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What sewing machine do you use?


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I have a Bernina 440 and also a Platinum Viking. A third machine I also occasionally use is an older Husqvarna. Despite the fact my Bernina is the newest addition, I wouldn't part with the Viking or even the older Husqvarna. Both good work horses that keep on going. When making the original purchase of my Husqvarnas some years ago, I was recommended, if I could afford to buy the higher end models, (those generally made in Sweden) I wouldn't likely encounter a problem that couldn't be fixed, and I haven't. They certainly have their place in my selection of everyday usable machines.:cool:

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At Quilt Guild, I use my Bernette H40, at home, I usually use my Viking Designer USB. Sometimes I use my opld singer and sometimes I use the Wizzard, which has a knee pedal. I'll have a Feather Weight in a couple months.

I have a few more, but seldom use them.. the treadle New Home which I'm trying to sell. a Janome which we found to be a varied stitch pain as it would be set for one thing and do another. Brother which I regret buying. I love the Viking, and the OLD Singers.

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Zeke: It looks like we see eye to eye on a lot of things. Do you ever transport your 301? If so, what type case do you have for it? I've discovered a really nice aluminum case that just fits the 301. The original leather trimmed grass cloth cases were not well designed, so the 301 was not as nice to carry as the Featherweights. With the case I put them in, they transport as nicely as the Featherweights.

I love the rotary bobbin system the Featherweights and 301's have. The same system all the first run longarms have, and most of the industrial embroidery machines. The biggest problem I've had with modern DSM's is the bobbin system. The Brother machine we have is a great machine, but the bobbin system is less than desirable. Regards. Jim

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I have a Sapphire and just love it! I have a Designer SE and decided to save it for embroidery but loved the sensor foot. I've had it about 3 years and it has never caused me a problem. Great tension and stitch quality and you can't beat the sensor foot.

Dale

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I have a Viking Quilt Designerll, which i love. the sensor foot just glides over the thick seams without distortion of the fabric layers. The sensor foot is well worth it. It has been used almost every day for over 7 years and has never given a bit of trouble even though I don't get it serviced every year. It was made in Sweden. My only beef with Viking (Husqvarna) is that it no longer makes the little stitch cards for it so when my utility stitch card dies ( one already has) I will have to get a new machine. That bothers me. I think the best machine would have both the sensor foot and the dual feed but the Bernina 830, the newest Pfaff and the Horizon with the embroidery are over $8000!!!

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OK I have an old singer treadle that sits there. I need to sew on it.

I have my cute little Elsie Mae singer 221 featherweight. She's a peach to sew on.

I have a pfaff 2144 that I bought used and use it sometimes too...it's very nice ...

but my all time fave is my workhorse Bernina 153 --- I ride 'er hard and put 'er away wet and she's always ready for me to use and abuse some more.

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Two Berninas 1130 & 1530, Pfaff 2040, Singers FW & 301, Brother Ult embroidery machine and a Janome 3050DC. All totally cool. Although I mutter quite a bit running the Brother embroidery machine. Wore out a Viking. Didn't like how it did buttonholes. Just being picky.:D

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I have a Brother quilt club machine (sorry--I never can remember the number but its the bottm one of the ones thaey call quilt club) that is my go-to machine for even stitches and blessed quiet. It has displaced the noisy featherweight that was my first choice to piece on for the last several years. I also have an old Viking 990 that I can't seem to find proper bobbins for anymore.

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Bernina 1130 and 44QE - love them. Also a Singer Featherweight 221 - it also pieces beautifully. I just bought it recently as it is exactly like the one I learned to sew on as a young child - and also made my wedding dress on. The price was right and it was in good condition. Also have a Bernina serger that I love. I had an old Pfaff as well but the plastic case was dried out and cracking and the buttons would no longer work. Really liked that machine too.

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I have a Pfaff 7570 which I love but she needs a bit of work done on her. Dealers have offered to buy her for themselves because they are apparently such a workhorse, she sews through anything so I won't sell her.

I love my Pfaff 2140 especially for decorative stitching.

I gave my Janome away to my daughter. I really didn't love it. The needle threader never worked no matter what I did and that is a huge need for me. I also didn't love the stitch quality and it didn't immediately start locking the stitches together so the beginning of the pieces always were coming apart and I had to resew all the time. I think that the higher priced Janome models are better but mine cost alot of money and I didn't ever like it.

The machine I use the most is my TL-98Q Juki. I bought it because my dealer recommended it for speed piecing and great stitch quality even though he knew that I LOVED my Pfaffs. Turns out he was right. Even though it does not do anything except a super fast straight stitch it is the piecing machine I prefer. I love the thread cutter on it and use it all the time and love the knee lifter even though I thought I would never use one of those.

I also have a good friend that loves her Husqvarna machines and they are also considered great workhorses with awesome embroidery capabilities.

Lots of good information from really great quilters here. Let us know what you decided. My sister was once deciding what machine to buy and her dealer sold both Janome and Pfaff. The dealer was trying to pursuade her to buy Janome (don't know if there was a better markup on them or what!) I phoned my dealer and point blank asked her what she thought. She told me to tell my sister to take her piecing in to the store (she said that any dealer that wouldn't allow this shouldn't be selling sewing machines) and sew at each machine for an hour and then make up her mind. Well, hands down she preferred the Pfaff so that's what she bought and still loves. I challenge you to do that with the Husqvarna. I sewed for about 8 hours with a friend's Bernina and then knew that I didn't love it as much as I loved my Pfaffs.

Try them out seriously for more than a few minutes is what I tell you.

Cher

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I have a Viking Designer and a Viking Designer SE. The difference between the two is that one of them uses floppies and the other uses a USB stick to transfer the designs with. Usually at Christmas time I have both of them going at the same time to embroider Christmas gifts such as lace ornaments.

I love the sensor foot on the Designers. When I needed to use a really old Singer machine I put the fabric in and pressed on the foot peddle and I could not figure out why it wasn't stitching correctly. It took me a few minutes to realize I had to put the foot peddle down.

I would love to have the Designer Diamond. But that is a lot of money. I would have to sell both of my current machines to afford it. I travel a lot by car to the Colorado River and the Diamond Designer is a really big machine to travel with. It would not fit in my current hard case suitcases that I use for my current machines.

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