First Impressions of the Janome Continental M17 Sewing & Embroidery Machine

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It’s here, it’s here, it’s finally here and man is it impressive. We’ve had a little play with the brand-new Janome Continental M17 Sewing and Embroidery machine and we thought we would share with you our first impressions of this very fine piece of machinery from Janome.

Not one but two!

That’s right, there are two touch screens for your convenience. One touch screen at the top of the machine displays common settings that you would adjust for your stitch, such as needle position, stitch width, tension etc. Use the plus or minus, slide using the blue lines or use the adjustment knobs to the left of the screen. The large touch screen to the left of the machine is your main screen. I must say that this screen is fantastic. It is super clear to read and very user friendly and you can use either a stylus or your finger on the touch screen. There is continuity of the icons from previous models of Janome’s which makes it nice and easy for previous owners to transition to. Having said that, there are quick reference charts to refer to also.

That’s bright!

The amount of lighting is something that really surprises you when you turn this machine on. There are four lighted areas on the machine with two of them focused around the needle area. As you can see on the below right image, your sewing is fully illuminated before and after the needle area for the absolute best visibility available. There are two more sets of lights in the upper throat area, so you are more than covered in the lighting department on this machine. You can also turn off selected lights in the set menu if it is too reflective for something you are sewing on and also the ability to dim them.

It’s how big?

When you unpack the boxes, you can’t help but notice this hoop. It’s the largest embroidery hoop currently in the industry which measures 460mm x 280mm (11.3” x 18.2”). This hoop has been made with carbon fiber infused plastic which gives it strength and durability. It has a unique design to assist with locking in the hooped items to ensure there is limited slippage in the embroidery area. Impressive to say the least. A first for Janome is hoop recognition and the slide on system when attaching the hoop to the embroidery module.

Such precision!

When getting things precise in sewing, quilting and embroidery it really helps when technology can help us out. Lasers give pinpoint positions with the ability to angle and make clearer the beam. The thumb wheel located to the top right of the needle is another industry-first that lets you “dial” the needle up or down without having to reach over to the handwheel located to the far right of the machine. It really is the little things that help so much when the need to be accurate is required.

So, these are our first impressions of the Janome Continental M17 machine which is ready in store for demonstrations. Next up we will be testing out the stitching and embroidery which is going to be so much fun. There are many decorative stitches and built-in designs to play with. There are also some great apps available that work in conjunction with the machine so you can set up wifi for the ultimate experience.

If you would like more details on this amazing machine, click here for machine specifications as well as brochures. There are also training videos to watch here to view how to use the machine.

Happy Stitching from Kimz Team x