I need a sewing machine that is lightweight enough to travel to classes, but will go through layers &amp; over seams well. Is this a good choice?
2031031
I would say so. It is heavier than the Brother I had before I bought this machine, but not by much, and only because it has metal parts (higher quality)! It is a beast at sewing through layers! I travel with mine just fine.
1137404
I have had both machine and definitely prefer and highly recommend the Janome. The stitches are perfect no misses and I work this machine a lot. I use a lot of spandex fabric and it still never misses a stitch even going over the seams. Releasing the fabric is always a problem unless you want to 'run off the edge' of the fabric and end that way. The brother always gave me problems as it would not always release the stitch like it was supposed to. The Janome does. Just make sure as you pull your fabric out you have hold of all 3 threads else you will unravel the stitches. I work with doll clothes and the only thing I wish the Janome would do was to give me a narrow stitch which the Brother has, but having used it now for over 6 months and it runs so smooth I can give up that for not having missed stitches or thread breaking. The arm extension is useful to be able to drop your fabric down and around. This feature is not on the Brother. I would highly recommend this machine to anyone wanting a cover stitch machine. This machine is used daily by me so 6 months of my life is probably over 12 months in someone else's life. :)
441716
I have the Juki MO-654 and I love it! I do have some experience with sewing and I think this machine is very easy to use. I've only had it a few months but it's already proved itself with many sweater coats and armwarmers. =)
1974903
This machine is only set up for thread. Yarn would get bogged down in the bobbin case. You should look at commercial sewing machines to use with yarn. :)
1231660
I currently use this for sewing, and it only shakes at a particular sewing speed. If I sew faster or slower, no shaking, but there's a "sweet spot" where it shakes quite a bit. I have a pretty basic Singer sewing machine, and so far I'm doing pretty limited light-duty and craft sewing, not garments and not frequently. If you do a lot of sewing, you'll probably want to invest in something more substantial; but if you're a light use hobby sewer, this might be just fine.
1909348
I have been working with this machine for about a week, and really like it for what it can do. However, it does have a bit of a difficulty getting over thick portions of the fabric.....where two seams intersect, etc. For this reason, I would assume that it might have a difficult time with thicker fabrics. I've learned that when I must sew over the intersection of seams, I must go very slowly. Then, it's pretty good.
910490
I think it would be great! A bit too big and a little heavy to carry around to classes all day, but great if you want a good solid computer that can stay in one place most of the time. Just my opinion!
2214775
Sadly (if you're on a budget at all), the next step up I believe is the Brother 1250...a gorgeous machine, but runs about $1700. Not available at Amazon; I think you have to buy it from a dealer. I want exactly the same thing, but not to spend that much on a hobby I only do once in awhile. I ordered the Singer Futura XL-400 because it just is TOO tempting despite the reviews....has large embroidery area and some nice regular sewing stitches....guess what? The machine CROAKED the first time we tried to embroider with it! My husband is a computer guy and I'm experienced at embroidery...we read the directions carefully..... VERY disappointing, I should have believed the reviews here on Amazon....would not recommend that machine, no matter how tempting it looks! Getting customer service from Singer is nearly impossible, too. Hope you find this helpful....wish Brother would come out with something as dependable as the se400, but with 5x7 capabilities at the lower price!
629349
I don't know what u r planning to sew. I wanted to sew leather & I bought HD machine. It works great & I love it. I do sew fabric too but I bought it to sew leather & it was perfect for my projects.
672097
It is a small machine, but I think it would be able to handle that, provided you are just trying to get the seam worked.
1418712
I cannot remember....I am sure you can go online with Singer and see...or YouTube. I bought the more expensive model because it did have, I think, more stitch designs, it also cuts thread and I felt for a little extra money, I would go with the best, as it might be my last machine. I test drove the Bernina, Viking, Baby Lock.....I hate my Janome, which is why I was trying to find a better machine overall....I felt the Bernina is a rip-off...women ooh and ah over it to beat the band, but honestly....for the thousands of dollars and the fact that feet are $50.00 each and more...it is an advertising schmooze. Getting women to believe the Bernina is the best is just that...a schmooze! Viking and Singer are now made at the same manufacturing plant....Brother and Baby Lock are made by the same company, also. I have a stand alone embroidery machine by Janome...and I have a Babylock Serger (it's awesome)....and of all the machines I own..,.if I have a project....I go immediately to my Singer Quantum Stylist....it has the strength and the power and all the stitch designs I will ever need...it is much easier to program than the Brother...easier to thread than the Brother...is quieter than the Brother and when it cuts the thread it is MUCH quieter than the Brother and I cannot imagine a project other than sewing awning canvas that it can't do. If you are going to sew awning canvas, then get a mechanical machine...don't be fooled by the word COMMERCIAL....get a TRUE hardcore mechanical machine that doesn't do anything but sew straight stitches
1168455
This is a serger, so it has different special stitches for edge work... it won't have straight or zigzag stitch. There are tons of sewing machines that have up to 300 different types of stitches that sounds more what you might be looking for when you say you want an all purpose machine
1711825
I was new to sewing as well. As long as you read the instructions in the manual it is a very easy machine to use. Very easy to thread the needle, and I love the bobbin winding feature...I guess people don't like to sit down and actually read and learn about what they just bought... I had no sewing experience at all, and now I'm sewing like crazy!! Hope this helps... :)
106839
We have sewed multiple layers of fabric perfectly and we have sew some leather projects on this machine. Although I would not use this machine constantly to do leather or super thick layers
1789763
Yes, it is a good machine especially for a total beginner. Why? Because 1. It's not one of those toys going for $25.00 that breaks as soon as you plug it in, causes frustration and you end up quitting; and 2. Janome is one of the top 3 BEST sewing machine makers in the world. They stand behind their products and they do not disappoint. Very few Janomes end up in the repair shop. You want to start out with something simple so you can avoid confusion and learn the basics like I did. This machine is simple. If you have a good teacher (yeah, Youtube can be very helpful), follow the instruction manual, take your time and start with small simple projects you will do fine on this machine. This is why so many schools buy this very model for their sewing students in home ec class. This machine is white just like in the photo. It comes with a 5 pack of spare universal needles size 12 and maybe 6 spare bobbins. You should buy needles since you should change needles every project or every 4 hours of sewing time which ever comes first. Janome Brand, Organ or Schmetz flat shank are good. If you need more bobbins I would find a certified Janome dealer to buy from. Not all bobbins fit all machines. Do not use anything SINGER with this machine. And finally, make sure you buy from an authorized Janome dealer or the warranty will be void. Contact Janome for a list of dealers in your area. They have a website and FB page.
376865
Thanks for your question. Yes It is a great machine that will work on any light or even heavy duty work. Perfect for all your every day mending, and for any sewing projects.
320942
You can do free motion quilting. I've done large projects on it with great results! The machine is strong enough for quilting, but could be a bit tight of space for large projects like bedspreads.