We are getting people excited about returning to sewing around Muscat. Many of us sewed at school and then let it go, until ... Days for Girls came along and shook us up!
I had a chat to my friend Anu up at Abu Janan in Seeb about the Juki and told him about the things I liked about the Juki HZL 29Z (previously reviewed here) and then asked him if he might have a Janome that might go a little slower ;-) But the real deal breaker was that I wanted a machine with an Automatic Needle Threader for under 50 rial. He didn't have one in the shop but he rang around and said he would have one for me in two days time.
And here she is ... please meet Cherry! Or Miss "Cherry Pie" as my daughter has now named her.
This review is also a little of a comparison between Cherry and the Juki so you can see what machine meets your needs better. Both have their Pro's and Con's.
At 1 rial more expensive than the Juki she will cost 48 rials from Abu Janan. Probably 55 rial at Salman Stores if you don't want to take the trip up to Seeb. Be super nice to Anu and he will come down from 55 to 50 then tell him "Anu , come on, think of the Girls ..." and it is 48 rial.
Here is a look at Miss Cherry Pie's features on the box.
PRO's
She comes in a hard case! I love that, no really, it is a big deal to me because I move machines from A to B all the time, especially to Volunteer Day so I need some protection for my girls when in transit.
Cherry is a basic starter machine. You are getting 7 stitches plus the button hole. Then there is a S.S. setting and that will give you the Stretch Stitch option (so a total of 14 stitches) which is mostly for the straight stitch but if you are an avid sewer of knit / jersey / t-shirts then you can use SS with the other stitches for a more decorative look. This is compared to to a larger range of 22 stitches available on the Juki.
4 step Button hole feature (same as Juki).
Her straight stitch is nice and clean. Not problems with tension.
To wind a bobbin you pull the hand wheel out (first time I have seen that) and its nice and fast and neat. Threading the machine is very simple and it does have two spool holders so if you are getting fancy and using a twin needle you can hold two different spools on top in different colours for a lovely effect.
BUT WAIT do you remember one of my favourite features on the Juki, you know the "deal breaker"? YES, it has a Needle Threader! It is a dream to use and to be honest a little more exact than the Juki (I found I needed to move the needle a little with the Juki but it just took a little practise). (In the picture my finger is holding down the needle threader).
It comes with four feet. The regular zig zag, a zipper, a blind hem (see picture below) and a button hole foot. Very easy to click on and off. Three extra bobbins, a seam ripper, la small screwdriver and some spare needles.
Vibrations are there but not too much. I am going to say a little less than the Juki and at a guess I would say the motor is not as powerful as the Juki.
While it does not have a speed dial to regulate speed (you find that on more expensive Janome models) I did find it is more sensitive to the foot press and you can lightly press down to go slow. Much slower than the Juki which might be more attractive to the beginner who gets rattled by the speed.
You can remove the arm to allow for tight circles like armholes. When you take off the arm you will see the accessories in a plastic bag stored in the arm. The Juki has a nicer front opening case for the accessories but I feel Cherry's arm is a little more narrow. A benefit for garment sewing with armholes.
The reverse lever on the front is easy to use.
CON's
Cherry does not come with a top loading "pop-in" transparent bobbin case. Instead she has the usual Janome front loading metal bobbin case under the needle which means you need to take off the free arm when you want to access the bobbin or check the thread. I personally like the drop in transparent one because it is MUCH easier to load the bobbin especially for beginners and children and also it means you can see when you are running out of bobbin thread. It is frustrating to be humming along sewing only to realise when you get to the end of the row that you ran out of bobbin thread a while ago, lol. (One of the big Pro's for the Juki).
The light is a regular bulb and not an LED like the Juki so it is not as sharp and bright.
No DVD instruction like the Juki had. I tried to find one on You Tube to share for this exact model but no luck. The DVD can be helpful for those who are visual learners. (maybe there is a new business idea in all my spare time, lol).
STITCH SAMPLER
Here is a picture of the stitch sampler. Remember if you are getting a new machine take the time to do a sampler. And read through the stitches in the manual one by one and test them on the sampler as you go and make any notes e.g. TT (thread tension) 3, that way when you come to use it there is no wasted time messing around testing settings.
Then wrap your sampler around the power cord. Why? Well I usually attach my sampler to the manual but I very rarely get out the manual unless there is a problem which means you probably end up using only a ¼ of the features of your machine. I wrap it around and secure with a pin when packing up. Also it allows easy identification of which foot belongs to which machine when you move them around. Many of us have the VERY BAD habit of rolling up our foot and cord and putting them in the machine (the hollow part next to the needle) when storing or moving it. This is very bad for your machine as the foot knocks the needle and arm and can cause damage to the arm and put your stitching accuracy off.
So there is it folks. You know have two basic model machines available here in Muscat for under 50 rials. Maybe you were looking to get back into sewing, learn for the first time, or surprise one of your kids with a machine of their own.
I am giving Cherry 5/5 for value and again a 4/5 for performance.
If I was buying one for my 11 year old daughter as a gift I would lean towards Cherry for the reason of speed as she has a very heavy foot (I am dreading her getting behind the wheel of a car!!!!). And the hard case is a big selling point for me. On the flip side if I was looking for a hardy machine that is going to take a few bumps and give me a long life it might be the Juki , it is a pity it has a soft cover.
Please remember that we run free learn to sew sessions on Tuesdays for a small number of Days for Girls volunteers who want to learn the Drawstring Bag (beginner) and the Shields (a little more experience required but certainly not rocket science). Once trained you will be able to sew the DfG components and hopefully take home a "sew@home" kit in-between volunteer days. Keep up to date with classes on our Facebook page or here on our blog.
Next Volunteer morning will be Sunday 6th November in the Bhaja Hall.
Good luck and happy sewing.
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