Comments on: Whiptips - sewing machine advice

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 22:02:19 +0000

Thank you all so much, I really appreciate the advice and ideas. It makes the idea of shopping much less daunting!

By: Mandy

Mandy — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:45:46 +0000

I have a Janome Jem as well as the quilting 6600P. Personally, I love the built-in walkingfoot of the 6600, and liked the feel of the stitch much more than the berninas I used in the past; to me it seemed smoother and quieter. It weighs about 30 lbs, and isn’t going *anywhere* when I quilt a large piece. I think it really is going to come down to a “feel” thing, since the machines mentioned are all good! If you’re looking for portability, the little Jems are excellent, and can handle pretty much the same fabrics as my big machine can, as long as I go carefully. A friend of mine completed a denim project with hers, and it had no problems going over 4 or so layers of denim, possibly up to 6 (don’t remember now). The differen ce between the 720 and 760 is # of stitches (20 and 60 respectively) and the 760 has a one-step button holer, which is really nice to have.

By: Iona

Iona — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 05:16:24 +0000

I’ll echo the comments about Pfaff. I bought the hobby level model a year ago when my interest in sewing was reawakened. I was familiar with basic sewing machines and I knew I wanted something that could cope with the activities I wanted to learn how to do - quilting, more advanced sewing techniques (like invisible zippers). I couldn’t afford and wasn’t really interested in a fully featured, computer-based machine capable of 101 stitiches.

I love it - it works really well for me, performs well with a wide range of fabrics from silk to jersey, buttonholes are great. I haven’t tried quilting with a walking foot yet but that says more about me than the machine.

By: Robin

Robin — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 00:13:51 +0000

I love my Janome Jem. I have a higher level New Home (now made by Janome) from 18 years ago that I also love, for different reasons.
But, for the straightforward needs of quilting, the Jem has a buttonholer, zigzag and few other bells and whistles, but I never have to go beyond the straight and zigzag. I bought mine at allbrands.com and have been very very happy. I work with some children with medical issues and I like having two machines and they are not intimidated by the Jem.

By: David D.

David D. — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 13:50:29 +0000

I came back to sewing after many years and decided on a Janome Gem. I just recently finished my first quilt with it and the machine was a pleasure to work on. While it’s basic, it has all the stitches I need (including zigzag, basting and overcast) and there is an additional quilting kit–sometimes thrown in with your machine purchase, depending where you shop–that includes the walking foot, the quarter-inch hemming foot, the free motion foot and the feed dog cover.

It also has a light for the work area, up/down needle and a built in needle threader. (Embroidery stitches and such are amusing, but not necessary for me.) And, as mentioned above, the bobbins are clear plastic and the bobbin cover is clear, so you can see exactly what’s going on in there. It’s light and portable yet durable and seems pretty tough. I would have liked a Bernina but I wasn’t sure if I’d be using it enough to justify the extra $$$. Plus the Gem seemed to be recommended just about everywhere I looked.

I do agree though–you should take a small sample of the kind of fabric/project you’ll be sewing with it and try it out on several different machines, if you can. There’s no point in testing the machine with denim at the store if you’re going to be sewing organza at home (or vice versa).

By: Johanna

Johanna — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 09:54:39 +0000

I bought myself a Janome 6019 Quilter’s Companion a year and a half ago, and I really love it. There are three Quilter’s Companion machines in the series- mine is the “lowest” end one. It is mechanical rather than all computerized, but it does everything I want it to do (I wouldn’t get good use from lots of extra bells and whistles). It came with a walking foot for quilting, and also a clear plastic table extension which fits exactly around the machine to extend your level sewing/quilting surface. It uses clear plastic drop-in bobbins, and the cover for the bobbin compartment is also clear so you can see if you’re running out of bobbin thread!! This feature alone made me giddy with excitement when I first got it.
All around, it’s a great machine, and I do a heck of a lot of quiltmaking on it.

By: admin

admin — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 08:25:28 +0000

I have a 22 year old Elna which belonged to my grandmother before me. It is a very well used machine, heavy and sturdy. It just does the basics - in terms of stitches etc and I have bought a walking foot which attaches easily - the feed dogs need to be manually removed with a screw driver - other than that small inconvenience it is a great machine. I have been toying with the idea of a new machine though - with more stitch options and perhaps an easier way to do the feed dogs.

great advice everyone

By: SWC

SWC — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:16:42 +0000

Try patternreview.com Based on reviews there, I bought a second-hand Kenmore on ebay for less than $150 3-4 years ago and have been very pleased with it. Of course I’d love to splurge on a fancy new machine with all the bells and whistles, but for what I do, this machine is plenty.

By: Dianna in Maui

Dianna in Maui — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:14:40 +0000

I have a 10-yr old Bernina 160, which I love for it’s beautiful zigzag and the trouble-free use of most decorative threads. I also have a Janome 1600 straight-stitcher, which I adore for piecing and machine quilting. Keep in mind, though, that it only goes straight, no zig zag. That said, many new quilters can’t afford $2000 for a new machine, nor do they really need all of the gadgets - beware, as was mentioned above. My Janome was about $1300, and if you don’t do clothing sewing or anything requiring zigzag, I’d highly recommend it. However, do check out the Janome Gem machines. They are reasonably priced, come with the basics, including zig zag, needle up/down, a light (I think even some models come with a thread cutter, but I can’t be sure). They are reliable and, at approx. 10lbs, can be set up just about anywhere and toted along to classes. Try several machines out (take piecing scraps, a couple of small quilt sandwiches, and a variety of threads). Don’t let the salesperson rush you or talk you into more than you need. Good luck and, most of all, have fun!

By: LittleMissMeshell

LittleMissMeshell — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 00:57:28 +0000

I love my Husqvarna, and I personally don’t recommend new Singers, as I’ve had a lot of tension problems with them. I have a Husqvarna Platinum 770, which is wonderful, well worth the splurge. =) Mum has a Pfaff, which is also great.