A couple of months ago I purchased a
Janome MC8900 from my local sewing machine store, Moye's in Savannah. I had started out to purchase the 7700, but my dealer bumped me up to the 8900 and gave me a great price on it! They retail for $4400, but I paid about half that. It's a long story, and unusual, so plan on paying at least $4k for one! I love mine so much that I named it after a lady I truly respect, whose quilting, sewing, and crafty heredity has been passed on to me, my Grandma Bernadine. I just leave out the Grandma part, cause she's still very young. :)
The MC8900 is a real workhorse, geared toward people like me that do A LOT of quilting and sewing. It has over 11" of space to the right of the needle that provides plenty of room to roll up a king size quilt and finish it on a home machine. This machine is loaded with features from its 9mm stitch width and over 250 different types of stitches to its ability to change needle plates with the push of a button, auto tension, knee lift, 1000 stitches per minute, Accufeed flex (for those stubborn thick projects like jeans and 2" batting!), and so much more.
I have used my Janome for more than 4 months and I have had it tangle up on me one time. That's compared to my Brother hybrid (SE400) that I bought a little over a year ago that tangled up so much I became a machine repair expert! The tangle was actually caused from me not pulling the needle thread out to start sewing and I really knew better. I have finished everything from a twin to a queen size quilt on this without any problems. I am no longer afraid to do double sided t-shirt quilts with free motion embroidery. Even my stippling, which uses many different directional changes and can be hard on a machine, has come out beautifully every time with very little effort. This machine is truly made for quilting. I love my Janome and even with 4 months I have not had a chance to use everything that it offers. I am currently working on a log cabin block quilt made from jeans, t-shirts, and dress shirts. I have an order for a KitchenAid cover that will employ many other features of this machine. I'm looking forward to a long and happy relationship!
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| Full size quilt completed on Janome MC8900 |
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| Stippling |
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| Double Sided Full Size Quilt on Janome 8900 |
So if you're looking for a high quality machine that is worth the money, I recommend the 8900. Janome also makes a hybrid sewing and embroidery machine, the MC9900 for those of you that want the best of both worlds. I do not own nor have I had the pleasure of using one (YET!), but you should check them out at your local dealer.
Welcome to the world of Janome! I've had my 8900 for 3-1/2 months now and really love it! Having already had 2 Janome smaller machines, I knew it would be a good investment, and I was right! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI could not agree more on the Janome brand sewing machines!! I have the 7700 and I LOVE IT so much. Lots of quilting dynamics to this machine!!! Extra large table is amazing to work on as well!
ReplyDeleteYes, I can't believe I forgot to mention that. Mine hardly ever comes off unless I'm sewing sleeves or something. I love that thing.
DeleteI took the plunge at the Lancaster quilt show in March when I stopped by the Janome booth. I named my new machine Fancy Nancy, after the saleswoman Nancy. I'm anxious to quilt and bind the patchwork top I'm working on right now. I have a long history with Kenmore sewing machine, which I knew Janome produced to Sears' specifications. So I knew the real thing with all its bells and whistles would make me happy.
ReplyDeleteBefore my Janomes (I also own a serger bought about 3 years ago) I was hard core Singer. My mom owned a 1957 model that I learned to sew on. I had one for about 8 years before it quit working, but it was a work horse as well. I also own a 1918 Singer treadle machine that I've slowly been refurbishing, so I didn't think I'd love something nearly as much. However, I'm totally sold on the Janome. I will be looking to upgrade my embroidery machine in the next year or so and will look exclusively at what Janome has to offer - keeping that 9900 in the forefront! :)
ReplyDeleteI got my Janome 8900 in Feb as a valentine's gift...and i'm enjoying playing with iy..
ReplyDeleteI just got my Janome 8900 a week ago and found that the accufeed works great when piecing and joining bulky intersections. I marked the 1/4" on my needle plate with the Guidelines 4 Quilting seam guide. This foot prevents the skewing to the side I used to get when sewing over these bulky places. Also, my underneath seam allowances don't bunch up! I'm still experimenting with stippling and can't get super even stitches underneath but I think it's my lack of controlled movement. Do you use that blue dot bobbin for lower tension or is this machine supposed to be set lower when chosing the quilting option? I have lots of questions as I currently live in Sweden and have zero support from the place I purchased the machine from. Fortunately the manual is pretty clear! Do you use the Super Slider? Well, it sounds like I'm looking for the magic accessory for great fmq but I know it's mostly a matter of practicing.
ReplyDeleteSorry it took a few days to reply Giselle! Been very busy keeping my Janome going making mixer covers. For the 1/4" I just use the 1/4" foot provided and set it for D95, which is a quick set button on the front, but I can see where you'd need to mark it when using the Accufeed foot. Janome makes them pretty clear on the plate, but there are time when the material covers the marks! Good idea. I have used the default auto and 5 tensions for quilting. I've honestly never heard of a blue dot bobbin and have always used the regular ones. On my last cover, though, I had to dial the tension down to 4. I don't use the super slider - only because I don't have one - yet. FMQ is a lot of practice and I find it helps to get some good templates and pounce chalk to follow lines until you get the hang of it! Good luck on learning the ins and outs of your machine and FMQ.
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