Introducing a New Janome Canada Educator: Tobias!

Hello! My name is Tobias Binder, a new addition to the Janome Canada Educators team! I am so excited to be onboard with Janome, the supreme makers of sewing machines. I’d like to share a little bit about myself and what I like to create.

My sewing journey began years ago while working as a summer camp swim instructor. One of my coworkers made a fabulous pair of split pants; cutting two legs from separate pants and stitching them together. I was instantly inspired and wanted to start sewing immediately. My Great Aunt, an avid sewist herself, gifted me a basic sewing machine as an early birthday gift. These split pants were one of my first projects.

Soon after, I became interested in repairing and restoring vintage sewing machines. I spent a couple of years teaching myself before wanting to progress to computerized sewing and embroidery machines. I took a technical training course in Texas where I learned to fix machines like a pro! For a few years, I ran a sewing machine repair business out of my home in Guelph, ON. Currently, I love volunteering at the Guelph Tool Library repair cafes, where I can give back to the community.

I fell in love with Janome at my workbench. Every single Janome machine I took apart proved to be well-made and worthwhile. At every price point, you can expect quality. Even my older Janome ‘MyLock’ serger has never let me down.

Sustainability plays a big part in my sewing projects. Almost all the fabric I use is purchased second hand or repurposed. It’s great for the environment, and economical too! Additionally, the limitations of finding fabric force me to think and solve problems creatively, resulting in unique finished projects. Here are two pairs of pants I made. One using two corduroy fabrics (with matching bag), and these jeans using four denim fabrics!

Since the start of 2021, I’ve worked as the Chief Seamster for a vintage clothing store here in Guelph, ON. My main task is sewing their ‘rework’ collection; taking parts from t-shirts/sweatshirts and sewing them into another, creating a unique garment. Naturally, I end up with an abundance of sweatshirt scraps, so I put those to good use in my own projects, making my own garments using multiple fabrics. I am ardent about clean and professional seam finishes, none of that raw edge DIY stuff for me.

I also play the drums in a hip R&B band called SHEBAD. I love making outfits for myself and my band members to wear onstage.

More recently, I started a tiktok account, posting sewing and sewing machine related videos. Everything from comedy skits to educational content! Janome Canada also recently started a tiktok account, so be sure to check it out, too. You may also find me on Instagram (@tobias.binder_). I am greatly looking forward to making entertaining and informative videos for Janome Canada’s social media, and of course, contributing to the Janome Life blog!

Our National Education Manager, Michael, and I recorded a little video welcoming me to the team, which is now posted to the Janome HQ You Tube channel . Be sure to subscribe and hit the notifications bell so you know when new videos are posted!

Happy Sewing!