A buzzer that rings when your 1/4" stitch isn't?

O yeah! It's the old "they can put a man on the moon" thing but it must be just way TOO hard to do what you mentioned since rocket scientists don't sew. :roll:

I have the new Baby Lock and the lighting is great

I'm so envious of you!
I test drove the Baby Lock Ellegante (or whatever is the TOL machine with the gold colored top) and I LOVED IT! I thought the lighting was great too.
But can't afford it right now. Plus there's really no reason for me to stop using my Pfaff 2170. It runs great. I just WANT the Babylock :P

The thing I love most about Baby Lock is the fact that you can trade UP and they give you either what you paid for it, or if it went up in price, then they allow you the current price for it. This way you can upgrade by degrees (quick degrees if you're me, I'm not very patient lol) In three years I've gone from a Quilters Choice to an Ellure to the Elegante, WOOOHOOO whoever thought a sewing machine could be comparable to a car in price. :)

There is a small but powerful light that can be attached to the machine and runs off battery(ies) for about $50. I could buy that instead of groceries....mmmmmmmmm! Wonder how far that idea would go at dinnertime?

What is the name of this light??

You GO girl! After all, there will be groceries the following week, and most of us, Americans that is, eat too much anyhow.
I'm sure your family would be willing to make the sacrifice for you.
(wouldn't they?)

YOU ARE TOO FUNNY!!!

Please give me some pointers about quilting with my sewing machine

A flip down magnifying glass so you could really see those stitches

Bendable Bright Light runs about $49.95, but if you Google you may find the site that has them on sale for $34.95. BTW, does anyone care to hear the technical reasons for why the bobbin is small?

Karen, have you seen the new Bernina 830? It has a lot of the things you gals are talking about here but who has $10000-13000 for a machine?! It is my dream but I am 65 and think WHY would I put that much money into a sewing machine NOW?! If I were 40 instead, I might be tempted!

Judithb & others-
link for bendable light:
http://www.sewforless.com/item/Benda..._Machines/7436
I comes with a plug in cord so you don't need batteries.

I meant IT comes with a cord!

( I run on batteries)

It's on sale right now for 39.95. But one of the customers' remarks said that the bulbs are non-replaceable.
If that's so, I guess it won't work after the bulb burns out. That doesn't seem right to me. What do you think? 8-)

Gosh, I don't know. I have had mine for over 2 years and the bulb is still working. I'll call the quilt shop where I got it and see what they say about a replacement bulb. My husband bought it for me for Christmas and I don't think anyone thought to mention that to him. I'll let you all know what they tell me.

So many great ideas. And as was already stated, they kind of all do exist, I guess, in the $10,000 + machines. I had to laugh to myself (LTM as opposed to LOL) when this statement was made: "if they can put a man on the moon ..." Because I heard this on TV within the last week, stated this way: (Gentlemen, please excuse me) "If they can put a man on the moon, why can't they put them all on the moon?"

And a wish of mine is that all these messages could be read to us so we could continue working our quilt projects. Kind of like my 4th grade teacher always said "killing two stones with one bird."

I have the Babylock Ellure Plus and I love it. It also has the speed control.

I'm interested.

a brighter light is my wish too. I have one that fits on the machine and bends to my wishes. Cost about $40 but was worth it. It is in all the quilt catalogs.

Here's the info for the Bendable Light:
"NO BATTERIES NEEDED"
ENERGY EFFICIENT LED with 100,000 hours life of light "NO BULB TO REPLACE"
12 Hours a day for 20 years is approximately 100,000 hours

8 foot power cord with six removable adhesive clips to hold the wire out of the way
ON - OFF push button switch on the base

Brilliant FLEXIBLE PURE WHITE lighting
for detailed projects and those
hard to see places

So there is no replacement light, but look at all the hours you get.

"So there is no replacement light, but look at all the hours you get.[/quote]

Thanks for all the info. it sounds good to me. I'll order one while they're on sale. I hope it works as well for my machine as it does for yours!
8-)

Oh I second that, Billy I love reading the history of sewing machines & quilting.

I'd like to know too!

Me too!!

8-)

Here are my thoughts on why the bobbin is so small - it talks to you:

"Now you have no excuse not to get up and stretch"

"You may now go to the bathroom, which you've been dying to do for the past hour"

"You know it's past time to start the dinner - I like to save marriages"

"Please take me out and put in a new one - it's awfully hot down here"

and finally -

"I just want to remind you who is in charge around here!"

I believe you are right about the bobbin. It sounds perfect! 8-)

did I post the website with the bobbin info? Senior (very very) moment here!

http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/...stitch-is-made

This is the site, tells how a stitch is made, but also shows just exactly what a bobbin does.

I used my embroidery machine yesterday (and will again today)for a couple projects, two the the designs used 2-1/2 bobbins of thread. Major irritation = running out of bobbin thread, particularly when it is the same color as the top thread.