Janome JW8100 Sewing Machine Review

I had the opportunity to review a Janome JW8100 Sewing Machine recently and I found it to be a wonderful, computerized machine!  The technological revolution has made it to the sewing industry, and basic machines no longer cut it. Unfortunately, most computerized sewing machines are usually very costly.  This one is only $370!

It's one of the most affordable computerized machines I've come across and works great for both beginners and experts. Here's the specifications:

The Janome JW8100 has all the benefits of a computerized sewing machine but is beginner-friendly. It’s entry-level and has a lot of features compared to mechanical models, but it doesn’t have so many gadgets and options that you get overwhelmed.

It only weighs 12.7 lbs and measures 16 x 7 x 12 inches. This makes it easily portable. It has a digital LCD screen that displays important details such as the width & length of the stitches, the type of stitch being used, and the recommended foot.

It’s hard to find a stitch that isn’t included in the Janome JW8100 sewing machine because it has 100 built-in stitches! They are divided as follows:

Heirloom style stitches: 27

Basic and fashion stitches: 20

Quilting stitches: 18

Button holes: 7

Home decor: 28

The machine comes with a stitch chart which means you don't have to keep checking the manual every time you need to change a stitch. This feature is so handy. You can, however, remove it if you don’t need the chart.

 Janome JW8100 has an automatic needle threader. You can see it in the photo above, it's easy to use! It comes with a detachable table to extend your working area and has a free arm when you remove the storage compartment.

Here are the accessories that are included with the machine.  There is a cute little pin cushion you can place on top of the machine while you're sewing!  And there are additional feet available for the machine, which you can order by going to the Janome website or any online quilt shop that sells Janome.

Some of the features that make this sewing machine easy to use include:

Start/stop button: this feature allows you to use the machine without pressing on the foot pedal.

Locking stitch button: this button ties off the thread ends which means that you don’t have to backstitch so you can lock seams.

Easy reverse button: you should use this feature when you’re securing seams by backstitching.

Other buttons include the drop feed to control the speed and direction of the fabric when you’re using free motion.

All in all, this is a fabulous machine for only $370!

Embroidery Machine Upgrade

 I decided to upgrade to another embroidery machine with a larger hoop size.  I bought a Janome Memory Craft 500E embroidery only machine.  I've been getting to know it the last couple days and I really like this machine!  The largest hoop size is 8"x 11".  I have a couple projects to work on after the Christmas rush is over and both have larger embroidery designs in them.  Here is one of the designs, a double hooping creates this design:

I also worked on two quilt labels for a customer and I am very impressed with the quality of the stitching.  I made a good decision getting this machine.

 

Update: January 10, 2025

I finished the top!  Here's the photo... it still needs to be longarmed.  I am getting back into the swing of things after taking a 4 week break from my longarming business.  I do this every year after the Christmas rush is over and I spend the time piecing and sewing for myself.  I'm impressed with the digitizing on this design.  It doesn't look like it was machine embroidered, it actually has a hand embroidered look.  The person who digitized it didn't use a running stitch but rather a tiny zigzag like stitch.  The name of the kit is Snow Happens.