Sewing Machine Review: Juki 2200
I shot a quick video to discuss the basics and show you how it feels to quilt on this table mounted longarm:
Yes, I did once write an article on 7 Reasons Why I Don’t Want or Need a Longarm, but a lot has changed since I shared that post. For one thing the prices of these machines have gone done to be around $5000 – $7000. While that might not seem affordable, it’s much more affordable than what these machines used to cost.
I still hold to the main point of that article – buying a bigger machine will not make you a better quilter. It takes time, effort, and a lot of practice to master free motion quilting no matter what machine you are stitching on.
Even I was surprised by the amount of practice this machine required. When I purchased this sit-down model, I figured this wouldn’t be a big change from quilting on a regular home sewing machine. It ended up feeling very different and it’s taken me 6 months to get used to quilting on this machine.
Ultimately I’m happy I have a machine I can dedicate to my big projects. I’m really excited about learning ruler quilting and sharing new videos on this machine, but I still plan to shoot most videos on my home sewing machines.
Do you have questions about this big machine? Don’t hesitate to ask in the comments below!
Let’s go quilt!
Leah Day
Have you had good results using your QVP 2200 for ruler work? I test drove this machine at a local dealer recently and the sit down machine didn't have a flush surface around the needle. This made it frustratingly difficult to hold the ruler flat, steady, and in place. I had the toughest time when holding a ruler against the left side of the foot, where the motion of the foot itself seemed to push the ruler out of position. I'm wondering if this was a problem with their floor model setup, or just inherent to the machine's design?
I thought the lighting and the stitch quality of the machine was excellent. However, the dealer's floor model had the same glitchy LCD display that you mentioned.
I really haven't had much time to play with ruler work, but I've been playing with it more today and I found the same issue – with thicker rulers the left side of the foot is designed with a slanted back and it can hit the ruler and push it outward. I found using thinner rulers didn't have this issue, and of course you can just rotate the ruler and your quilt to run along the right side instead.
Thanks for this review, Leah. I'm a long way off from buying a machine like this but appreciate your comments on how to go about it. Your quilting is amazing!
Thanks for the review…this was interesting as I am currently doing a bit of research on this. In Australia there are not many models to choose from as yet and people are mainly buying the Handiquilter Sweet 16. Very seductive indeed but you mentioned a couple of very important points…when I was speaking to a dealer at one of the shows, he talked about people coming into the shop with their newly purchased Sweet 16 to learn and practice. At 58 kg I was a bit surprised and he made some vague suggestion that one would get help unloading etc….I would be still left with loading it into the car! Really can't see that. Your point about the speed was also interesting as I know from FMQ that there is a limit of speed that I can handle. On the other hand, the issue of slumping over the DSM is a real issue for me and I also thought that one would sit more straight at the machine. Anyway, I am planning to make an appointment with the shop to get a bit of a play. Thanks a lot for the review.
There, I said it. 🙂 But that doesn't stop me from buying them, I just don't keep them, and dh is okay with that! Or i just play with them at the thrift store, best sewing machine
I should have seen this review before buying my Brother combined sewing and embroidery machine.
Great, extremely helpful review, Leah. I so appreciate your objective reviews of machines — it's almost impossible to get objective information about sewing machines, and they are a significant financial investment for most of us. As well as a huge part of the experience of quilting. Thanks.
The juki sewing machines are pretty good but most of the really good models are also very expensive. I actually opted for this model from Janome and i satisfied with what it can offer. I takes care of all my sewing needs and didn;t have any problems with it so far. of course this also wasn't cheap but i think it's worth the investment for my sewing hobby.