My foundation paper order arrived (I have 5 packages of it now!!) and I finished all the plum arcs for my The Classic Double Wedding Ring with Gail Kessler class project. Now I've moved on to the blue arcs (lol!), which are made exactly the same. That's another 97 arcs to paper piece with 679 squares of Downton Abbey fabric! I must say that it is nice to at least have a change of colour and pattern on the fabric.
The paper piecing is going along great now and I keep myself awake by trying to see if I can accurately place each swatch of fabric in the correct position on the first go. I check on the light box if I'm right (usually close, but not exact :( so a tiny adjustment is needed) and then sew on the line. I am much, much faster than when I started and I'm sure it will not be long before I move on to the next step.
There's a lot of time to think when you are sewing 679+ seams and since I'm looking at my Janome Horizon 7700 the entire time, I tend to think about IT. I really do love this machine and I'm so grateful that I am able to sew with such a great partner. Sure, she will occasionally be naughty and sneak some fabric under the table insert but now that I'm aware of her appetite I keep her on a diet. She occasionally likes to nibble on the leading edge of my seams but that's when I engage the single hole automatic plate converter. Some people had trouble with this feature initially (mostly due to user error) but it has worked like a charm for me and I love it. With a simple press of a button, a little bridge pops across the zig-zag plate and creates a single hole plate. It is perfect for sewing fine fabrics or pointy leading edges.
The other feature I adore on my Horizon is the knee lift. I use this so often that when I need to sew on my 3160, my leg automatically pushes to the right to raise the foot. Of course, it's not there and I have to do it the old fashioned way with the lever. Having the knee lift is like using three hands - one to lift the foot and two to hold the fabric. It has been a great feature to use with the paper piecing and I can roar through the steps without missing a beat.
Now I know all (or almost all) new machines have a thread cutter on the side of the machine but I haven't really used mine much. I generally use the automatic thread cutter (so nice to have!) but with the paper piecing I find it better to use the side cutter. It is such a smooth motion to pull up my fabrics and cut both threads at once with the blade. (There's also one on the top of the machine for after winding a bobbin - so great!). I've really come to appreciate this nice, little convenience.
There is so much else I love about my Horizon, from her pretty candy apple red face plate to the even feed feet system (Accufeed). I use the Accufeed almost exclusively and I use all the feet. I love each of them and have no problem whipping them on and off even though there is a screwdriver involved. I also love the needle down button, the favourite stitch feature, the resume button (all the settings are remembered for the next time you turn on your machine), the thread stand on the back, the 11" of throat space, the bajillion stitches, the cloth guide, the speed control, and so on. There are new models of Horizons from Janome available now but this machine and I have bonded for life, I believe. The better I get to know her and the more I use her features, the closer we become. I may upgrade one day but I can't see myself ever trading her in.
If you'd like to see some of the features I listed above I have posted a playlist of eight How To videos on YouTube. I am so surprised when I hear of people who have this amazing machine and don't even know what fantastic features it offers. Ok, I have get to go sew now...
I agree with you 110% - I too, love my Horizon!
Posted by: Jose | July 10, 2014 at 11:19 AM