Today my youngest and I are excited to share our review of the Janome New Home Pink Sorbet sewing machine. We’re answering the question – Is the Pink Sorbet a good kids’ machine?
This post is sponsored by Janome Canada. I am a Janome Artisan and have been using Janome machines for many years – before they started sponsoring me. I love their machines and only recommend what I truly love. Thanks for reading!
First off – Unboxing this machine with my daughter was so much fun. She is so EXTRA *lol* – and was thrilled to open every package of accessories and see all the parts of the machine. Opening the bobbin case and removing the free arm. Peeking into every part of it, figuring out where the light above the needle came from. (Making sure to get out her handmade the sewing supplies and apron first!)
Normally I sew on a Janome Skyline S9 – an on-loan combination sewing and embroidery machine. I also own a Janome 2030 QDC machine. My daughter loves to sew as well and the bigger “fancier” machines sometimes feel like a lot for her to handle on her own.
Janome gave us the chance to check this one out and I’ll be reviewing this “Colourful Series” Pink Sorbet machine with kids in mind.
The Short(er) story:
This is a great beginner machine. I love Janome because they include diagrams for inserting the bobbin, easy bobbin filling locations and simple-to-thread machines. This one is no different.
It will grow with your child! As per Janome’s usual they have included so many accessories – perfect for a beginner to comfortable home sewer and allows your child to explore options beyond a straight and zigzag stitch, once they master those.
Lots of extras. This machine includes a zipper foot, buttonhole foot, and blind hemming foot. It also has four bonus feet I would have loved to have when I just started out – a gathering foot, 3-way cording foot, rolled hem foot and gathering foot.
Lots of stitches. This machine goes beyond straight and zig-zag, there are multiple stretch stitches for sewing knits and it even allows you to sew on buttons with an included darning plate.
It feels sturdy and is a great weight. This machine is easy to lift, but weights enough to be sturdy and stay in place while you are sewing.
My REVIEW: In general, I love that this machine is beginner-enough to allow your child to sew on their own, yet has enough features and included feet to let them explore and learn for many years. It is a great first machine that will grow with them until they are ready to invest in their own machine.
Kids aside, it is also great for a home sewist who would like to be able to do simple sewing tasks like mending, tailoring, and hemming – using those included feet! It is also great for simple quilt piecing, as you can see in this review by Ginger Quilts.
The Long(er) Story:
Once the machine was unboxed, we filled the bobbin, threaded the machine and inserted the bobbin. Since it lives in a fun bobbin case behind the free arm, my daughter made a very-8-year-old-esque unprompted tutorial video on how to install the bobbin for you all. It is not without its technical faults (read, check your manual too!) but it’s a good gauge for how simple it is to use the bobbin case! To test the machine, we decided to sew a simple drawstring backpack to take on our upcoming beach vacation. She chose all of the fabrics and the zipper colour and I sewed it on the Pink Sorbet machine. This included her specific instructions to use yellow thread in the bobbin and blue on the spool – this is her bag! The machine is very simple to use. It did everything I needed and the foot pedal is very responsive with a good speed. I got to use the zipper foot, free arm and (as usual, my fault!) I did get to test that the included seam ripper worked as well. *lol* She used the machine after school to sew a visual of the available stitches and was excited to try the bonus gathering foot as well. It was right before dinner, or we would have spent a lot more time playing with that one! Courtesy of Daylight Savings time – you get fun, darkish photos of her using the machine.
Summary:
Is the Janome Pink Sorbet a good kids’ machine? Yes, this is a great sewing machine for kids! My more detailed product review is above in the Short(er) story… But, as you can probably already tell we really like this machine. It’s cute and colourful and also really robust and ready for any beginner sewist to learn on. It has tons of stitches and accessories to allow for learning without the “stumbling block” of having to buy more feet to accomplish the latest tutorial you wanted to try. Hope that helps you make your decision! Let me know if you have any questions. I’d love to help answer them!
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Check it out! This is my awesome new sewing shirt, with an added side zipper (a new tutorial!) to make it fancy. Plus, it’s this sewing nerd’s most fun thing to do to wear my hobby. #youknowit
Today’s tutorial will show you how to add a side zipper to a garment with a side seam. (Yes – the bottom of pants too!) I used my trusty Union St tee pattern as a base for the embroidery and zipper. This will be my 5th I think!
This post is sponsored by Janome Canada. I am a Janome Artisan and have been loaned a Janome Skyline S9 sewing and embroidery combination machine as part of this program.
To sew the zipper, I used the Janome twin Dual Feed holder with the AD twin foot. My zipper was flat enough to topstitch it without using a zipper foot! This foot hooks into the AcuFeed system in the Skyline S9 to feed the top and bottom fabric layers through your machine at the same rate – creating amazingly flat and accurate seams, especially when sewing knits and quilting.
Embroidering on the Skyline S9 is an amazing bonus! I’ve wanted to put this saying on something for a long time and I was thrilled to be able to design and execute my very own embroidered sewing shirt. Guess how many other things I want to embroider this on now? #lol #embroiderallthethings #andsewonandsewforth
Thanks for reading Thread Riding Hood. Don’t miss a post – come #alongforthreadride!
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How to Add a Side Zipper to any Seam!
You will need:
Pattern and supplies for a knit garment with a side seam
Ballpoint needle (for sewing knits)
Zipper (in your desired length)
Fusible Interfacing scraps
Removable Marking Pen
Sewing Machine and Supplies
Optional: Serger
Prepare the garment
Sew your garment, according to the instructions, until you reach the step requiring you to stitch the seam where you’d like to add your zipper.
Mark where the garment’s hem will finish on the seam you’d like your zipper. My hem is 1″ deep.
Place the bottom zipper teeth at the hem mark. With the slider open and away from the hem, mark just above the zipper stop.
Measure from the bottom of the fabric to the top mark and add 1″. Cut 2 pieces of interfacing 1″ wide by your measured length.
Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric on each marked edge.
Stitch the Seam
Stitch the seam as per your instructions, stopping at the top mark. Press sewn seam allowances open or towards the back. NOTE: If serging, stop 2″ above the mark and stitch to the mark with a sewing machine. This allows the zipper area seam allowances to be pressed open.
Draw a line on the back of your zipper just under the zipper stop. Also, mark two lines on either side about 1/4″ from the center of the zipper teeth. Place the zipper right sides together with the sewn seam (over the unsewn area) with the zipper slider away from the hem and the zipper stop along the previous zipper stop marking (shown here in blue). It is very important that the zipper teeth are well centered along the side seam!
Sew along the marked line on the zipper from one 1/4″ marking to the area. Don’t worry that the zipper seems oddly placed, this will all work out!
Turn the garment wrong side up and open the seam allowances. Mark two 45 degree lines from the center opening to the edges of the line you just sewed. Cut along these marks being careful not to cut through or past the stitches.
Finish the Zipper
Press each interfaced seam back 1/2″. Fuse or glue them down if desired.
Fold the excess zipper tape on each side of the bottom of the zipper to the wrong side at a 45-degree angle (left in photo), and then fold it up and out of the way (right in photo). Baste each side in place.
Lay the shirt right side up on a flat surface. Pull the zipper down from the wrong side of the shirt until the zipper slider near the shirt hem. Align each folded side seam evenly on top of the zipper tape. Glue or pin in place.
Topstitch around the zipper about 1/8″ away from the folded edges. Start at the bottom of one side seam and stitch around to the other side seam, pivoting at each corner.
Finish the garment
Finish the shirt as per the instructions. When hemming, make sure the hemline and stitching match on both sides of the zipper for a professional finish.
Congratulations, you’ve sewn a Side Zipper!
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Sewing Machine: Janome Skyline S9 (on loan from Janome Canada as part of their Artisan program)
Last summer my kids went to sleep away camp for the first time. I was a bit nervous leaving them for an entire week, since they were 6 and 9 years old, so – being a sewist mom – I decided to make them a project.
Each of my girls received a personalized pillowcase with a glow-in-the-dark secret message. Every night when they went to sleep, the glowing message would say goodnight and that mom and dad love them. Made me feel much better!
This post is sponsored by Janome Canada. I am a Janome Artisan and have been loaned a Janome Skyline S9 sewing and embroidery combination machine as part of this program.
Today’s tutorial shows you how to incorporate a glow-in-the-dark message using a sewing machine with an alphabet function. (P.S. If you don’t have one, consider using the glowing thread to hand-embroider a message instead!) I added some embroidery as well since the Janome Skyline S9 can do that too!
There are so many uses for these pillowcases. Make one for….
a unique gift for your grandkids
a child in the hospital
your hubby while you are away traveling on business
a child who is scared of the dark
a fun surprise!
My lovely blog sponsor, Country Clothesline, provided the fabrics for this pillowcase. They have a gorgeous selection of fresh and pretty fabrics in her shop – think picnics and country gardens. My kids are debating who gets to use this pillowcase first as we speak! (Find links to the fabrics at the bottom of this post.)
It is best to follow your chosen tutorial, but, as a gauge – here are the measurements I used to cut fabric for my pillowcase. Each of these is cut across the width of the fabric from selvage to selvage – generally, this is about 42″-44″.
11″ band
2″ wide accent strip (will be folded in half)
27″ main fabric
STEP 1: Make the Accent Strip with Your Secret Message
Fold the accent strip in half and press. Add a 1″ wide piece of stabilizer to one half of it. This will be where you will place your glow-in-the-dark message.
Program the message into your machine. The Skyline S9 allows you to check your work, do it if you can to make sure there aren’t any spelling mistakes.
Measure the height of your text and draw a baseline with a removable marking device. Check which way the text will face as you stitch and align the baseline so the text is right side up above the fold of the accent strip. If you are centering the text on the strip, allow for a 1/4″ seam allowance at the top of the accent strip.
IMPORTANT: Press your accent strip well before you embroider on it! You CAN NOT press the glow-in-the-dark embroidery thread with the same heat you use to press the cotton fabric because it will melt. (Don’t ask me how I know, blergh.)
Use the baseline as a guide and stitch the message, starting about 1″ into the strip to allow for the pillowcase seam allowance. Continue repeating your message until you reach about 1″ from the other end of the strip.
Remove the spacing threads between the letters if desired.
Re-fold the strip. (Do not press on high heat! Test your “synthetic” setting and use a press cloth if you really want to iron it.)
STEP 2: Embroider the Pillowcase
When centering embroidery, make sure to take seam allowances and folds into account. Embroidery centered on the top front band will appear on 1/4 of the band fabric. (see photo)
Place stabilizer underneath and hoop your project.
I used two rose designs included with the Janome AcuDesign app and changed the colours to use similar colours to the fabric so I could envision the final product.
The AcuSetter app allowed me to send the design placements over WIFI to the Skyline S9, so the rose and the two vine sections would match up.
Embroider the pillowcase band as desired.
Step 3: Finish Making the Pillowcase
Follow your desired tutorial to finish the pillowcase. Insert the accent strip between the main and band fabric with the lettering facing the band fabric when sewing them together.
I used a french seam to enclose the raw edges of the pillowcase so they won’t fray.
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Thanks for reading Thread Riding Hood. Don’t miss a post – come #alongforthreadride!
And what is that you ask? It’s another purse… (insert down-looking bright-cheeked emoji here, lol) Yup – of course, I needed another one after my long-wearing Chobe was finally looking a bit worse for wear.
Wanting, of course, to try something new I landed on the Boronia Bowler Bag pattern from Blue Calla. The shape was similar to many of the Coach and Kate Spade purses I’ve been seeing around, which was nice as I always aim to make things as professional as I can, so they don’t look handmade.
I took this bag to the Creativ Festival a few weeks ago and it was met with lots of interest. Everyone was especially impressed by the side gussets that hold all of your things in when the zippers are open. Very convenient! (You can see what I added to my fabric stash on Instagram.) I was able to visit the Janome booth and show them as well since I sewed the entire bag using my on-loan Skyline S9 machine.
Things I love:
The shape. The double zipper allows the bag to open up fully so you can actually find the things at the bottom of your purse.
The hardware. It’s so pretty! All of the hardware and the zipper were brought from Emmaline Bags. Online shipping is the best! I love the handmade tag and the purse feet make it all very professional.
A simple sew. It was a fairly simple bag to make with a few things that took a little bit more time. It was not very fast – but making a good bag shouldn’t be. The construction was simple and easy to put together.
Adding the selvage edge to the inside bottom of the purse – Have I mentioned that I love sewing?!
Things I changed:
My sewing machine was needing a trip to the spa (read: a good cleaning!) so it was having trouble top-stitching consistently through many layers of vinyl for the handles. I added a fabric layer to the back – which looks super cool! And I also added fabric tabs on the ends of the handles to finish them. This made the handles thinner and so much easier to sew.
Things I’d change next time:
In my opinion, the double straps should be at least 2, maybe 3 inches longer. I find they are very close to my armpit and am worried that heat mixed with sleeveless summer shirts will create trouble and a sweaty purse. They also barely fit over my winter jacket. I did make the removable crossbody length strap because I like the shoulder-free option and I use it that way the most.
The bottom contrast piece does not have finished edges. I am finding the faux vinyl frays on the edges and it’s not wearing super well. I’d maybe use real leather or add a facing so the edges are finished.
Hope that helps if you’re thinking about making this bag. I really, really love mine and already have a fun Artisan project with Janome Canada planned for later this year with it. ‘Cuz, of course, I need another one!
Have you made a purse or bag? Which pattern should I try next?!
Last September I thought I’d up my jeans game. I have a pair that was getting very ripped and torn. Though I love this style, I don’t love that my pasty-white (and honestly, under-moisturized, #sorrynotsorrry) skin shows through so much.
Move forward about seven months (eep!) and I finally got back around to the project this week. Thankfully it is also very slowly becoming spring here in Toronto, and wearing these pants is becoming more viable by the day due to the climb in temperature!
I recently discovered a thing called water-soluble stabilizer, and since Janome Canada was nice enough to loan me a Skyline S9 with embroidery capabilities (part of their Artisan program, in fall of 2016) I was in a position to use it to produce fun embroidered lace. Perfect to cover up, but not cover up, that skin!
It has become trendy – and I think, necessary – to mend and re-use clothing more often than purchasing new, and this is a great way to do it. I wrote about using visible mending to spruce up my favorite jeans a few years ago. And I’ve been trying to be more careful with my garment projects, so I produce things I’ll actually wear – in fabrics that will last over time.
How to Visibly Mend and Embellish your Ripped Jeans
My main focus here was to use the fun water-soluble stabilizer and a Janome Skyline S9 embroidery machine to show you what it can do. (#spoileralert) It can do a lot!
Hold on… if you don’t have an embroidery machine… you can still fix up your jeans! I’ve also added fabric, lace and hand embroidery to embellish the jeans even more… You can also reference my quick how-to jeans visible mending overview for more ideas.
How to make Embroidered Lace in 6 Steps:
Step 1: Press your Pants!
Press the area on your jeans that you’d like to fill to flatten any stray threads. Use a ruler and measure the general size of the hole. This is the size your embroidery needs to be. (TIP: Try the jeans on if they are stretchy, to ensure you have the hole the correct size.)
Step 2: Choose your Embroidery Design
My final design was part of a much larger file that came with the Janome Skyline S9. You will need a “Water Soluble Lace” specific file or the threads will not hold together when you remove the stabilizer.
I used Janome’s AcuDesign app to edit the file and make it a bit smaller. It was so easy to edit it! Though it did take a while to delete all the unnecessary points.
Geeky aside: I sent the file back to the Skyline S9 over the my WIFI connection. So easy! And it makes my techie brain happy.
Step 3: Prep your Stabilizer
My Solvy stabilizer said to press a few sheets together between a press cloth to make a thick enough stabilizer. Follow your water soluble stabilizer manufacturer’s directions. Make the piece large enough to fit in your machine’s embroidery hoop!
Step 4: Choose your Thread
I chose to make this entire embroidery file in cream coloured thread. Make up a bobbin and thread your machine.
TIP: The bobbin and thread should be the same colour, since the back may show on the final lace!
Step 5: Embroider
I positioned my file using the uber-easy and accurate AcuSetter app on my loaned iPad mini. It is free and makes it so simple to put your embroidery where you want it. (More on how to use the AcuSetter app here.) In this case, I moved the design to the side so I could embroider a few more things in the valuable left-over space.
Start the machine and embroider your lace.
As a side note, more playing around with the water-soluble stabilizer led me to make these butterflies for my littles. The embroidery file is included with the Skyline S9 – and the girls love them.
How to Embellish Your Jeans in 4 Steps:
Step 1: Gather your supplies
Gather your supplies. I wanted these jeans to have a neutral colour scheme – so I selected lots of cream from my stash. You could use coloured fabric of course, including all of your favorite hoarded scraps.
ripped jeans
embroidered lace
pretty fabric scraps (prewashed/preshrunk)
hand-sewing needle and thread
sewing machine and your usual sewing supplies
Step 2: Put your jeans on!
If your jeans are stretchy, you will need to pin the fabric on while the jeans are stretched and on your body. That way they’ll fit when you are finished. #nobrainer
Step 3: Pin on the Fabric and Embroidery
With your jeans ON, pin the embroidered lace over and/or under the appropriate rip(s).
Measure, cut and pin additional pieces of fabric that fit over the other ripped portions of your jeans. Place them under the holes, flatten them out and pin them on carefully – watch out for your skin! (P.S. If this seems like a terrible idea, ie: OUCH!, pin the fabric on flat, then try the jeans on to make sure they still fit.)
TIP: If you are using a woven fabric, it is a good idea to take a second to zig-zag, overlock or use pinking shears on the edges so they will not fray. I finished these edges using the Overedge foot M and an overcasting stitch on the Skyline S9.
Step 4: Stitch on the Embellishments
Hand-stitching: Chose a thread that matches or contrasts your jeans and stitch away – with the jeans off! You can use a thicker thread or even embroidery floss. Be creative! I chose to secure the embroidered with invisible thread to make sure the stitches couldn’t be seen. Machine Stitching: I removed the extension table and inserted my pant leg onto the free arm. Then I chose a decorative stitch (Quilt Stitch #11) and moved the pants around to stitch it. The ruler stitch is a fun nod to sewing! You could do many stitches across the entire patch and back again. Or just use a matching thread and straight stitch. Hand Embroidery:
Use embroidery floss to cover stains or small rips. I decided a nice set of daisies was a great embellishment to cover a small paint stain on these jeans.
I hope you love the result as much as I do! It’s fun to wear something unique that you love and put time into.
I have a huge thanks to give out to my mom today. She loves to sew and that’s how I got hooked – hooray! It also gives me a good excuse to make anything that happens to relate to sewing – since I can’t possibly use them all myself, lol!
This sewing machine mat is so cute. It’s the free Undercover Maker Mat tutorial from lillyella. Good looking and (hopefully) useful all in one! I say hopefully because I haven’t used one myself – it was a gift for my mom a couple of years ago. I also say hopefully, because it seems a bit tricky to take the mat out from under your machine – with potentially full pockets – and tie it on as a machine cover.
That said – I had a lot of fun making it and using some fun stitches and my paper piecing skills to make it special. The batik fabric was chosen by my mom a few years before, and it matches the wonky star table runner I made her that year. I added a cardinal button for the removable thread catcher, since she and my dad love to bird-watch.
One thing I had not done before was use a fancy stitch as a quilting stitch. The decorative flower stitch on the natural background fabric is number 28 on my Janome Skyline S9. And the stars look so cute as an embellishment to sew down the binding that hides your raw edges. I also used a shiny machine embroidery thread that I picked up on sale for some of the decorative stitches. It makes them look special!
I’ve been knee deep in Christmas sewing, jury duty and regular life for the past month. But I’m excited that the sewn gifts are looking almost finished, early even! Amazing!
I hope you have a lovely holiday, and thank you so much for continuing to come back and read my thoughts. We’ll be meeting up with family and enjoying the season, slower than usual I hope! Taking time out for the “little things” has become a lot more important this year. See you again soon!
First off – Unboxing this machine with my daughter was so much fun. She is so EXTRA *lol* – and was thrilled to open every package of accessories and see all the parts of the machine. Opening the bobbin case and removing the free arm. Peeking into every part of it, figuring out where the light above the needle came from. (Making sure to get out her handmade the sewing supplies and apron first!)
To test the machine, we decided to sew a simple drawstring backpack to take on our upcoming beach vacation. She chose all of the fabrics and the zipper colour and I sewed it on the Pink Sorbet machine. This included her specific instructions to use yellow thread in the bobbin and blue on the spool – this is her bag! The machine is very simple to use. It did everything I needed and the foot pedal is very responsive with a good speed. I got to use the zipper foot, free arm and (as usual, my fault!) I did get to test that the included seam ripper worked as well. *lol* 
She used the machine after school to sew a visual of the available stitches and was excited to try the bonus gathering foot as well. It was right before dinner, or we would have spent a lot more time playing with that one! Courtesy of Daylight Savings time – you get fun, darkish photos of her using the machine. 
