This one is Becky's machine that I played with at GCGSW - I think this is the same model. Katie from Kadiddlehopper has this one too and gives it rave reviews.
And this is the Janome. Looks like my other little Janome pretty much. I think my local dealer, All About Sewing, sells Janomes, so I might could get it locally.
So, what I've heard from the comments so far are that the combo cover/serger machines are a bit of a pain to switch over, and it's nice to have a stand alone if possible. I have my mom's old Riccar serger which is working fine, so I have no need for a combo machine. But what brands do all you ladies use, and what advice do you have? Also, where did you buy them from? I'm listening....(That was my Frasier Crane impression - I'm going to change my name to Rich Little!)
9 comments:
I have a combination Babylock serger/cover stitch machine (the evolve) which I just love. Changing between stitches is a breeze and the jet air threading and autonomic tension were absolute requirements for me when I was looking to buy. If you don't need the serger, though -and don't think you can justify the splurge- the janome cover stitch is also a good machine. My sister has one and is really happy with it.
I have a Janome 1000CPX. Love it to bits! One of my fave things it does is a chain stitch. Very handy for toiles (muslins). If you make a mistake, it just pulls out. Oh & if you have another Janome, it will probably use the same cord. Now *that's* handy!
I have a Babylock combo machine, the Evolve and I'm very happy with it. I gto the serger for the automatic tension and jet air threading, the cover stitch was secondary. The machine is easy to use and has excellent instructions with lots of color coded pictures. Babylock no longer makes the Evolve, they now sell the Evolution (I believe it's called).
Even if you have a stand alone cover stitch, you will still have to change the thread, etc. That's not much different from changing from one stitch to another on the combo machine.
Robbie
I have the Janome CoverPro CP1000. I let it sit for some time because I had failed miserably at learning how to use it correctly. After some weaving & bobbing over selling it and then trying to sell it and that falling through, I buckled down and learned how to use it and love it.
I have a Babylock Imagine and a Janome CP1000. I am NOT proficient at using either, but get good results from each when I use them carefully and review directions. I do love the results when I use them.
Here is a link I was telling you about. It points to Debbie Cook's blog. She can really make a coverstitch sing. I read all of this when I picked my coverstitch machine.
http://stitchesandseams.blogspot.com/2001/01/coverstitch-all-stuff.html
She does a really detailed comparison of all the brands.
I was between the less expensive of the two Janome models and the Brother that I bought. I was aiming for a low price. I chose the Brother since I could do either a 3mm or a 6mm twin stitch, whereas I think that the lower end Janome could only do a 5mm. The chain stitch on the Janome was a temptation.
THANK you ladies for delurking and commenting! I can see that I need to play with a couple of machines if possible. We have a Babylock dealer in town too, so I may have to look into that one. I haven't checked prices yet, so that'll certainly figure into it.
What I'm hearing is that it's not necessarily a huge pain to switch over with jet air threading (Kiwinerd made a pun - did you catch it?), and I haven't heard anything horrible about any of the machines, which is also good to know. I'll continue listening and researching and hopefully make a decision in the next few weeks. (I have 4 lectures, another trip, and a Boy Scout popcorn kickoff to lead, so this may not happen real soon!)
After all your stuff is over, You can reward yourself for "jobs" well done!
Robbie
Good idea, Robbie - delayed gratification! And Becky, THANK you for that link - it's awesome information!
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