OK, I am headed out Friday to try the Babylock Quest (thanks to Gens information) and whatever other machine he has with a large harp. If you have any questions you want me to check into, please, reply here so I can keep tabs on all questions asked.
I am so excited!! Not wishing my week away but Come On Friday!!!
Piece,
Marsha in nw, Ohio
Does it have a 'knee lift'? Does it have the 'needle up/down' facility? Does it have a 'walking foot' or 'built in facility for even feed'?
Thanks Marsha! . In message , Meandering writes
Yes, yes, and built in, so....yes!!!
It has 363 decorative stitches too! 14 snap on presser feet only a couple are plastic. 8 5/8" harp.
The Husqvarna has only 163 decorative stitches but a 10" harp. Much roomier but I will have to calculate the square inches to be sure. Also it has no knee lift. :-(
Friday is almost here!!! LOL
Piece,
Marsha
If you sew with fancy threads- metallics, rayons, thicker thread, etc.- take some of those along to test how the machine handles them. If you don't have the correct needles, etc. it may not be a fair test, tho. I was thrilled at the way my Janome 6600 handles any thread I throw at it- and I don't have to mess with the tensions. I do NOT like adjusting the tensions!
Marsha wrote, in part > The Husqvarna has only 163 decorative stitches but a
10" harp. Much roomier but I will have to calculate the square inches to be sure. Also it has no knee lift. :-(From Polly: It just could be, Marsha, that you don't need the knee lift with that particular model of Husqvarna. A close neighbor's SM doesn't have the knee-lift but hers does have a 'needle-down' mode which is, generally, the same thing.
As to 'only' 163 decorative stitches, that's probably 100 more than you'll ever find a need for.
Keep reporting in. We're enjoying your adventure. Polly
a teacher showed me this machine last week, not being a sewing machine expert, I didn't quite follow everything, but it seemed like the foot pedal had some kind of additional sensitivity, such that you wouldn't need a knee lift, she wasn't definitely able to control the presser foot in some ways without using her hands.
Anne
I raised the dealer's supply drawers when I tried the Quest, and tried various threads. Didn't change the needle or tension and it sewed right along, even "wide open". I have no idea what needle was in it. It worked, so I didn't care. It's so very easy to change the tension if needed. My D1 has an automatic tension, that I have to fool with frequently. It will be so nice to have manual tension again. Gen
Good lighting???? That is one thing I dislike about FWs --their lack of good lighting and some of my other machines don't have good lighting either.
What does the tension adjuster dial look like?...Again I dislike the ones on FWs and those that look like them. It is just I have a devil of a time fiddling with them..and that is probably the problem.....my fiddling !!! I have one of that kind on my Brother 1500 and just don't get along with it too well. Mary /VT
My sm has a knee lift and a needle up/down. I don't use the knee lift- it's on the side of my owie hip. But I believe that the knee lift operates the presser foot, so you don't have to lift it manually for a needle-down pivot? I may be wrong.... since I don't use it. VBG
You are quite right, Leslie. We have used up my brain traveling and having guests; I'm even dimmer than usual. The kneelift and the needle down are both very important for me; I feel deprived if I have to do without either one. You should just see me trying to find the kneelift on the serger. (There isn't one but my knee tries anyway.) Polly
I believe, from what I've been looking at on their site, that the Sapphire range of the Husqvarna's has a button on the front which lifts the presser foot.
You're right Leslie. However, I find them difficult. My Babylock Ellageo has one, so I tried it the other night. It's on the right and I use my right foot on the pedal. I never did get the hang of using the lifter. I'd press on it and the foot pedal would depress and off we go--not where I wanted. Guess I can't drive and shift at the same time. I find it more bother than it's worth. Maybe I'll practice some more. Gen
I think I'd buy it just for the lighting !!! LOL Mary/VT
I'm ambi-footed! LOL When one foot tires of doing the pedal, I just switch. I get fatigue from using my ankle holding my foot in the air when I'm not pressing on the pedal. Am I the only one who does that?
My machine has a finger controlled button on the front to make it stop and go. I sure cannot see any value in that! How do you slow down and speed up??? It would seem you are either going or stopping and nothing in between. But then I have never used that option, either. (shrugs shoulders)
The way my pedal works, my foot actually rests when I'm not pressing on it. However, I always use my left foot on the pedal, as I had the same problem as Gen when I bought my first Bernina years ago. I found it pretty easy to switch to using my left foot on the pedal and my right leg for the knee lift. No more runaway machine.
My machine has a button, too, Leslie. I don't use it, because I find it easier to stop and start without having to use my hands or look for the button. But I do also have a slider switch to regulate speed, not that it would help when I wanted to *momentarily* speed up or slow down.
Gen, I am so glad you chimed in here. I was wondering what you had tried with the machine. As I understand it, there really isn't much you didn't try ;-) Did you do any free motion quilting?
As far as the knee lever, I have 4 Berninas and am so use to the knee lever I can't hardly sew without it. The needle down feature is another feature I am not sure I can do without, I have a Bernina 930 that does not have the needle down and I am getting ready to put it up for sale.
I am taking notes on everyones ideas and questions so I can do this right.
Nite,
Marsha in nw, Ohio
Yes you are right, Leslie. I have never had a knee-lift before (in fact I did have to ask what it lifted - embarrassing!). I'm sorry it is on your sore hip side. I 'clicked' with the device immediately. I love it (for anyone who wonders - I am not a gadget orientated person!). I use it when quilting, as I do a lot of walking foot quilting where I have to change direction a lot - I use my walking foot for many shapes in addition to straight lines. I don't use it for ordinary piecing etc, though perhaps I should for all the very short seams I do with my miniatures? There is one super 'side effect' with it, too - you can lift the presser foot higher with the knee lift than by using the lever on the back. Don't know if that is intentional, but it's terribly handy when you want to be sure the presser foot clears a chunky part of the sandwich. . In message , Leslie & The Furbabies in MO. writes
I wondered about that, Gen, before I had mine. I found it a positive advantage, though. Because it means I can't lift the foot while still stitching. I have developed a sort of choreography whereby my foot eases of the foot control in a nice curve, to allow my knee the extra few inches to reach the lift lever! I must have hit on just the right thing very quickly (not always the case for me!). See if you can find your own way to synchronise the movement. I'm sure you will find it a boon once you get it to work for you. . In message , Gen writes
I guess we can all do odd things with our feet when sewing. When I am really concentrating on following a quilting line I find myself curling my toes over and using my big toe on the pedal - I'm sure it comes from learning to sew on DM's 1958 Singer with the bakelite foot control with a "button" on it.
I also find I bite on my bottom lip when concentrating on a physical (rather than mental) task. This is unlike my menfolk who all stick their tongue out of the corner of their mouth in similar circumstances.
Lizzy
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