Who Needs a Man as Long as There are Art Supplies

 My uncle's immortal words live on.

 As you all may recall, I like Janomes. One of the things I have never liked about them is that they have a pretty small throat space (which, if blogger weren't mysteriously blocking random photos, you would see from the earlier post).

So about three years ago, Janome released the horizon 7700, which featured a colossal 11 inch throat space. It was also red and featured a wiener dog in its ads (which I'm pretty sure were made especially with me in mind cause I was like OMG it's stretched out JUST LIKE A WIENER DOG. Yeah. Janome's ad team FTW there).

Anyway since that time, I have repeatedly broken the 10th commandment over it and rued the day I decided to go to school instead of buying sewing machines.

So now that I am done wretched school, I can buy things that aren't tuition, textbooks or food. Just happened to decide to covet it again online a week ago and discovered that Northgate Sewing has it on HUGE discount and were also throwing in its special table. I think the model is probably being retired to make way for the 8900.

Anyway, I went down there on Monday morning (yes even though I worked that night) just to SEE IT. They originally had three machines and a display model. Of them, the display model alone remained. I bought it anyway. The sales rep was like oh you're interested in trying the machine? And I was like no I just want to buy it. Prolly the quickest sale they ever made. Because the table was already assembled the sales rep said he would deliver it for me that afternoon. Then I went home and tried to sleep but mostly laid in my bed squealing with delight.

Isn't it perty?? When he delivered it, the sales rep insisted on setting it up in the table. So while I was working, it basically occupied a third of the centre of the living room.  I had planned on putting the table in storage so that I could set it in the store room where it could sit forlornly with the other machines, but since he set it in the table mama decided to put it back against the wall, which I guess is its new home.

Yay its spot. Yeah it's basically sandwiched in there. What can I say, it's the crapartment. Space is at a premium. Between it and Gigantor, there is a lot of competition for attention.

The thing that the throat space facilitates is of course free motion quilting. So the first thing I tried today was a sampler of sorts. I definitely have to get a tension that works for me (it's on auto right now) but it worked okay. One thing I like is that the machine OPENS (the old Janome didn't). 

I already know that I don't like how squat it is; the working space is really short. I think that's a minor annoyance, but I used to quilt with my head on the machine occasionally (yeah, ergonomics pheh). You can see the shortness here. I have to have the presser foot down to change the foot because there are bars in the way otherwise; it's that short.  It'll take some getting used to; it feels like the machine is in the way of the visible space a little. I think it might also be the height of the table. I can open the machine and eliminate some of that, but no putting my head on the machine anymore.

Anyway fun times playing (less fun having the money come out of my account, but hey it's less than some other things...). And it's the same colour as my new phone. :) Holly suggested names and I am leaning towards Shemar. :P