Is a knee lift essential?

New idea in 92? My Bernina is 30 years old and came with the knee lift. I
don't remember Mom using it either! lol There are times I'm tempted to just
get rid of the lifter, but then it would be something i could find
indespensible, of course!
Diana

--
Queen of FAQs
Royal Peace Maker
http://photos.yahoo.com/lunamom44

"Becky" bbkelher@remove spamaculink.net wrote in message
...
Well, my Bernina that I got back in 1992 has the knee lift, which was
quite
a new idea at that time, and I have never used it, but after reading some
of
these posts, perhaps I will give it a go.

So you can certainly live without it, but it does sound like it makes good
sense for use in piecing.

Becky

When I switch from sewing on my Bernina with the knee lift and go to a class
with my Janome Gem - I really miss it a lot. I can't imagine doing piecing
without it. Needle down is my next favorite essential item on a machine.

--
BarbQuilts
http://barbquilts.home.mindspring.com




"Hanne Gottliebsen" wrote in message
...

snip


Those of you who has a machine with a knee lift, do you use it? I do a
lot of free motion quilting (not that I'm good, but I'm practising :-)

Or is the perfect machine with both these two out there somewhere (still
in production, please)?


Right now I'm thinking if I like the Pfaff (after 2 weeks I should be
able to tell), that's what I'll go for, unless you all tell me I _must_
have that knee lift????


Thanks
Hanne - now in London

On rare days, I own a Singer, a Viking, a Pfaff and a Bernina. Usually one
or two of them are out visiting. The Bernina is the machine of choice here
because of the knee lift and the needle down setting. I am pitiful and
deprived without them both. The Pfaff, for sure, has the best feeding
system. No decision making help from me I guess. Polly

"BarbQuilts" wrote in message
k.net...
When I switch from sewing on my Bernina with the knee lift and go to a
class
with my Janome Gem - I really miss it a lot. I can't imagine doing
piecing
without it. Needle down is my next favorite essential item on a machine.

--
BarbQuilts
http://barbquilts.home.mindspring.com




"Hanne Gottliebsen" wrote in message
...

snip


Those of you who has a machine with a knee lift, do you use it? I do a
lot of free motion quilting (not that I'm good, but I'm practising :-)

Or is the perfect machine with both these two out there somewhere (still
in production, please)?


Right now I'm thinking if I like the Pfaff (after 2 weeks I should be
able to tell), that's what I'll go for, unless you all tell me I _must_
have that knee lift????


Thanks
Hanne - now in London

I've used my Bernina for 16 years, and love it. It has knee lift and I
use it all the time. BUT, I would give up the knee lift if I could
replace it with an 'empty bobbin' signal! Nancycog in MD

In article ,
Hanne Gottliebsen wrote:

So I'm still using my $170 WalM**t machine for all my sewing + quilting,
and it is doing fine (ok at least), although sometimes it is a bit
stupid about choice of thread and things like that.

For the last year I have been eyeing a Bernina 153QE, but since I was
moving from the US to Europe, it was cheaper to wait and get it here

snip


Right now I'm thinking if I like the Pfaff (after 2 weeks I should be
able to tell), that's what I'll go for, unless you all tell me I _must_
have that knee lift????


Thanks
Hanne - now in London


Hanne, I have an older Bernina (1260 QPE) and just adore my knee lift.
It's so handy to be able to keep both hands on the work while lifting or
lowering the presser foot! Actually, when I use my Featherweight, my
knee automatically searches around for the lift -- I don't think I could
ever have a "main" machine that didn't have it again!
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
my ISP is earthlink.net -- put sfoster1(at) in front
http://home.earthlink.net/~sfoster1

"Hanne Gottliebsen" wrote in message
...
So I'm still using my $170 WalM**t machine for all my sewing + quilting,
and it is doing fine (ok at least), although sometimes it is a bit
stupid about choice of thread and things like that.

For the last year I have been eyeing a Bernina 153QE, but since I was
moving from the US to Europe, it was cheaper to wait and get it here
(that might not be true right now, due to the change in exchange rate,
but never mind - I want to spend the money where I can get the service
too). Just before Christmas my Mum got a Pfaff 2044 (Quilt Expression) -
she never quilted in her life. Well, I now get to go home and play with
it for 2 weeks.

So I thought I'd have a look around here, and the never version (with
the extension table etc) sells for the same as the bernina around here.
Now, the Bernina has a knee lift, which I thought might be nice, but the
Pfaff has a warning light for the bobbin running low on thread, and that
I _know_ would save me grief. The Pfaff also has two alphabets, I don't
think the Bernina has any.

Those of you who has a machine with a knee lift, do you use it? I do a
lot of free motion quilting (not that I'm good, but I'm practising :-)

Or is the perfect machine with both these two out there somewhere (still
in production, please)?


Right now I'm thinking if I like the Pfaff (after 2 weeks I should be
able to tell), that's what I'll go for, unless you all tell me I _must_
have that knee lift????


Thanks
Hanne - now in London


I LOVE the knee lift on my Bernina. Use it constantly -- even in regular
sewing.
As has been pointed out, if you never had it you will probably not miss it,
but once you have had it you do not want to do without. (Did I mention I
LOVE the keelift? lol)

"Hanne Gottliebsen" wrote in message
...

Those of you who has a machine with a knee lift, do you use it? I do a
lot of free motion quilting (not that I'm good, but I'm practising :-)

Or is the perfect machine with both these two out there somewhere (still
in production, please)?


Right now I'm thinking if I like the Pfaff (after 2 weeks I should be
able to tell), that's what I'll go for, unless you all tell me I _must_
have that knee lift????


Thanks
Hanne - now in London

I've read all the other responses below and it just goes to show you that
personal preference has a lot to do with it. I never thought much about a
knee lift until I bought my Bernina in 1995. The minute I tried it I was
hooked. It is wonderful for keeping your hands free to adjust fabric, and I
consider it essential for machine applique.

DH bought me a Pfaff two-three years ago. No knee lift. I got used to it,
but still kinda preferred my Bernina. And I think the low bobbin indicator
is a waste of time. Depending (I think) upon how evenly you wound your
bobbin, it goes off when you have either quite a bit of thread left, or a
LOT of thread left!!! Being rather thrifty in that respect I'd take time
to check, find out there was a lot left and keep sewing while the little
light blinked and blinked. Right about when I forgot and started to ignore
it, that's when it would run out!

Iris

From: Hanne Gottliebsen

.... Those of you who has a machine with a knee lift, do you use it? I do a
lot of free motion quilting (not that I'm good, but I'm practising :-)

Or is the perfect machine with both these two out there somewhere (still
in production, please)? .......

Oh Dear -- I have a Janome 9000 with all of the bells and whistles -- knee
lift, needle down & low bobbin warning -- and I LOVe all 3 of them. The low
bobbin warning is flashed on the display screen when you stop sewing and then
try to start up again.
Only problem is, there is usually what I consider a LOT of thread on the bobbin
so I just ignore the warning until I run out of thred -- LOL.
Of the three, I think the needle down is the most useful. It is SO nice
when doing ANY type of sewing but especially when doing piecing or top
stitching. CiaoMeow ^;;^
..


PAX, Tia Mary ^;;^ Queen of Kitties
Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their
WHISKERS!!
Nothing is complete without a few cat hairs!

In article ,
Sandy Foster wrote:

In article ,
Hanne Gottliebsen wrote:

So I'm still using my $170 WalM**t machine for all my sewing + quilting,
and it is doing fine (ok at least), although sometimes it is a bit
stupid about choice of thread and things like that.

For the last year I have been eyeing a Bernina 153QE, but since I was
moving from the US to Europe, it was cheaper to wait and get it here

snip


Right now I'm thinking if I like the Pfaff (after 2 weeks I should be
able to tell), that's what I'll go for, unless you all tell me I _must_
have that knee lift????


Thanks
Hanne - now in London


Hanne, I have an older Bernina (1260 QPE) and just adore my knee lift.
It's so handy to be able to keep both hands on the work while lifting or
lowering the presser foot! Actually, when I use my Featherweight, my
knee automatically searches around for the lift -- I don't think I could
ever have a "main" machine that didn't have it again!

I do the same thing! My Brother machine has a knee lift along with
other wizzy features and when I sew on a different machine I find my
knee moving every time I want the presser foot to lift. It did take a
bit to get used to, but once I did.....

Someone suggested the new Janome (um...6500?) and do look at that. I
don't know if it has the bobbin alert, but it does have a separate
bobbin winder so no unthreading when you run out. It also has a BIG
machine bed (9 1/2") so lots more room than your standard machine if you
are a machine quilter. It is a lovely machine and a reliable brand and
just as good but less expensive than a Bernina (Bernina fans are
scowling and howling at me for that comment I am sure)

Another machine I played with recently was the Quilters Edition of the
Baby Lock. Auto thread cutter, knee lift, extension table included, ott
light directly over the needle, bobbin winding without unthreading your
machine :-) Nice. It was something like $900 at the shop here. It was
a nice machine. It doesn't have the extended space under the arm like
the Janome but then it's also less money. I don't know if it has the
empty bobbin alert thing, but you could probably go to the Baby Lock web
page and look around.

I've honestly never had a machine with the low bobbin alert, so I can't
truly say if I would think it wonderful or not. One of my sisters has a
Pfaff but like others have reported it alerts her when there is still
LOTS of thread left on the bobbin. I seem to recall someone here
mentioning how that could be adjusted but maybe I'm dreaming. I also
know that it takes special bobbins that aren't as cheap as the basic all
purpose ones the other machines take. And, when she buys those
pre-wound bobbins the alert doesn't work unless she rips off the
cardboard top. It is a nice machine though and I'm sure if you got one
you would sew happily on it for a long time. I personally don't think
I'd buy it just for the bobbin alert though.

marcella

It's been suggested that the confusion abates if one uses the left
foot for the go-pedal and the right knee for the lift. Never had a
machine to test this, but a body could probably re-adjust the
mind set with a little practice.
Mickie (who's next machine will Definately have a knee-lift presserfoot)


I had that same problem Wendy. I went to work in a sewing factory
briefly and the industrial machines there had knee lifts and I'd never sewn
on anything but a knee lever operated machine. It nearly drove me nuts. lol
Shelly

snipped............. I couldn't get the
hang of it - for 20 years I sewed on a machine with a knee pedal, so instead
of making the machine go, it confused me when it lifted the presser foot!
Wendy