Machine Quilting decision

[ragged]

Before you say so, yes I do excel at being indecisive about small things.
Oh, and (2) pls. don't tell me other options for machine quilting, this is tough enough as it is!

I could spend £37 to get a proper Janome walking foot for my lovely shiny new Janome, or I could spend £14 on Ebay to get a walking foot that is supposed to be compatible with Janome.

Is it worth it to buy manufacturer's own walking foot, or would a generic one that I can return if it doesn't fit right be just as good? I plan to make 4 quilts (sort of single bed size) for certain, and machine quilting in the ditch only. I am thinking to just get quality (manufacturer's own), but WWYD?

tia.

I got a proper janome walking foot for about £30 new from eBay, I can say the proper one sews really well, dunno about the other!!

I can't seem to find a walking foot on Ebay for my model number (2070, I think that's what they mean by "category").

Am pulling out manual now to see if misunderstood.

I got mine from seller coulsew if you email them they are really helpful. My first machine was a random cheap one and they knew exactly what bits would fit etc. really need to get quilting now

I was just looking at that seller! :)... so you think it's worthwhile, too, to go for the proper brand one?

(Seeking an ethernet pat on the head & smiling nod, I guess!)

Well if you get the cheap one and it doesn't work well you'll have to get the proper one so you might as well get the proper one first!! Does that help?!

I'd buy the Janome one.

I got a cheap one and I found machine quilting very hard. So I am left with a quilt I'm not quite happy with and have decided to handquilt the next one. Unfortunately for my machine the proper one costs about £70. If you can afford it I think you should get the quality one.

That's fine, I will get the machine one, then.
There is no end of expensive accessories I could buy, so am trying to be sensible.
I am finding hand-quilting a right bitch, too, I'm getting a hoop to see if that makes it any easier.

sorry, sigh, meant I'll get Janome own brand one.
really could use an edit button :).

£37 is a lot more than the compatiable foot, granted but think of it on a cost per use basis and it doesn't seem so bad when added to the cost of the fabric and materials and the total cost of each quilt. It would be a shame to potentially ruin a good quilt for the sake of those few pounds more .

Is £37 the best price you've found?

I have a Janome machine and have to get a walking foot shortly so if you have found the cheapest, I would be interested in knowing where you got it from, assuming it is a website.

I used a hoop for my first quilt and I didn't find hand quilting that hard, though having said that, I didn't manage to do the teeny tiny beautiful stitches you see on the quilts in shows. But the hoop definitely kept it all in place and I didn't have any trouble with the layers sliding around, as I did with the machine quilting.
(My excuse is that my inspiration is historical quilts and the quilting stitches in those are usually quite big....)

It's on Ebay for £26, assuming I've found the right one. I've emailed to confirm :).

Let's hope the hoop makes hand quilting intersting, just feels like a dull chore right now. I like patchwork, but hand quilting, meh.

I don't mind hand quilting, I don't much like cutting out though. That seems to be where I make mistakes if I am going to make them.

I was hand quilting last week and abandoned the hoop altogether but it was only a small sample (24" x 24") and the way the pattern was laid out, it wasn't in the centre so the rim of the hoop kept getting in the way. It was amazing how much easier it is with no hoop. Probably wouldn't be able to do it with a big quilt but for my bit it was fine.

The other thing that has helped is using smaller needles. I am down to a size 10 needle now and it is easier to get the rocking motion going.

Do you draw the seam lines on, BBB, or do you rely on a quarter inch foot to get seam in right place (I have yet to be inducted into that art, mind).

I think I need to find a quilting circle, perhaps. I bought some better quality needles which made hand quilting much easier, but still. Just not finding it engaging. Hand sewing scraps, machine sewing big seams, making my own templates & designing my own layout, all good stuff. But artistic quilting eludes me. I can't thread the needle on a 10 size needle, either, eye is too small.

Now I predict I'll be flogging the hoop back on Ebay right quick.

I rely on the quarter inch foot which seems to work OK. My tutor made a big thing about how you can't rely on a Janome foot to be accurate (she is snobby about her Pfaff) but so far I have proved her wrong. I don't whizz along though - I go very slowly just so as I keep it straight. I am building up to whizzing!

When I first learnt patchwork and quilting ages ago we used to draw all the seams on and do tacking but now I just don't bother. Life is too short!!