Home again!
I returned home last night and was I ever so glad to see familiar sights not to mention my two lovely cats…uh and not to forget dear Hubby. The Round Bobbin show was great, got to visit with a lot of friends and made many new ones. Saw many new items among them two new machines. Brother has come out with an embroidery only 5×7 hoop maximum embroidery machine. The PE700 is a must for a beginner who has a sewing machine but also wants to embellish with embroidery. The threading system is excellent and ofcourse the usage of not only the 4×4 hoop but the 5×7 hoop which makes this an ideal machine. There is a speed regulator and many built in designs as well as fonts. The machine is only offered by Brother and my understanding is that it will not be marketed by Babylock making the PE700 one of the only stand alone embroidery machine with a 5×7 hoop area. Janome300E is another stand alone 5×7 hoop embroidery machine, thanks to “S” for adding to my knowledge. The price is not bad at all, actually I was amazed that the prices are starting to get reasonable again. Seems like there was a time where nothing was available under a $1000.
What really got my attention was the QC1000 which is a sewing and a quilting machine built in one. The 1500 was the quilting machine by Brother/Babylock but it only had the straight sewing ability. The QC1000 has all types of built in stitches plus excellent feet for quilting. I did do a lot of test sewing/quilting and personally really liked it. I think it is time for my Bernina to say good bye (although I hate to say it). The Bernina 1630 is a fantastic machine and has not been duplicated. I guess in the next couple of days I have some decisions to make.
I do want to talk a bit about dress patterns and let you know about a wonderful designer Coni Crawford. I’ve met the lady on and off at various retreats/shows but this time I really got a chance to view her patterns and I am hooked. The patterns are excellent for that wonderful flowing look and yet they make any figure look great. Yes, I did purchase several and intend to use them to showcase some of my upcoming stuff. Please do visit Coni’s website and if there is a show near you where Coni might be teaching, please do attend her class, you will be extremely pleased.
One of my memorable times at the Round bobbin was when a lady in my trunk show looked over my catalog and inquired what my copyright was in regards to resale of stitched out designs. I was extremely pleased to hear the question. All my designs can be stitched out on items for self or for sale. There is no limit to the times a design can be stitched for sale items. The show was a success and I believe the Farsi I quilt took the prize this time…second were the dragon boots. There were many phone cameras used to take the picture of it. I’ve posted the picture here. The colors are not showing as well as in real light.
Off to rest a bit and ofcourse a very busy schedule in front of me…logos for the AEC, Vintage Linens 1 collection to be used on items (will be released very shortly…I’m extremely pleased with the variety in this collection) and not to mention to get ready for the Original Sewing and Quilting show in November.
The Janome300E has a 5.5 x 7.9 field and is an emboridery only machine. I added it to my collection this year. Love it!
Dear S, thank you for this information, I was not aware of it. I’m going to edit my posting. That is great! HUGS, Sadia
I did a little thinking on this. Consumers might want to compare the two machines. Most Brother machines you need the Brother embroidery card where the Janome 300E uses a compact flash card. I have the Brother PC8500 and the Janome 300E. I had to purchase a reader/writer box and the software for it (I decided to use Brother PE Design being new to the ME world and not knowing about other software). With my Janome 300E I didnt have to purchase anything additional. My tower has card readers built into it. I would have been able to get away with a cheaper software like Embird etc. Just food for thought. My advice is to do your homework, compare machine features, prices, and think about what your plans are for the machine. I love my Brother and my Janome equal. Another thing you’d want to think about is local dealers in your area. Unfortunately the Brother dealer in my area is a loser. The Hus Viking/Janome dealer is a saint. I have noticed with the free arm hoop on the Janome I can embroider inside pant legs and shirt arms easily because of the way the machine is made. The prices seem to be comparible on the two. I’d check them both out. My local dealer gave me a fantastic deal on the Janome and even changed the freebies for me since I was already an embroiderer. Just food for thought.
S, I was at my dealer today who is both a Brother and Janome dealer. My understanding is that the PE700 has a direct hookup to the computer as well as a card so that makes it easier to transfer designs. One can use the usb port for that along with the File manager making it much easier not only for transferring designs but also on the pocket. You are absolutely right, one should check everything out before purchasing now adays as there are so many varieties in the market as well as options. Hugs, Sadia
Sadia, Bernina has a embroidery only machine as well, it’s the Deco 330,,, it has the 5×7 area also… it and the Janome are very similar..
Mickie, you are absolutely right. And one who started with a Deco 500 I should have remembered, LOL. Thank you for pointing it out. HUGS, Sadia
Sounds like Brother took a step forward with this emb. only machine. That’s good to hear! I started with a PE150 from WalMart and soon learned I was hooked. After embroidering for a bit I meet my favorite designer and was truly hooked. Bottom line is do your homework and give these machines a test run so you know what you’re comfortable with. Back to sewing . . . I have a stack. Have fun!