I love my Kenmore!

This is a meme from Sew Mama Sew. I love to read sewing machine reviews, so I thought I would add mine as well : )

What brand and model do you have? I own a Kenmore 19606

How long have you had it? About 2 1/2 years

How much does that machine cost (approximately)? I got a great deal for $450. This machine originally sold for $799. There was an open box, a lady had returned hers because she decided she wanted an embroidery machine. I don't think she had even taken it out of the box.

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? All of the above LOL I mainly sew clothing for my kids and have recently started quilting. My machine handles everything really well. The only thing I wish is that the distance between the machine and needle were bigger when machine quilting a large quilt.

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get? I sew several days a week, sometimes everyday. Usually for no more than 2 or 3 hours at a time though. I would say my machine gets average use, I wish it got heavy use LOL

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name? I really love my machine. It has a lot of decorative stitches and sews a beautiful seam. It is also very smooth and quiet. I love the needle down button. I feel like I got a really great machine for a really great price. I don't have a name for her, but I want to think one up.

What features does your machine have that work well for you? Like I mentioned above, I love my needle down button. I also love my automatic needle threader, this wasn't something I even planned on using, but now I use it all the time. I also love all of the embroidery and decorative stitches, they are fun to try out.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? I am not thrilled with the alphabet because it is so small. But this is minor, I wasn't expecting a full out embroidery machine and don't really use them anyway.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it! Just the great deal I got! It was a surprise because we were just checking the machines out at Sears, not planning to buy that day, when the sales lady told us about the great deal on the open box. So, I got to go home with a brand spanking new sewing machine when I wasn't expecting to : D

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why? Definitely, you can't get much more machine for the price, even the regular price. This Kenmore is made by Janome, so I would highly recommend Janome machines as well. I can't afford a Bernina or Viking, you would pay well over $1000 for all of the bells and whistles I have on my Kenmore.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine? I want a smooth running motor and a nice balanced seam. My machine has auto tension, and I rarely have to mess with it. I really like my needle down button, and would probably require one on any new machine I bought. I think I will look for a bigger harp on my next purchase, it would make machine quilting much easier.

Do you have a dream machine? Well, I guess my dream machine would be a top of the line Bernina or Viking. I don't know about embroidery though. I prefer the way hand embroidery looks, but I am sure I could have fun with machine embroidery too LOL