Thread: A Different machine

I need a different sewing machine. 9 years ago I bought a Janome 10001. Now is it worth practically nothing even in trade. It was never very usable for me. I lost my right hand in a lumber mill accident in 1998. I loved to hand piece and sew quilt blocks. OK so now I am trying to take a quilt as you go class. I am having to turn my piece around in the very small throat of my Janome. What I have so far is so crooked that its gross. I never knew there were machines that would automatically cut thread and lift the presser foot. That would be awesome. I have been looking at machines and cannot make up what little is left of my mind. I love the Baby Lock Symphony which is a discontinued model. Found used no warranty for about $1500. The needle threader on the Baby Lock machines are the best on the market. They thread themselves. Feature that I love because with only a left hand with a lot of machines getting the darn thing threaded takes for ever and its always on the wrong side. Nothing is made for left handed people. The other one I am looking at is the Viking 930. Used at $800 which is more like what I want to spend. The needle threader is not near as good and will take me a lot of time fiddling with. I just want to sew. Both machines have the auto foot up which I love and the thread cutting. I don't know but the Baby Lock just seemed a more substantial machine when I was sewing with it. Over all I liked it better. But it's twice as much money. I like the shop and people better at the Viking store way better place to do business. No pressure just let the machine sell itself. The other is total pressure. It would be great if anyone has these two machines to let me know how you like them. Thank you everyone for listening. Judy in Oregon

Good luck to you. I know nothing about either machine, but I am sure there are folks who know about each. My only advice is to test drive the machines, but it sounds like you already know that. Buying a new sewing machine is sort of like buying a new car, and the sales representatives differ a lot with those purchases too.

Dina

I have the babylock espire which is the model that the symphony replaced. According to my dealer they are pretty much the same. I love it and use it for piecing, sewing and FMQ.
Don't know anything about the other machine you are contemplating.

Originally Posted by GingerK

Hi Judy. I will be watching this thread. My second DGD was born missing the lower portion of her right arm.

One of my sisters-in-law was born without a left hand. She is now in her 50s and does anything she wants except fasten the back of her pierced earrings. Fortunately, she had a younger sister so she was not pampered as the baby of the family. She was expected to deal with situations when they came up. For a long time after I got to know her, she kept her left arm covered - in her pocket, by a sweater, etc. Now she is just as normal with it as anyone else. Best wishes to you and your family with your granddaughter.

Don't know if this would be an option but if you are just wanting a straight stitch for quilting look at the Juki 2000. It does have a needle threader, but the needle threads from left to right. I don't use the threader but thread it with my left hand-I'm righthanded- easily.

I don't know about either. I just bought a Bernina 350 new. I have a neurological condition that makes it difficult for me to use my right arm & right leg (which is frustrating since I am right handed). All Berninas from 210 and up have an optional knee lift. From 350 up they include the knee lift. My 350 has a semi-automatic needle threader. You put it in this contraption to the left of the needle & it threads the needle for you. It does not have an auto cutter, but the cutter is on the left side of the machine & I can easily use it with my left (non-dominant) hand.

It also has push button sewing which I love. It means I can still sew basic straight seams even when my right arm has gone completely numb. You just load the fabric, set the machine for the slowest sewing speed, press the needle down button, lower the presser foot with the knee lift & the press the start/stop button while gently feeding the fabric. I'm waiting on an edge guide for my new machine, but I'm assuming based on past experience that the edge guide will help even more, especially with the push button start while I'm moving my hand down to the fabric. One of the nicest features is that you can program the machine to only take one stitch (or only a set number of stitches; or the same number of stitches it took the last time you sewed something & saved that stitching lines as a "pattern"), but on the slowest speed, it is super easy to just take one stitch to pull up the bobbin thread. I have changed out the bobbin one-handed, but it's not especially easy. Probably the hardest thing is threading the machine, but that's do-able.

It comes with an extension table to help support the left-hand side of fabric. Might be something worth checking out. They retail for $1899, but my local dealer took my 1970's trade it and gave me a $300 trade in value for it, making the 350 a reasonable price, especially with the full warranty.