What is IDT?

I was curious about that also and found this:

http://youtu.be/ijQzDYfHeEs

Hi, I have the 1260 bernina and just love it. I like all the things you mentioned as well as the knee lift for the pressure foot. I don't think I could ever get use to the manual lift (hand) again. Mine is at least 20 years old, never had it in the shop, but I keep it well maintained all the time, frequent cleaning and oiling. The light on mine played out, replaced the bulb a couple of times, so the problem must be in the switch area. I just use an arm lamp behind it and it works fine. Like you said, as long as I hear that humming sound, I am fine....Mary

I have a husqvarna Designer 1 which is great for general sewing and does beautiful embroidery....and have recently bought a Pfaff Select 3.0 with IDT for patchwork and really love the walking foot and FMQ but I really don't think it's too keen on King Tut thread...anyone else had issues with this thread ?

I have a Viking SE LE and love it hugely. There are hundreds of different types of stitches built-in, and it makes wonderful embroideries for quilting. Recently finished one for my daughter using the birth month flowers of her children and grandchildren, 10 blocks of them. I'm sorry you don't like your Viking.

Bobbie

What's the price range for the Janome? Ithink that's what I want for my first "good" machine. I've had problems with a Brother (feed dogs won't go up or down, stuck in the middle so sewing is impossible). My White is done
I quit using it this morning. All hand sewing til I save up enough for a better machine.

I love my Pfaff Quilt Expression. I bought it in 2002, Dec. Have had it cleaned throughly once. It always does what it is supposed to do and the accessories are in a container right in front of the throat plate. No searching around for the feet. It can be removed for free arm or the acrylic table when I need to quilt on it.

That really looks like a great system, kinda like a built in walking foot?

Last summer I went to an all day class on the Bernina 830. It was amazing but it just did too much! I would never remember to use it to its full potential. Also it is so big and heavy. IMHO.

Yes, it is heavy and big but it stays home and you use another machine for traveling. It takes time to learn it all but sews wonderful and the embroidery is very impressing too!

I have an old, old, Bernina 830. I bought it new, about 25 years ago. It has never once jammed or knotted up the thread. It has gone through 3 foot pedals. I used to sew curtains, etc. professionally. I have had it cleaned once a year every year and that is all the maintenance it has had. Last year I traded my Bernina 135 in on a new 730. It too is wonderful. Harder to get used to because it too does so much. But I really love my Berninas.

I have a 57year old Singer sewing machine Model 319W. My mother used it to sew professionally for many many years, what a work horse, all it wants is occasional cleaning and oiling.

Here i am sounding like a broken record- I love my old Brother (Penny), and am in love with my new Brother (Pearl). The only machine I have ever used, that I liked better, was the industrial 'White' machine that had it's own cabinet. (back in caveman days.) :P

I have 2 machines. A Pfaff 2134, which I use daily for piecing and embroidery, and a Babylock Pro quilter that I use for FMQ on a frame. Each was chosen for a specific use.

I LOVE my 1941 Singer. It's a black cast-iron model and was born before bells and whistles were ever thought of... it straight stitches, period. My two newer machines (a Singer and a Brother) have annoying problems when I use them and it seems like I'm always having to adjust something or start a seam over because of a problem, etc. But not with the old Singer! If something goes wrong with her, I rethread and put the bobbin back in, since I messed it up somewhere. Her only problem is that she won't make bobbins any more....which started the month that Side Winders came out. End of problem!

I have a Janome 11000 SE and love it. Easy to use great stitching - and a variety of stitches.

Ruby The Quilter

I have a Viking Emerald 203 - nothing fancy but sews like a dream! Every time I go to a quilting class, most of the students drag their VERY expensive sewing/embroidery machines and cases of accessories. I plug mine in and I'm ready to go - I would buy this one again and again and again.....

I love everything about my Baby Lock ELLISIMO. I owned 4 different Berninas. The BL is my favorite. She purrs.

I love everything about my Baby Lock ELLISIMO. I owned 4 different Berninas. The BL is my favorite. She purrs.

I have a Viking that I replaced with a Bernina 153. The Viking didn't have a needle down function and the blanket stitch had a zig-zag between bites instead of a straight line. But I loved everything else about it. The Bernina jams, is a bear to thread, and I have to oil it! So, I'm not sure if I would buy it again.

Amen!!

I was told when I bought my 830 that for metalic threads they recommend titanium?? needles...they come in sharp and ball...I think they said the eye was larger for the thicker thread
You might ask your dealer...they are expensive...

Funny I see everyone on here talking about their machines, they are all the newer models. I have my Mother's old Singer 401A and wouldn't give it up for the world. I goes through anything,,,,a real work horse

I love my Brother Quatro..user friendly, does just about everything , even sews by itself perfect seams with the built in camera..Just love it!

I had a viking that I purchased in1973, top of the line then and I loved it. Would sew leather several layers of denim etc. It had a transmission in it so you could put it in lower gear. I would buy a Viking in a heartbeat if finances permitted. Mine finally wore out but I still have it, like one of the family.I have a garage sale Kenmore, nothing like a Viking.

You do mean machineS, right?? I have a Janome 2010 and I more than like it, but don't love it. LOL! Sews good, has 50 stitches plus button holes, but...
I have a FW that I LOVE, I have a Davis Treadle that I LOVE, I have a 15-91 that I LOVE and a few others that I like a lot!
What I like about all of them is that they purr just a little differently. Wish I could hear them all together at one time. LOL!

15 years ago I purchased a new Janome for $700 when the local dealer went out of business. Big mistake...nothing but problems with that machine and the company just kept telling me to keep taking it back to the nearest dealer (60 miles one way) for repairs. It was a year old when I sold it at a garage sale, very cheap. I was then given a 10yr old Viking 500 and loved it until the mother board went. Now I have a new Viking Sapphire 855 and I love it, especially the 10" throat. The best machine I have ever owned was a Riccar. I also have a fantastic 40+ year old Elna that I love.

I have a new Janome with the embroidery machine, sewing machine and it runs like a top. I can even figure out how to embroider and it is sooo easy to work. I even seems to do fmq without any problems with the tension.

Which Viking do you have and what don't you like about it?

I love most of my machines... however my Pfaff 2040 has a bad habit of changing stitches if I happen to lightly touch the buttons, can't tell you how many needles I've broken when I'm using the 1/4" foot. grrrrrr :roll: :thumbdown:

I have a bunch of vintage machines, mostly Singers, but also a Pfaff, a Brother and another one I'm not sure what it is ... I have a treadle, and 3 featherweights.. I sew on all of them.. and I really love my vintage machines..

I also have a Bernina 830 that I bought in about 1975 that has been a dream machine.. never a problem with that beauty.. I also have a Bernina 1230 that I love love love.

My new machine that my DH bought for me is a Pfaff Creative Vision machine that does everything but slice bread. It is the most wonderful machine I have ever had my hands on.

My favorite?? The one I'm using right now.. Which would I save from a fire... oh man, they would have to come get me cause I don't think I'd leave a one of them.. Actually my favorites are my new Pfaff and the Berninas.

I have a Viking 6430 that I have sewn on for 32 years. Never any problems till I took it apart and couldn't put it back together. She will be going into the "Machine Doc." on May 2 to be put back together. I'm currently using a Signature that my neighbor put out for trash pick up. I got two from her that way... both work wonderful.

There are 5 sewing machines in the house.

Pfaff 2170 is my latest which I bought off eBay brand new in Nov08. Very intimidated since I was use to my old Pfaff 262 I bought brand new in 1968 and very much bonded it to. Joined sewing and embroidery club at LQS and first day out of the box me and the 2170 were bonded! I made a little sewing bag with two appliqued flowers on two separate pockets.

I love the 2170; I also embroider on it. In fact I run it doing embroidery while I sew on the 262 as you see in my avatar they are on the same sewing cabinet. The 2170 is light enought to take off to sewing classes in my rolling tote, while the 262 stays home bolted in the cabinet. I love the IDT on the 2170 while I ordered and use an all metal walking foot on the 262. The Pfaff 262 has an 8" harp and I have made one rag quilt on it for a twin bed. Got through it just fine. The 2170 only has a 7" harp. I still rely heavily on the 262 and it has embroidery stitches set by dials, a needle threader, a I can lock the last stitch.

I have also a Pfaff 130 which was manufactured in 1950. It sews like a charm. It is my very favorite for FMQ because it is so solid.

I have a Frister and Rossmann hand crank with the inlaid mother-of-pearl made in Berlin in the 1920's. It is great for piecing and it sews the most perfect stitch. I like using it out in the cabin where we only run a generator for electricity when necessary.

Also I use my mother's New England Queen treadle which is the very first sewing machine I ever attempted sewing on when I was just a child. Right now I am piecing log cabin squares.

As you can see I am a Pfaff fan since my own machine I bought brand new in 1968 will have my heart forever. The Pfaff CV 5.5 is a dream machine to me but I really don't need it. As for a machine with a bigger harp for quilting, the Pfaff Quilt Expressions 4.0 and the Viking model appeal to me as does the Janome Horizon-the newest one with the 11" harp. But I am not in the buying mode or mood right now so I will continue with what I have. I am happy;

I have a viking, bought it in 1974, would not trade it for anything. I also like the fact it is not digital... It's old fashioned. Only had it in the shop one time in all these years. NEVER needs to be oiled, very little maintaince... well paid for it's self, I like the second gear for going over extra thick materials. very few needle brakages. No I cannot do embroidery and a lot of fancy things others do but It is great. It also has the three step zigzag that I like on denims... just been a great machine for ever lol.... :) yes I would buy one just like it again in this day and age. :) :) :)

Elnas !
I have a 6600 which is not my favorite of the two because I have an ancient little battered stella air electronic.
I dragged it around for years traveling. None of the other machines I have had sewed so straight, and easily almost by itself. It is not logical or reasonable. I know that!
JP

I love my little Kenmore. I know if I ever used a fancier machine I'd probably not want to go back to it but it suits my purposes fine.

I love all my machines. FWs for their perfect combination of beauty and utility, their perfect stitch, and even their SMELL. The Baby Lock Quest Plus has a 9" harp, built-in dual feed identical to the Pfaff IDT (I also have two Pfaffs), hundreds of beautiful stitches. It's so easy to learn and use. It's mostly metal, white, and the lighting and bed markings are crisp and so helpful. It's so quiet I used to keep checking that the bobbin thread wasn't out. My Bernina 440QE is so precise, powerful, and perfect. The foot control has the best feel of my machines. Bernina feet are so solid, precise, and get the job done. I love the extension table (slides on, no feet). The accessory box is superior to any other machine I know of for organization, seeing what's inside, and accessibility. I'd have a hard time choosing between those two. I also have an older Bernina that is all about power and precision and has 4mm feed dogs, which is great for tiny work.

I have Janome 6600 LOVE it. Also have Janome 11000SE for embroidery. Have been a Janome fan for 20 yrs.

I have a Pfaff 7550 (16 yrs old) and it runs great and has a walking foot that is built in. Also LOVE my Bernina Aurora 440QE - it is so sturdy and can sew through big thicknesses. It has everything I need and sews beautifully. Love, love both machines.