When you focus on one thing, you get pretty darn good at it. One summer during childhood, my pal, Marilyn and I spent every day going around in circles. We were laser-focused on one thing: learning to ride a bike with no hands (ahhhh… life before smart phones, right?). Our dedication paid off and within a couple weeks, we rode away with arms held high, balanced and beaming. It’s the same with the new Janome Memory Craft 550E. It’s a stand-alone, embroidery-only machine that is very, very good at its one main focus: gorgeous embroidery. 

Famous Janome stitch precision

If you’ve never seen Janome home embroidery in action, you need to stop by your local Janome dealer and take this new model for a spin. It’s mesmerizing to watch as the needle penetrates the fabric from 400 – 800 stitches per minute, bringing an intricate design to life in multiple colors right before your eyes. You might even have the same reaction I did on my bike: balanced on your sewing chair, arms held high, beaming.

The perfect companion for your sewing machine

If you’ve always wanted to add the capability to do embroidery but are happy with your existing sewing machine and/or not ready to step up to a top-of-the-line sewing and embroidery model, going with the Janome MC550E embroidery-only machine is perfect. You can incorporate embroidery into your own sewn garments and décor or embellish off-the-rack items for a custom look.

Larger embroidery field

The new RE36b hoop provides an embroidery field of 7.9″ x 14”;  it’s the largest embroidery area Janome has ever included on an embroidery-only machine! You can hoop bigger designs and reduce the number of re-hoopings so very large projects go faster.

Designs for days

Designs are easily imported into the MC550E through a USB or with a direct connection to your PC. Once in the MC550E, a design can be edited using the machine’s advanced on-screen functions. Navigation through all of these editing functions is naturally intuitive, and it’s all easier to see thanks to the large LCD color touch screen. There are 180 built-in designs, including floral alphabets, in-the-hoop monsters (so clever), even Sashiko and wedding designs. Add in six fonts, and the possibilities are really limitless.

Four embroidery hoops total plus extension table

In addition to the new 7.9” x 14”  RE36b hoop, the MC550E also comes with the SQ20b 7.9″ x 7.9” hoop, the RE20b 5.5″ x 7.9” hoop, and the SQ14b 5.5″ x 5.5”hoop. Plus the large extension table shown in the photos above also comes standard with the machine.

Easier than ever to hoop

Have you ever struggled to hoop your fabric – especially for a large design? The MC550E introduces newly redesigned, patent pending hoop clamps on the RE36b hoop. Created with two settings, you can insert the inner hoop and set the clamp at a half-way point, enabling you to make sure your fabric is in the correct position and perfectly smooth. Then easily press the two clamps all the way into place to completely stabilize your fabric.

The MC550E is shipping now to dealers across the country. Contact your favorite Janome dealer to check availability. The current MSRP is $3,999, so it’s quite affordable to add embroidery into the mix in your sewing room. Plus, right now – during National Sewing Month, authorized Janome America Dealers have some great special pricing offers as well as gift-with-purchase bundles.

We invite you to watch the short video below to see the new MC550E in action, look at all the standard accessories, see how easy it is to use the new hoop clamps, and get a glimpse of those super cute in-the-hoop monsters (perfect for Halloween coming up).

We’ll be experimenting with all the amazing built-in MC550E designs here at Sew4Home to come up with a new project or two that showcases the impressive embroidery! Our thanks to our friends at Janome America for sponsoring Sew4Home and allowing us to be an exclusive Janome studio. We love working with the best!