JUKI TL-15 Sewing and Quilting Machine

Everything a quilter reaches for, already in the box

The standard foot, a zipper attaching foot, a quarter inch free-motion foot, a front open toe free-motion foot and the walking foot all come with the machine, along with the guide bars that let the walking foot follow a line you have already stitched. Bought one at a time later on, that set adds up quickly.

Aluminum casting, and what it buys you

The arm and bed are die-cast aluminum rather than molded plastic. The weight is the point: 25 lbs of machine sits still while the needle runs at 1,500 stitches a minute, so the stitch stays the same length crossing a seam allowance as it was on the flat. Denim, waxed canvas and faux leather all go under it without ceremony.

One lever, and the quilt is yours to steer

Feed dogs come down with a lever when you are ready to quilt free motion, and the two icons printed beside it tell you which way is which without the manual. Set the needle to stop down and it will wait there, in the fabric, however long you take to reposition your hands. The knee lifter raises the presser foot up to 12mm, so you can turn a corner without letting go of the quilt.

A setting you can write down

Tension is set on a numbered scale rather than by feel, which means a setting you like is one you can note in the margin of a pattern and dial back in next year. A sub-tension unit steadies the upper thread on its way to the discs, and the presser foot pressure regulator on top of the machine lets you ease off for chiffon or bear down on layered denim.

Threading, trimming, and the speed you choose

A lever takes the thread through the needle for you. Press the trimmer button, or rock back on your heel, and both threads are cut at once. The speed slider sets your ceiling anywhere from 200 to 1,500 stitches a minute, so you can walk the needle around applique one stitch at a time or open it up for a long straight seam. The TL-15 takes threads from fine piecing weights up to Tex 70 and needles from a size 9 to a size 18.

Light on the plate, and a ruler on the bed

The LED sits over the needle and pools on the plate, which is what you want at eleven at night with dark thread on dark fabric. The seam guide is engraved along the front edge of the bed, so a quarter inch is something you can see rather than something you tape down. Fit the extension table and the work surface runs to about 23 inches, so a big quilt has somewhere to rest.

Angela Huffman, host of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting PBS show and founder of Quilted Joy.

Most people buy a TL without ever standing next to one, so we try to make that easy. Quilted Joy is an authorized JUKI dealer, our own technicians service what we sell here in Louisville, and your TL-15 comes with free Juki Mechanical Pixie Playdate owner classes, as many as you care to take. Call the Quilt Fairies at (502) 718-7148 and we will tell you what we actually think.