I made room on my desk then pulled my new Janome sewing machine out of the box. I barely had to read the directions but was glad I did when I saw the extra spool pin that can be used to wind a bobbin without taking the tread out of the machine.
I’d never seen that before, it was a nice surprise.
I did a few practice runs then pulled out a bag of tiny old fabric scraps and muslin to work with.
I knew working small would slow me down. That would give me a chance to get to know my new machine. Because as simple as it is, it still takes getting used to.
I haven’t worked on a mechanical machine in years. So it took me some time to figure out the right amount of pressure to put on the foot pedal. My other sewing machines both have a speed button along with varying pressure on the foot pedal.
I also had to get used to raising and lowering the pressure foot manually. And the self-threader is easier to use than my Viking but not as easy as my Brother. There’s not even the option of an automatic thread cutter.
But it really didn’t take long for me to make the adjustments. I guess it’s like riding a bike. I hadn’t forgotten what I learned when I first started sewing and had been doing for years before getting my computerized machines.
Unlike my old Singer, which chugs along, my new machine has speed and power. Can a machine be grounded? Because that’s how this one feels. It’s solid and purposeful. And it sounds as good as it feels.
I was thinking of getting an extension platform for it, but I think I’ll wait on that. I’ll make a quilt first and see how it feels without.
I can’t wait to use it again tomorrow.
