Work in Progress and a Sewing Machine Update

The "in between" seasons - Autumn and Spring - are my favorite seasons and on the weekend there was a definite shift in weather. Gentle warm sunshine and bright blue skies which in turn inspired my next project. The fabrics are all from stash, most of which have been used in previous quilts, in a yellow, blue, and green color palette. And so it began.

I also thought it might be time to share with you my new sewing machine ~ Juki 9000B-MS. It is an industrial, straight stitch only machine. It is heavy (not a portable machine) and was delivered fully assembled with the table that it fits into. It is self-oiling and has a servo motor which means it is completely silent when the pedal is not engaged and you can control the speed. This machine is FAST although for me this purchase wasn't about stitch speed but more so about consistent quality of stitch regardless of the fabric that you are using. Stitch quality and tension (as well as stitching a neat quarter inch seam) is something that I've struggled with for the last four years on my high end Bernina despite regular servicing as well as a number of repairs (both with my dealer as well as Bernina Head Office). So much so that I haven't pieced any of my quilts with my Bernina sewing machine in the last 2 years. (I do use my Bernina for quilting).

So far so good! I've had this Juki sewing machine since early June and have pieced with light weight Liberty fabrics (see Liberty Checkerboard Quilt) as well as heavier duty fabrics to make my 241 Totes without any problems. It is a workhorse. I am using standard Aurifil Cotton thread for piecing and haven't had a single breakage. You switch it on and it is ready to go. There is no fiddling with threading or tension, no sewing frustration. But then it is only a straight stitch machine. No tricks, fancy stitches or software updates.

I'll keep stitching,
Rita

If you have any questions regarding my sewing machine(s) please feel free to ask by leaving a comment and I will reply there so as to benefit anyone else who may have a similar question.