Originally Posted by malfromcessnock

I want to give quilting a go. I began sewing when I was about 10yrs old and when I got married bought a basic Janome machine. I made uniforms for my three girls and when they were ready to leave school I made their formal dresses. Fair to say, I only used the machine when there was a need.

When my eldest daughter moved out, I gave her my machine, the one I bought in 1980. Now my four children have all moved out, I have a yen to sew again.

I am now 57 and single.


I recently bought another basic Janome "my excel" 18W/MW3018 and made dog coats for my two chihuahuas. My intention was to make myself and daughters clothes.

Recently, I have discovered quilting and have done (followed online) two online courses with craftsy.com

I have found two quilting groups in my home town of 22,000

Now, when I follow along with these online lessons and view the many youtube videos on the subject it seems to me I bought the wrong machine. I would like a machine which is good at free motion; has needle up/down; is built for using a walking foot (Janome make a comprimise model for my machine - but when you look at the specs for the Janome walking foot it doesn't say it suits my model)

My youngest daughter is mad with me for wanting buy yet another machine and says you need to be a quilter first before you can justify the purchase. She's a sewer and lives in Melbourne. I live near Sydney.

I need to find something to do now that I am living alone or I think I'll go crazy.

Would any of you care to give me your advice? Should I hold off and become a quilter before making this purchase or should I take the plunge? Is the machine I recently bought adequate for quilting? I'm interested in the Janome 6600P.