Looking for sewing machine advice...

I showed my wife this diy forum and she is very much amicable to the idea of making a lot of our own gear and doing some experimenting. She's the one who sews, but her machine is an old bottom of the line plastic Viking that is clunky and jams up a lot. I decided to get her a new machine (one that I can also learn on) and I'm set on getting a Janome. Would this one be enough to make/repair some gear (stuff sacks, utility bags, quilts, maybe even make a hammock)? Janome Magnolia 7318

Or, is it worth the extra c-note to spring for this one? It seems to me (but I am a dunce with this stuff) to be the same machine, but with an aluminum body. Janome HD1000

Any opinions on these two will be appreciated. Thanks.

IMO if one is going to make gear the bells and whistles on more modern sewing machines are wasted space. That having been said... in the hands of a seamstress(ter) the bells and whistles can make a tremendous world of difference. My advice... take the viking to a good repair shop and have it serviced properly. Viking is not a bottom of the line machine in any era and the casing may be plastic but I'll lay you dollars to donuts the innards are just gummed up and need adjustments. That becomes your machine for gear making. Then take your wife to the sewing center and let her pick out the machine _she_ wants to do the sewing _she_ wants to do. I can assure you she will surpass gear making in jig time. She has her good machine which you touch only with kid gloves. you have an excellent gear making machine that you can run any thing through and she can smile while you do it.

Is Janome worth the money? Absolutely. My wife has one and wouldn't part with it for anything. I have a "low end" Vikig that will sew rings around anything "lowend" now days. Get the best of both worlds. and while you are spending money... buy your wife a serger. She will love you for it. 4 thread is the way to go. Even if you don't know the difference at this point... she will and then you will and you will all live happily ever after.

Janome makes a fine machine. I have the Janome DC2010 with Quilting table and love it. But like stated above, I would let her choose the one she wants.

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Originally Posted by Ramblinrev

IMO if one is going to make gear the bells and whistles on more modern sewing machines are wasted space. That having been said... in the hands of a seamstress(ter) the bells and whistles can make a tremendous world of difference. My advice... take the viking to a good repair shop and have it serviced properly. Viking is not a bottom of the line machine in any era and the casing may be plastic but I'll lay you dollars to donuts the innards are just gummed up and need adjustments. That becomes your machine for gear making. Then take your wife to the sewing center and let her pick out the machine _she_ wants to do the sewing _she_ wants to do. I can assure you she will surpass gear making in jig time. She has her good machine which you touch only with kid gloves. you have an excellent gear making machine that you can run any thing through and she can smile while you do it.

Is Janome worth the money? Absolutely. My wife has one and wouldn't part with it for anything. I have a "low end" Vikig that will sew rings around anything "lowend" now days. Get the best of both worlds. and while you are spending money... buy your wife a serger. She will love you for it. 4 thread is the way to go. Even if you don't know the difference at this point... she will and then you will and you will all live happily ever after.

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Great response :)

We have decided to take the machine to a local shop to get it serviced/tuned-up since it has never had this done. By the way, it is the same machine I found in the following blog post (Husqvarna Viking Classica 100).

http://www.sewinspiredblog.com/2007/...-tutorial.html

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I have an old clunky Viking and it works great for what I do. I wouldn't trade it for anything fancier because I do not know how to use any of it anyway. Seamstress, I'm not.

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Originally Posted by Loneoak

Great response :)

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I 3rd that. Also keep in mind use the correct weight needle for the material you are sewing.

I'm not familiar with the Janome brand. I use an old refurb 503 Singer and love it. Like others have said, the bells and whistles don't mean a lot to me, but if she does other projects, KEEP HER HAPPY!