I recently received a Janome Horizon Memory Craft 9400 QCP (Janome 9400) and I’m excited to share my first impressions of it with you.
There are many new and improved features on this machine:
You can watch an overview of these and other features on the Janome MC9400 on my YouTube channel.
I want to give you a closer look at 3 features on this machine that I know will increase your productivity and allow you to complete your projects quicker.
#1 Improved Lighting
We all know that you have to see to stitch and good lighting is a crucial component of any sewing machine. The Janome MC9400 has amazing lighting! There are lights under the machine neck to illuminate the throat space and bed of the machine, as well as lights at the needle itself. As if this wasn’t enough, there is an additional pullout light on the top, left side of the machine. The retractable High Light™ can be angled to shine the light exactly where you need it in the needle area. When you are done using it, it simply retracts back into the body of the Janome MC9400. I love this lighting feature! All of the lights on the Janome MC9400 are LED, so they stay cool while you stitch and you don’t have to worry about accidentally burning yourself as you move your project around on the machine.
#2 Automatic Presser Foot Lifter
You can now lower the presser foot lower as you start stitching and lift when you stop stitching – automatically! I love using this feature in conjunction with the thread cutter: I just put my fabric under the presser foot and start to stitch: the presser foot comes down automatically and raises automatically when I stop stitching. I press the thread cutter button (or use the foot pedal – another new feature) and the threads are cut automatically too. I can also program the machine to automatically cut the threads after the tie off/lockstitch has been used. I don’t have to put the presser foot down myself before I start to stitch again, I just start stitching, the presser foot lowers, and there are no thread nests on the back of my project at all! I can see how this feature will be a real timesaver.
You can also adjust the height that the presser foot lifts (hover) when you stop stitching. I like this ability to personalize the settings on the presser foot lifter. I know that the automatic presser foot lifter will be a real help when I am finishing the appliqué edges on my fusible web appliqué projects.
#3 Professional Grade Needle Plate and HP Foot
The professional grade needle plate is a single hole needle plate to be used when stitching a straight stitch. The combination of the professional grade needle plate and the HP foot allows you to stitch a perfect ¼” seam. It’s also fantastic for stitching around curves and doing top stitching on garments or other sewing projects. The ¼” foot with the blade on the side of it is still included with the Janome MC 9400 and while it’s very helpful when piecing, I sometimes wish it didn’t have the blade on it. I can now use the new HP foot and still get that perfect scant ¼” seam. I’ve been eagerly awaiting this type of foot from Janome and I will be using it for piecing my quilt tops.
There’s one more item that I wanted to mention about the Janome Horizon MC9400 QCP and that is the visibility in the needle plate/sewing area. The body of the machine has been changed so it curves back away from you which allows better visibility in this area. This improved styling allows you to get in really close and see exactly what you’re stitching without having to lower your head. I find this especially helpful when working on very detailed projects where I need all the help I can get in seeing what I’m stitching. This changed shape comes as a direct result of consumer requests and is an enormous ergonomic benefit.
I can’t wait to piece new quilts (and finish some UFO’s) with the Janome Horizon MC9400QCP. I know that these new features will help me to make more tops in less time and with better results. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to test drive the Janome MC9400, please contact your local dealer to do so. You’re going to love it!
For more information and tutorials on Janome sewing machines please visit:
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