meyert

What are top feed dogs? I know that I am a newbie and really have limited experience but I have never heard of this

mwtzzz

We ended up buying a used Janome 7330 from Ebay yesterday (before I saw recommendations for Pfaff). We'll see how this goes. She'll be doing a bedspread for my mom with it. I'll let you know how it works out for her.

Sephie

I have a Janome 7318 and I think you'll really enjoy yours! Mine is mechanical, but yours is computerized and has several functions mine doesn't. I just used mine to furiously quilt 2 quilts on Christmas Eve for the kids - 5 hours straight of quilting both quilts and then another hour or so to bind and no problems. It's 6 years old and has had some hard use over that time but it has held up superbly and I can't complain at all. I would absolutely recommend building a (cheap) foam insulation tabletopper that I just posted about on another thread. I followed the online tutorials by Margeurita McManus (https://youtu.be/g14govA4pIM) and my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. With a 6.5in throat, I've quilted queen and king sized quilts with the topper and I can't imagine quilting something that big without it. Prior to making the topper, quilting a lap sized quilt was really hard on my shoulders because my 7318 didn't come with an extension table so the quilt was getting hung up on the edges of the machine. After making it, a whole new world opened up! I never take the machine out of the topper so I piece like that as well and it's just so, so great. Hope she enjoys her Janome as much as I love mine!

meyert

yes this I know. But JustAbitCrazy said to look for a machine with top and lower feed dogs. I know what the lower feed dogs are... but what are top feed dogs?

meyert

yay!! what fun! I love my Magnolia 7330.

Once I bought the correct free motion quilting foot for the machine it actually FMQs better than my Janome 6600. (it could be the operator too I guess )

Iona D.

A great choice. I have been using Janome or Janome made Kenmore sewing machines for over 40 years. 3 out of 4 sewing machines I have at present are 2 Janomes & a Janome rebranded Kenmore-all mechanical. It's a brand that seems to exercise some high level quality control more so than some other brands out there. So even if I chose to purchased used I still do trust that brand.

JustAbitCrazy

Some machines have upper feed dogs, too, like a built-in walking foot. For many years Pfaff machines were the only machines to have them, I'm sure it was because of their patent. Now other machines have them: Janome, Babylock, to name two that I know of for sure. On a Pfaff machine it is called their "IDT" system, and it's awesome because the top fabric feeds through the machine at the same rate as the lower fabric, making it so much easier to match points. Think of a long seam, like a pant seam, and how you end up with an inch of "extra" top fabric when you finish the seam. That doesn't happen with upper and lower feed dogs, which are coordinated to work in unison. You can use a walking foot on many machines to accomplish the same thing, but they are sometimes big clunky pieces, hard to see around. The Pfaff IDT foot is narrow and unobtrusive, you don't even realize it's there. It's a narrow black piece that drops down behind the regular foot and glides into a groove on the underside of many Pfaff feet, not just the basic foot, so it can be used with most of the specialty feet as well as the basic foot, something you can't do with a big walking foot. You'd think I sell Pfaff machines, lol, but I'm just their number one fan, I guess.

meyert

Thanks for your explanation. Now I think I understand My Janome 6600 may have what you describe - this machine has a piece that drops down below the regular foot to do the walking foot.