A straight line seems like the most basic sewing technique. But we’re amazed by the number of comments and questions we get about how to do it better, easier, and more consistently. Using the right foot for the job is the real secret.
Layer upon layer upon layer?! With the right presser feet and accessories, an understanding of seam grading, and the patience to go slowly and carefully, you can sew like a pro through thick and thin.
The word "only" gets kind of a bad rap. Maybe because it seems a little too close to "lonely," but the flip side is the heart of its true meaning: to focus on one thing. If you do one thing very, very well, then you are likely an expert. So it is with the Janome
A purchased skinny belt becomes the strap on this unique shoulder bag, and a large, monochromatic embroidered medallion adorns the front pocket as well as the lining pocket, creating a secret pop of pretty on the inside.
Don’t know about you, but we find sewing buttons by hand a bit tedious, time-consuming, and it can be hard to get them to look uniform. Solution: using a Button Sewing foot on your machine. Securely attached and perfectly aligned.
A skosh, a wee bit, just a hair… sometimes, the distances we want to work with when sewing aren’t quite as precise as the engraved inch and millimeter markings on our machines. This foot allows you to custom set your seam.
Life can get a little sticky. In sewing, it’s the surfaces of specialty fabrics, like laminates that love to drag across your presser foot and/or needle plate, causing stitching to bunch or break. Janome Ultra Glide to the rescue.
We love looking for ways to use decorative stitching, and this striking oversize clutch provides the perfect large, solid surface for concentric rings of stitching. We used the Janome Circular Sewing Attachment to make it easy.
Going in circles doesn’t have to be a bad thing! In fact, when it comes to pretty stitching embellishments, the circle is always a winner. But… how on earth can you stitch in a truly perfect circle?! Even following a drawn line can lead to bumbles and bobbles. Our secret: the Janome Circular Sewing Attachment.
The name is due to its similarity to the wide, ornate straps musicians use to hold their guitars. By changing how the ends attach, it’s also a fun way to update any bag that uses a removable strap. We added die cuts!
Let this pretty kitty keep watch over the rest of the pillows on your sofa or bed. The bold silhouette with its sweet dimensional bow is truly the Cat’s Meow. Our appliqué design is a free download, including the lettering.
Truly the Art of Thread; this pillow combines dense decorative stitching with machine embroidery accents and cool corner tassels. A décor or upholstery weight fabric gives the proper stability – a dark, solid makes the stitching pop.
If a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, I'm guessing this three-in-one presser foot is easily worth a bird, a hand and a bush. We love a cool accessory that does several things, and the Janome Clear View Quilting Foot and Guide Set is one of our favorite multi-tasking tools. It comes
Like whipped cream on a plain piece of pie, decorative stitches turn an ordinary project into something special. We started with a basic bib + skirt apron design in natural colors of cotton duck, then added multiple rows of stitching.
Narrow tucks, called pintucks when they are super narrow, are often used in heirloom sewing, but they can add a lovely detail to many projects. Did you know you can create the look quickly and easily with your Quarter Inch foot?
Sergers. For some, the word alone can send them screaming into the darkest corners of their sewing rooms. “The threading… not the threading… make it stop!” Well, perhaps that’s a wee bit dramatic, but the fear of threading the loopers on a serger, “Sergiothreadaphobia” as it is known in medical circles, keeps many a sewer
There is one particular type of hem we receive more questions about than any other: the rolled hem. Not to be confused with a narrow hem, a rolled hem is created using a special presser foot. Great for edges on lightweight fabrics.
A cover hem is a professional-style "serged" hem that traditionally has two to three lines of parallel stitching on the right side and a looper stitch which covers the raw edge of the fabric on the back side. It's the type of hem commonly found on most ready-to-wear knit garments (and many woven RTW items
We get a lot of questions about zippers. They seem to live at the top of many people's lists of Sewing Phobias (ziphobia!). In an effort to calm these fears, we already have three step-by-step tutorials for inserting standard zippers, tackling invisible zippers, and putting in an inset zipper. We're adding to the zipper toolbox
One unique apron pulls together three embellishment techniques: embroidery, decorative stitching, and quilting. We also added form-flattering pleats underneath the waistband and darts in the lower bodice.
This clever Janome foot helps you attach tape evenly and smoothly to the edge of your fabric. Adjust it to handle widths from 5mm to 20mm. Use both single fold and double fold binding styles, either tape you’ve made or packaged.
A beautiful little zippered clutch is the kind of accessory that’s a snap to make and a joy to give (or keep). This version has a chic vintage look thanks to delicate cross stitch machine embroidery.
For more basic Janome sewing machines (5mm and 7mm), this a fun, easy way to add little decorative stitch touches in pretty thread colors! Be the flower girl of the sewing accessory world, sprinkling pretty posies over any project.
We explain three different decorative stitching options for you to try, and have included three template downloads to re-create our exact designs. Vary the fabric, thread colors, and stitch patterns for dozens of cool combos.
Little stuff? Zip it up! A zippered pouch is always handy to hold whatever small necessities you need to carry. This one is part of our matched trio of monogrammed travel essentials. The bottom darts add a bit of extra fullness.
Decorative stitching against a neutral canvas gives this slouchy bucket bag great style. We also incorporated long, soft tassels at the sides and front. They’re made from the belted cording! We include all the steps.
If you’re brand new to sewing, you’re probably also brand new to figuring out all the parts of a sewing machine. We review the basics, from unpacking, to setting up, to the names of the most common parts, to threading and testing.
This Janome accessory allows you to stitch directly on ribbon up to 1″ wide, so you can personalize the color and design of ribbon accents to create a super unique look. Decorative stitching on grosgrain ribbon is especially cute.
The technique is just as the name implies: the vast majority of the project, both sewing and embroidery, is done within an embroidery hoop. The elegant result is similar in rich color and complexity to a fine Jacquard ribbon.
This happy pair of hot pads is all about the beauty of a perfect line. We selected a wide stripe for the front, then highlighted it with parallel rows of bright decorative stitching. Wrap up several as a unique host/hostess gift.
The mug rug is a mini placemat with just the right amount of room for a mug and a few little treats. Ours features pretty patchwork on one side with custom embroidery (a free download) on the opposite side’s pocket and napkin.
The Artistic Edge Digital Cutter makes it easy to get creative with your sewing projects in ways that simply weren't possible before. If you look just at what it does in appliqué – one of its many capabilities – you're going to think of dozens... maybe hundreds of ways to use it. That's not an
There are entire accessory systems to achieve this unique embellishment technique, often referred to as “yarn embroidery.” YOU can do it with a simple change of your Janome presser foot. It’s like drawing with yarn.
Ruffles. Bet you can't use them just once. If you love ruffles like we do, you need to know about an accessory that makes ruffling and pleating easier, faster and more precise: the Ultimate Ruffler from Janome. This attachment is designed to work with any machine that can accept a snap-on presser foot, which means
This pillow features a unique way to make ordinary piping pop. You start with jumbo piping, which requires a wide fabric strip as a wrap. This fabric strip then becomes the base for two rows of bold decorative stitching.
It’s the classic special touch: adding a little something on top. Pie is great. Pie with whipped cream is awesome. This pretty pillow overlays patchwork with a touch of embroidery. It’s a simple way to make a stunning statement.
Beads add dimension, texture, and color in one fell swoop. Hand sewing is an option, if you have a few spare days. Machine sewing CAN be like trying to ride your bike over a field of BBs… unless you have this clever presser foot set.
Each year, Janome comes out with a special limited edition sewing machine model with your favorite features, tons of great decorative stitches, and in a cool color combo to brighten your sewing space. Last month, at the industry's largest trade show in Las Vegas, Janome America debuted this year's model: the DC2015. A striking red
In the Sew4Home studios, we’re dedicated fans of Janome sewing machines and sergers; in fact, they're our exclusive sewing machine sponsor. So we were delighted when Janome offered us a brand new Skyline S5 to test drive! They call the machine, "Anything but Average," and we could certainly see why. This computerized sewing machine has many
Buttonholes. For many of us, beads of sweat start to form at the mention of the word. “Am I about to ruin everything by botching the buttonholes?” Nope! They’re really not hard once you break it down into individual steps.
With pretty ruffled ends and decorative ribbons, this pillowcase would be gorgeous for a power-napper of any age. We used the Janome Ribbon & Sequin foot to attach the accent ribbon and add decorative stitching – in one pass!