A Sew-Along Finish--Split Square Quilt

I finished my Holiday Split Square Quilt this past weekend which is a wonderful sense of accomplishment for me which I will explain more later in this post.

Mary Etherington and Connie Tesene's latest book "Sew Charming" was just released and there are so many wonderful quilts that I want to make, mainly because I have fabric in my stash which will work well with all of the quilts, the quilt sizes are doable, the smallest is 15"x18" and the largest is 48"x60" which are great sizes for the wall, table and gift giving and most inspirational of all, many of the quilts are quilted with straight lines, my absolute favorite look and I can now do since the Janome walking foot is working well on my Juki.  Also, another added bonus is that I can die-cut or use my shape-cut rulers for many of the pieces, finger risk is minimal.

Mary Etherington is hosting a Christmas sew along for one of the quilts in the book, Split Square, http://country-threads-chicken-scratch.com/uncategorized/the-christmas-sew-along/ which measures 24"x28".  The idea for Sew Charming is you can use this book in two ways- either a charm square book or as a scrap fabric book which is right up my alley since I can do both.  My Holiday Split Square Quilt uses leftover Sandy Gervais jelly rolls strips from my Holly Bar Quilt and yardage of two teal fabrics.  And, of course, I did a horizontal straight quilting just like Mary's quilt.  My quilt was finished right before the launch of the sew along because I received my book several weeks before and I knew this was the quilt that was going to be made.  My impetus was getting this quilt done was that I have several quilts which need to be finished this week and because I realized while I was making the top, it would be perfect to hang on my hallway door near where the Holly Jar Quilt will be draped over the banister.  I love finishing quilts when there is an immediate need for them which leads me to explain why I participate in Sew Alongs, Block of the Months, Mystery Quilts, etc.

Sew Alongs are fun and you can participate by yourself but for some reason you always like a friend to do one with you, sort of like a partner in crime feeling.  They're also great when they fall into one of these categories:

1. you can use the fabric that you already have in your stash which is my favorite reason;
2. it's an excuse to buy new fabric which isn't a bad reason because sometimes you need to add to the stash
3. it's something that you can really use 
4. it teaches you new skill sets or is outside your comfort zone.  Unfortunately, when sew alongs fall under this category, my completion rate is almost non existent or I deviate from the pattern in order to get it done.

The best sew alongs for me are the UFO Challenge.  Over the past few years I have participated in several of them and I was able to finally finish at least 20 of them, some of them well over five years old.  Unfortunately, my Fat Quarter Shop 2007-2008 Piece & Plenty Mystery Quilt never made it on one of my lists.  This is my oldest UFO and I only need to finish three blocks; but these blocks really stretched my skill set and patience, an example being one of the blocks I finished had a background with over 60 patches and most of it was going to be covered by an appliqué sand pail.  I'm not a big fan of appliqué nor blocks with lots of tiny patches.  My friend, Carol, who I convinced to do this quilt with me, affectionately refer to this project as the Quilt from Hell and I still feel guilty about suggesting this as something we could do together and fear what payback could be.  I've taken the box containing this project out trying to come up with a way to finish the quilt without making the final three blocks but something keeps telling me I need to do the remaining blocks, so the box still sits on my shelf.  I've already decided another quilt along that I did with my Facebook friend Dee this year, Women of the Bible quilt, is going to be on my UFO list.  I told Dee, it's only 40 blocks, we do one block each week and we should be done by October, it's a piece of cake and the quilt is so pretty.  For this sew along I purchased new fabric (Good Neighbors) and as of this date, I've only made 30 blocks.  My only excuse for not finishing it is that some of the blocks involved rotary cutting odd sizes which used to be out of my comfort zone so I put this project aside for quilts which allow me to use my die-cutter.  Also the quilt finishes to king size and I really don't need a new quilt for my bed yet.  Again, payback may be coming from Dee (it didn't help that I won our World Series bet).

Some of the sew alongs that I participated in were the ones that Mary Etherington hosted during and after Country Threads days.  I did the last Block of the Month where I quickly learned that I didn't like 1" HST but I did like that I could use my stash of civil war prints.  Also, the quilt was made per the pattern, except for maybe a few mislaid blocks, and it is quilted and laying on the quilt rack.

Last year's sew along, was Mary wanting to do Jen Kingwell's pattern Gypsy Wife and talk about a quilt that made me want to scream, this would be the poster quilt.  For those familiar with the pattern, you can see I did not make it according to the pattern because I just could not do the finishing strips and chose to finish it in a sampler style.  As soon as I was finished with this top, I quickly sent the pattern book to Dee which may be another payback in the future.  At least my quilt is finished and the mere mention of Gypsy Wife makes my eyes cross.  Payback for Mary is to continually send her fabric and patterns and extolling the wonders of a die cutting machine.

Another quilt I made was based on a quilt Mary was making several years ago which she called her slab quilt and I wanted to make one because I have this decade old bundle of red and black fabrics which were perfect for this quilt and I also could use my die-cutter.  I realized that I never posted a photo of the completed quilt which I straight line quilted before I bought my Juki.  Although it's not an official sew along quilt, I call this a Monkey See, Monkey Do quilt which I do a lot, especially with the Ernie quilts.

Last but not least, another sew along quilt I did this year was Pat Sloan's Secret Garden Quilt which consisted of twelve 15" blocks.  I made mine with only nine blocks because I wanted a new wallhanging for the family room and if I made it with all twelve blocks, it would be too big for the wall space above my couch.  This made me realize that I don't have a good track record with sew along quilts which I don't know why I should feel defeated with this aspect of my creative life.  I was planning on sending this quilt to my LAQ but realized after see of the quilts in Sew Charming, I think I could straight line quilt it myself, especially since the Juki and I are working so well together.

In planning my 2017 quilt activities, I was not going to participate in any sew alongs which has fallen to the wayside since I've committed myself to doing two now; one is the Red Pepper Quilt that Connie Tesene has graciously provided me with the pattern and one in which Carol has finally wreak payback on me for the Quilt from Hell experience, we're doing Lucy Carson KINGWELL's Smitten quilt, https://www.amitie.com.au/shop/c/p/Smitten-by-Lucy-Carson-Kingwell-for-Jen-Kingwell-Designs-x4700618.htm, pattern and paper pieces have been ordered.  This is definitely a Yikes and a Category 4 sew along, I don't mind doing the paper piecing but it's the putting it together that is going to be a challenge, I wonder how long once I'm making this quilt, will I be figuring alternative ways to finishing it.  Also, there is Dee's payback that's out there and hopefully won't be coming too soon.

Just can't say So Long to Sew Alongs, can we, because friends don't let friends quilt alone.

Catching the Rug Making Bug

I finished making this rug last night and I think I can safely say I won't be making anymore rugs for the rest of the year.  I decided to make another rug after I found a bag of 2" strips that I had die-cut in anticipation of a rug along and got tired of the bag sitting on a chair in my studio, okay, my dogs wanted the bag off their sitting chair.  I thought this would be something I could do while watching the Cubs during the World Series and on Game 1, I set up the rug loom and after ten minutes I realized that there was no way I could weave while watching the game or any other game so I put this away until last week after the Championship was well secured.

Thanks to Mary Etherington, Country Threads, I caught the rug making bug at the start of this year when Mary started a rug along in January which I was anxious to do since my rug loom was made over 10 years ago by my hubby but never put to use because I was hung up on how the strips were connected.

Thankfully, I found my answer in Mary's book, DVD and YouTube videos.  (Mary's book & DVD is still available to purchase by sending a $20 check to Mary Etherington, 2345 Palm Ave., Garner, IA 50438.) Once my Quilt Goddaughter, Lauren help me put the twining on the loom I was ready to go.

I absolutely love making rugs,  It's a great way to use up the old stash of fabrics, especially the homespuns bought on clearance, which I once calculated uses at least ten yards of fabric.  Since I have a die cutter, 2" strips can be cut in no time. Weaving is very relaxing and something that can be done while watching TV and for me it's very portable, I can weave anywhere in the house but, unfortunately, Sophie is very put out by my rug weaving since she thinks my hands would be put to better use by holding and loving her.

Here's the first rug made from my yardage of pink and purple plaid homespun along with other bright homespuns.  It's such a great feeling to finally make something from fabric that's been sitting in the stash for a useful purpose.  A nice thing about rug making is that once the last strip is woven, you are finish once it's taken off the loom and the loose ends are tied up.  This rugs did sit in front of the patio door in my family room not quite matching the colors of maroon and navy and the dogs love laying on it; Sophie not as much.

Soon after, I made another one in Denver Bronco colors before they won the Super Bowl using my stash of blue, orange and red homespuns but regular cotton was used for the twining--a great way to use up that stash.

Rugmaking is not quick, especially the 24"x36" size.  It takes approx. 40 hours to make one and when I make a rug it takes over the dining room with all the supplies and equipment I use, i.e., rug loom, fabric strips laying on the table, stool, easel, etc.  So once I'm done, everything is put away, threads pick up off the floor and the dining room is once again ready for the once-a-year company.

I wanted to make rugs in other sizes so I found a store online, Our Old Country Store in Dell, AR, Our Old Country Store, where I purchased two frames, one mug rug size and one table runner size.  They're very reasonably priced and well made according to hubby who was thankful that he didn't have to make them, but delivery charges are somewhat expensive.  I'm really eyeing the bigger frames, especially the adjustable size one.

Here is the table runner which measures approx. 18"X26" and lays on the family room ottoman.

The mug rugs measure 6-1/2" x 8-1/2" and I made over a dozen of these in homespun, batiks and cotton.  For these, the strips were die-cut 1.5" and can be made pretty quick, less than 2 hours, and especially portable for making while on vacation. I've made these for around the kitchen and around the house and also gifted several of them.

So now, rug making days are over until next year and my latest rug is laying happily in the family room, fitting very nicely with the decor. The pink rug is now laying in the dog crate which almost is the right size, just a little bit too wide.  F.Y.I., Sophie never is in the dog crate.

This Is How I Cut

When I first started quilting twenty years ago, my biggest obstacle, fear, trepidation, etc. was having to use a rotary cutter.  Between that and lighting matches, which I don't do, I want to protect my beloved fingers.  I'll even admit that I'm not good at changing blades, I rather use a brand new one, I tend to buy them when they are a good price, or purchase individual blades and not bulk packages because I don't want to deal with separating them which really is hard to do.

Luckily, soon after I started quilting, June Tailor came out with the Shape Cut Rulers and I would not have made as many quilts as I have without this ruler.  I promptly referred to it as my best friend.  The first ruler cut up to 12" and had slots in 1/2" increments and now there are several other rulers, most notably the Shape Cut Plus which went up to 18" and had slots in increments of 1/2" but a guide to cut 1/4" which when this became available at first to Quilt Shops only, quickly became my new best friend.  I have at least six different versions of these rulers, even the grand mommy of them all, the Shape Cut Pro which cuts in increments of 2.5"which came out when jelly rolls, charm squares and layer cakes were becoming popular. (F.Y.I., Since my cutting mat is white, I put blue painter's tape on the bottom so I see the numbers better).

Other rulers and aids used to overcome my discomfort with the rotary cutter were these two speciality rulers, Guidelines for Cutting Ruler which are those cuts other than whole, 1/4" and 1/2" (believe me I am so annoyed when cuts are in 1/8", 3/8" and anything in 1/16", i.e., Gypsy Wife, and avoid making quilts using those measurements) and the Simple 7/8" Ruler for half square triangle which is useful when you only need to make a few of them, otherwise I am a big fan of triangle paper.  I do have other rulers, regular and specialty, too numerous to mention but I'm thinking as I write this post, I may now understand why men buy tools.

Almost three years ago, I started thinking about die-cutting machines even though at that time I thought I was the last holdout with my reasoning being they were too expensive, waste too much fabric, etc.  After purchasing and really reading Ebony Love's The Big Little Book of Fabric Die Cutting Tips and studying YouTube videos, hemming and hawing for a year,  I finally decided to buy one in November, 2014 because I was becoming very unhappy with my fabric cuts, the bow in the center of the strips, inaccurate cuts, etc. which I attribute to my shape cut rulers and myself getting up in age.  In less than two years, I now have three die cutters and almost one hundred dies and thought I give a little guide and thought to the machines I have.  Please remember these are only my opinions and I do not consider myself an expert but rather an enthusiast.  If you want to learn how to operate a die-cutter, be sure to check out the manufacturers home page online or YouTube.

The first die-cutter I purchased was the Sizzix Big Shop Pro and the big selling reason was because I could use both Sizzix and Accuquilt dies (you do need to purchase a special adapter plate). It is a big machine which has two different sizes of trays, regular and extra long which is need for the strip dies.  It weighs 45lbs and  the recommendation is to find a permanent spot for it since moving it around is cumbersome.  I have this machine, affectionately called, Princess Die-Cutter, on a metal cart and when I do use it I carry it over to my big basting table which is less than a yard away.  It's not too heavy when you remove the tray.  After I had Princess Die-Cutter for around a year, I was thinking that the Sizzix Fabi-Cutter would be nice to use for the smaller Sizzix dies and bought one when Amazon offered me an incredible deal.  Originally, they sold for $119 and Amazon's price was $89 and I kept putting it and taking it out of my cart for several months and they finally offered to sell it for $63 and I couldn't resist.  I think this unit was being eliminated so they were trying to get rid of their stock.  Even though both of my Sizzix die-cutters are less than two years old, they are the old models since the newer ones are now white.  And finally, I have the Accuquilt Baby Go which I received for Christmas last year, the reasoning being again, it nice for the smaller Accuquilt dies that I have.  I love it because of its portability.  Here's a photo of the three helpers and just another FYI, my studio is in the basement and it gets cold down there so that that's why there's plastic on the window.

My thoughts on the two manufacturers, Sizzix and Accuquilt, is if I could do it all over again, I would have purchased the Accuquilt Studio Cutter 2 which both Sizzix and Accuquilt dies can be used.  At that time, I didn't want to spend the extra $200 and I thought this die-cutter was made for high volume users like quilt shops.

Accuquilt die cutters are made specifically for quilters and I find their dies cut the fabric much cleaner than the Sizzix dies.  More often than not, after making a die cut with the Sizzix, there is always threads attached that need to be removed in order to separate the strips/pieces.  Sizzix has been making die cutters longer but they weren't specifically for quilters but also for scrap bookers.

Accuquilt dies are more expensive than Sizzix and you can find Sizzix dies on sale at great prices from Sizzix. com, especially during Black Friday which from my experience is the time to stock up.  Amazon is another place where you can find great prices.  A word of caution, when Sizzix dies are on sale, especially really low prices, base on previous experiences; they could be reduced because something is wrong with the die, as with the 4"x 8" rectangle die which was not accurate, the die could be mislabeled, (which is another source of confusion, because you have to make sure the die measurement is for cut size and not finished size), or the die is being retooled.  During the past year, three of my dies were defective and happily I had no problems with getting replacements quickly.

I do think using a die-cutter is better for you ergonomically and for accurate cuts but whether it is a time saver is a toss up for me.  There may be a perception that you put the fabric on the die-cutter run it through and Voila' you have 100 pieces.  It doesn't work quite that way.  Without getting too technical, it's best that the fabric is pre-cut to match the size of the die space and for some that may seem redundant.  Pre-cutting your fabric and strategically placing it on the die also reduces fabric waste.  Also, there's the time I spent on the leftovers, little and not so little strips which I put in a box and later sorted out to see which strips/patches can be used for quilts, rugs, fabric twine, etc.  I'll save anything that is 1/2" or bigger.

Besides the expense of the dies, cutting pads needs to be purchased for both machines and are pricey, especially the ones for Sizzix.  I purchase them from either Amazon or directly from Sizzix or Accuquilt when there is a sale or free shipping is offered.

One of the nice things about having my die-cutters, I can cut my own jelly rolls, charm squares and layer cakes and not have to deal with those pinked edges since I have a 2.5" strip die, 5" square die and 10" square die amongst my many dies.  When I first bought dies, I based it on the size of blocks I mostly made which were 8" and 12" so I looked for dies in 2" and 4" increments.  Accuquilt has a nice system of selling their dies in size bundles but it is pricey.  Also, another source of patterns is the books and magazines for pre-cuts.  My most used die I would say is my 2.5" strip die which stays on Princess Die-Cutter and I have die-cut many strips for binding and strip quilts.  Another thing, once you sew a HST that was die-cut, you'll never go back to your old method, I love that they are die-cut without dog ears.  I keep a die inventory list so I can refer to it when I see a pattern or before I purchase a new die.  For reasons I can't explain, I purchased two of the same die, several times, and have learned my lesson not to buy until I check my list.  If you buy directly from Sizzix or Accuquilt, dies are not returnable unless they are defective.

Most of the quilts I make now are those that I can use my die-cutter.  Sometimes I will change a pattern so I can use my die-cutter.  Here are some of my quilts which the die cutter was used:

Dies used: 4"x8" rectangle & 2.5" strip die

Dies used" 3"x 6" trapezoid and 3" HST 

Accuquilt 3'x6" Half Rectangle Die

Accuquilt Hexagon and Equilateral Triangle Dies

I have more quilts that can be seen on my Pinterest Boards: RMM Quilts and Quilts To Die-Cut for.

I know that I've put my die cutters to good use and can justify the expense.  There are still some committed (notice I didn't say die-hard) rotary cutters like Mary and Connie who I demonstrated my Accuquilt Go this past weekend.  I wish I took a photo of them watching me with total skepticism and disbelief, based on previous experience with their die-cutter,  after seeing how nice the die-cuts came out.  I don't have to change my rotary blade as often and my triangle paper supply is just sitting there.  I once said that if I became Queen of the Quilting World, I would abolish any pattern using 1" HST but they are safe now because I have a 1" HST die.

Week Days with Ernie & Friends

I'm back from Garner, IA after just spending over a little over 24 hours with Mary & Connie and Gang for a little bit of sewing, a lot of talking, laughing, eating, fabric exchanging and getting over- stimulated with new ideas and projects.  You can see our activities on Mary's blog here:  Country Threads Chicken Scratch.

 I thought I do a quick post of the photos I took that aren't on Mary's blog.

Here I am with my quilt muse, Ernie Joe Mauer, the inspiration for the Ernie Quilts.  Boy, is he one big, heavy dude!  And yes, he blessed the Ernie II quilt, although I had to bribe him. The visit would not have been complete without feeding Emma and Charlene.

We took a quick visit/tour of Connie's studio.  Both Connie and Mary have studios to die for, a separate space from their house.  Connie lives in the city proper and her studio is above the garage. (BTW, I am not the best photographer when I'm excited, so I apologize for the lighting, shadows, etc., plus I really need a new iPhone.)

This is the stairway leading up to Connie's studio and photos of some of her creations she has in her wonderful space.  I wish I took more photos since her walls were filled like a gallery.

I'm sorry that I didn't take photos of her actual studio because by that time I was over-stimulated with all of the visual yummies and projects she had going.  You have to believe me when I say her space was wonderful; there was even a full bathroom!

Here's the group project which Connie has put together for us: Red Pepper Quilts Pickle Dish Variation Quilt.  On a side note, Mary and I decided that Connie couldn't propose one until she completes one of the projects we did as a group, i.e., Gypsy Wife, rug, etc. but somehow she managed to slip a few in like the Wildflowers.  I was open to doing this because I know I can die-cut the pieces and it is a great pattern for the modern fabrics.

And look at the portfolio/envelope she is making with Kraft-tex, something I never knew about and have to check this out because next to fabric, I like paper and boxes.  I have some little orphan blocks that would work with this idea.  And Kraft-tex comes in different colors too.

In between all of this, we ate out at Matt's and the Pizza Ranch, stayed at the Garner Inn which was very nice, did a quick visit at Farm Chicks Quilts,  I really needed to stay longer. But when you have dogs and a son who could only dog sit for only a day,  Bill and I had to go home.  BTW, while I was sewing, Bill did a bike ride on the Trolley Trail in Clear Lake, drove by the Surf Ballroom which unfortunately was closed, had a guitar sing along with Becky and visited with Rick.

I have to admit I almost changed my mind about coming to visit with what happened this week but decided to Sew Forth.  Even though I have my differences with Connie and Mary, most notably, I like to die-cut and they don't, Connie likes appliqué, paper-piecing and small pieces while I like the big patches and Mary and I do crazy while Connie is the sane one, I am glad for this time we had together.  Sometimes you have to disconnect from the big world and connect with your small circle where differences aren't as bad as they seem. WE bring good things to life.  I know when I resume working on the Marcia Derse Alphabet panel and fabrics, my original thought of just using her fabrics have changed to Mary's & Connie's rule of never using just one designer's fabric but using others to make it your own.

 If I ever run away from home, you know where I will be.  Here's to good sewing friends to make life happy and bright!

Quilt Joy--My Problem with my Juki 2010Q May Be Resolved

For over a year since I purchased my new Juki 2010Q, I have been very unhappy and frustrated when I did straight-line quilting with it.  The reason why I purchased the Juki was all the reviews I read about what a great machine it was and the quality of the stitching which I figured it would be wonderful for straight line quilting which is basically the only quilting I like to do, anything more elaborate I would send my quilt to my long arm quilter, Jan.  I love the look of straight-line quilting, it's clean and works well for both modern and traditional quilts which I make.  The problem I had was the even feed foot which came with the machine.  The answers I got from talking to the dealer and searching online;  from the dealer where I purchased my Juki was that I needed to make sure my thread up mechanism, needle and presser foot was all the way up when I threaded it in order to set the stitch tension, a comment from a Juki dealer on a FB group as to why was I using the even feed foot for quilting to a Pinterest post saying to take the even feed foot apart and oil all the black parts.  I also found on Pinterest someone saying that the Janome Convertible Even Foot, Open Toe, Part No. 214-516-003 works on a Juki 2010Q and when I questioned the dealer who I bought the machine from, they said no.  So, for the past year, my quilts did not turn out as nice as I would have liked, puckers and pinches and re-basting because the even feed foot just pushed against the quilt.  I thought the problem was basting and I even purchased three cans of basting spray and still had to re-baste.

When I was making my Blue Ernie Quilt and knowing if I wanted to do horizontal straight line quilting I would have to find an alternative way which was QAYG on my Elna 7200 Quilters Dream and it turned out so great which made me open to the idea of doing more machine quilting on it even though the stitching came be inconsistent and didn't look as nice and clean as the Juki.  So last week while Game 7 of the World Series was being played and my wanting to send some positive energy to the Cubs, I quilted my Easy Addition Plus Quilt on the Elna and it turned out great, just one little pinch, and no fabric pushing, re-basting or too much distortion.

I thought the Elna 7200 was going to be my answer to my quilting woes but before I committed I talked again to the Juki dealer and someone from their service department called me back and basically reconfirm that the even feed foot is not meant for quilting and that any other manufacturer's high shank even feed foot would work on the Juki, including the one from Janome which I was told from their floor staff that it would not.  So I decided to make a $60 gamble and ordered one from Amazon (who also mentioned on their site that this foot will work on a Juki 2010Q), I was not going to give any more business to this dealer and it arrived this past Saturday.  I wasn't expecting much but ordered it just to give the Juki one last chance, because I just love the stitch line, by quilting my Unruly Quilt, pattern by My Quilt Infatuation.

Was I pleasantly surprised and amazed at how absolutely wonderful it was to do straight line quilting with the Janome foot. (I should mention that this foot comes with a quilting guide which the Juki foot does not have).  It was heaven, the quilt sandwich fed through so nice and fast, I was done quilting within six hours, no re-basting, no distortion on the edges, it was the way straight line quilting should be.  I just love the nice and even stitching which is why I wanted the Juki 2010.

I want to share my thoughts on my Juki 2010Q, which are entirely my opinion, in hopes of anyone who have been frustrated with their machine can find some answers in this post.  First of all, I will never again purchase a sewing machine online; for me there is some disconnect.  One example, I had found via the Facebook group, that the needle clamp screw was being replaced with a shorter one because of users finding when the even feed foot was used, it was too noisy.  I personally felt that the dealer should have notified me that this was being offered, they had my email address.  I feel Juki relies on social media to help and assist with their sewing machines which is not a bad thing, but the dealers should give out correct information.  Think how much happier my quilting life would have been if I ordered a Janome foot sooner after seeing it on Pinterest but chose to listen to the dealer.

Here is the photo of the Janome foot with the Juki foot on the bottom.  The Juki foot is twice as heavy as the Janome and has black parts which feeds the fabric while the Janome has white parts.  The Elna foot also has white parts which lead me to believe that the problem with the Juki foot is the black parts which don't feed the fabric but pushes it.  Also, I used the Janome open-toe foot which I think helps to feed the fabric better while the Juki is a closed toe. When I look at the description for Juki's even feed foot it does not mention it being used for quilting, which I've always was taught that an even feed foot is a must for quilting.  Juki does have other quilting feet but are used for free motion quilting which I don't do.

So I can finally say that I have Juki Joy, it just needs help from Janome--I should also mention that I do piece with a Janome quilting foot since the one that came with the Juki is a full 1/4" and not a scant 1/4" like the Janome.  And if I ever buy another sewing machine, I'm going to a dealer and buying a Janome.

Happy Quilting for me and for you!

Update:  It’s been almost five years since I wrote this post and is still being read.  I wanted to provide a link to Laura Piland, Slice of Pi Quilts, who purchased the Janome Walking Foot after reading this post who then wrote a post about her Juki 2010 experience and more technical info on the walking foot: https://www.sliceofpiquilts.com/2017/06/theres-new-workhorse-in-town.html#more