Janome

This is a brief rundown on my new Janome. The short version is ... I Love It!

1. A game changer, really. The automatic thread cutter is even better than I expected. I never even knew there was such a thing until I began watching sewing videos on YouTube. People would push a button and magically the threads would be cut with no scissors in sight. I really appreciated it last night when I was quilting a fat quarter in preparation for another project. I sewed line after line of parallel stitches using the automatic thread cutter at the end of each line -- never a pair of scissors in my hands. No long tails of thread -- just about half an inch of each top and bobbin threads which might need trimming or might not at a later time.

2. Automatic stitch set. This feature almost eliminates the need to backstitch at the beginning of a line of stitches and can be used again at the end of the line. Not great when using decorative stitches, in my opinion, but still a wonderful tool.

3. Stitch speed slider. This feature allows you to set your maximum stitch speed. If you're a pedal to the metal kind of person, this will allow you to have your perfect speed with your foot all the way down. It's also handy when disconnecting the foot control and stitching with ...

4. The start stop button. This allows you to start and stop stitching without the foot pedal and it sews at the speed set by the stitch speed slider. Nice for long straight rows of stitching and buttonholes.

5. Buttonhole foot and various built-in buttonholes. I've only tried two of the buttonhole stitches, but they work great. Pop the button into the designated area of the buttonhole foot, attach the foot to the machine, select the buttonhole desired, lower the presser foot onto the fabric and go. The only thing it doesn't do is cut the buttonhole open; for that you need a seam ripper or similar tool.

6. Free motion quilting foot. Works great. A bit fiddly to attach the first time out of the box but once installed it works just fine. I on the other hand need practice with FMQ.

7. Assorted decorative stitches. I've only used a few but they are great. I used two to quilt a fat quarter for another project and I love the way they look. No problems with tension or puckering.

8. Zipper foot. What can I say. It's a zipper foot.

9. Threading and bobbin winding is easy and straight forward.

10. Dropping feed dogs for FMQ. The switch is in the rear of the machine so not the easiest to get to, but it works. I'm so happy to be able to do this that I don't mind the inconvenience.

I said brief, didn't I. So, I'll stop here. In case you can't tell I'm very much in love with this machine. I hope to be posting the results of my adventures with this new machine soon.

dks, 26 Nov 2025