I'm chuckling because having a dull needle in my machine is what got me my Janome 6600P! I was FMQing on my little Janome Memory Craft 3000 with Fairfield Processing Cotton Classic in the sandwich. The needle was dull, but I was on such a roll, I didn't want to stop and the stitching was just fine. It just made a horrible thunk, thunk, thunk.

Better tell you that my machine sat in the windows of the sewing room. We had a terrible hail storm that broke out all the windows on the south side of the house. This machine was covered in water, broken glass, leaves, twigs, etc. I let it sit, untouched for a week and then tried it - worked just fine - still does.

Back to the story. DH came into the room and commented that he thought the machine was about to die. Actually he said, "crash" as he's a PhD in computer science. I agreed, "Yeah, it probably is." I wasn't about to say anything re. the dull needle as I wanted a new machine! ☺ I had seen the 6600P at the LQS and is was love at first sight. I had mentioned to DH that I was wanting a machine with more decorative stitches, and he had said I ought to get one. However, he was recovering from the amputation of his leg and open heart surgery - all in the same stay at the hosp. & I wanted him to say to buy it. I dragged him to LQS a couple of months later, plopped him in front of the store machine to look at it. In the meantime - I shopped! He finally told me to buy it, but that was after I had piled up about $300.00 worth of stuff and fabric!

I love my 6600P! (and DH, too, of course!)