lurker with a ?

If I were you, I wouldn't spend any money on a new sewing machine unless I wanted/needed one for reasons other than quilting. After all, what if you really don't care for quilting once you try it? Also, if you're planning to do everything by hand, which I always prefer, you don't need a machine at all. (I get much more accuracy with piecing by hand, and NEVER quilt with a machine. Quilting is something I enjoy in the living room with the TV or stereo going -- I stitch and the dog naps. I also enjoy being able to pop things into a tote bag to take with me when I travel. Happily, I'm never in a big hurry. Just a thought.

thanks for the input. that is probably another thing that quilters might not agree on i bet

I would caution you that the Singers that are made today are not the Singers of old. They are not of the same quality and are a totally different company even though the name is Singer. That being said, I am sure they have some models they make that are reasonably good but for the same money you can buy a Janome that is a far better machine. Some people here may have a Singer model they can recommend, but I urge you to try the Janome line for machines within your price point. They are competitively priced and usually of superior quality. Good Luck.

John

I think John is right about what machine to buy! If and when I decide to purchase a new one, it absolutely will be a Janome. Meanwhile, my little Singer 99K is running beautifully and does everything I want.

Hi Karen,

Welcome to RCTQ. I hope you will not always be a lurker:) I think John's advise is good, as well as your sister's quilting group. Nowadays, you don't hear a lot of recommendations for the new Singer machines that are on the market. You could try taking your Simplicity machine in to have it cleaned & serviced & that might get you started on your new adventure. If that really won't work for you, I would suggest you go to a local sewing machine dealer & look at their used sewing machines. You will get more bang for your buck with a used machine. I know it is recommended to go in & try a machine out before you make a decision, but if you are just starting to sew after being away from it for a number of years, that can be very challenging. The newer machines are so much more sophisticated than the older machines are.

Where in Northern California are you? Perhaps one of us can recommend a good dealer for you to visit.

Pauline Northern California

thank you for your input. i have checked around and on Overstock they have some very reasonable janome's but they say they are reconditioned so i wonder about that? i will keep searching and pondering. karen(kz)

thanks

thanks for the suggestion. i just don't know if it would be worth having the machine serviced when it is 15 yrs old? i live in the seirra foothills and it is 32 miles to any town i venture to. i have a joanns in yuba city ca. but if i remember right i only saw singer machines in there. i will research the janome site again and see what they offer . karen(kz)

Does the reconditioned machine come with any warranty? My DH has bought several reconditioned tools & they always come with the full manufacturer's warranty.

Pauline Northern California

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hi Karen, welcome out of lurkdom, dont be a stranger, well no stranger than the rest of us anyhow. we all have our moments, lol.

i'd not heard of the simplicity so did some google'n and found that it is made by Janome. i'd not call 15yo too old by any means. what is your machine doing that isnt 'as well as it should' be doing? tis possible some folks here will have ideas to try yourself. being a fair drive from your nearest town i reckon its always best to see what you can manage by yourself. its not rocket science afterall, eh. give us some details and see what solutions we might have here for ya. that could save you some time and money in the long run and getcha up and run'n toot suite. hells bells, whatcha got to lose? cheers from an overcast windy summer day in the south pacific, j.

"Karen Z" wrote... i have really enjoyed reading your ng and i am just now getting ready to start quilting in my life (69 yrs old). i have a little stash already and some patterns. i will start with some tote bags and move on to other things. now here is my ?-----my simplicity sewing machine is about 15 years old and not sewing as well as it should so i have been searching machines. my sister quilts with a lightweight Janome. her quilting group seems to swear by that brand. i am thinking of going back to a singer since i owned them since i was 17. so what are your suggestions on machines. i don't want an expensive quilting machine . thank you for any help you can offer. karen(kz) in northern Ca.

-- Posted on news://freenews.netfront.net - Complaints to snipped-for-privacy@netfront.net --

I found out the hard way Janome is not very supportive of their customers. For me the warranty was pretty worthless so if you are going to chance buying one go for the best deal you can and just plan on paying for any service or problems on your own. They do make some wonderful machines and if their support was any good I would feel very differently.

Welcome to you Karen. Nice to have you delurk. BTW, what model are you looking at? Taria

Paul> Does the reconditioned machine come with any warranty? My DH has bought

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I tend to agree with you about your machine Karen, but it may only need to be cleaned & a drop or two of oil to make it purr for you again. However, there's nothing like having a new machine to inspire you! I went to Yahoo to search for sewing machine dealers near Yuba City. I'm not sure if any of these are close enough to you or even still in business. I don't know how timely Yahoo's listings are updated, but maybe you could contact a few of these listings to see if they can help you.

The benefit to purchasing your machine thru a dealer is that you should have some recourse if there are problems with your machine. I "believe" that Sear's Kenmore brand is made by Janome - it used to be & probably some of the members here can verify that. I don't know if there is a Sears anywhere near you though.

Pauline Northern California

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Jeanne, sometimes you simply wipe me out. LOL (Jeanne wrote < dont be a stranger, well no stranger than the rest

I agree with Jeanne - a Janome SM only 15 years old is just about new - unless, of course, you daily stitch like a maniac (Some of us do). Probably some cleaning, oil and a little tweak will get her good as new. We can help. We really can. Polly

I have two Janome's and an old Sears Kenmore. The Kenmore is made by Janome and all my attachments look exactly the same. I would take your old machine in and have it reconditioned. A machine needs a service every couple years even if there is nothing wrong. There are places that a repairman can clean and oil that we can't get to.

If you absolutely do not want to do that and want to invest in a new machine, I think your best bet would be to go to your local fabric store. If they don't sell machines they will know who does. When you buy locally you have more recourse if the machine is not acting correctly.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your new endeavor.

On Sun, 14 Dec 2008 15:50:33 -0600, Karen Z wrote (in article ):

Have you ever had your machine serviced? You may be surprised at the results and it will be a lot cheaper than investing in a new machine.

Every time my machines are giving me fits, usually a trip to be throughly cleaned and oiled will make a difference. There may be a bit of fluff caught somewhere and gumming up the works.

Maureen

now that was something to be glad about---it being a janome. i got it off of qvc 15 years ago. my hb and i did take it apart about a year ago and oiled and serviced it pretty darn good if i say so myself. my feed dogs don't seem to go up and down like they should anymore. and it doesn't wind the bobbin just right but i know how to handle that. my sticthes need to be adjusted cause the bobbin thread isn't always the way it should be. so i think that it would be worth my while to take it and have it serviced and get it up to par.other than that it has all the things i wanted when i bought it and it was a terrific price then too. thanks for the info. makes me feel good about the machine. karen (kz) snowed in in ca today and probably for a few days and hope i don't lose my power cause then i will have no heat.

thanks for that info on the warranties. makes me think to just stay with my machine and go have it serviced. can't cost too much to adjust a few things. i was just looking at some of the small machines that don't weigh much. but i really don't need a new one so will go from there. karen(kz)

thank you so much for the nice welcome. and i appreciate all the help you have given me. i made up my mind to have it serviced (now i have to find a place to have that done LOL) and the money i will save from buying a new machine can go for material. will keep you all posted . so sorry i keep forgetting to take my sig off--will try and remember to do that . karen(kz)