Lady Diana

The Janome 6600 is a workhorse of machine.....has Accufeed, so you don't have to use a walking foot , it does great Fmq. As does the 8900. I have both. The 8900 has a larger harp space. My choice today would be the 9400 since it has all of the features and more,plus it has auto foot lift....great for piecing. PM for a great dealer......no sales tax if you have it shipped and a great price....don't work for them I am in Texas they are in PA. I uy all my machines from them. There is a yahoo group for 6600/8900/9400 that you can join now and get lots of feedback k on these ,machines. Go to the Janome site, you an compare features side by side. Price is well within you rangeom all of them.

Hulalulu

Agree with other posters -- stay in the Baby Lock line -- you already have one, feet are more reasonable than on other lines, and you'll have a "back up" already there when it's service time. They make fine machines, as you already know! Have nothing against the other brands discussed -- if you already had one of them would advise the same. You are more apt to get a consistency -- say with your quarter inch foot, when using the same manufacturer and foot!

vschieve

Pfaff Performance 5.2. Pfaff has built in IDT, so you would never need a walking foot. I have the Performance 5.0 and the decorative stitches are great. In fact, I made a tote bag as a gift, applying decorative stitches to create flowers, grass, sunshine with rays, etc., all with the builtin stitches. Even has some fonts, so I "signed" the bag as well. The newest model, the 5.2, also does stacking stitches and ribbon stitching, which the 5.0 doesn't have these features. Love my Pfaff! but thinking of upgrading.

coopah

I bought a floor model that came with a full factory warranty. That saved me 1/2 the cost of buying new! There is absolutely nothing wrong with the machine and it's like a car dealer's demo...if there were any "bugs," they've been corrected. The accessories were still packed from the factory and the original box with warranty came with it. Plus they cleaned the machine and made any needed adjustments before I brought it home. This may not be the route you'd like to go. For me, it gave me a way better machine than I would have been able to buy otherwise. There are lots of brands...find the one you like the most and a dealer you can live with...and enjoy the process.
Edited to add: I have the Pfaff Performance 5.0. Love it! There are videos on YouTube about it.

cmcnab

Thank you all for your input and suggestions. I am now the very excited owner of a Brother Dreamweaver VQ3000! (So much for just starting my search!) I went to the dealership that many of my local friends recommended and tried a variety of machines both Brother and Janome, but when I sat down to the VQ2400, I was hooked! But I really wanted the large extension table of the 3000, which was not on display, but he had one in the back. I really had no intention of purchasing anything this soon, but I have been looking at this model for awhile and my husband was very encouraging (which probably means he has his eye on some new hunting or fishing gadget!) so I did it. I love this machine! It sews like a dream, the needle threader works every time, the pivot function is fabulous, I could go on and on! I can't wait to explore the pen and laser and the Muvit Foot. If anyone has this or a similar machine and has any helpful hints, please share.
Now my only problem is that I don't want to leave the sewing room!
Carol

Sandygirl

Maksure the machine has the Serpentine stitch...you will love it and in your price -budget...very doable!

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...h-t278440.html

sandy

cmcnab

[QUOTE=Sandygirl;7653607]Maksure the machine has the Serpentine stitch...you will love it and in your price -budget...very doable!


I played with the stitches of my new machine yesterday and it does have a lovely serpentine stitch! I've just recently learned to do some machine quilting using my walking foot and used this stitch on a table runner. (Jacquie Gering teaches it in her Craftsy class.)

Carol

Dina

What a happy ending to your machine search!!! Enjoy!

Dina

gerideboer

I am going today to purchase. The new baby lock with the 12" harp. I am hoping for interest free financing. It i$1000 in anchorage ak

Fabric Galore

I think the most important thing is having a machine dealer nearby who will give you free classes and also repair your machine when you need it. Most of the sewing machine today have a model for machine quilting and I would choose the dealer who will be there for you. I have a Janome 6500 which does everything you are looking for and I machine quilt on it all the time but the most important feature for me is my dealer also demonstrates new techniques and tunes up my machine and she is only 10 minutes away. I would hate to travel a long distance just to take advantage of the classes and assistance you get when you buy a machine.