Janome 6260QC

Here's my answers to the sewing machine meme by SewMamaSew.

What brand and model do you have?

I have a Janome 6260QC (Quilter's Companion). It's now
discontinued, though and Janome only makes the lowest model in the
series.

How long have you had it?

I purchased this machine in August 2006, before I knew how much sewing/quilting/crafting would take over my life.

How much does that machine cost (approximately)?

The machine was around $600.

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?

I
use this machine for everything, but mostly quilting and making
handbags. I bought this model because it was in the Quilter's Companion
line and included a walking foot, darning foot, stitch guide and a few
other quilting tools that I have yet to use.

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?

This
machine has received lots of wear and tear in the past three years that
I've been using it. When I'm in peak sewing moods, I would say that it
gets used about 20 hours a week. It's made about 20 different quilts
from piecing to quilting to binding and lots of different smaller
projects and handled everything really well. I've sewn canvas, cotton,
vinyl, denim, corduroy and lots of thick things and I've never had a
problem with it.

I should note that I had the machine in for repair last
fall and it was diagnosed with an overabundant amount of lint. Now,
I've been vacuuming it out after large projects to keep the lint
cleaned out and it runs smoothly all the time.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?

This
is a great machine and I haven't had any problems with it (other than
the occasional user errors on my part). I really like it and the one
thing that would make me like it more would be if it had a wider throat
for fitting large quilts through it.

What features does your machine have that work well for you?

I
originally bought it because I liked that all of the feet are stored in
the top part of it and because it
has a handy stitch guide reference along with what foot to use on the
inside of the top case. I also love the needle threader on it and the
needle up/down option. It's got a ton of extra stitches on it and it's
really easy to select the stitch (and foot), adjust the stitch length and width and start sewing. It's a
computerized machine, but it's not overly complicated.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?

The
bobbin winder is a bit tricky to figure out. When I first got the
machine, I had more fails than successes with it. Now that I have all
of its quirks figured out, I only have a problem with the bobbin every
20 bobbins wound or so.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e.,
Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor?
Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?,
etc.!)? We want to hear it!

I
spent a lot of time shopping around for this machine. I was really
afraid to spend so much money on something that was just a fleeting
interest at the time. I'm really glad that I bought a mid range machine
instead of a beginner model because my sewing skills have grown as I've
used it and I haven't yet found anything that this machine can't handle.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?

Yes, it's a great, solid, easy-to-use machine and it's got a wide range of capabilities.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?

Price

Basic stitches (straight, zig zag, etc.)

Automatic button hole

Needle up/down option

Location of repair

Access to sewing machine classes to get you started

Metal parts

Ease of Use

If you've never sewn before, try to take along someone who has some experience with sewing to try out the machines to point out things that you may not think of or be aware of.

Do you have a dream machine?

I would love to get a Juki. The wide throat on it thrills me and would make free motion quilting a lot easier to do. That being said, if I'm never able to purchase another machine, I will be happy using this machine forever.