I've had a Sylvia since 2001 and really like it. Have two different plastic inserts - one for my OLD Bernina 830 and one for my Janome 6600. No complaints except it very, very heavy!!!

Jan, I got mine from Northwest Sewing in Seattle, too, and I love it

I'm baaaaaaaaack! Santa was good to me this Christmas and I have purchased the Koala Quiltmart Plus IV with 6" height adjustment, Outback leaf and storage package. I'm excited for it to get here so I can put my Beast (Bernina 820) in it's rightful place.

. . .stand by

Ahh - ha - thanks for the tip.

I got a really nice cabinet called Perfexion from a Babylock dealer. It's like a Horn knock-off for half the price. It has a Horn lift in it, drawers were extra, and has the back section that folds up/down for to support quilts. Please know, when you shop, that if you don't like the price, make an offer. Some dealers would rather get some of your money, than get the full asking price. There is often 100% mark-up on products. Then, do them a favor and don't advertise "your price". Arrange for someone with a truck to help you pick up and set-up to save shipping costs. (mine had to be put together, but big brother & daughter helped)

Thank you all for your input. Much appreciated:)
jo

mknavy90 wrote:
I have the companion chest with my Koala Quiltmate III, it's set up at a right angle to the Quiltmate. The chest is on my left when I'm sewing. I don't have a lot of room but there also is no way I could bang my knee on that shelf, it's not even easy to get to most of the shelf.

There is one problem though. I ordered an insert for the Koala when I bought a Bernina 440. That insert places the machine about 2 or 3 inches further back than the insert for my Elna does. It's not as easy to use and a little hard to reach. I can't figure out why the insert was cut that way. I paid about $60 for it. I asked DH if he could cut me a new insert and he sort of looked at me funny. That means I'm stuck with this one.

JoAnne in southern California

cjtinkle wrote:
I've wondered about those drawer-based extensions. I've seen them in magazine ads, but never in real life. Thanks for your honest assessment, Tinkle.

Anne in Vancouver, Canada

I also experienced the knee-banging frustration; thought it was just me. This was about 25 years ago, and I think it was a Koala rather than Horn. It was very cheaply made at that time. They could very well be better now. Anyway, what I noticed was that where the machine set in was so far to the left that when you attempted to sit in front of the needle area of the machine to sew, you had to be so far to that left side that your leg/knee couldn't help but hit the side panel/wall of the cabinet. Make sense? I recommend sitting down at several cabinets - with a machine in place - and see if this could be a problem for you. I now have an awesome set up, made by Nortwest Sewing in Seattle and Everett. If you're fortunate to have a DH who is a woodworker, give him an assignment to make one......If mama is happy.......
Jan

Thanks so much for your replies. First, am I violating "rules"? I know I could have checked something originally saying I wouldn't do this and that - but I have NO recollection of them. Can someone point me in the right directions so I can be ed-u-ma-cated again:)

I'm now on a fixed income and any deal that saves me even a dollar is good!

Yes, I've been Tinkled today:0 I'm more of a lurker so I love to read blogs.

I appreciate everyones candor about cabinets and deals. I was worried about the "banging the knee" problem - I have a total knee - not like you all don't but mine is fake:) and all titanium with no fat or muscle padding. I should go back to my LQS and really check it out. I wonder if you had a cabinet 6 inches higher?? I'm a habitual leg crosser - hmmm - more homework.

Thanks again - I truly appreciate your comments.

Happy Quilting,
jo

I have a Sylvia Sewing Cabinet and am very pleased with it. I ordered it through a store when I lived in Ottawa and it was shipped from out west here in Canada.
I t has good storage and i ended up getting two acrylic sections to fit my two different berninas...so I can use either machine.
cheers
Jeanine

I paid $11k for cabinet and machine, $2600 trade on my 730... or if you prefer, $12k for cabinet and machine, $3600 trade on my 730 so we keep to the "rules".

What I don't like about it... it has absolutely no storage anywhere. My Koala cabinet has trays, bins, thread holders, all sorts of neat places to keep things.

The Horn cabinet has a single drawer, but if you opt to use the extension leaf, you lose the drawer! That's my next peeve... the extension leaf. Talk about rickety. Heaven forbid you leave it set up and someone were to lean on it or set something heavy on it, the drawer would likely just break off. So I don't use this feature. At least that gives me the drawer back.

But mostly, what I dislike is that Horn chose to put the new "heavy weight" lift mechanism in the center of the lift, rather than on each end of it. This makes it very prone to vibration, you can push down on either end of the lift and there is a fair amount of give.

I cannot use my machine at high speed on this table, it shakes my entire house. I can't even begin to embroider at high speed, it shakes the embroidery module loose from the machine.

I love the 830. Love, love love it! But that Horn cabinet.... :

Have you "Tinkled" today?

Rorimer wrote:
I am not very tall, but must be uncoordinated!!! I think I was sliding my chair back and forth between the sewing area and the work space and would hit something inbetween. There is a book shelf on the left hand side of the quilt mate under the table area and I would run into it.....

I have the Koala Quiltmate III and I love it. DH, who makes beautiful furniture, said he would make me a sewing cabinet. I took him to look at the Koala and he said to buy it. It's very well made and I really like that the machine bed is flush with the top of the cabinet.

This cabinet worked very well with my Elna and now with my Bernina.

I've not had a problem with banging my knee. MK, are you tall, is that the reason you banged your knee?

JoAnne