• 20 Decorative Stitches.

Even for professionals let alone amateur, you will find that these stitches really help you pace up your work.

Sewing Speed

The machine comes with an included foot pedal. This is a pressure-sensitive pedal that allows you to control your sewing speed. There is another way to get a grip on your swing speed. Since this is a computerized sewing machine, it allows you to choose from three pre-loaded speed settings. This could be beneficial, especially for those who do not want to concern themselves with the nuisances of the new machinery just yet.

Why You Should Not Use Your Feet

This machine is loaded with so many automatic functions that will make you question the low-price tag of this hardware. One of the striking features is the way it allows the user to deal with complicated patterns. For this, you do not need to do the legwork yourself.

Get your machine to the automatic sewing mechanism. This is the sewing machine version of the autopilot. Now, all you can do is guide your fabric to the specifications of your pattern without worrying about moving your feet at the same time. This feature is extremely helpful for those who are new to this sewing passion.

As an added feature, you can start and stop the sewing at your whim. This will help you in repositioning your fabric in the middle if you need to set a new position.

The Free Arm

In this machine, Brother CS6000i, you get so many features that are crammed in a small piece of hardware such as this.

A free arm is available in all sewing machines. Its primary purpose is to sew tube items using fabrics including trouser legs, cuffs, sleeves, etc. In this machine, you also get this free arm which will assist you in making hems and other tube items with relative ease. So, that is another plus with a machine that does pretty much everything that an expensive can do.

One-Step Buttonhole Creator

The list goes on and one as we explore the features and functions that are baked into this little beast. Another useful feature of this Brother CS6000i is that it comes with a built-in buttonhole creator. You can carve them as many you want in a seamless and hassle-free manner. Many professionals have verified that the holes work just fine with no trouble at all. No need to tweak around a little bit to ensure that the button goes in and out appropriately, all you need to do is punch a hole.

Variety Of Compatible Mediums

Just like any other premium sewing hardware, you will get a load of different needles that will help you with whatever project you want to work on. Also, like expensive sewing machines in the market, you can use a variety of mediums to work on them, using this sewing machine. For instance, you can use different kinds of fabric under this machine and it will work out just fine.

With different types of needles, it will be easier for you. You can work around with a wide range of materials. There is a question of durability when it comes to needles’ strength, but you can try out some sturdy and carefully check if they can withstand the resistance of leather.

If working with leather and other hard materials covers a major portion of your projects, then you should consider looking for more powered hardware. There are so many models available in the market to choose from that would be more suited to work on rigid materials.

Smart Needle Positioning

This machine comes with countless features that will ease your work, no matter if you are a professional or an amateur looking to take your things to a new level. With a computerized head to remember things, it does that really well.

For example, it will remember your needle position if you have taken a break and went about doing some other work. This will save you from recalling the original stitch position through hit and trial methods.

Note that it will not remember more advanced level things like stitch customization and so on. So, you need to keep that into account before starting your work.

Now, that we have explored its main features at great lengths, it is time to go through many of its pros and some of its cons for a more well-rounded review. By the end of this section, you will have more clarity about what to expect from this machine or what it can do really well and in which areas it is lacking!

Pros

Simple Setup

There is no hassle at all when it comes to the setup of this machine!

No surprise it has become one of the most loved machines for both professionals and amateurs in the industry. You get the hardware right out of the box that will start working the movement you set your workshop. This is one of the most important selling points of this sewing machine. When compared to its competitors and more premium options, this is quite a breeze to own such a machine.

Best Quilting Table

For many users, this offers the best quilting table in the market. Again, no hassle, just a seamless experience. The table is adjustable from every dimension. You can set the height, the tilt, whatever helps you to work more productively.

This might not be a big thing but against others that you get with a more expensive machine, this is really helpful. It shows how much thought and attention to the details went into this machine from the manufacturers to ensure quality and ease of usage to the customers.

Stitch Customization

This thing does not stop to blow your mind, does it?

With a price tag of around $150, you get a sewing machine that works really well with all kinds of material, has countless features loaded in its memory, one of them being stitch selection and customization.

As mentioned earlier, you get around 60 different types of stitches that you can choose from to work on your project. This is more than a handful. Not just amateurs, even professionals workaround with way lesser than that.

You can choose stitch types as well as the dimensions for stitches. This is really important because there are many spots in the fabric where you have to have appropriate stitch dimensions for a perfect job. So, another great feature without breaking your bank account.

Optional Foot Pedal

Just when you think this machine cannot get any better, it shows another feature to sweep you off your feet. If you have ever felt whenever you are working that it is too cumbersome to operate the foot pedal while guiding the fabric under the needle at the same time, this machine has solved this for you.

It has an automatic sewing option. When you turn it on, the machine will automatically run at the set pace without you needing to press the foot pedal. You can employ all your attention running your fabric under the needle. When you need to its stop, you can turn the feature off easily and you can have a break.

This option is both for amateurs and professionals, especially when they are dealing with large volumes of fabric. This gives you added value, both for your money and your work.

Cons

Poor Lighting

This is an important issue that should be addressed in otherwise such fine hardware. Lighting is one of the most important factors that help you in getting more productive with your work. Where this machine checks all the boxes, it falls short on such a basic requirement which shows poor taste.

The placing is not optimum so the light is thrown at the spot where it is not needed much. Also, it is on the dimmer side and not just bright enough. Of course, you can change the bulb and solve the problem but this should have been good out of the box. We can hope this issue will be resolved in the new machines of the same model.

Needle Durability

This machine, Brother CS6000i, comes with many types of needles to make your work easier for you. Now, the step is always welcome and there is no denying the variety of needles. But the strength and durability of these needles have been questioned by a number of professionals in the sewing industry. Lately, many have raised concerns about the life and longevity of needles over sturdier materials like leather. So, you may need to get your own needles for this one, which might be a big deal for some people.

If we can take a closer look, these cons of the machine are not much when compared to the pros it offers. You can resolve the lighting issue by installing an overhead light, which almost every workshop has already. As far as the needle strength goes, it would work just fine for the novices and amateurs. Professionals are notorious to work with too many customized things so they should not have much of a problem with this one.

Conclusion

From the outlook to its features, this is a machine that has impressed legions of professionals and new seamstresses in the industry. It demands an affordable price-tag that offers a great value for money when compared to the benefits you get out of the box. The quilting table is one of the best with perfect seating and positioning system. The setup is hassle-free and simple so that newbies do not have to fumble around to get this thing to work. You get stitch selection and customization which is a great feature to work on a variety of projects. With the auto-running feature, you can leave the foot pedal alone and concentrate all your energies on guiding the fabric under the needle.

Read more about Quilting

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About the Creator

Dandelionclub

Writer, Hobbyist, Traveller, Art Lover

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