My Janome Skyline S7

Most of my weekend has been spent getting to know my new Janome Skyline S7, so I thought I’d share a bit about what I like about this machine so far. I still have much to learn, but I have tested it quite a bit this weekend.

This is the first machine I’ve ever picked out and purchased on my own. All the other machines I have were gifts from my mom, except for the little toy sewing machine I own, which was a gift from my daughter. It’s kind of like buying my first car!

This is a hefty machine, weighing 24 pounds. I used to slide my little Janome around on the table when I needed space to work. I won’t be doing that with this one. It stays put.

At 19″ x 12.5″ x 9.25″, it has a nice wide bed as well as a much longer harp than I’ve been used to working on. This weekend I’ve worked on two baby quilts, two mini quilts, and a bag and the bed and harp made finishing these projects so much easier. There was plenty of room to move and shift the fabric as I was sewing.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Thread Cutters – The thread is automatically cut at the touch of a button when you finish sewing. I am completely spoiled by that feature already. The thread tails are so much smaller, I’m already l saving thread with this feature. There are also three other thread cutters well-placed in this machine: by the bobbin winder, in the bobbin compartment, and by the needle threader.

Lighting – The lighting on the workspace of the machine is very good. I can easily see what I am sewing. I still have one other task light off to my side, more for the work I do when not using the machine.

Bobbin Winder – As silly as it is, I love the bobbin winder. It is easy to use and it is so quiet (and there’s that nifty thread cutter).

Storage – There is ample storage for the 11 feet and other accessories.

AcuFeed Flex – This was one of the reasons I went with this machine, so I’ve been eager to give it a try. I used it to quilt and bind two mini quilts. It feeds the fabric and batting through evenly with no puckering. None. No skewed corners. In addition to the dual feed, there’s also a “pivot” button feature. When you stop sewing the foot lifts up about halfway with the needle down, so you can pivot corners easily while binding. It’s a great feature.

Needle Threader – I have a needle threader on my other Janome, but I hardly used it because it never worked that well. On this machine, however, it works easily and consistently.

Free Arm – Like other Janome machines, part of the bed detaches, leaving a free arm that is useful when sewing bags, sleeves on garments, etc.

It came in handy when I worked on this market bag this weekend.

This bag is lined with a fairly stiff pellon and the machine handled it beautifully. If you want to see more about this bag, you can read my post about it here.

So there’s a little peek into what I am enjoying as I get to know my new machine. I have quite a bit left to learn, with 11 feet, 91 needle positions and 240 stitches. That should keep me occupied for awhile. I’m sure most of what I’ve commented on is basic in the newer machines, but it’s all new and fun to me!

Linking up today for Main Crush Monday with Beth at Cooking Up Quilts. 

Wendy