Monday, June 30, 2008

New Addition! I Did It!

I did it! I got brave and did it! I now own an embroidery machine! I got a Janome 350e today. The dealer was SO wonderful to work with. He answered all my questions and was really honest with me. So...Here she/he is:


I know most people name their machines but haven't come up with one for this one yet. However; I haven't named it "Frustrating" LOL.

My biggest concern was that I am easily frustrated and worried about not liking the machine after I bought it. He was honest and said that I will get frustrated. It won't always work the way you want it to and I will screw up the designs. BUT..it was okay if I did. Sigh. Finally. Someone who doesn't say, "Oh..this machine is the best machine out there. You won't have any problems with it. Ever." Ummm..yeah.

He didn't try to sell me extra stuff. In fact he discouraged it until I was more proficient with the machine. He said to try the built in designs and learn from them. He explained stabilizers and the hoops. I just bought the machine, some stabilizers (not the rolls..just some packages), a starter set of thread (beautiful colors), needles, and a machine embroidery book. He threw in most of the stuff for free so that was nice. I paid half price for the book too.

He didn't have the software but said I got 10% discount with every class I took so I'd get the software and clothsetter then.

I brought my 6600 in and he got my bobbin winder to work much better.

Okay...here it is..my first ever embroidery thingy:



The only problem I had was the thread kept falling off the spool when it was unwinding. It got caught under the spool and messed up the design. If you can't find it, even better. LOL. I don't know if I described the problem right to the dealer as he was lost. He said to bring the machine in as it shouldn't do that. I think it's just I probably don't have the thread in right. I just held the thread lightly as it went through the first guide so it had the right tension. Everything else went perfect. Wow..that's a first for me. I figured it would start eating fabric or making a huge mess.

My girls went nuts over the butterfly. They each wanted one on their shirts and some down their jeans. Sigh. I've created a monster now. They were loving all the built in designs and wanted me to make more. The butterfly took 20 minutes to stitch out. I'm tired.

The machine has automatic thread cutters which I LOVE. It's so easy to change threads that way. I love that I can hit the stop button if I notice there's a mistake or just need to stop it. It starts right up where it left off. You can even move the needle back some or forward if needed to work with the design.

It does have a USB port so I can transfer designs from the computer.

It has a touch screen as well. Really cool and easy to use. That's always nice. Even the manual was user friendly.

4 comments:

Amelia said...

Love the butterfly...I am sure the girls will want to display what their Mother can do with her new machine.

Don't let it get the best of you.
Just hang in there.

Gina said...

What a great machine. I think your kids are going to keep you very busy using it.

Love and hugs xxx

Jen said...

Ok, for the thread falling off; I'm guessing the spool is stacked not wound in a figure 8? You might need a thread net to keep it on there. It's a fairly common problem. =) Aren't you glad to know it's not you? You could also try a horizontal spool pin. It's something to do with the slipperyness of the thread, combined with how thin it is and then the way it comes off the spool. You'd very likely have the same issue if that thread was on your 6600 going at the same fast speed.

Regina said...

Yay - so glad you were able to get this! Wishing you hours and hours of happy sewing on your new machine!