Janome Bandana Blush Basic, Easy-to-Use, 10-Stitch Portable, Compact Sewing Machine with Free Arm only 5 pounds

I purchased this machine for my 6- and 7-year-old granddaughters to learn to sew. It arrived today, and I have spent some time working with it to see how it performs. I love it. It is smaller than a normal sewing machine, but larger than other machines I've seen that are designed specifically for children. This is the perfect machine for a child to learn on or for a crafter to do some basic sewing. It is very lightweight--only 5 pounds. It has only one speed, which isn't super slow, but is slow enough for a child to manage easily. The foot pedal does not control the speed. It is easy to thread and wind the bobbin. Other low-cost machines I've seen don't make a very good stitch. Not so with this machine. I am totally impressed with the quality of the stitch this machine makes. I stitched two pieces of fabric together without changing the thread tension (it was set at 4). The stitch is perfect. It is at least as good as both of my expensive sewing machines, and maybe a little better. Every one of the 10 stitches on the machine stitched beautifully. The machine is a little louder than I would like, but it is not a deal breaker by any means. I love that the presser foot has a raised front end that makes it impossible for little fingers to get under the needle. The raised front does make the needle slightly harder to thread, but I got the hang of it quickly. It doesn't come with a case or a handle, but at 5 pounds, it's not difficult to carry around. I have several bags that it will fit into if I need to take it to a class. If you need a full-featured machine, this is not the machine for you. If you need a small, lightweight machine that is safe for a child and/or you can use for your basic sewing needs, this machine will meet your needs beautifully. I will try to upload a video to show you how perfect these stitches are. Forgive the quality of the video. I was holding my phone and trying to stitch at the same time. Not a professional video by any stretch of the imagination.

I have recommended this machine to several friends. My daughter has had it for almost 5 years now and it is still doing just fine. It is easy to set up and light enough for a kid to pick up. There is one speed for the peddle, so the child wont have to worry about having the speed go out of control. I am not saying it is the best machine for sewing, but it sure has been great for learning and little project for the kids. It isn't crazy tough, so it can't sew though really thick fabric, it just doesn't have that torque power behind it, but also that is what keeps little fingers safe. It has sewn everything my child has needed, but if we are sewing a couple layers with thick elastic the machine might seem slow at first and then its fine. Again, not an adult serious machine, but this is a real sewing machine that is great for learners. I wouldn't sew my clothes on it, but we my daughter has sown plenty of Halloween costumes, doll outfits, skirts, and more with it.

The machine mysteriously stopped working and it seems the adapter won't work anymore as of March 14. Perhaps the plug got giggled around while it was sewing. :( I will contact Janome but according to the warranty card, I'll have to ship it (and pay for shipping + $10 handling fee) to get it repaired/replaced. :( :( :( She's used this a handful of times since March. Always supervised. Always taken great care of it. I take back my very good review. This thing is clearly junk. Ironically, my own Janome machine broke in February. Maybe it's a sign I should switch brands. Ugh. Really disappointed in this. --- This was my original review: I purchased this sewing machine as a Christmas present for my six-year old daughter. I have been sewing for many, many years and own several top of the line machines, but I wanted her to have something she could use (more or less) without my constant hovering supervision. She was thrilled by the size and color ("It's kid-sized!"). I love Janome machines and it seems to be sturdy and well-built. Threading the needle is not as smooth as a higher-end machine. I would think for kids they might have included a needle threader on the machine, but maybe it's good practice for little fingers to get it through the eye. The stitches included are very basic and the machine doesn't sew as neatly as one priced 10x it obviously, but for a kid, this is really no issue. I really like the foot, which is larger than normal. I'm not concerned with her catching a finger in this one as I am on my machines. There is no needle up/down button, but the wheel will crank. There's also no thread cutter, so buy the little a pair of scissors and start training them to only ever use them on fabric! ;) If you're used to sewing on expensive machines, this one will seem like a toy. But there's some beauty in such a stripped down product also. Kids can learn the basics and I don't worry about my investment so much. She was immediately able to begin sewing pockets, pouches and pillows. I could see sewing a simple skirt on this machine. If your kid is going to be working with patterns or larger garments, this machine will be too small and limited though. If she sticks with sewing, I could see her outgrowing this in a year or two easy. But at least by then I would trust her to not hurt herself or damage a more expensive machine. So if you're on the fence about this, I'd consider the age and size of the child (again, this is very small), their interest, and the types of projects you see them working on. For kids just getting started, this is really a great little gadget. For an older child, one with more manual dexterity and more ambitious projects, I'd buy an adult-sized beginner machine. Janome makes a great product though — so I'd recommend them!

I debated whether to get this machine or a "real" machine for my daughter to start sewing. The price was nearly the same, but what made me decide on this one is the drop in bobbin. I just find it so much easier to work with than the old fashioned vertical casing. So, off the bat, this machine sews a nice stitch and has a nice selection of stitches, plenty for a starter. It doesn't have an on off switch, when plugged in, it turns on when the pedal is pushed, and off when it's not. It has one sewing speed which is sort of slow, but a great speed for a learner/kid. The power is competent. It is lightweight, but not flimsy. Others have said this qualifies as a "toy". I wouldn't call it that, but the price is such that repairs will likely not be worth the cost. Cons: No Light Comes unthreaded frequently A bit of a pain to thread around the finger guard foot If this machine lasts a few years, it will have been worth the purchase. I've included a video of the machine running as normal. As someone with a lot of sewing machine experience, I like to hear/see a machine run. I'm sure I've over looked something, if you have questions, I'm an avid sewer and will answer them in the comments as best I can.

The best Christmas present that my daughter received. The sawing machine works so good and the stitching is perfect. Works like a proper sawing machine.

First - I had one of 'those' machines that didn't sew - lots of problems with the bobbin thread and clunking. (I worked OK for the first few projects.) As it was still within the year's warranty (I was six months into the year), I called Janome and didn't get put on hold! I described my issue and got info on how to send it in for servicing. I had to pay for shipping there and part of the shipping back. Mailed it April 21st (UPS) and got it back May 2nd. It works perfectly. IF it should develop problems again do know I will be back here to update. To have a real machine this weight and price - a lot of features are missing: no light, can't change the foot, the thick foot makes it hard to thread (but this is sold as a safety feature to keep fingers away from the needle), no bobbin adjustment (if you are one to fiddle with that setting), and a very light foot peddle that moves easily. It does have a storage drawer which is tine and a bit awkward - but it does hold and protect extra bobbins and needles (I also keep tiny scissors in there). When it developed 'the problem' I did begin to explore other light machines - and couldn't find any. LOVE being able to move it around without a thought. It can be used for medium weight fabrics - as for heavy weight - well they really won't fit under that foot!

Nice, basic, works great for my needs. I haven't sewn since the 70's and am woefully out of date. This is a great running light weight machine that I have confidence in while I relearn so much. The only issue I have is that AMAZON keeps sending me info for sewing dolls and the like. :) Never my thing, but that is not Jenome. The Jenome Purple (and other colors) Thunder is my freind on my sewing projects. Update, 01/13/2015: Am trying to see if I can fix it after about 30 or so yards of sewing flannel. Started loosing thread and when I decided to replace the thread and bobbin this last time I saw that the bobbin did not move and could not thread through to sew. The clear bobbin cover seems to have a good use after all. Will update and re comment if I can fix this, it is not worth the costs to have it fixed. The Jenome site did not cover lack of bobbin movement and to get an "answer" from a rep it was going to cost almost $35 which may well be better spent on a new and different machine. So if I do not re comment, it was not fixed.

This was sewing machine was purchased for my granddaughters 5th birthday. She has been asking for a sewing machine since she was 3 years old. Having many years of experience sewing, I really felt that she needed to wait until she was 8 years old so that she did not get frustrated and end up hating sewing. I purchased a toy sewing machine for her but thankfully I tried it out myself and realized if she was given the toy machine, she would end up hating sewing. So I continued to do more research, and more research, and ended up buying this machine. It greatly concerned me that it was electric and had a foot pedal. I was mainly worried about her little fingers and that needle. Well... she opened the package on her birthday and was not impressed. It was not the toy sewing machine that she wanted. Along with the sewing machine, I put together a sewing basket with several child friendly sewing notions. At that time she loved the sewing basket more then the machine. Inside the basket was the set of rules that came with the machine. Basically the rules were that the machine had to be used under adult supervision. The first sewing lesson got her hooked. She turned to me and said "Actually Grandma, this is really fun!" So.... the sewing lessons continue and they go for 30 - 45 minutes at a time. She is so proud of the little things she has sewn. This machine is really great. Great price, great looking, easy to use, and it sews great. Had a little trouble in the beginning figuring out the tension to make the stitches look decent. But once we got that figured out, it makes a really nice stitch. I love the stitching foot design. It is designed to keep those little fingers safe. If I had to come up with a "con" it would be that the machine is on the loud side and the little drawer on the front is a bit hard to open for even an adult. But those things are minor. I would definitely buy this machine again!

I was looking for a very good quality sewing machine that my granddaughter could learn on. I did not want a toy. I came across this machine and found a YouTube review and loved it. I was disappointed that all the colours it is made in were not available but the colour I was able to get was a cute fuschia. It came earlier than expected and my granddaughter and I had so much fun. It is very good quality and would be good for any new sewer no matter what age. It’s so lightweight you could easily travel with it. It’s everything you would expect in a regular sewing machine except a buttonholer. Love it. Love everything Janome makes.

Definitivamente para uso de principiantes, cumple el objetivo para personas que quieren aprender a usarla y coser "No es un juguete" es de buena calidad, no te confundas, no es una máquina industrial, muchos califican negativo haciendo una comparación así, en resumen, es una máquina para pequeñas manualidades.

No tiene luz.

I bought this as a Christmas gift for my 11 year old daughter and it is just wonderful, sews at a speed that is easy for her and not to fast, better quality than those horrible kids machines (NEVER purchase one of these unless you want to rip your hair out in frustration), it is easy to thread, and very light weight. She loves the colour and has been sewing up a storm. The only real problem with this machine, and the only reason I didn't award 5 stars is that there is no light! I bought a stick on one for her, but I wish they had of incorporated one into the actual machine to light the work area, my old eyes need it for threading. Other than that, it is a great little machine.

Just like another reviewer, I bought this as a birthday present for my 9 year old daughter who desperately wanted to learn how to sew. I did a lot of research and thought that the reviews of this machine were mostly exceptional, so I ordered it with great optimism. We didn't take it out of the box for about a month as we were waiting until we had some time to sit down and learn to use it (didn't realize there was a 30-day return policy!) From the first time, we had issues. It is not user-friendly. There is no light, which makes it hard to see what you are doing. It is very hard to thread the needle for some reason. You have to use a little tool, but even that requires keen eyesight without the use of a light. The machine does not allow for fast sewing, which I guess is ok if you are just learning, but it gets frustrating quickly. Also, winding the bobbin was awkward. It did not wind evenly and had a lot of empty space. Unfortunately, we used the machine twice and were so frustrated with the results that I just ended up teaching her how to use my machine. I checked the return policy, but we definitely missed that boat. Now we're stuck with a pretty piece of useless plastic!