August 15, 2010

Feedback please...

on sewing machines.... :o))

I am sooo tempted to buy a new machine... but not sure yet...

I love my Pfaff 2042.. ( until  yesterday..;o))

I have wanted to upgrade to a newer one for the last years ( wanted Pfaff to come with a BSR  function...  before buying a new one ) .. and since I have been satisfied with the 2042 ... why buy a new one... :O)?

Ok questions for you...

Do you know anything good or bad about Pfaff expression 4.0??

And good or bad about the Bernina QE 440 Aurora or the 450??
(Hope I spelled the name right.)

Or any other machine.. I know lots of people using Janome.. but I do not know anything at all about them... so please fill me in..:O))

This will be some fun.. please share what you think..

Och ni som bor i Sverige... lägg gärna in ert vetande också...
skriv på svenska..  det läser jag..:O))

28 comments:

  1. Stina, I recently purchased the Bernina 440 with the BSR and love the machine but have not used the BSR as of yet .I also own a pfaff 7550 which is about 15years old I believe and I love it as well . I love sewing on the Bernina sewing machines ,I think the stitch quality is superb .Not sure this is of any help but the 440 is a wonderful machine !

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  2. Hi Stina,
    I bought a Pfaff a couple of months after I started quilting, about two years ago and I love it because of the built in walking foot feature. It isn't a fancy model, I didn't need all the different stitches I just wanted to piece quilt tops! I have loved it since the day I got it. My sister in law has the same model Pfaff you are asking about and she loves it to. She takes it in for regular cleanings every year, but she did have a problem with it just one time. Her thread kept breaking and no matter what she did, it continued. She took it in for service and it turned out there was some thread bound up somewhere inside the machine. She had it back the next day and it has be fine since. I don't know anything about the other machine you list. I do know that if I don't blow all the fuzz and dust out of the bobbin case with canned air, after every 8 or 10 hours of sewing on it, the thread will start breaking on me. I have a routine that I follow and it has worked wonderfully for me. Every time I clean out the bobbin case, I change my needle and re-thread my bobbin just to ensure that everything has all the dust and fuzz out of it and things are in order. It has kept me out of trouble for two years now so I'll keep my fingers crossed. Other than that, I don't know anything about them...I just want them to keep sewing for me, LOL.

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  3. Take a look at the blog of leah day called www.freemotionquilting.blogspot.com
    She wrote a lot about sewing machines and compared some of them.
    That may help you to decide.
    Good luck!

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  4. Hi... I have a Viking and just love it.... I used a Janome before getting the Vicking... I asked around before I bought my machine... I weighted out the pro and cons' and get all the feed backs that I could... Good luck with your journey... :)

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  5. Hej på dig!
    Jag har nyligen köpt en Bernina 440 QE, även kallad Aurora. Jag är helnöjd måste jag säga. Har tidigare bara haft Husqvarna, men den gick inte alls att frihandskvilta med. Denna är en dröm. Motorn är stark. Det märks när man syr i flera lager. jag får förståss läsa instruktionerna för att lära mig den nya, men det tar jag steg för steg. Jag kan varmt rekommendera den.

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  6. Hi Stina,

    I will be checking back to see what everyone has to say... I am planning on getting a new machine in about 6 months. I am intending to get the new Janome Horizon because of the large harp size & their accufeed. I looked at the Bernina you mentioned for the BSR but the harp is rather small... and the 830 which would be perfect is too much $ for me. Sew Mama sew has a lot of info on their blog under sewing machine meme's, it was a feature one month. Good luck!

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  7. I have 2 Janome and am very peased with them. I also had a Pfaff and it was good before the advancements made me upgrade. I believe that the Janome is quite trouble free. Make sure whatever you buy that you have a local dealer to answer your questions and services if needed. That is the most important advice.
    Marge

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  8. Hej!

    Jag har en Pfaff Expression 4.0 (1 1/2 år gammal) och är inte riktigt nöjd. Den är hos doktorn för tredje gången, det är undertrådsspänningen som inte vill sig, vare sig när det gäller vanligt raksöm och inte heller frihandskviltningen. Nu hoppas jag att de kan fixa det här.

    För 2 1/2 år sedan köpte jag en Pfaff 2048 som sömnadsmässigt fungerar bättre, men inte har automatiskt pressarfotslyft och avklipp.

    Jag hade en Bernina 440 som jag dumt nog sålde och nu sitter jag och funderar på om jag skall sälja mina båda Pfaff och köpa antingen en Bernina 820 eller Janome 6600 som båda har större kviltutrymme. Det är ganska stor prisskillnad på de här två maskinerna.

    Det skall bli intressant att se om Du får några inlägg som kan hjälpa även mig i mitt beslut!

    Jag följer Din blogg sedan några månader tillbaka och måste gratulera till en jättefin utställning!!

    Gunilla
    gunilla@winsnes.se

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  9. I have a Bernina 440QE and love it. It's a wonderful machine. I bought it because of the BSR. However, I don't use the BSR all that often. I usually end up using the regular free motion foot. So that said, if you can find a cheaper version of either Bernina or Pfaff that has all the features except the BSR I would go with that. I do love my machine I just don't know that upgrading this much was worth the BSR and I do all my quilting on my maching with the exception of hand quilting of course.

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  10. Hi Stina


    I love my Bernina Aurora 440 and would not change anything. I don't use my BSR as I learned to free motion quilt without having it.
    I used to have the Bernina 1260 and loved it too. I have used a Pfaff and didn't like the dual feed as I felt they are not as good as a walking foot in thicker batting.
    Good luck with your choice.

    cheers
    Christine

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  11. I laughed when I saw your post on my blog -- too funny.

    I have a 440 QE now, and the only reason I'm thinking about trading it in is for the extended throat space. I've been very happy with my machine, and I love the BSR. It occasionally has issues (I don't think it likes batik fabrics sometimes), but it helps me quilt much better. All I have to think about is where my hands are going. I don't have to worry about speed. If you prefer, you can even sew without the foot pedal by pressing a button.

    If you have any specific questions, feel free to e-mail me.

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  12. I have a Bernina 730, which I understand is virtually identical to the 440 (but has something special related to the embroidery unit). I use my BSR all the time, and while I am somewhat comfortable doing free motion quilting without it (if I have to use my Janome back-up/class machine, for instance), I would buy the Bernina again just for the BSR. I LOVE Janome, though, and the Horizon is a GREAT machine--I just wish it had a stitch regulator.

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  13. Hi Stina...I am using my Husqvarna which is 30 years old...I am starting to get into quilting and want to learn free motion and last week I looked at the Bernina with BSR and was impressed!!! Not sure what to do yet...I have attachements to my machine and will try those...I am sooo interested to see what you end up doing♥x

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  14. I've had 2 Janome's and love them both, they were in my price range. I heard many many good things about the Bernina but far too expensive for me.

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  15. Hej igen!
    Av misstag skrev jag Janome 6600, det skall vara den nya Janome Horizon 7700 och inget annat :-)
    kram
    Gunilla

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  16. I own a Bernina Aurora 440 QE since about 2 1/2 years and I am still in love with it! I don't know anything about the Pfaff - but I'm not much a fan of Pfaff machines...I tried some of them when I bought my machine but the mutual dislike was established very soon ;o).
    If I had to buy a new sewing machine now, I'd probably try the new Janome Horizon (which has much more space than the Aurora) or the Husqvana Sapphire...I think it's best to actually try sewing on the machines that you think of buying in order to tell if you like them or not.
    My fingers are crossed that you find a new mate soon,
    hugs, Julia

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  17. I have a Janome MC 6600P, and I LOVE my beast with a passion. I also am the proud new owner of the new Janome Horizon 7700 but I can't comment until it arrives.

    Happy machine shopping :)

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  18. I have a Bernina 440 and love it. I've never had any trouble with it. I like all the features, but I wish it had larger throat space.

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  19. http://www.blocket.se/vi/27698110.htm

    Jag säljer min darling Janne, som går som en dröm. Då jag har ärenden upp till norr ibland kan jag tänka mig en leverans med kurs på köpet,hihi. Jag bodde i Boden för många år sedan, så det blir dit mellan varven. Härliga quiltar du syr.
    Kram LjusneLotta
    www.ljusnelotta.zoomin.se

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  20. Stina, I LOVE my Bernina aurora 440QE! I had been a Janome girl in the past but after trying one at a trade show I fell in love! Don't do a lot of quilting on it but for regular sewing it is fantastic. Georgia (8 years) learnt to sew on it in the last year with very little help from me. Also the manual is very easy to understand.

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  21. Stina, I LOVE my Bernina aurora 440QE! I had been a Janome girl in the past but after trying one at a trade show I fell in love! Don't do a lot of quilting on it but for regular sewing it is fantastic. Georgia (8 years) learnt to sew on it in the last year with very little help from me. Also the manual is very easy to understand.

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  22. Hi Stina, I have just bought the Bernina 730, and although there are a lot of things to learn on it, the straight stitching is lovely. I am a Bernina fan having had the Bernina 1230 for 16 years. Its a big machine 22kilos but I still have lots of learning. I noticed on a lot of the DVD's they use a Bernina 440, it was a toss up between the two. Good Luck.

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  23. Hi Stina
    I have had a Bernina 820 for 18 months and absolutely love it. It has a lovely large throat, BSR, 1100 stitches per minute top speed, auto threading, threading cutting at the touch of a button and loads of other features that make you sew fast! And it is such fun to use, you will find yourself smiling. It also has wonderful lighting (I have actually sewed without the room lights on). Have a look at Bernina website and you should get lots more info. Good luck with your search!
    Tracey
    Email traceylb74@gmail.com

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  24. Hi Stina -- I'm a die-hard Viking fan. I learned how to sew on my mother's viking 40 years ago and now I'm on my second one -- not because the first one needed to be replaced, but because there were new options that I had to have! And the best recommendation for the Viking is that I think it's made in the closest country to you? ;-)

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  25. Sorry Stina, I have the 820 not 720, I didn't think it looked right. I have just been learning a few more stitches on it... Oh I need heaps more time to learn.

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  26. Hej,
    jag har tre Pfaffar och är helnöjd med dem.
    CVn köpte jag för nästan ett år sedan och den syr som en dröm! Den motsvarar 4.0 tror jag, skillnaden är att CVm är en brodermaskin. Sen har jag en 2170 (som är till salu, finns på Blocket) den är jag också helnöjd med, borde ha sålt den innan jag köpte CVn. Sedan har jag en 2048 som jag har som extramaskin och med mig på syträffar.
    Med alla mina maskiner går det helt ok att frihandskvilta, jag har aldrig några problem.

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  27. Hi Stina...I don't know about those two specific model machines but I have a Pfaff which I love and she is great for piecing, general sewing, taking to classes (she isn't overly heavy to carry) and the like...love the built-in walking foot...but she doesn't have a large enough throat for pushing three layered sandwiched quilts through for quilting (so hard on the body). I find it difficult to even do small quilts like table runners but that could just be me...
    So, I've just purchased a machine specifically to use for quilting...a Janome 1600P (last year's model - hey I don't need to pay extra money for the new colour - this year's model is 1600QP)...a semi-industrial machine (heavy, not made of plastic!), only does straight stitch...sews at 800-1600 stitches per minute (has three speeds)...needle down...two lights so the work area is illuminated properly...I have friends with this machine as well and they use it on a frame and love it (I'm saving up for a frame)...I played with the machine on the frame I want at a recent exhibition and it was like sewing through clouds...beautiful, so easy...I posted about her on my blog if you want to see what she looks like...
    I used a Bernina in a workshop at an exhibition once and it was a lovely machine to use...*sigh* I couldn't afford one though...
    The best thing (and it is fun) is to go and play at the sewing machine shops...sit and use all the machines that you are drawn to...test drive like you would a car...go away and digest what you've seen and heard and felt...go back and test drive again...be open to trying machines that you hadn't considered...you may be surprised and then again, you may just confirm what you already felt...both of which are good things...I would certainly buy another Pfaff and my 26 year old machine is a Janome and she will sew Anything that is thrown at her so I didn't hesitate to buy another Janome.
    Have fun looking and test driving even if you don't decide to buy...

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  28. Hi Strina, Love your blog - the photos, flowers & crafts are all so classy. I love the idea of making the pin cushions from old doilies & tablecloths. I have a lot of these from my mum who passed away late last year & I couldn't bear to throw them out but there are too many to use & some have age stains etc. Adding them into my sewing would be a lovely idea & keep them around me looking pretty & being useful. Thanks for that.

    I'm a Janome girl & brought my first at 16 in New Zealand. I finally had to put it in to retirement at 22 years of age due to the dial sticking & replaced it with another Janome, the Memory Craft 4900QC 5 years ago that I had been coveting for awhile. The only problem I have with it is the 1/4 inch foot is about 1mm out so I have to remember to move the foot before sewing each time. I now have brought a guide I can set up on my machine so no more forgetting & ending up with blocks of different sizes. Look forward to your next entry - always! Tracee xx

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Hej!!

So nice to hear from you all... makes my day special...:o)

If I dont reply to your email.. you are probably set as a noreply...
so please see that there is a way for me to contact you...

Stina...:o)
- - -XOX- - -