I am looking for a mid-arm machine and quilting frame to set up in my home - not for professional use but for personal. I currently sew on a 4 year old kenmore which is great for piecing, but it HATES my free motion quilting and anything really with more than 2 layers. So, I am ready to take the plunge financially into an appropriate machine/frame (although I'm not sure my hubs would agree :wink: !). i have looked at the janome (both 6600 and the 1600), the MegaQuilter, Pfaff and want to view the new JukiTL-98Q.

Anyone care to share their advice and recommendations for me?
Also, stick with just straight stitch machine or go with something like the Janome 6600?

Thanks, thanks and MORE Thanks!!!

I have a juki and I just love it! The frame I have it on is a handiquilter and I am thinking about upgrading to another frame. I need to do more research before I can say which one. LOL So many choices. I have heard great things about the Baileys mid-arm quilter also. They have a bunch of combos for sale on their site. One good thing about the Baileys is that it has either a 13" or 15" throat while the Juki or Janome only has
a 9" throat. Good luck in your search.

http://www.baileyssewingcenter.com/homequilter.htm.

Debbie

I'm with you luvmy2bts. I also have a juki and just love it. It sews like a dream, It would be nice to have one with a larger throat, but I can quilt a king size quilt with my Juki so I have a hard time spending the extra money for a different larger machine.

Hi Stephanie, I have a HandiQuilter II frame and a Juki TL98Q. I love my Juki! The only drawback is the 9 inch arm space. I would love to have a bigger throat space. But it is much nicer than crawling around the floor to pin baste, then stuffing your quilt through your regular machine. I recommend the handihandles if you are thinking of buying a HandiQuilter frame. You can start and stop, control the speed and cut your thread with them. Hope this helps.

These are more affordable than I thought, now if the heat prices were normal I could afford this.

http://www.allbrands.com/products/abp07149.html?ovchn=SPRI&ovcpn=Froogle&ovcrn=Froog le&ovtac=CMP

THANK YOU!! I am going to check out the Juki. I've read really great things about it so it's even better to have personal users sing its praises also!

It has gotten so bad with my Kenmore that I have taken a break from quilting a CRIB sized quilt! and I another crib sized one (my BFF had twins) lined up and my dad's US Naval Academy quilt top finished and ready to go. I need a new machine!

Thanks again everyone!

It does, thanks! I like the fact that it sits on a table top...

I told you, you guys are a baaaaaaaaaaaaad influence...
we just ordered the Bailey's 13"

We figured if we hate the frame we can always go with something different.
We already knew we did NOT want a 9" machine. We went in a shop down in Mobile that had a 9" Baby Lock set up and right off the bat you can see there is very little room for stitching after the quilt is rolled up. I also know someone who has a 9" machine and she is unhappy with the small stitiching field.

Can't afford a 'real' long arm - debated over getting the 15" Bailey's but finally decided on the 13...

The guy I talked to is Dan - he said shipping times are longer now because they are having so many sold.. (up to 3 weeks)... that gives us time to get our room ready :wink:

Thanks for all your input, everyone! I am going to try out the Juki with the HandiQuilt frame sometime over the next few weeks! Told my hubs about it last night (he knew I had been looking) and he said all the normal stuff about xmas and b'day and anniversary coming up...and then he said that "Friday's coming up too" so hopefully that means that I'll get it before November!
Thanks again!

i have the janome 6600 and wouldn't have any other, luv it, luv it

Steph, make sure you put your frame on a sturdy wooden table, not one of the plastic tables. They aren't solid enough and cause bad vibrations.

:D I wanted a machine with more space in the throat...I was going for the Juki but...sinc I live in mexico I was afraid I won't have service for it....I bought a very similar machine the "Brother PQ1500" and it is just such a wonderful machine...I can't live without it...It has the knee lifting and outomatic threader and cuts the buttom and up threads automatically too (if I choose to)...and it came with a lot of different foots and accesories......and of course..the extension table.....Its not too heavy but very study.....I LOVE IT.....
Consider this machine ....
Now I am going for home made frame....hope to have one by the end of the year......
Good luck to all of us... :lol:

Please keep us posted on what you get and how you like it. Now y'all are makin me want one! Especially when I read the part about no more crawling around on the floor to pin. I swear I'll never make another king-size and I haven't even gotten it to the machine yet. Don't know how I am going to accomplish that. Which one does every one like better, Baileys or Juki?

I was pretty much sold on the HQ16 for about $8,000 (which is like making a car payment) until I saw at the quilt show in Hershey a "Homesteader", with a 19 inch throat, tried it and liked it. AND its only $3600, less than half the price. Spent about an hour in that booth with questions. I would love to talk to someone that has one..........

Who makes the Homesteader? I have never heard of it. Does it come with a frame for that price? Why do you like it better and do you have a link to a web page?

I have a quilting service and I run a Gammill to do the quilting. In my shop I have a Bernina which we use for What ever! In my sewing studio in my home I have a Juki TL 98, which I use for piecing, binding, etc, and I love it! I can cut thread, with footcontrol, raise and lower needle with one button push, raise presser foot with knee, and automatic needle threader. This machine is a workhorse and does the jobs that I purchased it to do. But remember now, that this machine does not zigzag, no pretty stitches, no bells no whistle, BUT Boy can it sew!

thanks for all your input! I'm pulling together numbers and different options...one shop around here said that he would sell me the Janome 6600P for $1999.99 and throw in the 1600 for $100 - but I would still have to buy a frame and my Kenmore works just fine for the piecing...so I really don't need the 6600P, but it sure is an inviting offer! I'll keep y'all posted!

Susan......
yes it comes with a ten foot frame and you can get the 12 foot frame for a little extra, I tried the machine 3 different times, I just loved it, it was smooth and quiet, but to see it all go to: www.thequiltingsolution.com

Steph-I bought a MegaQuilter about 4 years ago, I had so much trouble with it, I took it back and got my money back. After we get moved (soon I hope), I plan to get a Bailey with the big frame.

I made my decision and today i purchased the Janome 1600p-DBX which will come in on Monday and ordered the GMQ Pro frame from The Grace Company with the speed control thrown in the mix! CANNOT wait to get the machine and the frame will arrive sometime in September which will be good because both my kids will be in school fulltime (YIPPEE!!!) so I will have time to set it up and play!

Hi, Steph. I am brand new to this Board, but was reading that you had ordered a Grace frame, I thought I would throw in my 2 cents worth.
I bought one 2 years ago, with the Janome 1600P. Have only done one "practice piece" on it, mostly because I just haven't had time to fiddle with it, and I've had some physical/mental blocks due to a (benign)brain tumor I had that has slowed me down. I LOVE the Grace frame. There are a million pieces to put together, but the DVD and the instructions are wonderful, and DH and I put it together over about 3 days off and on. It is a marvelous piece of equipment. And another reason I really haven't used it is, in fact, the Janome machine. It just isn't big enough -- I spent half the time re-rolling it 4 inches at a time. And changing the bobbin on that machine is a real pain. But I decided to toughen up this week and load a quilt (I have 8 or 9 waiting to be quilted!) and try it. WEll, dang. Seems a certain young lady who shall remain nameless (but she's fat, grey, has four legs and a tail) decided the little spring around the tension wheels was a really cute play-pretty, so the machine went to the shop this morning. Found out I could probably go ahead and use it without the spring but they're ordering one for me. All this to say, I really want a longer-armed machine! Thinking seriously about the Bailey 15; I tried a Tin Lizzie at the Dallas show and loved it, but I really don't want to give up my Grace frame; and besides it costs too much for no more than I have time to devote to it. I'll be keeping watch to see how you like your set-up; the Grace Company is very nice to deal with as well.

marje, in HOT HUMID Dallas

thanks Marje!

I considered a bigger machine, but I really wanted something that I could use for quilting smaller projects and for taking to retreats which I would not be comfortable doing with the heavier, larger machines. I'm sure my 1600P will stay on the frame most of the time, but I wanted the flexibility to use it off the frame comfortably! You never know, I could end up trading in /up in 12 months - and at that time I will look more seriously at the Bailey!

Welcome to the site!

STeph

I read your note about your Juki and how you love it, right now I don,t
like mine too much. Would you give me some advice? I can"t come up with designs that fill my blocks and that I can sew that will fill up whole block, my work space only is about 5 inches. I have fihured that I could do half the block and come back and finish other side of it. Also I don't see how you could do feathers, I am new at my machine today I put my first quilt on the rack. Do you know a website maybe that would help me? I would greatly appreciate your advice and help. chichimamma

Help with Janome
 

I purchased a used Grace pennacle frame, putting my Janome 6600 MC on it. Please give me any advice or input to what I need to do and not do. This is all new to me. I appreciate any help or advice you will shte.