An AMAZING Sewing Machine - Janome 525S Review

A little while ago it was my Mum's birthday. I really didn't know what to get her, I was stuck. I'm not supposed to buy her chocolates because 'it will make her fat', and I can't buy her anything big (or even medium sized) as she lives in a dinky little cottage, and she won't have anywhere to put it.

Ugh, what to get her! Then I stumbled across The Amazings and saw this course for freehand embroidering your own necklace using dissolvable fabric.  I remembered having a conversation with my Mum when Kirsty Allsop used dissolvable fabric to make something pretty in one of her TV programmes. I was pretty sure that my Mum had even gone out and bought the fabric and the special foot for her machine, so I thought it would be something fun she could do, which didn't take up space or make her fat, hurrah!

As I made the purchase I noticed that I was also being entered into a draw to win a sewing machine up to £300. I thought something like 'ooh, it would be nice if I won that', then promptly forgot about it.

But, guess what? I did win it! Amazings, you are amazing!

This absolutely made my day because my old Singer hasn't been working properly for months, the tension has been completely out, and I had to pretty much ground to a halt where sewing is concerned. It has been on my to do list to take it to a specialist to get it fixed for ages, but I have never gotten around to it, and actually I would have probably ended up paying more than it was worth, so just as well!

I will be sad to say goodbye to my Singer, but I got to choose any machine I wanted for under £300, so I decided to do some research. As it turns out, Singer aren't all that hot any more, as people on twitter told me, and the reviews confirmed. Apparently they sold the Singer name in the 90's, and the machines just aren't the same quality.

Everywhere I looked it seemed, people were pointing me in the direction of Janome. I had a look at the most expensive Janome machines I could afford, but they were all computerised, and I felt I wanted something a bit simpler. Then I found this beauty, the Janome 525S, which is actually only £229. All the reviews were great, PLUS it was the machine the contestants used on The Great British Sewing Bee AND it was voted Which Best Buy!

To Top it off, after I had made my decision  I noticed it had made an appearance in this months Molly Makes magazine, and coincidentally elsewhere in the magazine The Amazings were also mentioned. Weirdly enough, the illustration accompanying this article was drawn by talented lady Emma Block, who is one of the lovely friends I have met through blogging. Talk about fate huh!

On tuesday, beautiful Janine the Janome arrived (named accidentally by Rachel)! I excitedly took her out of her box and sat down to read the instructions. Usually I wouldn't bother with instructions, I would be too impatient, but I decided I wanted to look after Janine, and make sure I was doing everything right! And guess what, I learnt a heck load more than I would have done otherwise! I found her secret storage compartment, I learnt how change the foot over (which was super easy peasy), to sew on a button and make a button hole, and how to re-wind the bobbin without unthreading the machine!

She sews really easily, although I did have a few issues initially with the top thread getting caught up inside the bobbin casing every time I finished stitching, but that seems to have stopped now and it was probably something I was doing wrong.

I'm really excited to start sewing up a storm! The first project I have in mind is to make new curtains and cushion covers for the camper van, so I will let you know how that goes!

I'm keen to learn to sew clothes as well, and I know there are some online courses you can take, so I might give that a go at some point. I'm just so excited!

Have you used a Janome machine before? What are your thoughts on them?

And have you checked out The Amazings yet? If you want to learn new crafty skills it is definitely the place to go!

Laura xXx