As our teams are growing I have been asked by many ladies about a suitable machine to buy here in Muscat. There are a few things to consider such as your purpose, budget, preference in brand etc. Today I will review this little beauty, great if you are looking for a basic but strong machine with a few perks for under 50 rial, it is the Juki HZL 29Z.
But before I dive in let me give you some background. I personally have 5 Janome machines (1 embroidery, 1 coverstitch, 1 quilters machine, 1 "workhorse" does straight stitch only which will probably out live me! and finally 1 beginner general purpose machine). I also own a Janome overlocker and a Singer overlocker, yep that is my family that has grown over the past 13 years. My Mom had a singer machine for as long as I can remember, in fact she still has it today, it must be almost 50 years old. You see the difference is that "back then" the machines were built to last, whereas now they are almost disposable, made of cheaper plastic components and have a much shorter life span.
In Muscat I strongly suggest you purchase a Janome, Singer or Juki as these machines are more common here and can be serviced well. Other machines like Brother, Husqvarna , Pfaff, Bernina etc are gorgeous machines but in my experience there is not the knowledge of these machines by the repair shops here to service them well.
Machines are readily available in Lulu, Carrefour, EMax, and Salam stores to name a few. Prices differ slightly and always watch out for the Salman Store sales when you can get 25%+ off quality machines. In the past 6 months I have purchased 6 machines (for DfG and my sister) from Abu Janan sewing shop in Seeb. Anu is one of the bosses there and he has been very good in offering me substantial discounts compared to the same model on offer in another larger retail store. This is also a great place to have your machines serviced. They are generally done within a day or two and if there are no problems it will only set you back 6 rial. The shop is on the main road that goes through the seeb souq. You pass the mosque on your right , then to your left you see lots of furniture shops and Abu Janan is a few blocks up on the left just BEFORE you take the loop to come back on the other side of the souq.
So lets get down to the nitty gritty of this review. This machine is ticketed at 55 rial in the shop. But being such a great customer (haha) and after a few friendly negotiations he sold it to me for 47 rial.
The BIG drawcard for me was the automatic needle threader which you can see in this picture (the white piece I am holding). The little white device comes down and allows you to draw the thread across it and it grabs / hooks it and drags it back through the needle eye. This is a huge time saver especially for novice sewers , kids learning, and older gals like me who need their glasses for everything!
I did a stitch sampler and was very happy with the ability to shorten and lengthen stitches and I really loved that you have an option for stretch stitching for so many different stitches as usually you will get a stretch stitch for a straight or zig zag. These are nice secure stitches too and the tension was good.
I strongly recommend that everyone takes the time to do a stitch sampler and keep it always with the machine. That way there is no guess work in what the stitches will look like etc.
Another great feature is the easy drop in bobbin on the top of the machine plate and the transparent cover that allows you to see when your thread is almost out. So much easier than the front loading bobbin metal cases which can really put off new sewers because it can be fiddly.
Other plus's for the Juki - LED light so no overheating; a Free Arm that comes off for those smaller round holes like armholes, this also houses the sewing kit and accessories that come with the machine; large easy to use stitch selecter and nice big reverse control; 7 instead of 5 feed dogs will allow light through to thick layers to pass through (good for shields); 22 stitch patterns is a bonus but to be honest most of us end up using about 3 or 4 of them; light weight; over all looks "pretty" comes in two colour combinations shown above. Easy threading and fast bobbin winding. The instruction booklet is clear and a bonus is that it comes with a 13 minute DVD if you are more of a visual learner.
Now here are my erks, the things that make me go ... hmmmmmm. This machine goes FAST, super FAST and there is no speed control. I remedied that by placing some cardboard into the side of the foot (see pic). I was concerned that the speed of this machine might make new sewers nervous but I do feel if you can slow it down a little with the cardboard and also learn how to very slowly press your foot down then you can get the hang of it.
The needle threader is great BUT it does take a little practice to get it just right. Initially I was annoyed that it wasn't as slick as one I already use on my Janome Quilter, but after a few patient attempts I finally got it.
It comes with a soft plastic cover which offers it protection from dust but not from bumps etc. I think it is pretty much the same in this price range.
The machine does have some vibration to it. I was testing it on my spare sewing table which is a collapsable plastic table and that can account for some of the vibration. To remedy this I would suggest putting down some of that plastic webbing you can get as a rug slide protecter or to spare your dishes in the sink. Usually 2 rial a roll in the supermarkets and very useful.
Overall Rating - Price it has to be 5/5 to get the needle threader and top bobbin. Good sturdy machine for a beginner. For under 50 rial you will get a Janome basic model which are also solid just no needle threader ;-) This machine gets an overall rating of 4/5.
Now if you are looking for a few extra features and a solid case then your price range will need to increase to around 75+ rials.
Also if you are willing to spend a further 8 rial I would suggest purchasing this sewing foot set that they have for sale. It contains a "walking foot" which is extremely helpful when working with fabrics that slide or thicker layers. There is also loads more feet that come in handy like the ¼ inch foot etc.
Last night Anu must have been in a good mood because he sold me the Janome Magnolia 4 thread differential feed Overlocker / Serger for 95 rial. That is 20 rial off the ticket price and this is a great serger if you are thinking of getting one. We have purchased one for DfG that we can loan out so that we can get more people assisting with liner sewing. Actually I think he may have been trying to get rid of me as I kept interrupting his sale with another lady by talking to her about Days for Girls! After taking out a shield (I always carry one in my bag) and explaining it to Rahma and her friend and all the talk of periods I think he was keen to get me out of the shop!! LOL.
Sorry if this was too long a review. I hope with time I can get better at keeping it simple ;-)
So there we have it folks. If you are in the market for a little economical beauty then the Juki might be right for you. Alternatively if you would like to "try before you buy" then come on over to my place or try it out, or try it at the next volunteer morning on SUNDAY 9th!!! See you all there.
Probably worth mentioning that I get no kick backs or anything for this review and I have no affiliation with Abu Janan.
