7 Best Sewing Machine Features Ever

Janome Memory Craft 6500 P - not my machine but close

We all love our sewing machines. Aren’t they just wonderful? I learned to sew on my grandmother’s Kenmore, it was black iron and very heavy. It had few features that I remember except a thigh paddle that made it go, and boy did it go. It was heavy duty and would sew anything, what a great machine that was.

Many of today’s machines aren’t heavy duty but we have the luxury of having tons of features and computerized settings that make it easier to create professional looking garments.

Here are the features I love the most on my Janome Memory Craft 6600 Pro. What are your fav features?

1. Needle threader – need I say more? I really don’t know how I would function without this feature. As I get older, it gets harder and harder to see tiny things. Whoever thought of this was a genius.

2. Adjustable foot pressure – on my machine this is a knob that I have to turn and it’s tight, so it’s not the easiest thing to do. That being said, my old machine doesn’t adjust at all and when you sew purses or home dec,even pants and jeans, this feature saves a lot of broken needles.

3. Speed control – I use this more often than I thought I would. Most of the time it’s on full speed but if I have a delicate area or if I’m sewing an area that is bunched or has a lot of fabric, slowing down really helps. Moving this adjustment helps me keep an even pace when I need to slow down.

4. Easy change presser feet – I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the low shank presser feet that attach with what I refer to as “crow’s feet”. It makes it so easy to go from one foot to the other and saves so much time. I find I change feet for everything without even thinking and my top-stitching and other seams turn out nicer for it.

5. Table to make a flat sewing surface – my Janome came with a little table that wraps around the machine so I have a large surface when sewing. It is fabulous, especially when sewing large bags, home dec, or even a large garment.

6. Built in walking foot – now I know this is a luxury and I don’t even need it because I have a walking foot that attaches but since my new machine has one built-in, I’ve started loving it. I still have to change the shank and presser foot, so it’s still kind of a pain to use, but since it’s built-in it just seems to work better.

7. Needle up / down button – I grew up having to turn the wheel to move the needle up or down, but pushing a button gives you the ability to use both hands to position your piece. This really comes in handy when working with gathers or tight corners. I really have come to depend on it.

What are the favorite features on your sewing machine?  Post a comment below or go over to my Facebook page and post there.

Until later!

Reba