PFAFF Performance Icon

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The Performance Icon is the top of PFAFF's sewing line, and it is a sewing machine only. It does not embroider. Everything PFAFF might have spent on an embroidery unit went into th e arm, the light, the needle power and the screen instead. You notice that the first time you put a finished queen top under it. There are 12.2 inches to the right of the needle, so the quilt has somewhere to sit, and nine points of light around the needle so your own hand is not casting a shadow across the seam you are watching. It is a lot of machine, and we would rather say so than sell you the wrong one. If you sew a few times a month, a smaller PFAFF will make you just as happy. The Performance Icon earns its keep when you are at the machine most days and your projects keep getting bigger. Room to move a quilt There are 12.2 inches (310mm) to the right of the needle and 140mm of height under the arm, about 5.5 inches. Under the sewing head itself you get 3 inches of clearance, so a thick batting sandwich still moves freely and you can see where the needle is going. The bobbin holds 30 percent more thread than the previous generation, which across a king-size quilt is a handful of stops you do not have to make. The stitch plate is marked on both sides out to 2.5 inches, so you can line up a border without reaching for a ruler. Nine points of light PFAFF put nine separate LED points around the work area instead of one lamp over the needle. Light arriving from several directions means your hand does not throw a shadow onto the stitch line. That matters most on navy, on black and on anything with a nap, where the stitch line is hardest to read. It is the feature nobody asks about in the showroom and everybody mentions a year later. ActivStitch measures thread as you sew ActivStitch uses sensors to measure the thread running through the machine and portions out what each stitch actually needs, adjusting continuously as you sew. You will notice it most with metallic, with heavy topstitching thread, and with the wide decorative stitches, where the amount of thread a stitch needs changes constantly. The thread guides telescope, so a big cone of quilting thread feeds straight off the back without a separate stand clamped to your table. Enhanced Original IDT feeds from the top too Original IDT is engineered into the machine itself, and on the Performance Icon it runs on its own power source. Top and bottom layers move at the same rate, so plaids meet, borders finish the length you cut them, and a quilt sandwich comes out the far side square. A sensor tells you on screen when to engage it and when to drop it back out of the way, which saves the moment of wondering whether you remembered. This is the strongest needle piercing power PFAFF has built, so a binding crossing four seam allowances sits well inside what it will handle. A 10.1 inch screen that answers questions The screen is 10.1 inches (257mm) of full color and it swipes, pinches and zooms the way a tablet does. Built into it is the Help Center, with more than fifty animated and illustrated walkthroughs. If a machine this capable worries you, that is the part to look at. When you cannot remember how a technique is set up, the answer is right there on the screen, at the machine, while the fabric is still under the needle. You can move the on-screen tools where your hand naturally falls and make them the size you want to read. mySewnet and CreatorCue The machine joins your wifi. Stitches you save to mySewnet cloud storage arrive on the machine on their own, and firmware updates install without a USB stick or a trip to the shop. The free PFAFF CreatorCue app puts step by step project instructions on your phone alongside the same guidance on the machine screen, so you are not holding a tablet in one hand over your work. Stitches you can change, and stitches you can build There are 522 built-in stitches, six sewing fonts and two more for monogramming. Six of the stitch groups are PFAFF techniques you will not find on another brand: Triple Ribbon, Double Ribbon, Floating, Radiant, Lace Edge and Stacking. They are worth an evening with a scrap and a walking foot before you commit them to a quilt, and they are the reason a PFAFF label on a garment looks like a PFAFF garment. When none of the 522 is quite what you pictured, Stitch Creator lets you draw a new 9mm stitch point by point, or take a built-in one and change it. Whatever you make is yours to save and use like any other stitch. Specifications At a glance Dedicated sewing and quilting machine, no embroidery Maximum sewing speed 1,050 stitches per minute 23.6 x 8.7 x 13.8 inches (60 x 22 x 35 cm), 34.2 lbs (15.5 kg) PFAFF part number 850222112 Stitches 522 built-in stitches 6 sewing fonts, plus 2 fonts for monogramming Maximum stitch width 9mm, maximum stitch length 5mm Sensormatic one-step buttonholes, 10 styles Exclusive PFAFF techniques: Triple Ribbon (10), Double Ribbon (14), Floating (23), Radiant (13), Lace Edge (6), Stacking (30) Stitch Creator for drawing or editing your own 9mm stitches Workspace and lighting 12.2 inches (310mm) to the right of the needle 140mm of height under the arm, about 5.5 inches 3 inches (76.2mm) of height under the sewing head 9 points of LED light placed to remove shadows Stitch plate marked on both sides out to 2.5 inches (63.5mm) Base designed to damp vibration at speed Threading and feeding Fully automatic needle threader ActivStitch sensor-controlled thread portioning Enhanced Original IDT integrated dual feed with its own power source and an on-screen sensor Automatic thread cutter Telescopic thread guides that take large spools and cones without an extra attachment Bobbin 30 percent larger than the previous generation, 6 bobbins included The strongest needle piercing power PFAFF has built Screen and connectivity 10.1 inch (257mm) full color multi-touch screen with swipe, pinch and zoom Help Center with more than 50 animated and illustrated guides Wifi, with mySewnet cloud storage and automatic firmware updates Works with the free PFAFF CreatorCue app On-screen tools you can move and resize In the box Presser feet: 0A standard for IDT, 1A fancy stitch for IDT, 2A fancy stitch, 3 blindhem for IDT, 4 zipper for IDT, 5A Sensormatic buttonhole, 5M manual buttonhole, quilting foot for IDT, 8 maxi stitch, and the bi-level guide foot for IDT Knee lift, redesigned for easier reach Straight stitch needle plate and a straight stitch bobbin case Thread cone holder, large spool holder, spool caps in three sizes, thread net Bobbins, seam ripper, brush, screwdriver, multipurpose tool and button reed Rubberized accessory tray with fitted compartments and its own slot for the straight stitch plate Warranty 20 years on the machine frame, parts supplied free 5 years on the electronic and electrical components, parts supplied free 1 year on the remaining mechanical parts, covering both parts and labor Goes to the original purchaser buying from an authorized PFAFF dealer, so keep your receipt with the warranty card Angela Huffman, host of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting PBS show and founder and owner of Quilted Joy. Quilted Joy is a family-owned authorized PFAFF dealer in Louisville, Kentucky, and the home of the Quilt Fairies. A machine at this level should come with people, so it does. Our technicians are factory certified for PFAFF and your machine is serviced in our own shop, by someone you can call and talk to. Your Pixie Playdate owner classes are free and there is no limit on how many you take, so nobody goes home with a machine they are afraid to touch. Every PFAFF we sell is eligible for the Quilt Fairy Godmother Program, and if you have found this machine for less at another authorized PFAFF retailer, tell us and we will work to match it. ★★★★★ 4.9 stars on Google and a 98% recommend rate on Facebook “Best customer service I have received in a retail setting in a long time!”Jeannette M., Facebook recommendation Where the Performance Icon sits in the PFAFF line The Performance Icon puts everything into sewing. If you want the same PFAFF engineering with embroidery as well, look at the creative icon 2, which sews and embroiders and adds voice control and a projector. The Creative Elevate 680 is the modular route: a full sewing machine now, with an embroidery unit you can add whenever you are ready. For a smaller footprint built around Original IDT, the quilt ambition 635 is the one to compare. Not sure which of them is your machine? Call the Quilt Fairies at (502) 718-7148 or send us a note. We sew on these every day, we will ask what you make before we tell you what to buy, and we would rather point you at the right machine than the expensive one. Show more