wesing

Hello all. My wife and I have the Pfaff 1200 Grandquilter on an Imperial frame. We have quilted ~ 40 quilts on it. It does the job fine, but we would love to be able to branch out and do some more elaborate designs than the 5" or so of vertical space will allow. We are looking into purchasing a larger machine and frame, and have narrowed our search to these two machines. If any of you own or have used one of these machines, I would love to hear your comments.

Right now the Juki would be significantly less expensive, but would be purchased from out of state, with only phone support if we have any issues. The Babylock would be purchased from the store where we purchased the Pfaff. Service is fantastic and we trust the owners. He thinks there would be an additional incentive on the Babylock in about a month, but he doesn't know what that might be. Also buying local would include trading the Pfaff setup in on the new setup.

Again, any comments on these two machines are welcome.

Thanks,

Darren

Prism99

Try joining the homequiltingsystems group at groups.yahoo.com and asking there. I believe that's the group where I saw a couple of informative posts about the Juki. There was some complaint about it -- a feature it was lacking that indicated it had not been well thought-out before going into production -- that other setups have. It seems to me it had something to do with rulers -- the needle holding mechanism being constructed in such a way so as to interfere with ruler work. But honestly, my memory is not what it used to be and I could be in the wrong ballpark. I do remember, though, that it was a definite negative about the Juki.

Is there any possibility of purchasing an Innova? Innova quilters seem to be the happiest bunch I have run across, and many of them didn't have access to a local dealer. Innova is my dream machine for "some day".

Edit: I found these user reviews on Amazon that might be of interest:
http://www.amazon.com/TL-2200QVP-Vir.../dp/B00CF0KMUG

Regarding Innova, I do want to mention that they get rave reviews about customer service, which is available via telephone 24/7.

Edit2: I found this older QB thread about the Juki. My post in that thread is #26 and explains the problem with rulers. You might want to PM the people in that thread who purchased the Juki and ask them what their experience of it has been.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...m-t216193.html

ShireldaQuilts

I have a Crown Jewel that I purchased 3 years ago and I love it. I would recommend going with the local dealer. The support will be totally worth the extra money. My local dealer delivered my machine, set it up, and gave me lessons on loading the machine.

I would highly recommend taking the class in St. Louis if you go with the Crown Jewel. I waited for a year after getting my machine and I really wished I had taken it sooner. I learned a lot about my machine and lots of tips that helped me so much.

ManiacQuilter2

Darren. try to get to a quilt show that you can test drive these two machine. I have always found that when shopping for a sewing machine, it is much like shopping for a car. You really need to test drive them to see what works for the both of you. Good Luck and have fun !!

MamaHen

The Baby Lock Crown Jewel & the Handi Quilter Avante are the same machine just branded differently. Both made by Handi Quilter. I think the best thing to do as was mentioned above is go to a quilt show & try the many different machines out there, because what you think you want now may not be exactly what you need in a year or two. As with any sewing machine, find all the features you want & then go up a model or size, ask me how I know. I have the Avante and now am looking at getting a larger machine.

thedebra

Can I just say that I purchased my Juki out of state and it has been a horror story? If you can buy a BabyLock locally, with all the Dealer Support you need, do it! I don't know where you are planning to purchase the Juki, but I wish I hadn't done it!

Abashobbes

I’m looking at a Baby Lock Crown Jewel on Craigslist. Apparently it was used only once and the owner has passed away. The owner’s friend and her son are clearing out her house. They have the machine and a 10 foot frame and are asking $4000. I’d like feedback. I have a BROTHER Novelle 1500s with stitch regulator and 10 foot frame that I bought on Craigslist for a mere $600. The stitching area is so very small. Is this Crown Jewel purchased in 2013 gonna give me more quilting space and is it a decent purchase? Thanks for you input.
anita

Donna in Bellevue

I have the Crown Jewel III with robotics. I'm really just a beginner but it's easy to use and I've had absolutely no problem with it. I bought it used from my local dealer. It had been owned by a friend who passed away and her husband took it back where it was purchased and I bought it because I knew it had been well cared for. I thought that the Crown Jewel had been discontinued in favor of another machine but my memory isn't what it used to be. Babylock has online lessons that are very informative and complete. I have no experience with any other machine.

wesing

Anita that is a screaming deal and you should definitely pursue it. I upgraded from the Pfaff version of your setup to the BL CJ2 and have loved it. The space is amazing compared to a 9” machine. You do want to be able to test the machine and you will want as much of the documentation as you can get. PM me if you have any specific questions. I have the Momentum frame.

Abashobbes

Oh my aching body, but It is a good feeling!

houston.craigslist.org/art/d/baby-lock-crown-jewel-long/6545338927.html

I bought this crown jewel. I traveled 3.5 hours to Austin and back with it Friday, getting home a 2 am. I was able to take it apart and label everything, loaded it into my CRV, (if it had been 10, feet 1/2 inch it would not have fit without having to take the poles and table completely apart. I'm actually grateful I didn't crack my windshield as they both sat on top of the dashboard), and put it back together in my sewing room yesterday. My room is an absolute disaster as I had to clear out and rearrange the orientation of my room. But the CJ and pearl frame is together.

I hope in my afterlife I get to meet this precious woman who originally bought this set up. She was able to spend her last years doing what she loved. I would have liked to be transplanted into her little sewing/quilting house. I got a little vision of what my retirement future will look like and I can't wait. I hope I have the health to do so.

I'm looking forward to another road trip to pick up the fabric stash!