Originally Posted by
jmoore
You would not be disappointed in a Janome 6600 MC if you had a $1000 budget. It has a 9-inch throat space and I take it to Sit & Sews and classes nearly every week. It has a library of embroidery stitches but is great for FMQ. Good luck in your decision. New machines are so much fun...
I will add this to my list!
Originally Posted by
JustAbitCrazy
It seems like you want two opposing things. You want a large harp for quilting (which means a larger, not portable machine) and you want portability. If I were you I think I'd take a long look around to see if there was a space somewhere where you could permanently keep a machine on a desk and give up the portability, maybe in a basement, spare bedroom, etc. Then you could buy the machine you really need and not worry about lugging it around every time you feel creative or have some time to quilt.
I'd say you definitely summed it up! Right now I'm in a 900 sq foot home, and the only place I could set up a permanent workspace would be the garage, which wouldn't be bad during the spring and fall, but it's not temperature controlled. We also have a gorgeous screened in patio that is just calling for me to drag everything out there to work on. I won't be carrying it far, so to me, spending 2 minutes carrying awkward or heavy items but having an easier time when I sew, is more important than being able to carry it one handed, if that makes sense. But I didn't want to get something that either a) is not designed to be put into a carrying case or b) is dainty enough to break when moved several hundred times in the next few years, until I get my quilting space in the next house.
Originally Posted by
IceLeopard
What does it mean by "dual feed presser foot?" A walking foot?
What is an External dual feed adjuster?
What does a knee lift do? My MIL's ancient cabinet Pfaff had a knee control rather than a foot pedal and I hated it. But this isn't a cabinet model, so it can't be that.
What is a twin needle guard? I know about using twin needles on my White, but the guard part has me baffled.
Hello! I can answer a couple of these questions based on my recent research- I know a knee lift is a bar that will allow you to raise and lower the pressure foot by simply lifting your knee. Dual feed is designed for two fabrics, whereas a walking foot will help you get through more layers, but they have some of the same qualities. The external adjuster means you can fiddle settings without having to open anything.