Janome Horizon 7700

The Janome Horizon 7700 is mine at last!
It didn't even make it to the studio yet. I had to unpack it right away on the dining room table (AKA the-home-of-all-art-projects-since-nobody-eats-here-except-on-holidays).

Ah, that smell of fresh plastic & Styrofoam! But right away I see the manual, the legs for the extension table, and a bag full of feet, bobbins and other goodies.

Ah, the machine finally appears, with the table and "semi-hardcover" tucked beside it.
This machine is big, but suprisingly not quite as heavy as expected. I do not plan on doing a lot of travelling this this one, anyway. (NOTE: 8/26/11 It really IS a heavy machine...I must have been so excited when I brought it home that I didn't notice!).

Ta-Dum! All plugged in and ready to go! I chose this machine for the extra room to the right of the needle.
I also chose it because I like my sewing machine dealer ABC Vacuum & Sewing Center  (ask for Pam!)and this is the brand she prefers now. I have a small Janome Jem and like it very much.
Bringing a new machine home is just like a new baby...

I have to show it off from all angles! Right now it does not have the special spool holder add-on accessory that will go in the two holes at the top. But I got that, too, because Cherry-Cherry says it makes a real difference for the thread feed on her big quilting machine.

The double-bin free arm surround has lots of storage, but when I finally get this installed up in my studio it will never be on the machine. DH Ed will cut a larger hole in my sewing area...and I'll just save all that story for another post!

There's lots of storage on the top, too. That spindle laying down there can hold a second spool when it's stuck in a hole, and can also be used for winding a bobbin if it doesn't have to come off the sewing spool. This bobbin winder works great! It's been awhile since I had one I could trust. And talk about bells & whistles...in this picture, just to the left of the bobbin, is a thread cutter!

Oh, yeah...it definitely has more stitches than I shall ever use. Here they are from left to right!

Instead of boring you to death right now with too many pictures and details,(remember, it's like bring a new baby home! ), I'll  share things as they come up.

Very pretty stitches, front and back, with the 7 feed dogs this machine has! I am looking forward to some more precise sewing...and I haven't even used the fancy feed system yet.
So...why is this machine on my dining room table, and why am I not playing with all the fun new features?
This is why:

Up in Ye Olde Studio, I'm in the middle of a quilting job on the Pfaff1473. If it survives two more years, it will be old enough to vote!
This is a large baby quilt and there's another with a related matching design. I'll quilt that one on the Horizon ....what a good comparison they will be!
Yes, there is a reason I got the Horizon right now, after thinking about it for a year. I'll share that story in the next post.