Wait--knee lift lever between your legs? How could it work that way? Personally, I position the knee lift lever on my Juki on the outside of my right leg just above my knee and push it to the right to lift my presser foot. To me it's the very most labor-saving device I've ever had on any machine. Next would be an automatic needle threader that actually works properly.

First of all, you do not use your regular accufeed foot plus a 1/4" ... you purchase a special accufeed foot that has the 1/4" as part of it! Then all you do is change the regular AF (accufeed) over to the AF 1/4" and stitch as normal.

You can also get an AF-SITD foot to use when you do SITD!

If you don't have it, the special FMQ package of interchangeable feet are well worth the investment ... far better than using the darning foot. And another add-on is the blue dot bobbin case to switch in when doing FMQing. Both of these have helped me come to love FMQing with my 6600.

Good Luck!

I'm a new quilted so I should probably just keep my mouth shut but I'm not very good at that but here is what I have:
Bernina 820 QE - my favorite so far but cost the most, you get what you pay for tho. $5999 brand new. I love the threader, cutter, knee lift, this thing is by far the strongest out of my three machines. It will sew easily thru 8 layers of jeans just like it's a single layer of cotton. Not that anyone ever would need to sew thru 8 layers of jeans, just saying... This machine is my favorite so far in my quilting experiences.

Next up is my Janome 7700. This one is my husbands favorite because it is by far the quietest of the 3. Nice straight stitch. $1999 brand new, with the table and a free new little machine and box set of thread. Good bang for the buck. I enjoy sewing on this one. Auto threader, cutter, knee lift, and accu feed. It has slot of nice decorative stitches also. Nice machine.

Last but surely not least is my Husqavarna Sapphire Quilt. This was my first machine, very strong nice straight stitch. The only thing that I don't like about this machine is the grinding sound it makes, especially when it cuts, sounds slot like metal on metal. But they say this is normal, and the demo one made the same noise so does my moms. $2100 brand new, nothing free or thrown in on the deal. This one is not near as strong as my Janome and doesn't even come close to my Bernina. This one has slot of nice stitches also.

I guess out of these three brands, I am gonna say I am definitely a Bernina girl so far. I am in love with my Bernina, with that being said tho, I also like my other two, just not as much as my Bernina. I think my Bernina has spoiled me...

I totally agree...totally worth it...I do all of my own FMQ'ing with my 7700. It has paid for itsslf. I also do not use the single hole..No idea why I would. Its pieces just fine.

I own a Bernina Series 8 model 820 machine & I love it. The auto needle threader works like a charm, it has a very large harp area (which was a priority for me). I am impressed with everything it does & the quality of the machine itself. The lighting is great, it has a bobbin 2-3x the size of most regular bobbins, so less filling.I was first quoted $8500. here in Canada & the dealer came down to $6500. + taxes (of course) so that's what I decided on. I also have a Juki straight stitch machine that is a real work horse - nothing fancy but it sure does work. I also have a Janome 350E embroidery only machine that I just bought so I have only played a little with it so far, but so far, so good.It really isn't the fact that any machine is TOL or not TOL, it is whatever you are looking for in a machine & of course, what you can comfortably afford.

For quilting, I have the jANOME 6600. Love all the features and costs less than the 7700. Difference in the two is 2 inches of harp space and lighting. I also purchased the 3160 Janome for class. I think it weighs only 12 lbs...and it has auto thread cutting jus like the 6600...can't piece without it.

you can buy the foot at the dealers...I use it to put on my binding...I have never thought of piecing with it. Why would you piece with the auccuffed since it is not thick material?

So glad I am not the only one who did not know what TOL is, but then I do not speak twitter or text either. I am still kicking and screaming on moving into the technilgical movement, just when you learn one thing it is obsolete and you have to start all over again on new and improved version, like my new cell phone - it is one yesar newer than old one and so much more difficult to use, but I guess I will learn it in time for new phone tocome out.

I have two Janomes, not TOL, and I love them both. Don't think I will ever buy a different brand.

I just bought this same machine and so far I love it. I love the pivot foot, the IDT (dual feed or even feed foot), the large harp size for free motion, and the thread cutter. It also has the needle threader, needle up and down, and bright lights. Glad to hear you love your Pfaff. I have had Singer and Brother in the past and was worried about changing brands.

I own 3 Janomes and would hate to part with any of them. The only thing I don't use on my 6600 is the single hole plate. I use the knee lifter when appliqueing as it leaves both hands free to guide the fabric. I don't use a lot of the decorative stitches on my 5024 but have them on the 6600. The little one I take to workshops or to my group. Also have a MC10000 but it is used exclusively for embroidery. Now I have my own quilt room the embroidery machine can be going while I sew on either of the other two. Love the freedom of a large workspace.

I have the Janome 12000 and like the others who have it, love it. I especially like the embroidery. It is a heavy machine but that is the only downfall. I also have traded up with each machine so it doesn't seem to cost so much. Love the Janomes!

CAllen's final statement is SO true ... it's important to get a machine that's a match for your needs (and wants, though sometimes that's beyond what IS needed!) ... and affordable.

I'd be interested to hear from more about their experiences with the Bernina 820 (or other comparables)
... I'm particulary interested in the larger harp space, and BSR

Does the BSR really give you consistent FMQ stitch lengths?

QuiltE, I have tried the BSR and have used a LA with stitch regulation. Both are not perfectly consistant...you have to practice to make the stitches the same...the only way the stitches come out constistant is when the machine goes by itself without you manning it. Computerized...

I have a BabyLock Ellisimo sewing/embroidery machine. The quilting features are great. It has neeedle up/down button and auto presser foot lift for pivoting fabric when piecing. There isn't really anything I don't like about it.

After reading everyone's reviews, I now have a list of machines to go look at, thank you!

Of course, I want the magic pill!!
I won't be going for a LAQ ... and am starting to really like doing FMQ. I just want to make it look better.
Of course, practice, but anything that can help me is welcomed.

I know .. practice, practice, practice! :)

I have the Janome MC6600. I love it. I use it all the time AND I use the knee lift. The AccuFeed is great for so many applications. I really like it with flannel because I don't get the distortion I do on other machines - and I have several.

I have finally mastered the needle threader and use it all the time but I have to say it is a major disappointment after my Babylock Ellegante. I bought the Janome so that I would have something with a larger harp to sew on while embroidering. The BL has nicer decorative stitches but the Janome sews faster (probably why the BL stitches are nicer!) and it sets in a recessed table. I am kind of short bodied so that is better for me.

The one feature I don't like on the Janome that most people would love is that the lights are too bright. Sometimes I just have to switch to another machine.

Yes, I would buy another and I use most every feature I have found.

I have a Janome 7700. I love all its bells and whistles, especially the accufeed foot and the automatic plate converter. Not particularly enamored of the knee lift - I simply don't use it. I like the buttons right above the needle for backstitch, locking stitch, needle up/down.

I have 3 Husqvarna machines: A Sapphire 870, Topaz 20 (in Norway) and an older Freesia (in USA). I love them all.

These 2 are not TOL but, I bought 2 Baby Lock machines last year (in USA) - a Jane to use on a Grace quilting frame - a Sophia for piecing and taking along places.

I have an Elna SU which I bought in the early 70's. It is the most beautiful machine to sew on and I would not part with it for the world. I was offered a new one by hubby but declined. The modern ones to me just don't sew as easily as this one. My friend used it once and said to me "now I know why you like it so much"

I have a Viking Ruby. I love it. It has all the bells and whistles like thread cutting, needle up/down, needle threader, auto-tension. It doesn't care what thread you use and will wind bobbins while it's sewing or embroiderying. I love the embroidering part too. It's so easy to use, you can put your designs on the machine via USB or connecting to machine, you don't have to leave the USB once you pull up the designs so while I'm doing designs I can be loading more on the stick. I can go to pacific stitches so going back on a design after it has been unloaded from machine is easy. It comes with a great organizer software that lets you do a lot without buying the additional software (which I ended up doing). One of the greatest features of this is that I can enter all of my many different thread brands w/the color# and then I can use them for my thread choices and the machine picks the best match out of all of them. It helps me from having to either limit my choices or go thru all of my thread by hand picking the matches. Plus it does the trim command which is a great feature when you are embroiderying. It has lots of sizes of hoops to I'm not limited. I get free classes for my machine and the additional software that I bought. Oh yeah, I also love the cutwork needles for my machine. There are so many things that I love about my machine that I could go on for along time. It also has a larger harp size too.

1. Janome Horizons
2. The basic sewing for piecing and the ability to free-motion
3. both equally from #2
4. I already did, I have a Janome 6600 before!

I love my machine. It has the needle up/down, needle threader, thread cutter, knee lift that I can't live without, dual feed (built in walking foot), hundreds of stitches, can make my needle go up and down with my foot pedal, has hundreds of stitches, has an attachable embroidery system, foot raises 1/8" so I can chain feed also, huge throat plate, two long row of lights plus a light right above the needle, the feet come off with a quick flick of a switch, can turn the sensors on or off, can have it sew 4 small stitches at beginning of sewing and end of sewing if I want or not, has an alarm clock with a reminder and many other things. I just love it.

I bought a Bernina 820 last year. I have the embroidery module on my Bernina 440, and do not use it enough to justify the extra cost. I mainly purchased it for its large throat, BSR, and the Bernina quality product. The added bonus is its built in walking foot, automatic threader and cutter, and of coarse the wonderful tension Bernina is so known for. Right now it is on my frame, but I take it off to sew on. There are so many features that I am still exploring. I feel like I will never need another machine, as I can grow into it. I do not see myself ever buying a machine that was not a Bernina.

Jeanne, What kind of machine do you have?

oH my gosh, thank you all for letting me dream and drool. : )