I just traded up my Baby Lock Ellure for the Elegante, it does have 2 lights, and boy do I love this machine!!!

Here is the url with pics of the 2 spool machine and the actual spool holder.

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/...32474011bSuzrM

After looking at the spool bobbin holder, I surmise that engineering something like this today would create a huge revolution in the thread industry. One could only use a specific spool of thread in the holder and we all know what that means to the industry.

Anyway, I would like ALL of the enhancements already on the wish list. I too, do not think it should be necessary for an average person to have to purchase a long arm machine when it is most definitely possible to design a bigger area on a machine.

Why don't several of us write letters to the big companies and ask some of these "WHY" questions and see what kind of answers we get?

The only way companies listen is if it gets enough mail either for or against something or suggestions that aren't going to cost them a lot of money. No one in this day and age is interested in innovation just for the sake of innovation. The money is not there to go into all kinds of R&D, but if enough people write and say I want, they may, and I said may, listen.

I have a quilters dream Babylock and it has almost everything mentioned I love the larger thoat space also the screen tells when the bobbin is low works great for me

Does it have LED lights in the "throat space"? I don't think the machine I saw is a Babylock, but I could be
wrong. I thought it was a shopping show. Maybe not.
Maybe it was a quilters' website.

Indeed! I have a Pfaff sewing machine and recently purchased a Baby Lock Serger. What a transformation in the lighting! :thumbup:

Excellent!! I'm very glad to hear that.

I am not sure what kind of light but it is Babylock Espire
Quilters Dream I have had it for 1 1/2 years it has a super large table large throat plate the light is good sews very good and has a 25 year waranty says no service needed but don't quite understand that but I do like it

Some longarms have very large bobbins, and some only as big as a regular sewing machine. That's the difference between the 'L' and 'M' size bobbins. I only wanted the M size, for this very reason. It holds about (more/less) 300 yds of threads, depending upon thread thickness.

Can't hold a spool, becuase we use those huge cones, sometimes with 6,000 yds on them :) But a M bobbin means only 1-3 per quilt, depending upon density of quilting. I usually use 1-2 per lap quilt, which is medium denisty.

Debbie in Austin

My Hubby has thought of that. He is insistant that someday he is going to ravage a couple of old sewing machines and build me a "Franken-arm." His question is: why, if the longarm has all the parts of my little "shark euro-pro" does it have to cost $20,000.00???
If he is ever successful building his monstrosity, I will most definitely send pictures!! LOL! I will have him paint it green! Until then, I dream of a $20,000 longarm! What is life without dreams?

There is actually a man, who I believe is very disabled, who takes regular machines and stretches them into small-armed longarms :) He has quite a little following going on, and is very sucessful at this. I can't remember his name...but I've seen him all over the 'net and he has his own website also. Tell your hubby to hurry up!!! People are waiting :) LA's really are very expensive for the amount/type of materials - in my opinion...which I consider valid since I bought one too!

Debbie in Austin

The Janome 6600 has the feature to wind a bobbin while you sew. GG

I remember the National two-spool machine. My grandmother had one. I sewed on it when I was not big enough to sit in the chair alone.
I have looked far and wide and a person who has one will not turn alose of it.
msbelle

Debbie, when you see the info about the man who extends sewing machines to long ones, please get the info and put it on one of the forums on this site. misbelle

There is a long arm sit down machine called George but you cant do pantograms and programed designs with it.

I would wish for a better light if I only had one wish. My second if I had two, would for sure be a larger area to accomodate at least a lap size quilt.
The light on my newest Janome is so dim I had to buy a small lamp to attach to the machine. The salesman told me it's a special bulb that looks dimmer but casts a better light. That's a lot of BS, it casts hardly ANY light.



:-( :-(

We have lots of people on this board. Maybe if we wrote an open letter listing the things we want that we've mentioned and posted it with the addresses of the machine companies, we could flood them with letters. That would be far more effective. We could just ask people to use the template letter, add their name and address and mail. Large quantities always get noticed.

[quote=fabric-holic][quote=IrishNY
Who has a handy husband who can build these?[/quote]


I have an adorable husband. But not a "handy" one.
However I think I'll keep the one I've got and just hire a handy one.

8-)

I have his how to PDF on my lap top. If I can ever slow down enough I was going to find an old Japanese 15 and make it. But you only need one machine and you use a piece of pipe (Schedule 80) for the arm.

There is quite a lot of machine work that goes into making one so if your hubby has access to a machine shop then it is very doable. My neighbor own the largest Machine shop in this part of the country so when I have to fab something crazy up for one of my cars I always go to his place and use his stuff!!:mrgreen:

Do a search on "The Purple Monster" and you should be able to find it.

Billy

My Bernina 440 has most of these features, not the bobbin-running-out alarm, but I can tell a difference in the sound when the bobbin runs out. I usually ignore it and pretend that I still have thread, but I realize that's just crazy.

The true longarms use bigger bobbins, size M, and they do hold a lot more thread. I have started using Bottom Line more in my sewing machine's bobbin, and I can finish a large lap quilt easily on 2 bobbins, with no lint.

Don't forget that a longarm is much more than a sewing machine with a longer throat. The frame holds the quilt and the machine moves. And $20,000 is almost double what you have to pay for a very good one.

How about feed dogs that are a little closer together so when you sew a scant 1/4" it does not drag the fabric off to one side.

Try filling extra bobbins before you start. I just bought extra bobbins today. Also if your machine has a place to put a second spool of thread (for sewing with a twin needle), you might try using yhat to hold a spool of thread to fill a bobbin from.

Fireworksolver,

Guess what??? Your dream machine is almost existing. I have the Viking Sapphire 870 and it: has bobbin warning, needle up and down, bobbin threading withour removing the thread..It is wonderful and halso has the speed control butto., presser foot down when you press on the peddle, sews without touching the peddle with the touch of a button, and on, and on, and on...

The new Bernina has more space on the arm for quilting larger quilts and has a larger bobbin. Of course, you pay more for these little extras!

Would you mind my asking what you paid for it?


8-)

What does the speed control button really do?
I'm starting the search to buy a new sewing machine, that will work well for fmq too. At this point it's between the Viking Sapphire (with the wide throat), the Bernina 440 and possibly a Janome. Anyone have any suggestions from their experience?

I have two Janomes and really, really love them. BUT as I said before in this thread, my latest one has a very dim bulb which they think is an improvement over the others because it doesn't glare. I'm getting to the age where I need brighter instead of dimmer, so I had to purchase a sweet little light from Amazon.com and clamp it next to my machine. Problem solved. However I think it's real dumb of them to mess with the light bulbs when the one they had before on all their models was perfect.

Floodlights :D

too funny!

Yes, the new babylock does have a terrific light on it. Go to their web site: Babylock.com

The new berninas have a stitch count. You can go into the program and see how many stitches are on the machine.

I totally agree about the bobbin size.!!!!! I went to the quilting festival here in NJ was able to play with some of the machines and even the long arms and I was surprised that they even have small bobbins.

Bev-
Did you get the bendable bright light? I have a Janome that's about 5 years old and the light is dim, as well.
Thanks!

Great idea and great discussion!! Maybe the machine makers read these boards and will do something! My wish is for bigger bobbins and also more light. But as a newbie older quilter looking for an inexpensive machine, I also need something lightweight (but not all plastic) that is easy to carry. Fibercarbon?!!

Yeah, I got a bendable. It's great even though when you first look at it, it doesn't seem like it would put out much light. But it really zeroes in on the area you're working on and is very helpful. I also use it to read in bed at night and it works well for that too. Doesn't disturb DH either. Costs about $10.00 with no S&H, from Amazon.com. It can clamp or stand alone.

8-)

Yes! also an easier way to insert new needles; my Euro-Pro is built with the needle section so far back and low that I have to place the machine on its back to find the hole to insert a new needle.

Oh yes I want one with better lighting on it and bigger bobin and a needle down and yes I would love one of those quilt long arms. but that will never happen so longer arm on my sewing machine and yes flatter sewing machine because I cant aford to get a table. oh this is fun.

I love everyones Ideas.. that would be one great sewing machine

i got myself one of those "sidewinder" things....when i'm using a neutral thread, i can rewind with a different spool than is on the machine....so sometimes i get out of retheading the machine....love that when it happens.

The Pfaff Expression has most of what you ladies are wishing for; big throat space (10") led light in middle of throat, needle/up down, presser foot is controlled by the foot control; it also comes with a knee lift; has the built in IDT (walking foot) that prevents those longer edges when you get to the end of your seam; two spool holders; thread cutter for bobbin winding area, wind bobbin through the needle without unthreading machine; low bobbin alert; 222+ built in embroidery stitches; built-in needle threader; (the secret to the built-in needle threaders working is that the needle has to be in the middle position and up as high as it will go); is very quiet (not as quiet as my 2056 was, but sews quiet); has a speed control; easy free motion quilting (you can also buy that table thing that moves your fabric around from Pfaff, which I don't have or want). This machine is one of Pfaff's tols; and, if you're not happy with the Expression 4.0 you can always move up to the Creative Vision which is the chariot of machines, as I understand, but it does come with at least a 6 or 7 thousand dollar price tag plus any extra software you want to throw on it.