Janome Skyline S7

The last thing I need(ed) is another sewing machine but scanning eBay listings is a hobby, especially during a pandemic. I found this Skyline S7 for the surprisingly low price of $1500 + tax/shipping and since it was the last one they had and since I wanted a modern Janome with a free arm and since I really wanted a dedicated presser foot up/down button with automatic thread-cutting, I pulled the trigger.

The S7 sits near the top of the Skyline series of machines with the S9 being at the top followed by the S7, S6, S5, and S3. They are considered Janome's top value line as they include a large number of features and accessories at their respective price points. The S9 is the only sewing/embroidery combination Skyline; thus, the S7 is like the S9 but w/out embroidery. (There are a few other minor differences such as overall stitch count.) I also shopped for the S5 and found some relatively good prices but considering the S7 has many of the features of the Memory Craft 9450 (a more expensive model, near the top of Janome's entire lineup) but in a slightly smaller size and with a much smaller price tag, I went ahead with the S7. Features-wise, there is a considerable gap between the S7 and the S5.

As yet, I haven't done much with it but I love this thing. There are a number of conveniences that make performing certain functions so easy that you have to ask "Why haven't they designed it this way all along?" These include the afore-mentioned presser foot up/down button that can be programed to include the automatic thread-cutting mechanism, programmed to automatically hover as the needle is sunk into the material for easy pivoting, and to raise the presser foot and cut all in one action. With this button, the standard presser foot lever, and the knee lift, someone with perhaps some motor disabilities can lift their presser feet without struggle. I also like the apps features that select various settings (those that I've tried are logically chosen and make basic tasks virtually foolproof) and there is even a stitch composer and Favorite Settings feature for every stitch, memorizing settings for tension, pressure, width, length, etc. for every applicable stitch.

My favorite feature though is pretty basic: the quick-changing needle plate system. Slide off the bed extension, press a lever, and the plate pops up and you can easily switch to the other plate (straight stitch or zig-zag, whichever you need). The machine recognizes which plate is inserted and prevents zig-zag stitches from being sewn when the straight stitch plate is engaged. No more broken needles while using the straight stitch settings!

If you're looking for a mid-priced computerized machine that is full-sized but with a somewhat smaller footprint -- a machine that compares favorably to, say, the Bernina B570 in size, speed, and features -- I strongly recommend the S7. Prices have been coming down lately and the Skyline series is worth a long look and a test drive. Merry Christmas to all of you!

Janome Memory Craft 6700 Professional

Being the very satisfied owner of a couple of Janome MC 6500Ps, I've been interested in the new and improved machines the company released as replacements for the 6500/6600 models.  However, I wasn't so interested that I was willing to buy a brand new 6700.  My sewing needs are very straightforward and a new machine was the last thing I needed.  

However, I just happened to be scrolling through Janome listings on eBay and found this beauty, a barely used machine with all its accessories and a few extra Janome feet the owner had purchased, all in practically new condition.  The owner was not too far away (Bay Area, a day's long drive from Seattle) and so shipping was very reasonable, only about $28.  For $1500 + tax + shipping, was I interested?  Sure.

This is the most full-featured machine I own.  It's really fantastic.  Fast, smooth, effortless stitching at 1200 SPM and enough features to keep me busy for years.  The needle threader is a thing of beauty.  Bobbin winding is a snap.  Lots of stitches and they all look great.  Janome hit it out of the park and I suspect they knew they had to as this machine replaces a great prior model, the 6600.  The AcuFeed works flawlessly.  I purchased this machine some time ago and haven't really delved into it but this Winter I plan to spend quite a bit of time with it, making shirts and pants, hopefully. 

 

Janome Memory Craft 6300 Professional

I recently found this beautiful, like-new machine at Goodwill.  It's the entry-level machine in Janome's Professional series, denoted by the 6### model numbers and a series of standard features common to all models in the initial release with two new and improved models released later as replacements.  

Originally, the Memory Craft Professional lineup consisted of the 6300, 6500, and 6600 as well as the 1600 high-speed semi-industrial straight stitch.  I believe this series was originally released around 2010.  These models sold very well and are still highly prized.  After a long run, these three models were discontinued and replaced by the 6650 and 6700.

The 6300 is the lower-end machine in the original series.  The significant differences between it and the 6500 -- the next-higher model -- are the LED display and controls and the number of stitches it sews.  Else, it shares the same basic great features: 1000 SPM, automatic thread-cutting, needle up/down, dedicated lock stitch button, reverse button, presser foot knee lift, pressure control, telescoping thread guides for the integrated thread stand that can accommodate cones, independent bobbin winding motor, etc.  This series is especially noted for its very reliable electronics, strong motor, and smooth operation. 

The machine is pretty much vibration-free and as much as I like having a free arm, I love sewing on a large enameled metal bed.  It's really quiet and smooth even at the fastest speeds.  My only tiny gripe is that stitch selection is made via four buttons each representing various types of stitches.  (See the picture of the stitch chart if you'd like to know how it all breaks down.)  I prefer a series of, say, 6 buttons dedicated to the types of standard stitches most sewers use and access regularly such as straight, zig-zag, blind hem, etc.  Janome's (undoubtedly cost-saving) solution requires that the user press one of the four buttons repeatedly until the desired number is reached.  If you go too far, you have to cycle through all the numbers that button controls.  Not a big deal but I prefer the 6500's more elegant design.  

 

Above is a picture of the bobbin case in the machine at purchase.  There was a deep nick in the edge resulting in the top thread getting caught as it looped through the bobbin thread.  This caused thread nests and error messages, stopping the machine.  When I buy a used machine, I never know what the prior owner(s) tried to sew and I'm mindful that the machine may need major service.  Fortunately, all this 6300 needed was a new bobbin case and it's sewing perfectly.  I was able to find a new, genuine Janome bobbin case for $19.  

Most of the presser feet and other small items were missing (although the accessories box was included, empty) so I'll buy those as needed.  The feet from my other Janomes fit this machine so no hurry.  Altogether, this was a great purchase and such a bargain.  I'll be spending some quality time with it this Winter. 

Janome Memory Craft 9000

Well, folks -- it has been a long time.

I'm still at it, collecting machines and sewing a few seams here and there.  Lately I've been getting rid of machines that cannot be fixed without considerable time and expense (not many) and acquiring more modern, computerized models at bargain prices.  While I've generally stayed away from these machines in an effort to avoid failing motherboards and circuits, bad sensors, and blown capacitors, there are a remarkable number of working machines that are still going strong after decades of use.  

Here is a venerable addition to the collection, a Janome MC 9000.  This is a sewing/embroidery combination from 1994 and is an upgrade of the 8000.  While the machine continues to accept the CF memory cards with embroidery designs made by Janome, it can also accept .jef files from cards with a PCMCIA adapter and has several other upgrades including a larger, better-designed UI with a larger LCD and logically placed controls.  As an embroidery machine, the 9000 is, by today's standards, a bit clunky and rather limited by the small hoops the machine can accept but as a sewing machine this is still quite a strong model with quiet, smooth operation, beautiful stitching, and the usual controls one finds on higher-end computerized models, excepting the missing automatic thread cutter -- a feature that at the time was only just becoming common.  That a '94 model still works this well indicates this machine was made to very high standards of quality, especially its electronics.  While the paging through the menu from the main screen and the beeps the machine emits with each and every input evoke an earlier, less sophisticated time, the stitches it produces are stellar.  I prefer a manual upper thread tension assembly but the electronic override does the job adequately.   

Mine has slight discoloration and a few light scratches but overall this machine is in excellent condition for its age.  And the price was simply too good to pass up.

 

I'd like to monogram my shirts and a few other items in a quick, efficient manner without having to set up a machine I use for sewing these items just for doing so, only to break it all down again.  (It's not really all that time-consuming but I'm trying to justify keeping as many machines as possible.  Indulge me.)  This would be an excellent candidate for that role.  

I hope you're all well.  2021 isn't much of an improvement over 2020 -- at least mine isn't; here's to a brighter 2022.  Enjoy your Fall and the upcoming holiday season.       

 

   

Bernina 930 Electronic No. 3

Hi, all.  

It has been a long time since I created a new post.  I hope you're well during these strange times.  I'm doing well, although I'm in a period of change and that's sometimes difficult.  

I've not stopped collecting machines entirely but I'm collecting far fewer and only those I might be interested in keeping for an extended period of use.  This is one example, the revered Bernina 930 Electronic -- the version with needle up/down.  (This function controls where the needle bar stops when information is no longer being sent from the foot controller.  The machine includes a small, simple circuit board that keeps track of the state of the machine and when the needle bar stops in the Up position for example, a tap from the heel of the user on the portion of the controller below the hinge will advance the needle bar one half of one stitch cycle to the Down position, into the fabric.  Or vice-versa.)

I found this one on eBay and was the only person to make an offer.  I find this odd, as it appears a lot of Americans are buying sewing machines in order to make masks.  Have vintage mechanical machines achieved their market saturation and only the modern, plastic-clad models are selling well?  Or was it just good timing?  I certainly don't need three of these but at this price, I couldn't decline.  This 930 includes the machine, bed extension, case, knee lift bar, original manual, Bernina walking foot, and the box of attachments which is missing a few small items but included a great many Bernina and Schmetz needles.  Overall, a fairly complete package. 

Here it is in all its glory.  I like the needle up/down feature so much that I only consider the 930 models with this feature and fortunately this is one of them.  The foot controller the seller sent was DOA and so I've ordered a new knockoff version found on Amazon.  The one you see in the pictures is a spare non-heel tap version I had laying around.  

Such a fine machine!  Runs beautifully!!

I hope that if you're healthy, you stay that way and if you're not, that you get to a place where you are and can maintain it.  You're all in my thoughts. 

Pfaff Creative 1473

I know, I know.  I've been absent for so long that you'd likely concluded this blog was destined for the Google database purge.  I'm still here, still kicking, and still collecting, albeit far less.

Some months ago a series of machines I'd seen but not experienced came into my life.  Owners rave about them and I wondered what could be worth all the buzz.  After all, computerized machines built in the late '80s/early '90s can only do so much, right? 

Enter the Pfaff Creative 1473, a true marvel at its introduction and still a gold standard nearly 30 years later.  I found one locally for $60 and was blown away.  Friends, you know I've done a fair amount of "sewing my oats" and with a LOT of machines, but trust me when I tell you that this Pfaff model is truly a step above. 

Not much to look at, it has a simple, streamlined appearance similar to an '80s appliance: efficient and utilitarian.  If it feels familiar, it's because other manufacturers likely took their cues from this very series of machines (there are several in the series with varying levels of features such as decorative stitches) and emulated these models: the pop-up stitch guide, the familiar button controls just above the needle area, the layout of the column control panel, stock memory and mirror stitching, continuous and temporary reverse, foot recommendations, and all the other features you see on today's models.  Make no mistake, this slightly homely, boxy number was top-of-the-line and cost well over $2K back in the day, back when that was quite a bit of money.  *cough*

I love the pop-out stitch plate, the built-in needle threader THAT ACTUALLY WORKS, the very straightforward LED indicators for all chosen selections, the 177 stitches, the excellent foot controller that modulates the power delivery beautifully, the convertible accessories storage compartment with two levels and insets for all the stock feet included in the original purchase.  Even the presser foot lift to the right of the needle area instead of the back of the machine (now a standard on many machines including Janome) is an ergonomic delight and creamy smooth.

I also love that while it looks plasticky, the machine is mostly metal and is not lightweight.  Now, I've waxed poetic (*cough*, *cough*) about the smoothness of other machines but when I say this 1473 is smooth, I mean ssssmmmmoooooooooottthhhh.  This thing is so beautifully engineered that there is almost no vibration whatsoever.  The rigid metal frame and the balanced innards are so well done that the result is a quiet, precise, and low-frequency humming machine that produces the most beautiful stitching of just about any domestic machine I've ever used.  This means that what you input into the controls results in a very predictable outcome.  There are no strange surprises, no hesitations, no skipping, no re-alignment.  This machine is absolutely unperturbed no matter what I tell it to do.

Does it have limitations?  Sure, every machine does.  I wouldn't sew upholstery with it and I do miss having a knee bar controlling the presser bar height.  However, I can't believe it's been until now that I've finally found one of these.  How many passed me by in my past ignorance?

Bernina 1090

I had seen the ad for this machine, glancing at it a few times during the week it had been up before I contacted the seller.  It was a great price and I thought that surely someone had already made arrangements to buy it.  Sure enough, when I finally did ask whether it was still available, the seller replied that a lady was coming over to see it but that she would contact me if she decided she didn't want it. 

It's inconceivable to me that someone responding to a Bernina ad would decide not to buy a very highly regarded computerized model made in the mid-'90s.  I certainly don't need another machine and I was slightly relieved it wasn't going to be mine.  I'm in the process of getting rid of much of my collection and not adding to it has been the matter of personal resolve. 

Several days later the seller wrote to me saying her prospective buyer never showed up to take a look at it.  Was I still interested?  I replied that I could be there in about an hour.

Although it was filthy, the machine is in really excellent condition and cleaned up beautifully. A couple of the plastic panels have yellowed somewhat but the painted surfaces are pristine; this machine has seen very little use.  Though some parts are missing (knee bar, a few feet, quilting guide, screwdriver, bobbins, etc.), much of it is here including the bobbin case, case/cover, bed extension, foot controller, accessories box, most of the feet.  Even the warranty card and Bernina introduction cards were included.  No manual could be found, although I don't need one.  This is a straightforward machine with simple controls, yet with the host of features Bernina-philes love.

This model doesn't have loads of stitches: 14 utility and 14 decorative, selected using a rocker switch that changes the display, each being a forward or reverse version of another stitch.  The options of instant and continuous reverse are here as well as one of my favorite Bernina features, that being the ability to change width and length very minutely for a high degree of stitch granularity.  With the heel tap needle up/down feature as well as the FHS knee system, it's got it all plus the speed of a thoroughbred and the strength of a work horse.  This is a really nice machine.  And it's in such good condition, too!  Not bad for the price of a Benjamin.  

It appears to be suffering from some sort of blockage -- as if thread has wound itself around one of the moving mechanisms inside the machine.  I will investigate, clean and oil it, and update this post as I make my discoveries.  This 1090 has been sitting unused for about 15 years.

 

Bernina Artista 730

Am I a Bernina guy?  Seems that way but perhaps not in the conventional sense.  Let me explain.

I'm a budget-minded, frugal shopper.  I always like a low price as long as the quality of what I'm buying is good or better.  Sure, I'm saving money but I also like the sense that the value of whatever amount I've spent (and the effort it represents) has purchased something of similarly high value -- in my estimation.  I also like dealing with sellers on a no-haggle basis: if I like a low price, I pay it with no questions asked, no dickering, whining, or later remorse.

You'll notice I own and have owned many Kenmores.  They are excellent machines and can be found for such low prices that they have remained some of my favorite purchases.  Years later (yes, I've been collecting for several now), I still appreciate what they can do apart from what little I paid to acquire them.  In fact, nearly every machine I own was a 'deal' of sorts; I simply don't buy something that costs very much unless it's an absolute necessity.  As long as it's a quality item, it remains on my radar or stuck in my craw until I make the decision to buy or move on.  Some of you are probably just like me in this respect.

With this mindset, I've always been a little suspicious of the Bernina brand and I've only purchased Berninas with the same standards as other brands: high quality for low price.  If you've observed the retail and private markets for these machines you'll understand that I haven't been quite as enthusiastic a collector because 1) the prices are generally so much higher and 2) the quality -- while often higher -- is not necessarily commensurate with the prices being charged.  $10K for a sewing/embroidery machine, new, usually means that after a few years the owner will understandably want to sell for at least $5K if they don't choose to trade it in.  That's just not in my budget for a hobby and past time.  The question isn't 'Are Berninas good machines?'  The company has for decades answered that with a resounding 'Yes!'.  But that isn't the same question as 'Are Berninas worth paying so much more?'  While I've had to be a little more flexible (read, willing to let go of more cash) when considering them, I still drive a pretty hard bargain with myself and I've let a lot of Berninas pass me by. 

Nonetheless, I've been able to find some good deals on Bernina machines and this most recent acquisition -- a pristine Artista 730 with embroidery unit and software -- is as good an example as any.  Bought from an estate reseller, this machine has only seen 49 total sewing hours (from the information screen in the machine's computer).  That makes it nearly brand new although the model was discontinued several years ago at the advent of the 8 series machines.  According to the family the seller dealt with, the owner was a quilter and didn't like this machine so she rarely used it.  New, she likely paid about $8K according to the Bernina website and owners who bought it when it was on the market.  I paid $300.  Not pocket change (and I struggled a bit to justify it) but a comparative deal.

This machine is missing all but one presser foot (the seller sold the rest individually) as well as the embroidery hoop grids, some bobbins, and the original needle up/down controller.  (An original Bernina foot controller was included and it does power the machine just fine but doesn't have the heel tap feature for needle up/down.  I can live with it for a while although I will want to replace it eventually.)  It also needed the 9mm zig-zag needle plate (that has been ordered) and a few other odds and ends.

It's a remarkable machine in remarkable condition.  I can tell I'm going to spend many hours of enjoyment familiarizing myself with all its features, quirks, and hopefully sewing results.  Just entering the welcome screen with its fanfare audio file splash graphic of a butterfly, seeing all the icons and touch screen buttons, and reading a bit of the manual all has me excited to see if I can get this machine working to its fullest potential.  I'll have to spend a bit more money but at this price it will still leave me in screaming deal territory.  Happy dance!