How to Deep Clean a Dirty & Neglected Sewing Machine, Pt. 1

Do you have an old sewing machine in your garage that’s a little worse for wear? Not sure how to go about cleaning it up?

The folks at the Janome Sewing & Learning Centre gave me this old Janome Memory Craft 6000. It looked like it’d lived in a barn most of its life! I’m going to detail how I went about this deep clean. Best of all, these methods are fast!

Having restored many vintage sewing machines, I knew I could bring this machine back to its former glory. The only challenge I foresaw was the blue pin cushion adhered to the side of the machine. Those old adhesives can leave behind stubborn bits of residue! The photo with the blue pin cushion is the last slide in the slideshow of “before” photos. Click on the arrows at the side of the photo below to scroll through the slideshow gallery.

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Before we dive into the cleanup, I should quickly note the significance of the Janome Memory Craft 6000. It was the absolute peak of innovation when it first came out in 1983. Janome was on the cutting edge of the digital age, constantly innovating with research into computer technology. This machine was one of our crowning achievements, with the most built-in stitches of any machine at the time. It featured digitally controlled reverse and needle up/down buttons, which are now standard in modern machines. Also, a very sleek top panel that folds up to reveal the spool pin, bobbin winder, and accessories. The top panel design can still be found on machines like the Janome HD3000.

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Now onto the cleaning! Here are the main supplies I used:

• Soft rags – cut up t-shirts work best
• Magic eraser cleaning block
• All purpose surface cleaner (I use the safe green stuff)
• Blue window & glass cleaner
• Cotton swabs
• Old toothbrush

As a general rule, never spray cleaners directly onto the machine. The liquid can seep into the machine and damage the insides. Always spray onto the rag, then wipe.

I began with a good wipe down using the all purpose green cleaner. The purpose was to remove the outer layer of dust and grime. Once that’s all off, we can really see what we’re up against! Here is how it looked after the first wipe down.

Not bad! Though we still have a lot of work ahead of us. Next up, we’re going to use the blue cleaner. This stuff is incredible at removing dirt that has caked itself really deep on the surface of the machine. With some elbow grease, you can really get all the dirt off. Watch this video to see just how quick and easy it was to clean, lol! (insert music of your choice lol!)

I should specify that scrubbing with glass cleaner is not safe for all machines. The Janome Memory Craft 6000 has a rugged, porous, gun-metal type finish which can withstand aggressive cleaning. Some modern machines like the Janome HD9BE Professional have this finish as well. Machines with a plastic exterior will also respond well to blue glass cleaner. However, metal machines with a smooth glossy exterior like the Janome Memory Craft 6700P should be approached cautiously. Over-zealous cleaning on those machines can result in damage to the clear coat.

Next, I used cotton swabs to clean inside all the tight crevices that were missed by the wipe downs. I lightly sprayed the tips with the blue cleaner and went to town! Once all those small areas were clean, the machine really started to look and feel fresh. Click the arrows at the side of the photos below to see the amazing “after” photos!

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WOW! Isn’t that a gorgeous looking machine? With all the dirt cleaned away, we can see that it wasn’t used too much and is actually in great condition.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll go over the remaining areas that need some special attention:

• Pin cushion adhesive removal
• Top accessory tray
• Carrying cover 

Janome AcuSetter App

One of my favourite features on the Janome Skyline S9 sewing and embroidery machine is the WIFI capability. This allows the use of the special Apps Janome has available for IOS and Android. YES! All the FREE Janome Apps have been updated to work with Android devices!

One of them is the Janome Acusetter App. It makes perfect placement very easy without the need to print design templates and struggle with precise hooping.

For example, I wanted to add some embroidery to a very plain white shirt I had in my closet. I chose a very simple rose bud design but I wanted to make sure I lined it up correctly with the neck line of the shirt.

I first marked on my shirt where I wanted my design and traced a line parallel to the centre front opening to serve as a guide. I then hooped my shirt and stabilizer. Since this was a small design, the FA10a (Free Arm) 3.9×1.6″ hoop included with the Janome Skyline S9 was ideal to use. I made sure my line was somewhat centred but I didn’t need to bother too much as the precise positioning would be done via the Janome AcuSetter App.

After I sent the design to my Janome Skyline S9 via the Janome AcuEdit App, I opened the Janome AcuSetter app to “Receive” the design from the machine.

I took a picture of my shirt in the embroidery hoop with my iPad and aligned all the little black registration dots that appeared on the screen to calibrate the iPad to the hoop. A full picture tutorial is included in the App, which walks you through step-by-step what to do.

After clicking “Next”, my design appeared on the iPad screen, so I could place it exactly as I wanted, moving it with the arrow until I was perfectly happy with its placement,

The design was no longer centred in the middle of the hoop but placed where I wanted it. I then sent the design back to the machine to be stitched.

I used the Janome 5 spools stand which attaches to the back of the machine to help organize my thread in the right colour order for embroidery. This is a real timesaver!

After the design finished stitching, I removed the shirt from the hoop, pressed away the marking and stood back to admire my “new” shirt with its design perfectly placed and ready to wear.

Artistic Digitizer Special Offer expires May 30th!

As the saying goes, “time waits for no man”, and that’s certainly true the way the month is flying by! There’s always so much spring cleaning to do around the house and the outside; always so much to do to get ready for summer, which is just around the corner! It’s easy for time to get away from you, so contact your Janome Canada dealer today to be sure you take advantage of the special offer they have for you on the incredible Artistic Digitizer software before it’s too late!

You have until May 30th, 2023 to pick up the FULL package of Artistic Digitizer for a special introductory price of $999! Contact your Janome Canada dealer for details.

The support and learning opportunities for the Artistic Digitizer software doesn’t stop! Not only are there helpful videos right on the home page of the software, be sure to join the official Janome Artistic Digitizer Facebook Group where Anne Hein, Janome America’s Software Specialist, shares a LIVE presentation each week. All the presentations are stored in the Videos/Media tab so you may go back to watch whenever you wish! You’ll find tons of skill builder exercises, projects and more under the Files tab. The learning never stops!

Contact your Janome Canada dealer today to take advantage of this special, limited time offer!

Happy Sewing!

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Broadcast….

We sew appreciate your loyalty and support of Janome HQ, but alas, there will be NO LIVE at 1pm EST @janomehq Instagram page this afternoon.

There’s not much which will stop me from sharing the Janome Love, but somethings things come up which cause me to miss the regularly scheduled LIVE presentation. I’m sew sorry for the inconvenience, but trust me, it’s for a very good cause which I’ll share with you all later! I will be back LIVE Wednesday, May 24, 2023!

This is the perfect time to get caught up on any presentations you might have missed as they’re all stored in IGTV on the @janomehq Instagram Page and on the Janome HQ You Tube channel.

What machine and Janome goodies will we talk about on Magical Machine Mystery Tour? It’s a MYSTERY so you must tune in each week for the big reveal!

Want to know answers to questions about your machine or about Janome products? Tune in every other week for Ask Janome HQ. Depending on the question, it may be answered LIVE!

Don’t worry if you can’t make the LIVE presentation, though. They’ll be stored in the IGTV icon on the Janome HQ Instagram Page and later posted as videos on the Janome HQ You Tube channel.

Follow us on the Janome HQ Facebook page to see what’s new at our Janome Canada Headquarters, our Janome HQ!

Happy Sewing and #sharethejanomelove!

Today’s Facebook LIVE – Free Standing Lace

Celine is back LIVE every Tuesday at 3pm EST on the Janome Sewing Machines Facebook page for an entire month of sewing fun and education to help you get the most from your Janome machine!

Today, Celine will share her tips for creating Free Standing Lace; which stabilizers and threads to use for success. Though Celine will be demonstrating on the fabulous Janome Continental M17, Janome’s Top of the Line machine, Free Standing Lace embroidery designs can be stitched on every current model Janome machine, so everyone can share in the fun! Some machines even come with those FSL designs built-in!

Janome Continental M17.

Janome Skyline S9

Janome MC9850SE

Janome MC550E

Check out our handy Janome Accessories Guide or click on the Accessories Tab on Janome.CA. to find the presser feet and accessories compatible with your machine. Click the Products tab, then scroll down to find “View all Accessories“. Click there to access the Search Box or to scroll through the pages to find the accessories you’d like. Click on the picture/description to find the Part Number and machine compatibility. And, as always, check with your fabulous Janome Dealer!

Don’t worry if you can’t make the LIVE. All of the presentations will be saved under the Videos tab of the Janome Sewing Machines Facebook page. Use the Search Box to find all the videos with Celine Ross.

Don’t have a Facebook account, don’t worry, they will be uploaded to the Janome HQ You Tube channel under the Facebook Live playlist to enjoy whenever you wish!

Happy Sewing!

And sew it begins……

If you follow our Janome Canada social media, (and we certainly hope you do!) you would have seen the call to action we posted asking for donations of fabric and sewing supplies for the I Love First Peoples Sew & Sew program; a national organization which brings the love of sewing to schools in remote Indigenous communities across Canada.

For the third year in a row, Janome Canada has donated brand new 2030QDC-T machines to various Indigenous schools across the country and we held a donation drive in 2021, which you may read about in previous blogs here on Janome Life.

This year we held the donation drive April 11-28th, 2023, and though it was a tight deadline, we were once again blown away by the generosity and enthusiasm of sewists, quilters and crafters.

It wasn’t long before the donations literally came piling into the Janome Sewing and Learning Centre in Oakville, Ontario. There’s a desk in there somewhere, lol!

Unlike 2021 when you know what was still going on, this year we could welcome eager volunteers to help sort. Two years ago it was just Amanda and myself. You may read more about the monumental sorting process HERE.

Boxes were labeled and tables set up to begin the sorting process. It didn’t take long before those clean table surfaces disappeared, lol!

Though I Love First Peoples asked for some specific supplies, like quilting cottons, thread, needles, scissors, rotary cutters, etc. we were once again pleasantly surprised to find garment fabrics, thicker fabrics for Home Dec projects, craft supplies, and a variety of sewing notions, patterns and books.

Also included were many projects in various stages. Some where pieced quilt tops which needed to be layered with backing and batting to be quilted, others were pieced blocks ready to be sewn together into a quilt. We had many thoughtful quilters cut up their scraps into strips and squares which they put into labeled containers so the school kids receiving them are already a step ahead not having to cut.

Volunteers Alison (L) and Margaret(R) spent the day sharing the love of sorting – and posing for camera, lol!

We received many BOLTS of fabric, but since the boxes for shipping were smaller, we needed to take the fabric off the bolt so it could fit in the boxes. Alison and Margaret had some fun trying to pull the cardboard bolt from the centre of the fabric instead of unrolling it. Luckily no one was injured as some of these bolts really put up a fight! lol!

Also included in with the donations were heartfelt notes of thanks and encouragement from the generous sewists, quilters and crafters who recognized the need and were eager to help. We all know what joys sewing brings to us, so it’s wonderful to share that joy with a new generation of sewists and quilters, especially those who can’t just run to their local quilt store for supplies. When I say “remote” Indigenous communities, I mean communities which are sometimes only accessible by plane, or are cut off from the rest of the world during the long harsh northern winters. With the amount of donations we received, the kids will be busy sewing and creating all year long, and likely for many years to come.

This is only the beginning of the sorting process. More boxes will soon fill our warehouse as each box needs to be weighed, stacked and labeled before they get shipped to the respective schools. Two years ago we collected over 3000 pounds of fabric and sewing supplies. I wonder how much we received this year? I can’t wait to find out!!

Look forward to more updates as we continue to share the love of sewing with I Love First Peoples as Alan, our “Marketing Guru”, and myself are flying to Ahtahkakoop in northern Saskatchewan today, one of the communities who’ve received our machines. I’ll be giving the kids a lesson on sewing with the Janome 2030QDC, demoing all the presser feet and making a few projects. We’ll also be attending a fashion show of garments they’ve created, and of course Alan will be taking photos and videos along the way to chronicle this great adventure!

Thank you to ALL who sew generously donated, and an extra-special shout to our Janome Canada Dealers who acted as donation drop-off locations:

Alliston Sewing Machine Services in Alliston, ON;

Triangle Sewing Centre in Guelph, ON;

The Quilt Store in Newmarket and Burlington, ON;

Homemade in Kingston, ON

Paquette Textiles in Gatineau, QC.

And, of course, an extra-extra shout out to our FABULOUS volunteers, Jenny, (who had sew much fun day one, she came back a second time to help another day!) Nana, Alison, and Margaret. I never could have sorted through all these donations so quickly without YOU! Thank you all SEW much for sharing the Janome love and the love of sewing with I Love First Peoples.

And sew it continues……

Deep Dive Into the Janome HD9BE

Recently, I went to the Janome Sewing & Learning Center in Oakville, ON to pick up three wonderful machines. The Janome CoverPro 3000 Professional, Janome Air Thread 2000D serger, and the focus of today’s blog, the powerful Janome HD9BE Professional.

Janome HD9BE (Black Edition)

I was immediately impressed by its top speed of 1600 stitches per minute, the fastest of any home sewing machine! The onboard vertical thread stand for large cones is going to be a real game changer for me. Buying larger cones of thread is usually more economical, especially if it’s a neutral colour which will blend with many palettes. The large capacity bobbin is also a huge plus as it holds 30% more thread than the standard Janome J bobbin. Not to mention the stitch length which goes up to 6mm, as opposed to the usual 5mm of most other machines. This is perfect for basting! I would also be remiss not to mention the included knee lifter which lifts the pressor foot to allow you to keep both hands on the fabric at all times.

With my background in sewing machine servicing, I just had to take a peek under the hood. I don’t recommend you do this at home, lol! It’s always interesting to see how the marketing of a machine holds up against the guts of a machine. The results were quite impressive! This blog shows the Janome HD9BE (Black Edition), but the HD9 (White) is the same apart from its sleek white exterior, and it does not come with an extension table.

Before we dive in, it’s imperative that you do not attempt to open up your machine as I have done here. As an experienced technician, I am able to take apart machines and reassemble them without causing damage. Any attempts to take apart or service your machine yourself could result in irreparable damage and void the warranty.

First, feast your eyes upon the underside. Look at all that beautiful metal! The steel shafts on the Janome HD9(BE) are thicker than on other machines, which holds up nicely against heavier fabrics. There’s a lot more going on down here than I expected. The intricate mechanisms you see result in excellent stitch quality for any application.

The topside is where it really gets interesting! Take a look at the linkage I’ve circled in red. On most modern machines I’ve seen, that linkage is plastic. Now, there is nothing wrong with that since this linkage does not bear much load and almost never breaks. However, it just goes to show that Janome went the extra mile on the HD9 to give us another top-quality machine. It’s the most industrial-like machine in the Janome line.

Next, take a look at this oil wicking system (red arrows). Oil wicks are used in commercial machines for automatically delivering oil to the inner mechanisms, saving time for the operator. Janome has incorporated this into the lovely HD9. When you put a drop of oil in this hole in the top cover as the Instruction Manual illustrates (photo on left), it feeds into the long wick (photo on right) and lubricates the entire needle bar area. I was blown away when I saw this! This is usually reserved for full industrial machines at a much higher price point.

Though the Janome HD9(BE) looks and feels like a mechanical machine, it is technically computerized. Let me explain why this is actually more advantageous.

With the addition of computerized components, we get the luxury features we know and love such as the automatic thread cutter button and the needle up/down button. The bobbin winder has an independent motor that runs quietly and reliably. Mechanical machines cannot support these features.

More importantly, the Janome HD9(BE) uses a powerful DC motor. This gives the machine full piercing power (aka torque) even at the slowest speeds. DC motors also allow us to toggle the maximum speed with a slider, so we can topstitch carefully and never go faster than we want to. Other high end Janome machines such as the Memory Craft 6700P, Continental M7 and Continental M17 are also powered by these incredible motors. Mechanical machines use traditional AC motors which work very, very well, but they do not offer the same control and piercing power at slower speeds.

The Janome HD9(BE) does have many mechanical elements, as well, such as the stitch length is controlled by a manual knob, and there are no screens or sensors throughout the machine. In my opinion it is the best of both worlds; the power and luxury features of a computerized machine, with the rugged simplicity of a mechanical machine. Check out this Reel on Janome Canada Instagram to see the machine close up!

If you sew with a lot of heavier fabrics or you have a need for speed (like me), this machine might be perfect for you. Stay tuned to learn more about the Janome HD9BE, and the projects + techniques I’ll be sharing with it.

Happy Sewing!

Christa’s Quilt Blocks – Game changer

Have you ever been quilting a quilt only to have it fall off the back of your table? Suddenly your stitches get extra big as the weight of the quilt quickly pulls the quilt away from you. Perhaps it moves so fast that you break a needle. I hope as the quilt pulls away you don’t get your finger caught under the needle trying to catch it (sorry for that image but that happened to a friend and I wouldn’t want it to happen to you).

I have tried many things to stop this from happening whether I am quilting a quilt, or attaching binding to a quilt, but nothing has been totally successful. So what is the game changer? Christa’s Quilt Blocks by Arrow Sewing. When I saw these I knew I had to have them and boy am I happy with them!

Arrow describes them as follows: Keep your projects from falling overboard with Christa’s Quilt Blocks! Designed by award-winning quilter, Christa Watson, Christa’s Quilt Blocks were created to act as a guard rail that keeps quilts and large projects from sliding off the side or back of your sewing cabinet!

Christa’s Quilt Blocks by Arrow Sewing

There are four finishes to match whatever sewing table you may have: Ash White, Part: QB111, Grey QB107, Teak QB105 and White QB101.

The Christa Sewing Cabinet looks amazing. If I didn’t already have a cabinet I would have looked at the whole set up. Lucky for me, though, one can purchase just the quilt blocks and attach them to your existing table.

Christa Sewing Cabinet by Arrow Sewing

I quilted a twin quilt with Dual/ Even Feed/ AcuFeed quilting and applied machine stitched binding to it without any worry of it falling off the back of the table. The job went quickly as I wasn’t constantly checking to make sure my quilt was behaving.

The Christa Sewing Cabinet and Christa’s Quilt Blocks are available on ArrowSewing.CA and through your local Janome Canada dealer.

Quilt on! Melissa

Janome HQ’s Instagram LIVE TODAY, WEDNESDAY 1pm EST

Join us LIVE at 1pm EST @janomehq Instagram page every Wednesday afternoon for our series, “Janome’s Magical Machine Mystery Tour” as we highlight a different machine in the Janome line. From entry level to Top of the Line; embroidery machines; longarm quilting machines; sergers and MORE, including some fabulous partner products to compliment those machines!

What machine and Janome goodies will we talk about this week? It’s a MYSTERY so you must tune in each week for the big reveal! Don’t worry if you can’t make the LIVE presentation, though. They’ll be stored in the IGTV icon on the Janome HQ Instagram Page and later posted as videos on the Janome HQ You Tube channel.

Follow us on the Janome HQ Facebook page to see what’s new at our Janome Canada Headquarters, our Janome HQ,!

Happy Sewing and #sharethejanomelove!

Today’s Facebook LIVE – Embroidering Pants/Trousers

Celine is back LIVE every Tuesday at 3pm EST on the Janome Sewing Machines Facebook page for an entire month of sewing fun and education to help you get the most from your Janome machine!

For those who’ve ever met Celine in person at various sewing shows or dealer events, you’ll notice Celine “wears” her machine. Everything is embroidered! Cuffs, collars, yokes, hems; any part of a garment which can fit under the embroidery machine needle can be embroidered.

Today, Celine will show you how to open the side side of ready-made pants in order to embroider around the hemline. Celine shares her tips for which stabilizers to use and how to print templates to help line up the design once the side seam is resewn.

Though Celine will be demonstrating on the fabulous Janome Continental M17, Janome’s Top of the Line machine, embroidery can be done on many Janome machines, so everyone can share in the fun!

Janome Continental M17.

Janome Skyline S9

Janome MC9850SE

Janome MC550E

Check out our handy Janome Accessories Guide or click on the Accessories Tab on Janome.CA. to find the presser feet and accessories compatible with your machine. Click the Products tab, then scroll down to find “View all Accessories“. Click there to access the Search Box or to scroll through the pages to find the accessories you’d like. Click on the picture/description to find the Part Number and machine compatibility. And, as always, check with your fabulous Janome Dealer!

Don’t worry if you can’t make the LIVE. All of the presentations will be saved under the Videos tab of the Janome Sewing Machines Facebook page. Use the Search Box to find all the videos with Celine Ross.

Don’t have a Facebook account, don’t worry, they will be uploaded to the Janome HQ You Tube channel under the Facebook Live playlist to enjoy whenever you wish!

Happy Sewing!