I've Kidnapped the Splurgesses Sister!

[Bill]

I do indeed know the rules @Diane and as you've been here longer than me and should know them better.
So where's the pics of YOUR new toy? Eh? Go on. Where are they? Sheesh. Women!
 

[Diane]

@Bill Your right, i've just searched for the post that had the pictures of my new arrival and it's vanished  i bet that disappeared when the website was under maintenance/being transferred to the new server or whatever.

[Ouryve]

I'd love to hear how you get on with the atelier. I listed after one when I bought my current machine but decided against it since I don't have a permanent home for it and need to tidy up at the end of the day.

[StitchinTime]

@Bill I'm glad it has all worked out for you. I didn't like to think of you being without a machine for too long.

[BrendaP]

I think you made the right choice.  Ex-demo machines are usually heavily discounted because they have been used, but very lightly and under supervision.  My overlocker was ex-demo and it's been superb - still is.

[charley]

I treated myself to the Atelier 7 when I retired 6 years ago. There was an extension table and some 'quilting' bits, free with it. I bought it online. I bought it because I wanted a machine that would last, be reliable and trouble free. I did not try one out - nothing locally, -  I relied on reviews, and I did not know much about sewing machines at that time anyway, but I searched online for a few weeks before making my final decision, and I/we have gotten to know each other over the last 6 years. At that time the price was £900, and it was a special offer, so the right time for me.
 
I have not a days trouble with it. I clean/remove fluff frequently, perhaps once a week, or when I have finished a particularly fluffy project. I look after it, treat it with love and say 'thank you' when I have finished what I am doing.
I have only used about half of the available stitches, but I love the 9mm stitch width. Over the years I have treated myself to a straight stitch plate, a silicone foot and an invisible zip stitch foot. I use Janome purple tip needles for quilting, I use my machine daily, except during family visits, Christmas etc, when I reluctantly put it away.

I do not find the extension table to be of much use really, it is not very 'slidey' for moving things about when sewing, and I would not really miss it if it broke, or went missing.
I love free motion stitching on it, and it will stitch what I ask it to stitch, or what I need it to stitch, P&Q, garment, or felt. I love the foot pedal too, it is a lovely size.

[Celia]

@charley that is a really lovely review of your machine, maybe it would be good if more of us could write reviews like this, it might help other people.

Can’t wait to see your new baby @Bill

[Iminei]

Over the years I have treated myself to a straight stitch plate,

@charley  A straight stitch plate should have come with the machine ... have you looked in the base of the detachable arm ??

£900 was a bargain for the 7 even six years ago and I agree it is a wonderful machine ...

I particularly like the 'Big Foot' foot pedal which stores the cable inside itself ... Brilliant!
and the 'hovering' foot option. If you press a certain button when you stop sewing whether because you've finished completely or are just pivoting a corner the foot automatically lifts up ...

'cos manually raising the presser foot is sooooo last year Dahlink!

[Bill]

Thankyou everyone for your thoughts on this. As always, it is much appreciated 

@Brenda I'm not worried in the least about its ex demo tag. My way of thinking is that being a demo machine, it'll have been taken care of as the shop can't afford to let a potential customer be put off due to faulty stitching/unreliability/looking like it's been in a cat fight.
The current brother was ex demo too. Other than some quirks which are known amongst other owners, it's been brilliant.

@Celia I'm starting to wonder if I will actually see it. It's due for delivery between 1 and 2pm. By Parcelforce. They'll probably lose it. 

[Iminei]

Dont be so negative @Bill  ... if you'd written that at 3pm  ???

[Celia]

Dont be so negative @Bill  ... if you'd written that at 3pm  ???

I was about to say the same

[Bill]

Over the years I have treated myself to a straight stitch plate,
and the 'hovering' foot option. If you press a certain button when you stop sewing whether because you've finished completely or are just pivoting a corner the foot automatically lifts up ...

My brother has that function too. The needle stays down too so your piece can't wander off to the chippy etc.

I'm a negative person by nature. So there 

[StitchinTime]

@Bill Thank you for telling us when it is due to arrive - it will stop us all asking "Is it here yet?" (well until 2.01pm at least).

My machine is an ex-demo from a sewing machine shop and my thinking at the time was that if there was anything wrong, it would have been found and fixed. I wouldn't have been as keen on an ex display machine from somewhere like John Lewis or Hobbycraft where anyone could have been trying it unsupervised.

[Iminei]

The other thing the 7 has is the Dual Feed foot!

Basically this is Janomes posh alternative to a Walking Foot.
Most WF are  separate units, quite bulky and can be difficult to attach without opening the door over the needle ...

Their DF foot is less bulky but still a separate unit that needs attaching direct to the fixed shank of the machine  There is a lil lever thing (dual feed link) at the rear of the foot that needs inserting into a slot at the reverse of the shank after you have positioned the foot on the shank.

You then need to press a button to engage the DF ....  if the DF link is not engaged within the shank you get lil stitches (whatever stitch length you might have set) and I assume no DF thing going on ...

Its all explained in the manual and I hope Im right in assuming you are going to READ the manual 

Now the only thing I dont particularly like about this function is that when you press the Dual feed button it greys out a lot of the stitches ... which is why Ive kept my original walking foot which I use a lot when quilting as apart from liking the click click click I can use any stitches I want and I often use decorative stitches in my quilting ...

BUT what you must NEVER EVER do is leave a normal WF on your machine when you turn it off.
If you do, and forget that its on there, the next time you turn your beautiful machine on it will have a major hissy fit and scare the living daylights out of you!!!!!

Basically a normal WF is, as I have previously said, Bigger than the IDT foot and when the Atelier wakes up it does the sewing machine equivalent of Morning stretches and cant complete them because of the size of a normal  walking foot ... And it has a meltdown !!! Sirens, Flashing Lights and nasty messages flashing up on the screen.

BE WARNED! all this is of course Moot if you only use the supplied DF Foot!

[Bumblebuncher]

@Iminei I am not sure if your description of all those bells and whistles warnings is exciting or terrifying