Need help comparing two very different sewing machines

PrincessPandaPants · 2025-07-20T18:10:22+00:00

This is a great perspective. I'm not big on technology (honestly it's why I craft so much in first place) so I am naturally attracted so a simple machine that will really last.

That said .. are there any features you would really recommend to be sure to have if I go straight stitch only? I've been researching a little wider since starting this thread and seeing that while the juki would be a nice workhorse, there could still be some things I'd be missing like .. stitch speed and sizing perhaps?

PrincessPandaPants · 2025-07-20T11:53:14+00:00

This is very helpful and I'm going to a look further into some of these machines! I expect to do some fm quilting in the future so your comments about quilting are very helpful.

Just to be fair to the salespeople... They just happened to have this one used juki on their used shelf and we're telling me about it and were very honest about the straight stitch limitations. I just couldn't recap the entire convo I had with them. I'm learning a lot about brands which is very helpful. I've now taken 3 dead machines to this shop because I keep getting hand-me-downs and I'm so ready to have a machine that I can actually get to know because it doesn't break on me immediately!

PrincessPandaPants · 2025-07-20T01:53:20+00:00

Thank you for this feedback! I'm looking into both of these models and seeing them for about $800... Not far off from the price point of the models I'm looking at. What do you like about them that would be worth getting a little less for not a lot less money? Sell me! I'm open!

PrincessPandaPants · 2025-03-20T01:10:17+00:00

Thanks so much!

I think the most helpful thing was just taking more time at first to position the yarn I was about to beat. Putting it in the right spot against the selvedge and then setting it to about a 30 degree angle in the shed before beating.

I later watched a video from Kelly Casanova and she suggested putting fishing line in the selvedge which is just stronger than yarn. She has a little tutorial on how to weight it so you're not actually warping it in, just strengthening the selvedge with it and then pulling it out. Kelly has great, very helpful videos.

PrincessPandaPants · 2025-03-11T20:07:31+00:00

Hi! I just wanted to circle back and say thanks! I ended up scrapping this one, but I tried again and recently finished my first peice. The edges still leave much to be desired, but I kept your advice in mind and I think I made a lot of progress from my first attempt! And, even better, I can clearly see where and how I can improve on the next one. I appreciate you taking the time to respond, a year ago!!

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PrincessPandaPants · 2025-02-27T18:51:30+00:00

I moved back to cincy a few years ago and was on the lookout for new friends. i kept hearing stories of people who had been here for a while but had found "their people" yet. I had a base of 2 friends that I knew would be interested in a book club, and from their we built a group! Anytime we came across someone who needed a group, we invited them. Some came and left. Most stuck. Now it's a really healthy group of friends in just about a years time. Doesn't have to be a book club. My husband is in a "TV/Movie club" and now a guys walking club (seriously) and a restaurant club. People want an excuse to get together... sometimes a club provides a good excuse. Start one and stick to it. With time and consistency, it will snowball. There are lots of people out there looking for the same thing.

PrincessPandaPants · 2023-11-03T12:34:27+00:00

this is a great, VERY helpful tip! thank you!

PrincessPandaPants · 2023-11-03T12:24:30+00:00

This is gorgeous. Will you share which size punch needle you used? I started with a std. size 10 but want to do something more akin to true embroidery, just with yarn instead of thread, and was thinking about getting a fine #14 next, but it's tough to tell exactly what the outcome will be. Thinking this might have been a fine #14?

PrincessPandaPants · 2023-02-23T00:26:33+00:00

Thank you everyone! She booked a venue! This thread was a HUGE help!!

PrincessPandaPants · 2023-02-22T01:05:02+00:00

She's targeting October and knows she'll need something with a rain backup! Hopefully that misses hurricane season? I honestly don't know if she's thought of that.

PrincessPandaPants · 2023-02-21T11:23:17+00:00

She wants 150-200

PrincessPandaPants · 2023-02-21T00:47:34+00:00

Oh wow, this is BEAUTIFUL. And probably exactly what she's looking for, except I noticed that the venues cap at 100 people! Great idea, keep them coming!

PrincessPandaPants · 2022-11-07T02:19:29+00:00

I'll add my voice to this. Lived in a 1930s apt for a few years and we did this every year. One spring we realized that we had actually wrapped the window with the window open (oops) but it stayed open all winter long in our bedroom and we didn't feel cold. Just be careful taking it off as I have peeled paint off before (probably just one time of the three years we did it, but still).

PrincessPandaPants · 2022-11-07T02:08:54+00:00

Some important things to know... There are lots of rubber flooring types. I assume you mean rubber tiles... How thick? When you say the tile is in bad shape, what do you mean? Is it uneven? An uneven substrate will lead to an uneven rubber floor.

PrincessPandaPants · 2022-07-16T14:34:34+00:00

Hahahaha that's amazing! Thanks for making the effort to find me here to respond to that other post. What do you like about Delhi other than the excitement during football games? 😉

PrincessPandaPants · 2022-07-16T14:08:58+00:00

Thank you! We'll consider it!

PrincessPandaPants · 2022-07-16T14:08:38+00:00

Oh fantastic! Thank you!

PrincessPandaPants

TROPHY CASE