steven1973

• Thank you for reply, my wife starting quilting on a fairly regular basis about 7 months ago. She’s been using a very basic Kenmore she bought 25 years ago for around $100 which was all the money in the world at the time.. Obviously not everything she wanted but managed to make beautiful quilts and household linens over the years. I know she’s been looking at the janome 6650, burnette 77 and a Bernina not sure which one. Those machines have the basic features she’s looking for . Initially I was thinking $2500 for a machine, We fortunately have the means to buy any machine she wants. She’s not looking to buy a machine that exceeds her needs and wants. It’s completely recreational. After more research I could see spending as much as $5000 but don’t want to spend just to say she has it. Thoughts on machines mentioned or others I/we should consider. What makes a similar machine go from $1500 to 3,5 or even $10,000. We live in alaska, sewing machine dealers are minimal at best. Ultimately would like her to try them out but may not be possible.

regards Steven

quiltingcandy

How sweet! I love my Janome MC6600P - have had it for 10 years now and only had it serviced once. (Thanks to the people on the board I have learned how to clean it on a very regular basis.) When I bought it, the dealer had a special and the machine came with the table made for it. (It doesn't fold up - but the machine fits into the table and I don't have to use the acrylic table top thing that also comes with the machine. I learned to sew on a machine in a cabinet so I prefer that. Another plus in buying from a dealer - they give free lessons usually.

If your wife does decide on a machine and you want to give her an extra surprise, a table such as Sew EZ is a wonderful surprise. They make the acrylic that fits around the machine to match the machine you have when you order it. I bought it for my Husqvarna sewing machine - and bought the flat insert for when I use the embroidery unit. It folds up and has wheels so it's very portable.

patricej

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greensince92

I have been review these two machines as well and have decided on the Janome 6650. You get a lot more bang for you buck. Loads of stitches and a great throat space. I know lots of dealers have them for 1599 and they throw in extra stuff and sometimes you can get a 10% discount. What a nice husband!

steven1973

Thank you for all the replies, I ordered the janome 6650, there were no local shops that had it available to try or even purchase. After a week of research and many helpful suggestions I ordered it yesterday. Eventually will upgrade her to one that also has the capability to embroider. I’m guessing you can’t have to many sewing machines, my vice happens to be welders😂. Once she has received it an completes her “ not your grandmas crazy quilt” I will have her provided her thoughts on the machine. Hope everyone has a spectacular day, be safe, stay healthy and most importantly tell the ones you love, you love them by showing it.
regards
Steven

quiltingcandy

Congratulations on your decision! There are plenty of videos to help her learn all the bells and whistles. She will have fun learning all the stitches and what all the different feet can be used for. I hope she has a very happy birthday.

Maire

Actually this might be a good time to even though machines can't be tried out anywhere with businesses closed, but manufacturers have given dealers more leeway with phone & shipping sales.
When you start looking at embroidery machines I personally prefer Brother or Babylock. I've heard good things about Janome.
If your wife or children are Disney/Marvel/Pixar fans definitely go with any Brother model that has a "D" and the end of the model number. Those are the only models that can legally embroider those characters.
There is a wide range of prices, if possible get machine that can use hoops bigger than the 4x4 size, those are great machines but some quickly outgrow them and want machine that can do bigger embroidery.

Watson

Good call on the Janome!
She is going to love it.

Don't forget to give her the address of this board once she gets it so we can all ooo and ahhh over her creations.

In these days of quarantine, this is going to be a really bright spot for her!

Watson

Dolphyngyrl

I would go with janome or juki. I personally dont care for bernina, some love them. I used both a 5 and 7 series found them to be overpriced and less features of similar price points in other brands. I have used janome want to say it was either an 8200 or 8900 for a week. It was a nice machine. I used high end pfaff several times, love the idt. I loved the stitch quality of the viking saphire I used. However after having used all these machines I still prefer my v-series brother to them all. I havent used a juki sewing but I do love my juki serger so would trust their products

Sheddah

Sounds like your wife knows what she likes! You two should seriously go to town and try them all out if possible. She should take fabric samples and put each machine to the same “test”. I did that before purchasing my last main machine, and it really helped make the choice clear.

Bernina’s are expensive, somewhat diva-like and have a steep learning curve. They are expensive to service and repair as well. But they sew over heavy seams without hesitation. Juki machines are work horses too. And Janome’s give you a lot of machine for your money. They are all good machines and all have models <$3000. With Bernina you’ll likely get a machine with a considerably smaller harp area for the same money as Janome. Depends on your wife’s priorities. Once she “test-sews” on each machine, she’ll know. Kind of like seeing an auto’s features on paper, and then you take the test drive for an unexpected result.

So wonderful of you to help your wife choose a sewing machine of her liking. The search is fun as well as the find. Enjoy!

Sorry, I just saw that you ordered the Janome. I’m sure she’ll love it!