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Post by dudleypippen on Dec 9, 2018 21:30:43 GMT
I think knowing your budget would be helpful for suggestions. As others stated it would also be handy if you could find out what she plans to do with it. There are so many variables. I had a Babylock years ago that I loved, until my then boys sent it crashing to the floor. My Dad bought me a machine from Sears that was the most basic of models. I was grateful, very appreciative of the gesture but I will say that it was the worst machine I ever sewed on, loud, just very clumsy. I hated to touch it. I came across a 75% off Shark brand at Target that was actually not bad, at least for me. A couple of years ago I seriously upgraded my machine, with plenty of helpful suggestions form this group. I have an Elna which was designed with quilting in mind but I also use it for apparel, just not as easy when doing cuffs. Janome is the sister company of Elna and they make some very decent machines. Good luck. There are so many choices but each serves a little bit different purpose. If I’m not mistaken, Sears Kenmore brand machines used to be made by a big name brand and were quite a good deal. I bought mine on recommendation from the quilt store owner from whom I took quilting classes over a decade ago. It was a great basic machine for me.
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Post by mygigiscraps on Dec 9, 2018 21:33:46 GMT
I highly recommend the Eversewn machines. The company is owned by the grandchildren of the family that owns Bernina. The Eversewn machines are metal inside and not plastic. They stitch beautifully.
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Post by Basket1lady on Dec 9, 2018 21:34:37 GMT
I bought my mother a top of the line Singer 58 years ago. It cost $359.00, she was upset that I had paid that much. I had it repaired years ago and it has never been the same. I would love for it to work again, but there is no one to fix it. It died I gave up. At my age I do not care if I have to buy another machine if the one I bought last week dies. I am not doing anything spectacular or special. Making a few curtains for my new apartment. I learned to sew on a treadle that my grandfather electrified for my grandmother, which my mother used until I bought her the new one. So 1960? It should be a good machine. A reputable repairman should be able to let you know if it’s worth fixing. My Mom’s Singer was from the 70s and we never did get the tension right on it. But I do suspect that Mom messed with it as well, and it was always the same repairman. I have a Singer from 1990 and it’s still good. But the gears are nylon and getting brittle, even the replacement ones. So I bought a Janome Skyline S7 this year and it sews like a dream.
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Post by Basket1lady on Dec 9, 2018 21:49:29 GMT
I think knowing your budget would be helpful for suggestions. As others stated it would also be handy if you could find out what she plans to do with it. There are so many variables. I had a Babylock years ago that I loved, until my then boys sent it crashing to the floor. My Dad bought me a machine from Sears that was the most basic of models. I was grateful, very appreciative of the gesture but I will say that it was the worst machine I ever sewed on, loud, just very clumsy. I hated to touch it. I came across a 75% off Shark brand at Target that was actually not bad, at least for me. A couple of years ago I seriously upgraded my machine, with plenty of helpful suggestions form this group. I have an Elna which was designed with quilting in mind but I also use it for apparel, just not as easy when doing cuffs. Janome is the sister company of Elna and they make some very decent machines. Good luck. There are so many choices but each serves a little bit different purpose. If I’m not mistaken, Sears Kenmore brand machines used to be made by a big name brand and were quite a good deal. I bought mine on recommendation from the quilt store owner from whom I took quilting classes over a decade ago. It was a great basic machine for me. Kenmores were made were made by Singer and Singers are junk machines now. I DO NOT recommend them. They just aren’t what they used to be. I bought one in 1990 and even then they were on their way down hill. I got a good one, but I was lucky!
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inkedup
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,837
Jun 26, 2014 5:00:26 GMT
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Post by inkedup on Dec 9, 2018 21:56:23 GMT
My mother in law got me a basic brother sewing machine (one of their cheaper models) about 10 years ago. It has been a great little machine, especially because I was a complete novice to sewing when I got it.
This year, while sewing Halloween costumes, the machine broke for the first time. The repair is cheap, about $50.
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marimoose
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,282
Jul 22, 2014 2:10:14 GMT
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Post by marimoose on Dec 9, 2018 23:34:05 GMT
I think knowing your budget would be helpful for suggestions. As others stated it would also be handy if you could find out what she plans to do with it. There are so many variables. I had a Babylock years ago that I loved, until my then boys sent it crashing to the floor. My Dad bought me a machine from Sears that was the most basic of models. I was grateful, very appreciative of the gesture but I will say that it was the worst machine I ever sewed on, loud, just very clumsy. I hated to touch it. I came across a 75% off Shark brand at Target that was actually not bad, at least for me. A couple of years ago I seriously upgraded my machine, with plenty of helpful suggestions form this group. I have an Elna which was designed with quilting in mind but I also use it for apparel, just not as easy when doing cuffs. Janome is the sister company of Elna and they make some very decent machines. Good luck. There are so many choices but each serves a little bit different purpose. If I’m not mistaken, Sears Kenmore brand machines used to be made by a big name brand and were quite a good deal. I bought mine on recommendation from the quilt store owner from whom I took quilting classes over a decade ago. It was a great basic machine for me. I definitely won't doubt you and may have had the unfortunate luck of getting stuck with a lemon. All I know is it made me grimace when I used it and that is the opposite reaction I want from a craft i enjoy. My first machine was a very basic model from Montgomery Ward and it was made quite well with metal parts. I don't recall why I had to abandon it - that was a long, long time ago.
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Post by pajamamama on Dec 9, 2018 23:40:47 GMT
Updated in OP
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Post by flanz on Dec 9, 2018 23:50:35 GMT
My dd sews with a lady who teaches French Hand Sewing - following Sarah Howard Stone. It is just like Debbie Macomber's Blossom Street and the Quilting Book series by Jennifer somebody without all the drama ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/MNrJDkDuSwqIMVw33MdD.jpg) She has Brother machines for use at her shop, the Brother sells at COSTCO for $199 on sale. Many of the women will buy them, because hey know how to use them. My GF who is a beginning sewer bought one and has had no trouble. We have one local Bernina shop and they are not very helpful. I sew on a vintage Pfaff and DD sews on a vintage Bernina. Do not buy this machine. Most local shops will not repair them. I had had two Singers that each lasted over 20 years. One is actually still at my mom's and has been in the family for 46 years. It's a great, solid, simple machine. I bought one of the Brother machines at Costco a few years ago. It was a cheap piece of junk and I had to toss it within the year... I agree with others who have said they wouldn't go the "big box store" route.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 25, 2024 5:48:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2018 23:52:35 GMT
I bought my mother a top of the line Singer 58 years ago. It cost $359.00, she was upset that I had paid that much. I had it repaired years ago and it has never been the same. I would love for it to work again, but there is no one to fix it. It died I gave up. At my age I do not care if I have to buy another machine if the one I bought last week dies. I am not doing anything spectacular or special. Making a few curtains for my new apartment. I learned to sew on a treadle that my grandfather electrified for my grandmother, which my mother used until I bought her the new one. So 1960? It should be a good machine. A reputable repairman should be able to let you know if it’s worth fixing. My Mom’s Singer was from the 70s and we never did get the tension right on it. But I do suspect that Mom messed with it as well, and it was always the same repairman. I have a Singer from 1990 and it’s still good. But the gears are nylon and getting brittle, even the replacement ones. So I bought a Janome Skyline S7 this year and it sews like a dream. The tension thing was a scam. Repair shops ( especially the sears shop)?made a ton of money off it. They ruined many a good machine with that scam.
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Post by Basket1lady on Dec 10, 2018 0:15:16 GMT
So 1960? It should be a good machine. A reputable repairman should be able to let you know if it’s worth fixing. My Mom’s Singer was from the 70s and we never did get the tension right on it. But I do suspect that Mom messed with it as well, and it was always the same repairman. I have a Singer from 1990 and it’s still good. But the gears are nylon and getting brittle, even the replacement ones. So I bought a Janome Skyline S7 this year and it sews like a dream. The tension thing was a scam. Repair shops ( especially the sears shop)?made a ton of money off it. They ruined many a good machine with that scam. How do you mean? I have a Featherweight and you adjust the tension with a screwdriver. Simple and obvious about whether or not you got it right. The same snarling thread was the issue with Mom’s old machine, just a thousand times worse!
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Post by crazy4scraps on Dec 10, 2018 1:42:52 GMT
I bought my mother a top of the line Singer 58 years ago. It cost $359.00, she was upset that I had paid that much. I had it repaired years ago and it has never been the same. I would love for it to work again, but there is no one to fix it. It died I gave up. At my age I do not care if I have to buy another machine if the one I bought last week dies. I am not doing anything spectacular or special. Making a few curtains for my new apartment. I learned to sew on a treadle that my grandfather electrified for my grandmother, which my mother used until I bought her the new one. So 1960? It should be a good machine. A reputable repairman should be able to let you know if it’s worth fixing. My Mom’s Singer was from the 70s and we never did get the tension right on it. But I do suspect that Mom messed with it as well, and it was always the same repairman. I have a Singer from 1990 and it’s still good. But the gears are nylon and getting brittle, even the replacement ones. So I bought a Janome Skyline S7 this year and it sews like a dream. It really depends a lot on whether parts are still available for it. I have a 1970’s Bernina that I loved, but the foot pedal started going on it and there are no replacement parts for it to be had, not even aftermarket. So rather than wait until I was in the middle of something important and have it totally die on me, I got a shiny new Janome a few years ago. Now I love that one too.
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dald222
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,602
Jun 27, 2014 0:50:15 GMT
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Post by dald222 on Dec 10, 2018 2:03:16 GMT
is it for a gift? I think she will love it. if she does not then she can exchange it
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 25, 2024 5:48:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2018 2:37:26 GMT
The tension thing was a scam. Repair shops ( especially the sears shop)?made a ton of money off it. They ruined many a good machine with that scam. How do you mean? I have a Featherweight and you adjust the tension with a screwdriver. Simple and obvious about whether or not you got it right. The same snarling thread was the issue with Mom’s old machine, just a thousand times worse! I wish I knew what the repairmen would do. I had an all metal kenmore, I inherited from my aunt. Took it in to be cleaned. Oh the tension is bad , $75 to fix. There was nothing wrong withtge machine except that it needed to be cleaned. but when I got home , it didn’t work. Took it to another place , they “fix” the tension. The machine never worked right after that. The sears guy did the same thing to my aunt’s machine and a couple friends. My husband’s mother had the same machine be. His father did all the cleaning himself. She never had a single problem with hers. Edited to add: I was really young when this happen. Like 15?
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Post by Basket1lady on Dec 10, 2018 3:45:49 GMT
So 1960? It should be a good machine. A reputable repairman should be able to let you know if it’s worth fixing. My Mom’s Singer was from the 70s and we never did get the tension right on it. But I do suspect that Mom messed with it as well, and it was always the same repairman. I have a Singer from 1990 and it’s still good. But the gears are nylon and getting brittle, even the replacement ones. So I bought a Janome Skyline S7 this year and it sews like a dream. It really depends a lot on whether parts are still available for it. I have a 1970’s Bernina that I loved, but the foot pedal started going on it and there are no replacement parts for it to be had, not even aftermarket. So rather than wait until I was in the middle of something important and have it totally die on me, I got a shiny new Janome a few years ago. Now I love that one too. If you care about a machine, watch Craigslist or eBay for another. I bought a second machine and canibalized parts from the second to fix my original. But the same gear was broken on the second machine and after market parts were not available. It now does everything but buttonholes. So I bought a Janome Skyline and still have my old machine as a backup.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Dec 10, 2018 4:13:43 GMT
It really depends a lot on whether parts are still available for it. I have a 1970’s Bernina that I loved, but the foot pedal started going on it and there are no replacement parts for it to be had, not even aftermarket. So rather than wait until I was in the middle of something important and have it totally die on me, I got a shiny new Janome a few years ago. Now I love that one too. If you care about a machine, watch Craigslist or eBay for another. I bought a second machine and canibalized parts from the second to fix my original. But the same gear was broken on the second machine and after market parts were not available. It now does everything but buttonholes. So I bought a Janome Skyline and still have my old machine as a backup. That’s what I would be afraid of, that the second one would have the same problems the first one has since it would be of a similar vintage. It has to be close to 50 years old now. Those old Berninas were workhorses and they were expensive back in the day, so they wouldn’t have been purchased by anyone but a serious sewist. Mine was my aunt’s and she used the heck out of it before I got it, then I used the heck out of it too. It still works but there is a lag when the foot pedal is depressed. I had it looked at by a Bernina technician who said it was on the way out and that no parts were available anymore. I figure it will be an okay machine for my 8 yo DD to learn on since the lag makes it slow to start sewing.
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Post by beaglemom on Dec 10, 2018 5:13:51 GMT
My son suggested to me that DIL might like my $3000 Bernina (yeah, I know, I got it at a deep discount because I worked in the industry) if I’m not using it anymore. Meanwhile I can't get a single one of the kids from the younger generation interested in sewing/quilting so that I can dump leave my machines/fabric to! **GypsyGirl** you can adopt me and I will happily take your machines...and send you pictures of cute kids wearing the clothes I make on them!
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Post by beaglemom on Dec 10, 2018 5:19:18 GMT
I bought this Brother SE400 in 2012 from amazon. For almost $100 more than the current price. It has worked very well for me. I sew for my kids and some friends. I probably do 30ish dresses a year? It has been great. Now I would love a higher end Baby Lock or Bernina, but the machine works great for now and I really want a coverstitch next.
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Post by elaine on Dec 10, 2018 11:59:04 GMT
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Dec 10, 2018 12:40:32 GMT
**GypsyGirl** you can adopt me and I will happily take your machines...and send you pictures of cute kids wearing the clothes I make on them! That's more than I can say for certain family members! I recently send a gorgeous quilt, doll quilt and pillow to a nephew's 1 year old. All I got was a Facebook thank you and not a single photo so far in the 2+ months they've had it. I could use some more appreciative relatives! The beauty of my stash is that there is more than enough for you and craftedbys to share!
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likescarrots
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,879
Aug 16, 2014 17:52:53 GMT
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Post by likescarrots on Dec 10, 2018 14:36:11 GMT
Any ideas on what to buy? Updated: After looking around I went with the singer heavy duty model, mid priced at $125.It seems to have all the stuff, along with an auto threader. If it's not what she want, she can return and exchange. A $300 model is out of the question right now, due to a number of circumstances. I'm sure this machine will be fine for her. I think some of the people in this thread are being ridiculous. Like I said in my other post, my mom bought me a singer that cost about $125 that has been running strong for 16 years now. I have used it to sew through 4 layers of nylon strap when my father's shoulder bag strap broke. I've made piped chair cushions, sewn through layers of denim, thick felt, elastic, zippers, all kinds of random crap and have never had an issue. My husband has offered to buy me a new, fancier machine, but I just don't see a reason to spend the money when my cheap little singer is still getting the jobs done.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Dec 10, 2018 14:46:42 GMT
Any ideas on what to buy? Updated: After looking around I went with the singer heavy duty model, mid priced at $125.It seems to have all the stuff, along with an auto threader. If it's not what she want, she can return and exchange. A $300 model is out of the question right now, due to a number of circumstances. I'm sure this machine will be fine for her. I think some of the people in this thread are being ridiculous. Like I said in my other post, my mom bought me a singer that cost about $125 that has been running strong for 16 years now. I have used it to sew through 4 layers of nylon strap when my father's shoulder bag strap broke. I've made piped chair cushions, sewn through layers of denim, thick felt, elastic, zippers, all kinds of random crap and have never had an issue. My husband has offered to buy me a new, fancier machine, but I just don't see a reason to spend the money when my cheap little singer is still getting the jobs done. What people are saying is that NOW Singers aren’t made to last the way they used to be. A machine that cost $125 back then was probably equivalent to a $300 machine now. For someone with a real interest in sewing, it is nothing less than frustrating trying to sew on a machine that gives you nothing but headaches. I remember my 8th grade home ec class and all the sewing machines were JUNK. I remember fighting with the thread constantly breaking, needles breaking, etc. and thinking to myself, “Please, PLEASE let me take this project home so I can sew it on my OWN machine!” I had my mom’s hand me down mint green battle ax of a Singer, but it was well maintained and ran like a top. It’s no surprise that many women my age don’t sew when that’s what they had to learn on.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Dec 10, 2018 15:20:56 GMT
I'm sure this machine will be fine for her. I think some of the people in this thread are being ridiculous. Like I said in my other post, my mom bought me a singer that cost about $125 that has been running strong for 16 years now. 16 years later that $125 machine is now the equivalent of a machine in the $300-500 range. Also, from my own experience (and that of others here), a Singer today is not the same quality of the Singers of old. It has nothing to do with being 'ridiculous' but rather having the experience and sharing that. Poor quality machines are one of the top reasons that people give up on sewing.
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likescarrots
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,879
Aug 16, 2014 17:52:53 GMT
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Post by likescarrots on Dec 10, 2018 16:52:07 GMT
I'm sure this machine will be fine for her. I think some of the people in this thread are being ridiculous. Like I said in my other post, my mom bought me a singer that cost about $125 that has been running strong for 16 years now. 16 years later that $125 machine is now the equivalent of a machine in the $300-500 range. Also, from my own experience (and that of others here), a Singer today is not the same quality of the Singers of old. It has nothing to do with being 'ridiculous' but rather having the experience and sharing that. Poor quality machines are one of the top reasons that people give up on sewing. sorry but that is just not true. It was the cheapest machine when she bought it, she got me the cheapest one because she didn't believe I'd actually use it and she didn't want to waste her money. There were definitely more expensive options. And like I said, I bought my neice a $90 brother machine over the summer and when I used it I was jealous because it's way nicer/smoother/easier to use than mine. And her and my sister have since started a company selling their home sewn goods using that machine. It's ridiculous to act like the barrier to entry to start sewing is a $300+ machine.
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inkedup
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,837
Jun 26, 2014 5:00:26 GMT
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Post by inkedup on Dec 10, 2018 16:56:28 GMT
**GypsyGirl** you can adopt me and I will happily take your machines...and send you pictures of cute kids wearing the clothes I make on them! That's more than I can say for certain family members! I recently send a gorgeous quilt, doll quilt and pillow to a nephew's 1 year old. All I got was a Facebook thank you and not a single photo so far in the 2+ months they've had it. I could use some more appreciative relatives! The beauty of my stash is that there is more than enough for you and craftedbys to share! Ugh! How rude. I don't understand this. I'd treasure such a thoughtful gift. I'm sorry your thoughtfulness wasn't properly appreciated.
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ashley
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,400
Jun 17, 2016 12:36:53 GMT
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Post by ashley on Dec 10, 2018 16:57:04 GMT
I used my mom’s old Kenmore until it died and then she replaced it with a portable Janome Jem Gold which has been a fabulous machine. It was purchased used from a quilter who bought it to take to a retreat and used it once.
I will say that I’ve “borrowed” my mom’s Juki TL-98Q.... and holy fuck, I may never give it back! Talk about power!!! I love this thing irrationally.
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Post by Basket1lady on Dec 10, 2018 17:47:18 GMT
I'm sure this machine will be fine for her. I think some of the people in this thread are being ridiculous. Like I said in my other post, my mom bought me a singer that cost about $125 that has been running strong for 16 years now. I have used it to sew through 4 layers of nylon strap when my father's shoulder bag strap broke. I've made piped chair cushions, sewn through layers of denim, thick felt, elastic, zippers, all kinds of random crap and have never had an issue. My husband has offered to buy me a new, fancier machine, but I just don't see a reason to spend the money when my cheap little singer is still getting the jobs done. What people are saying is that NOW Singers aren’t made to last the way they used to be. A machine that cost $125 back then was probably equivalent to a $300 machine now. For someone with a real interest in sewing, it is nothing less than frustrating trying to sew on a machine that gives you nothing but headaches. I remember my 8th grade home ec class and all the sewing machines were JUNK. I remember fighting with the thread constantly breaking, needles breaking, etc. and thinking to myself, “Please, PLEASE let me take this project home so I can sew it on my OWN machine!” I had my mom’s hand me down mint green battle ax of a Singer, but it was well maintained and ran like a top. It’s no surprise that many women my age don’t sew when that’s what they had to learn on. I remember thinking this in home ex, too. Those machines really were horrible. I swear, all the teacher did was fix jams. I can remember, in 8th grade, we had to make pants. Boys had to take the class too. It was the 80s, when boys pretty much only wore jeans. What a waste of time and money. But when I was shopping for my new machine this past spring, I found out that, based on that sewing class, DH claims that he can sew. I’ve never laughed so hard. DH, sewing a poorly made pair of pants 30 some years ago does not make you a sewer. But I did suggest that he could do his own mending from now on...
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 25, 2024 5:48:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2018 17:52:39 GMT
I used my mom’s old Kenmore until it died and then she replaced it with a portable Janome Jem Gold which has been a fabulous machine. It was purchased used from a quilter who bought it to take to a retreat and used it once. I will say that I’ve “borrowed” my mom’s Juki TL-98Q.... and holy fuck, I may never give it back! Talk about power!!! I love this thing irrationally. I think my husband’s sil has this machine. She loves it but said it is really heavy!
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Dec 10, 2018 18:14:54 GMT
![](http://stevengale.smugmug.com/Other/Peasmilies/i-v9P6jMF/0/O/laugh.gif) I think my husband’s ski has this machine. She lives it but said it is really heavy! Your husband's ski? Now that's a talented ski! ![](http://stevengale.smugmug.com/Other/Peasmilies/i-m9357nh/0/O/tongue.gif)
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 25, 2024 5:48:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2018 18:29:24 GMT
![](http://stevengale.smugmug.com/Other/Peasmilies/i-v9P6jMF/0/O/laugh.gif) I think my husband’s ski has this machine. She lives it but said it is really heavy! Your husband's ski? Now that's a talented ski! ![](http://stevengale.smugmug.com/Other/Peasmilies/i-m9357nh/0/O/tongue.gif) It is!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 25, 2024 5:48:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2018 18:30:17 GMT
Post fixed
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