A review of the Janome Easy-to-Use Sewing Machine in Lovely Lilac. The Easy-to-Use sewing machine was designed with beginners in mind!
Janome Easy-to-Use Sewing Machine
Janome says that these Easy-to-Use sewing machines come in fun colors for serious sewing! There are two things that caught my attention about this line of sewing machines.
- Fun colors – Lovely Lilac, Arctic Crystal, Blue Couture, Purple Majesty, Signature Charm, and Cat Fancy.
- Interior heavy-duty metal frame – Inside the plastic outer shell, there is a heavy-duty metal frame.
- Price – I know I said two things, but let’s make it three. If you live in the US, you can purchase any one of these Easy-to-Use machines for under $150 (excluding taxes and shipping, of course).
Video
Watch as I unbox the Janome Lovely Lilac Easy-to-Use Sewing Machine!
Features
- 15 built-in stitches (see below)
- four-step buttonhole
- stitch selector dial
- stitch length dial
- thread tension dial
- two retractable vertical spool pins
- reverse stitch button (lever)
- darning plate
- seam guide lines
- three piece feed dogs
- front loading bobbin
- removable storage compartment that converts machine into a free arm
- free arm
- full-size sewing machine
- 6.2″ wide throat space and 4.2″ high
- machine measures 16″Wx12″H
- weighs 13 lbs
- two position presser foot
- snap-on presser foot
- carrying handle
- 5mm maximum stitch width
- 4mm maximum stitch length
- available in 7 fun colors, including Cat Fancy (uhm, any cat lovers out there??)
Feature: 15 Built-In Stitches
Let’s take a look at each of the stitches and the recommended presser foot, thread tension and stitch length for each.
- straight stitch
- pattern selector: A or B
- presser foot: zigzag foot
- thread tension: 2-6
- stitch length: 1.5-4
- zigzag stitch
- pattern selector: C
- presser foot: zigzag foot
- thread tension: 2-5
- stitch length: 0.5-4
- tricot stitch
- pattern selector: D
- presser foot: zigzag foot
- thread tension: 1-4
- stitch length 0.5-4
- knit stitch
- pattern selector: G
- presser foot: zigzag foot
- thread tension: 1-4
- stitch length: S.S. (stretch stitch)
- rick-rack stretch
- pattern selector: C
- presser foot: zigzag foot
- thread tension: 2-6
- stitch length: S.S.
- straight stretch
- pattern selector: A or B
- presser foot: zigzag foot
- thread tension: 2-6
- stitch length: S.S.
- buttons
- pattern selector: C
- presser foot: zigzag foot
- thread tension: 3-7
- stitch length: any
- darning plate
- buttonhole
- pattern selector: 1, 4 2, 3 (BH)
- presser foot: sliding buttonhole foot
- thread tension: 1-5
- stitch length: 0-1
- zipper
- pattern selector: A
- presser foot: zipper foot
- thread tension: 2-6
- stitch length: 1.5-4
- blind hem stitch
- pattern selector E or F
- presser foot: blind hem foot
- thread tension: 1-3
- stitch length: 1-3
- shell tuck
- pattern selector: G
- presser foot: zigzag foot
- thread tension: 6-8
- stitch length: 2-3
- smocking
- pattern selector: D
- presser foot: zigzag foot
- thread tension: 1-4
- stitch length: S.S.
- applique
- pattern selector: C
- presser foot: zigzag foot
- thread tension: 1-4
- stitch length: 0.5-1
- stretch stitch
- pattern selector: A-G
- presser foot: zigzag foot
- thread tension: 1-4
- stitch length: S.S.
I know that’s only 14, but there are seven different stretch stitch settings (A-G). I’m not sure what they consider the 15th stitch.
A Couple Features Worth Mentioning
Two Position Presser Foot
When I read the description about the Easy-to-Use machines having the ability to raise the presser foot to a higher position, I was excited. And then when I actually used the machine, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting.
Let me explain.
On my Janome 8200, it has an “extra lifted position” which allows you to raise the presser foot higher than the normal lifted position. I was expecting the Easy-to-Use to have a similar feature. It kind of does and yet it doesn’t.
What it does is that you can raise the presser foot slightly higher than the lifted position. However, the foot does not stay in this position. It’s only in the higher position for as long as you hold it in that position. Make sense?
So, it’s really nice that it has a “higher position”. It’s great for when you have thicker fabric or zippers to place under or remove from under the presser foot. So, it’s a nice feature, just not what I was expecting. But, now I know!
Darning Plate / Dropping the Feed Dogs
Some sewing machines have the ability for you to “drop the feed dogs”. This disengages the feed dogs so that the fabric is not pulled under the presser foot. It’s great for when you want to use your machine to stitch a button or free motion quilting.
The Easy-to-Use machines don’t have the ability to drop the feed dogs. But, it does come with a plastic darning plate that simply sits on top of the existing needle plate.
There are no screws to remove or insert. There are three little pins on the bottom of the plastic darning plate that fit into corresponding holes in the metal needle plate.
I don’t know that it holds the darning plate in place secure enough to use with free motion quilting as I haven’t tried that yet. But, I’ll update this post when I try it. I guess you could always use painter’s tape or washi tape to help secure the darning plate in place if you’re concerned about it becoming loose.
What is Included with the Janome Easy-to-Use Machine / aka What’s In the Box?
- sewing machine
- foot control
- three bobbins
- seam ripper
- three machine needles
- sliding buttonhole foot
- blind hem foot
- zipper foot
- darning plate
- instruction book
- Ready-Set-Sew pamphlet (quick start guide)
- warranty card
What does all this mean?
So, I told you about the three things that caught my attention, the features, and all the different stitches. But, what does all that mean and why should you consider buying the Janome Easy-to-Use sewing machine?
- Price
At less than $150, this price is definitely budget friendly! - Interior Metal Design
- I haven’t actually taken the plastic cover off my machine and verified the construction of the machine, but Janome says the interior contains a heavy-duty metal frame.
- In my test sewing, and I tried on different thicknesses of material and different speeds, I didn’t experience the machine “bouncing across the table”.
- So, in my opinion, one of the best benefits of having a “heavy-duty metal frame” is the durability and stability of the machine.
- Beginner Friendly
- The Easy-to-Use sewing machine is considered a beginner friendly sewing machine that you can grow into.
- It can handle home decor, apparel, quilting, and heirloom sewing!
- You can sew straight stitches, zig zag stitches, buttonholes, and buttons.
- If you’re just learning or wanting to learn how to sew, this is a great little sewing machine!
Where to Buy a Janome Easy-to-Use Sewing Machine
Janome says these machines are available for purchase from:
They may also be available for purchase from your local authorized Janome retailer or your favorite fabric/quilt shop.
My Opinion
Let me be clear, this is NOT a sponsored post. I was not provided anything in exchange for sharing with you about the Easy-to-Use sewing machine from Janome. All information and opinions expressed are 100% my own unless otherwise stated (like the heavy-duty interior metal frame claimed by Janome).
So, I agree with Janome. I think it’s a fun and practical beginner friendly sewing machine. It has a few more features than a basic or less expensive machine. And I do think it’s a great little machine for the price!
I think this is a machine worth purchasing if:
- you are a beginner sewist
- you want to learn to sew, but don’t want to invest a lot of money in a machine
- price is important
- want features you can grow with
- need a second or smaller machine to travel with (like taking to quilt guilds)
- or you like fun colors
Questions?
If you have questions about the features, functionality or have problems with your Easy-to-Use sewing machine, feel free to leave a comment below. I’ll be glad to help where I can.
You can also learn more about this series of sewing machines on the Janome website.
Join the Sewing is Fun Facebook Group!
And I’ve shared the PDF version of the manual and sewing reference cards on the Sewing is Fun Facebook Group. Please come join the fun on Facebook, if you’re not a member already! CLICK HERE or on the below image to go the the Sewing is Fun Facebook Group page.
More Sewing Ideas
If you enjoyed learning about the Janome Easy-to-Use sewing machine, then you might also like these other sewing ideas from Hooked on Sewing:
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