Bought a new Piecing machine today
 

A Babylock Grace, it has a lot of extras for the money. When I was shown the different way to wind a bobbin on this machine that did it for me, makes perfect bobbins every time.
It also has a 1/4 inch stitch, no need for a special foot.

sounds like a winner to me! Have fun with it. If I'm not being too nosy, how expensive was it?

What's different about the bobbin winder? :confused:

Yes the bobbin winder is awesome if its the one on the espire, does wind them perfect. Love the babylocks. The difference is you don't have to use the pedal the machine does it for you and perfect. It is also separate on the espire so doesn't interfere with sewing if you want to sew. Bobbin won't get wound uneven.

My daughter has that machine and is very happy with it. Congratulations on your purchase!

Thank you, I paid $400 at a dealer(retail is $700), the bobbin has a thread cutter where after you set up to wind a bobbin, you wrap the thread around the spool a couple of times then cut it with the cutter that is under the spool. Bobbin then winds either using the start/stop button or your foot on petal.
It has 40 stitches, one being the 1/4 inch stitch. I needed a machine to do piecing on, my Euro is having bobbin issues again, if the bobbin is wound properly on that machine it runs like a dream, if not, it becomes a nightmare.
The Grace has snap on feet, I can use the extra feet that came with my Euro. Being lightweight, it can be moved easily.
I looked at Janome, Brother etc, even though they were cheaper and online order, they didn't have many of the things that the Grace has, so that made up my mind when I sewed on the floor model. I was looking for the speed control which this machine has, needle up and down was an added bonus, as well as the start/stop button, the different bobbin winding etc.

Congrats, enjoy your machine!!!!

Thanks, I played with the machine this am, checking out the stitches etc. Love love love the 1/4 in stitch!

I'm glad you got a good for you machine. Always good to use a new one.

good luck. I have a babylock ellure plus, not really a fan.....it was to replace my viking, but I find myself piecing on the viking. first, the one has supposedly 3 - 1/4" seams and no one can tell me the difference? I do not like the 1/4" foot, it has that little piece of vertical metal on the edge, fine for straight edge pieceing, but try putting a "dog ear" under that thing, not good. I hate the threading near the needle, I do not have tiny hands and the space there is so tight tough to get the thread around the #6 spot....and auto thread...yuck and thread cut, yuck..too many times it has unthreaded on the next piece......or that little "knot" they call it, as you begin to sew, looks to me like a little bird's nest....and I had to buy a long plastic guide so I could use my large cones of thread rather than the little ones on top of the machine...just to clear the top of the machine...needless to say, not a good purchase on my part.......and my viking is heavier and foot pedal does not need to be "nailed" down to the floor...........stays where I put it.......

Sounds like a great machine, and that you got a pretty good deal! Congrats and enjoy!

Good for you, enjoy!!!

Deb, I see you have Shelties, I lost one of mine on April second . So sad, I still have one that is 10 years old and love her to death.

Wanda, We, too, are Sheltie lovers. Cody will be 10 on August 4. How old was the one you lost, and was it because of illness. Our vet had a Sheltie when we got Cody, and we later asked her how old he was when he died. She said she had gotten him from a pound as an adult, at least 2, and she had him for 13 years. So that gave us some hope we might have Cody a few more years. Aren't they wonderful dogs.!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy! Let us know how you like it after you've had time to play.

Suzy

Wanda, sorry for your loss of your baby, I love mine, have 2 sisters.

I use cone thread, love the threader on the machine, works every time. I agree about the dog ears when doing a 1/4 inch seam, not fun trying to get it up under a plated foot. I usually trim them before sewing them to other things.

I'm so happy you're happy with your new machine! Nothing else matters, does it?

Bingo!, now if I can keep my girls off the quilt I just finished - a oversized twin for me to use this Summer.

Congrats, have fun!!!

I purchased an Espire last October and have been very unhappy. Everything Geri B said I second. Plus, it has a very wobbly looking straight stitch. I tried to quilt straight lines using the walking foot for the first time the week and the lines are very wobbly looking (the stitches tend to fork to one side or the other and then back again all while I'm passing it through in as straight of manner as possible--lined up evenly with the side of the walking foot). I used a zig zag stitch and it kept varying the stitch width-it may be a problem with the walking foot not advancing consistently. Everytime I go to do something on this machine, it is never as nice as I think it should be. I will try to do some straight line stitching without the walking foot and hopefully I'll get better results. Otherwise, I can't see using this for quilting and that was the whole point of me buying this machine.

I know the Grace has a smaller throat/harp space, not really for quilting but for piecing should work fine. I have a 1500 for quilting.

How does the Grace wind a bobbin differently?

Congratulations on your new machine!

Congrats on the new machine! Sounds like you are going to have a great time with it. Thanks for sharing.

Try not using the quarter inch foot with a guide. You can use the J foot and choose the piecing stitch or just use a regular quarter in foot. Problem solved. Trouble threading, here are a couple of options.....first, hit the needle down button, now hit it again, this puts the needle in the perfect position for the threader to work. Now, after taking the thread up and around the take up lever. Hold the thread in your left hand providing tension while you take the cut end of the thread with your right hand and slip it through the thread guide above the needle. It shoud go right in. Hands too big? Use long serger tweezers in your right hand to slip it through the thread guide. Your needle should never come unthreaded after using your cutter. Go back to where you bought it and have them help you. Geri B, you really did buy a great little machine. You just need some help and support. Have them fix your machine so that it works as it was intended to do. Best of luck. Oh and about the Grace machine.....another winner. You will love it for sure.

I have a friend who has a Babylock also, both have the same kind of bobbin threading system with the cutter, different from other brands where you put the thread thru a hole and hold for a sec while starting the threading on a bobbin.
Babylock's winds perfect for better sewing. I have been playing with my new Grace, love it.