EverSewn and the serpentine stitch
#31
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Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Farmington Hills, Michigan
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I did test drive Janome's newest top-of-the-line machine though, the M7 Continental. Oh, my...so nice! It's also an $8000.00 machine. Also, and I think this is a big deal, I felt really good about the dealer. They have three stores - two of them are closed now, but will re-open at the end of the month. The one we went to was about 30 minutes away, so not bad at all, but we'll be able to take the machine to the one that's closest to home. They're also a sew & vac repair place and the store was packed with vintage sewing machines, so I kinda liked that too!
So I'm pretty sure that, unless something else comes up, this is the machine I'll be getting.
.
#32
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Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Farmington Hills, Michigan
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#34
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Location: Texas
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Sheryl M, lots of machines have the serpentine stitch but most of them are not adjustable in length or width..or only marginally adjustable. I wanted to be sure you knew this even though i'm pretty certain that the 6700 is adjustable and would do all you want out of that stitch. I too have used it a lot and it has saved me from needing to send some quilts out. Of all the "quilt stitches" available on machines today, i use often the buttonhole (applique stitch), feather and serpentine--so much so that I would not want to buy a machine without those 3 stitches and need them to not be fixed in length and width. Congrats on your pending purchase of the 6700...its one that you will keep and use forever.
#35
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Sheryl M, lots of machines have the serpentine stitch but most of them are not adjustable in length or width..or only marginally adjustable. I wanted to be sure you knew this even though i'm pretty certain that the 6700 is adjustable and would do all you want out of that stitch..................Congrats on your pending purchase of the 6700...its one that you will keep and use forever.
Two years ago we downsized, moved an hour away to a different county and I joined a weekly quilter's Sit and Sew group, as well as a group that meets once a month. It was the best thing I could have done, both socially and quilting wise. Seeing what the other ladies are working on has exposed me to and pushed me to try things that I wouldn't have before, like English paper piecing, that opened up a lot of possibilities for me.
When I started thinking about why I didn't want to learn free motion quilting, it came down to the fact that the smaller harps on my machines would make it more difficult (not impossible...I know there are many quilters that do it) to do anything other than smaller items, like QAYG blocks or wall hangings. I've done several large twin size quilts with the walking foot and it was a chore that I didn't enjoy at all. I don't want to keep sending them out to a longarmer and though I love to do it, hand quilting takes so much more time, that I'd rather save that for the occasional quilt.
I don't want to be limited anymore by what my machines can do, and while I know that this machine won't live nearly as long as my beloved vintage machines, I also think it will be one that I can grow with skill-wise, and that I'll be happy with for a long time. Janome's are well made, dependable machines, and as long as I don't end up with a lemon (it happens), I don't think I'll regret the purchase at all.
Last edited by SherylM; 07-08-2020 at 05:35 AM.
#36
Just to keep your excitement up Sheryl I just finished binding this quilt, quilted with the serpentine stitch on my Janome 8900. For perspective the blocks are 2" finished. This is the reverse side of a mystery quilt, using up the leftovers.
#37
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Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Farmington Hills, Michigan
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Oh, I like that! So, it's reversible? I have a pile of 64 patch blocks made with 2 1/2' squares (2' finished) that I put together when I had the flu in January...and then again in February. And then a friend gave me a whole shoebox full of 2" squares that I'm going to have to do something with one of these days. Yikes...little squares, everywhere!
I have a couple of UFO's that are going to get the serpentine treatment just as soon as that machine follows me home; it's such a useful stitch.
I have a couple of UFO's that are going to get the serpentine treatment just as soon as that machine follows me home; it's such a useful stitch.