Going from a Bernina to something else for quilting and embroiery
 

<style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style>Has anyone had experience moving from a Bernina to a Babylock or Janome for free-motion quilting or embroidery? I bought a Bernina730 Artista when they first came out and spent a lot of money buthave had nothing but problems with it. I have a number of oldermachines I can use for general sewing and piecing (Singer 201, Singer401A, Singer 600E, and Bernina 703 Record). It's the embroidery andBSR for free-motion quilting I really need. I do love the BSR on the Bernina andhave been told by my local dealer that people have a hard time goingfrom quilting on a Bernina to any other machine. But, she also saidthe Babylock was the most advanced for embroidery. The dealer sells Bernina, Babylock, and Brother. Since I have all of the Bernina presser feet, Ithought about going to a new Bernina but I'm a little leery. I lovethe Babylock Solaris but can't afford it. I have also looked at thenew Janome M7 that just came out and it looks wonderful. I consideredbuying that and a separate embroidery-only machine but there is not aJanome dealer near me. I am so totally confused my head is spinning. I know no one can tellme what to buy but any insights would be appreciated. It was easierto buy my car than it is buying a sewing machine LOL.

I have both a Bernina and a Janome. I would give the Bernina up any day, but would not want to get rid of my Janome 8200 for anything. This is MHO.

You mentioned the Bernina Stitch Regulator. I believe Bernina is the only machine that has a stitch regulator that can be used without a quilting frame setup. I would certainly want either if I could afford it!

Just to warn you, typically the feet for a Bernina can only be used on that model and that model alone and you might not be able to use them on another machine.

My friend in Arizona loves Berninas, she gave me the 820 I now use because she didn't like that model (she now has a 770). She also has embroidery machines (2) that are not Bernina because they had the designs she wanted. Something to keep in mind with my 820 is that the bobbin is proprietary and I can't get prewound bobbins, I think that is something to consider/ask about with an embroidery machine.

We had another thread with someone looking to get into an embroidery machine, I said there that most people I know with embroidery machines find out after they get the one they have what are the features they want.

I know that I wouldn't use one enough to be worth the price, but if I did I'd want to be able to scan in a motif so that would be deciding point for me.

If you don't mind, a couple of questions. What all do you do on your machines - quilt, sew, embroider? Why do you prefer the Janome? I really appreciate your input. Also, would the fact that that there is no local dealer sway you one way or the other? My Bernina dealer is 5 minutes away, my Babylock 25 minutes away, and a Janome dealer 1 1/2 hours away. For some reason, Janome dealers don't seam to be as plentiful in my part of the country.

I went to janome 8900 from bernina..mainly because of the working space janome has so much more space.

I bought a Janome back in 2012 when my Bernina 180 failed. I then bought an Elna (a Janome twin) for my travel machine.

I have never had a bit of trouble with either of the new machines. Were the stitches on the 180 a bit better? Maybe. And certainly the feet were works of machining art. But they also cost a lot more for equivalent functionality (both machines and feet, especially machines.)

Something to think about - if you quilt or embroider often, you may want 2 separate machines. Either project can tie up a machine for a while (particularly embroidery), and while 9 mm stitch capability is super for embroidery, quilting is often best-served by a good straight-stitch machine. You might also find that a dedicated embroidery machine (embroidery-only) plus a good midrange non-embroidery machine (and certainly a straight-stitch-only machine like a Juki TL2010) for quilting a much cheaper than buying one highly-complicated combo machine. Brother/Babylock/Janome sell some good options for embroidery-only.

Also with the new models that are coming out now, there are going to be some good options in gently used machines at your dealers. Definitely consider those! The kinks (for the most part) will have been worked out (if there were any), and with some folks always wanting the latest and greatest, there will be some fairly new models traded in.

Michelle

I love my Janome for everyday sewing. It was one of the more expensive machines I bought years ago. It has been put aside for the Brothers machines that I bought for embroidery and for my everyday sewing. Now I am using my Juki for FMQ and loving how it handles the weight of a larger quilt. In fact I will be doing just that shortly. If I were looking at a new machine it would be Brothers/Babylock. The customer service is the best to be had when out of warranty service is necessary.

I love my Juki for piecing and machine quilting. I have a Brother 8500D for embroidery which I rarely do so I use it for the decorative stitches and machine applique. Very nice machine and I bought it used for very little to see if I liked embroidery. Turns out I don't like it that much so I'm glad I didn't buy a new one. I had it set up for embroidery for over a year and never found anything to I wanted to embroider other then test out the designs. Hooping is too tedious for me even on the new fancy ones my friends have.

I recently bought the Bernina 770QE and I'm loving it for FMQ. It has an optional embroidery module that can be added but I didn't really want one. However I like knowing I can get it down the road if I change my mind. Since I now have a baby granddaughter that may change.

I choose Janome over Bernina. It seemed more quilter friendly at the time I looked at replacing a Pfaff. The dealer I purchased from had both Berninas and Janomes and I had walked into the store to buy a Bernina.

Having quilted on bernina, brother, babylock and pfaff I much prefer my brother dreamweaver to any. Haven't used a janome yet so can't comment on it. There is a stitch regulator for the brother/ babylock models but I never use it and i dont recommend it. Everything is a breeze on brothers/babylocks so I highly recommend both over bernina any day, only bernina I like after having used a 5 and 7 series was the Q20 for quilting, that thing was beautiful and the stitch regulator on it is the best of sit downs but the price tag on them is hefty

Even compared to the one on Innova's sit down (or it's optional Lightning Stitch regulator)? I test-drove an Innova sit down and instantly bonded with it.

I am a Janome owner of four machines and one Elna . Would not trade any of them for another machine. And the feet are interchangeable on all of them But you need to spend time with diff models to see what suits you best and also take into consideration the support you will get from your dealer.

Bernina presser feet are, "old style" and "new style." New style is for anything about 30 years old and newer. Old style is for anything older.

There are also 9mm presser feet, which are wider. And Dual feed feet that are open in the back for the dual feed to engage. But, any of these 9mm or dual feed feed will fit on any "new style" Bernina.

If you got a 7 Series machine when they first came out, they hadn't had the bugs worked out of them, yet. However, if you get your dealer to put all of the firmware updates on it, they do alright. The newer "Plus" machines are pretty awesome!

I'm hoping to get the Bernina 590.... someday.

Was there much difference between quilting on the brother and the babylock?

Thanks to everyone for your insights. So many things to think about!! I am taking my Bernina back to the shop since I've already paid several weeks ago to have it repaired. Hopefully it is something simple. I am planning to look at the new Babylock Meridian while I'm there. I think it's similar to the TOL Solaris but embroidery-only. I'll also look at the Brother machines and the Q20. I wish there was a Janome dealer near me. Everyone that has one of the machines seems to be really, really happy with them.

Since I already have all the machines I need for general sewing, one other thing I thought about was a mid-arm like the HQ Sweet Sixteen or Innova. The Sweet Sixteen is around $6000. If I just bought an embroidery-only and the Sweet Sixteen, that's about the same price I would pay for a TOL machine. Decisions...decisions...

I would not buy the new M7. It only gives you 1.5 to 2.0 inches more in harp space (their big push on new feature), than a Janome 8900, it is much less. This is a great machine for free motion. For 9MM stitches, free motion and embroidery I have a Janome 15000 and highly recommend it as well. I have had Janomes for 30 years, never had to take them to the shop for repairs. I have 11 Janome machines, some duplicates...RV,Cabin,home. I would not trade them for anything...

I just looked at the Janome website but couldn't find the 8900. I wonder if it has been discontinued. I read reviews on the 1500 last night and they would glowing reviews. I sure wish their was a Janome dealer closer to me.

If you don't have a Janome dealer, do you have an Elna one? They are twins. It takes a bit to work out the model numbers (have to compare specs), but that might be an option (Elna runs about 6 months or so behind Janome on a model release, though).

BTW, do please test drive the sit downs (as many different ones as you can). A Sweet Sixteen uses a puck device as a stitch regulator and I have seen dealers have trouble demoing it at quilt shows. Innova uses sensors built into the bed of the table (Bernina might as well). Innova will be more expensive, but having test driven pretty much all but the Bernina Q20, to me it is worth the extra.

But it doesn't matter what I think - it's which machine you ​bond with.

Michelle

I appreciate all the help I can get!! I don't even know what a puck drive is -- LOL -- so obviously I need to do more research before I even begin to buy a sit down. The Elna dealership is about as close to me as the Janome. There is a Janome dealer about 45 minutes away so I may have to break down and go there. I just worry that it's a long way to go to take it for service -- but then hopefully it won't break like my Bernina has. In my area, we have Bernina, Babylock, Juki, and Brother.

I own 3 Janomes of different years and performance and wouldn't trade for any other brand. As far as living close to a dealer, I have only once had to have mine serviced and they are used weekly. I keep them clean and change needles, etc., for good maintenance. I am very happy with mine. Mine are all mechanical but one is an industrial and the other 2 are not. I have noticed that my friends all have their electronic machines in for maintenance much more often than I have to...all brands. Good luck.

I have a Janome 8200 and a Bernina 740 (plus my first Bernina, a 1260, that is 25 years old and runs perfectly). I like them both but will say that Bernina is made with more precision. The Janome presser feet have more movement when sewing then Bernina. Berninas are more expensive but deliver value for the extra cost. However, I don't think you can go wrong with either one.

Every machine requires trade-offs between price, features, dealers, etc. You have to decide on your priorities.

tee hee....I am no help.....I prefer to quilt on my APQS Lucey....simple long-arm....no bells and whistles...but has a 26 inch neck and a 12 foot frame, need up/down, stitch regulator, leveler bar, and one manual channel lock...what more could I want....my getting down on the floor to baste a quilt together is long gone as is the shoving a queen sized quilt under a sit-down....If I attempted to do those things today, I would have to get a tow truck to come and get me off the floor. I had a Bernina 440 and a 630 but traded those in and now have one of the new Bernina 570's which I do like so far...but I am sticking to my long-arm for the quilting. I also picked up a new Bernina 215 which is a simple machine but light enough to take to class....and it just has the 5.5 mm feeddogs which is so much easier to piece triangle pieces with a 1/4 inch seam and I just may use that to piece all my half-square triangles with...but....I haven't had my classes on the 570 yet so I will have to see....so far...I have lost some of my triangle points to the wider 9 mm feed dogs on the 570.

Take the time to try out the Janome's. 45 min. drive really isn't that much. It takes me 30 to get to the repair person I use & 40 to get to the quilt shop if there is no road work. I liked the Janome I had 5-6 yrs ago but the dealer was closing up shop & would not offer any deals. I get a Bernina for less plus credit for trade in. If I were to go for a Janome now it's 1-1/2 hr drive.

I went to the Janome dealer yesterday to look at their Memory Craft 15K. I knew I couldn't make a decision until I had tried that machine. The MSRP on this machine was $1299.00 but it was a floor model and the price was 7999.00. I really liked the machine so what happened next was discouraging. I'm not sure what the problem was but the lady demonstrating it had broken thread while sewing the embroidery, a broken needle, and there were small gaps in the embroidery sample (it did have stabilizer on the sample). I asked if there was a way to changed my Bernina-format embroidery designs to a file this machine would be able to use and she said she didn't know of any. I've spent a lot of money on designs that are the Bernina format and I hate to lose those.

On the way home I stopped at the local Bernina dealer. Until the end of September, I can trade in my broken Artista 730 and get the new Bernina 790 for 9375.00 or the Bernina 700 embroidery-only machine for 4500.00. I would also have to trade in all of the feet and accessories that came with the Artista. If I weren't so gun-shy about another Bernina, this would be an easy decision. I am planning to go look at the Babylock and Brother today but the price on both of those will be higher than the Bernina because of the 25% off MSRP deal. My head hurts!!

The process of selecting a machine is time consuming, a bit overwhelming and usually ends with spending more than originally planned. I think you're doing all the things you need to do in order to make the right choice! If you're not 'in love' with a machine then keep test driving until you find the perfect one! Enjoy the process :)

I went from a Bernina 640 sewing/emb to a brother dream creator. The brother is much quieter & I love it!! I sold the hernia. Look for a machine at your dealer that was used in a class.
Mine was used in one class, therefore they knocked off $4,000 off the price!!

Drive to see/ try Janome! I prefer separate machines for embroidery and quilting. I use a brother for embroidery, very intuitive and easy to use. While it is stitching out a design nearby, l can quilt on my Janome 8900...l♡ ve it!

I drove to see the Janome MC15000 yesterday but the person showing it had some problems. Look at my post right above. I totally agree it would be nice to have separate machines. Embroidering can take a while on some designs. I do like the look of the new Bernina 700. While I was looking at it a customer in the store from out of state stopped and told me how much she loved that machine.

Did your design files come in different formats? You will need software to convert them to the correct format for the machine.

There may have been issues with the design digitizing which lead to the problems. The thread may have been threaded wrong. So many other possibilities. Visit the dealer again and see another design.

Yes, to turning in all the original accessories that came with the machine. You keep any extra ones that you purchased. Check the manual as there should be a list. Keep a copy for you and one for the dealer so you know they were all turned in at trade-in.

See if there are any dealer events coming up that you can attend. You get to see the machine brand in action for a whole day. There are usually discounted prices and packages available.

Don't be shy about negotiating discounts for the other brand machines. They are available too. If there are upgrades to the machine, you can negotiate to have those included. These large machines need a rolling bag so be sure to inquire about them. Good luck on your decision!

I called the Janome dealer and explained about the discount I would get on the Bernina machine and asked if that was the bottom price for the MC15000. She said it was because I was already getting a 1299.99 machine for 7999. I told her thank you anyway. 10 minutes later I got a call back and the person said the owner really wanted to get rid of this machine. They would take 6499. if it was cash. Can I assume this is a good price or am I missing something. Thanks.

I love me Baby lock and janome ,

Just an update on my sewing machine search. After researching and trying out machines until I was sick of all of them LOL, I bought the Janome Memory Craft 15000 floor model for 6400.00. I thought this was a pretty good deal and it comes with a complete warranty. I love it!! It does everything I want and then some. Plus, I still have money in my pocket. I can't ask for more than that. Thanks to everyone that offered input. It was really appreciated. I initially had not even considered a Janome until so many owners talked about how much they loved their machine. That's why I love this forum. I don't post very often but I read a lot!!!

Congratulations! I'm glad you found the perfect machine for you! Happy stitching!

One thing I learned is that the machine you use for piecing is probably not the same as the one you want to use for quilting the quilt.

I started with a lovely D1, thinking I would love the embroidery options. I did a bit but it was not for me. I sold the D1, which I realized was also not great for piecing: the feed dogs were made such that the fabric swung a bit as you ended a seam, and while I could compensate, it was frustrating to always have to watch the seam ends did not wander.

I bought a used Bernina 170 off EBay and love it for piecing. But it is really too small for quilting on, so I got a Juki 2010Q for that. The Juki is also very nice for piecing.

And now I am gearing up to go longarm!

I have a Bernina Artista 180 which I really love. I learned to FMQ on it. It does not have BSR. But I bought a Juki 2200 QVP Mini a year and a half ago just to FMQ quilts since it has a large throat area. I only had a small amount of trouble going from the Bernina to the Juki. Mostly I was used to not having to mess with the tension much on the Bernina no matter what type of thread I was using. I did have to adjust the tension quite a bit on the Juki. Other than that I do fine with the Juki. I have several vintage machines that I use for piecing also.

I love my Janome 1500. I use it for embroidery and quilting and love it. I have gotten some discs/ downloads to do but have not tried them yet, as I am pretty new to quilting. I have a husband who is tech savvy, who helped me with the download process for designs. I love the Designs by JuJu for embroidery downloads for my quilts. They are beautiful, reasonable, and come out perfect! The appliqué for kids shirts are beautiful and fast to do. I got mine with
12 hours on it on eBay for less than 1/2 price.

What a coincidence. I just finished one the Designs by JuJu. I am also on her Facebook group. I also get a lot of embroidery designs from Emblibrary.com. I am still learning my Janome but I've been really happy with everything I've tried to do on this machine.

Someone said:

“Just to warn you, typically the feet for a Bernina can only be used on that model and that model alone and you might not be able to use them on another machine”

That’s completely false. “Old style” feet can only be used on machines about 30 years olds do older, but new style feet fit on all the Bernina models since the 1530 & 1630 of the 1990s. The wider 9mm feet will fit on 5.5mm models, though it doesn’t make sense to use them that way. The narrower 5.5mm feet can be used on the 9mm models, and the machine’s security feature can be set to allow only straight stitches or maximum 5.5mm wide stitches. The coded C feet will even fit on models that lack the sensor to read the coded lens. The D feet with the cut-out for the dual feed mechanism will fit on models without dual feed, but again, it doesn’t make much sense to use them that way.

Being able to share feet and accessories between models is a major advantage that Bernina offers.