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Hi PosyP, am also in the UK. I just love Janome machines. I did have a brother but wasn't happy with it. I also have an old Bernina without the knee lift. I think its worth waiting to buy a Janome that you can afford but this is just my opinion. I too have to travel about 50 miles to get to a good dealer but its worth it.
Brenda in the Boro UK

Hi PosyP, am also in the UK. I just love Janome machines. I did have a brother but wasn't happy with it. I also have an old Bernina without the knee lift. I think its worth waiting to buy a Janome that you can afford but this is just my opinion. I too have to travel about 50 miles to get to a good dealer but its worth it.

Update on my machine - the repair would take about 4hrs at £50/hr plus parts, which for a 19 yr old machine is just not economically viable. It still does straight stitch, but that is all. So that is me on the hunt for a new machine. Initially I had hoped to get another janome, because of already having the walking foot/quarter inch foot/darning foot, also the one feature that I would really like is a knee lift. The cheapest janome that has a knee lift is £799 -ouch- I did actually try one out last year and really liked it and it comes with all the extra feet listed above, but still, ouch! A little bit more research online has thrown up that brother do a machine with knee lift for £599, but the aforementioned feet would be extras. (£60). However before deciding I really need to find a brother to try it out. I could try one at the machine shop my half dead janome is at, but they are in Banbury, near my parents (they took it in for me) and it is just not easy for me to get to there, but I was talking to the engineer yesterday and he appreciates my dilemma. He also recommends the brother over the janome. What he did say though was if I decided to go with the brother and buy from them they could at look at doing a deal for me.

I am getting a lot of encouragement from my dad to get set up with the replacement machine asap, but I have decided that I need to take things steady and not rush in. I am not completely bereft as I have an old singer treadle (1907), which I was using earlier this week to work on the last clue of Terrie's mystery quilt from last year.

I do the same as Marilyn, I block only if the quilt is waving at me. I don't really do show quilts, so that's not something I worry about. My daughter and I baked last weekend-5 varieties of cookies. YUM!

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Here's to another awesome year with everyone at the Virtual Retreat.

Luann

Re: blocking.....I don't do it unless there is problem making it necessary. Ruffled edge, buckling and the like
require some work to make things flat. Don't have that happen too often anymore.
As for the snow....Had a break but snowing lightly again now. I could do with a little less !!
Cookies all done...it's Christmas now !

Marilyn, you can keep your snow! But may I have one of your cookies? Our snow is melting today and I'm glad. By the way, I forgot to mention, the picture I posted is from my sewing room window. And those foot prints right in front are deer tracks. We have a lot of critters cross our property!

Ritzy, I'm with you. I only block show quilts. The other quilts are thrown in the washer and dryer and are loved just the way they are. I had my husband help me hang the quilt on my design board and the quilt is blocked and currently drying. Hopefully in a few days I'll be able to bind it.

Now I'm kind of lost with no quickie projects to work on! Oh No! I need my design wall to start the sister color and passion quilt.

Hugs to you Ritzy.... Breathe deep....

geneva

Home for a few minutes to have luck and let the dog out, then back to the care center. Had to set up Hospice this morning. We have snow from last week and yesterday was -14 F*(wind chill of -30 F*).
Unless I am doing a show quilt--I don't block--just wash and if it comes out of the washer and dryer--then I call it a "quilt"; so, I bind first. If it doesn't come out in one piece I call it a mess and know I messed up somewhere.

Block then bind

Brrrr but so beautiful , all that crunchy whiteness. Thanks for the pics Geneva and Marilyn. Keep baking

Hi ! every body ! Lots of wonderful work going on ! And preparations for Christmas..just a few days away!!
Where has the time gone?? Geneva ...I know that's snow aplenty for the area where you live !! What a season
we're havin'!! Can't resist a picture of my yard today...Wendy, I got her beat !! Piling about 10 inches on top of
last week's snow. In the mien time, we had -20 degrees F Down right unpleasant ! I'm sure someone in the mid-west
or eastern states has me beat..as we have seen some records fall. Back to cookie baking !! Stay warm all of you !!

Wendy, here is our front yard yesterday. We've had about 2 plus feet, making the drifts even more. This is very unusual weather for us. Today it is warmer and the snow is melting! Yay!




Say, what do you all do about binding and blocking? Do you bind, then block or block then bind?
I finished the major quilting on the Color and Passion quilt. Yay! Now to block/bind it.

Have a good day, geneva

Wonderful quilts, Geneva! I like your quilting and feel for you pulling that mass through your harp space. Luann, I look forward to a 2017 Virtual retreat.