I'm a Janome Maker!
Okay, I'm too excited not to share so I'm just gonna blurt it out – I'm a Janome Maker! Gahhh!!!
Now how did I get to this point? Well, I believe in manifesting your dreams (not the win a billion dollars kind, but the totally achievable, slightly scary and feeling out of reach kind of dreams). And I DID IT, and dang do I feel proud!
I've been a Janome user for a long time, but the first machine I EVER bought myself was a Kenmore. I bought it from Sears when I was in college and it was a great beginner machine. About 10 years ago I saw a fellow Ottawa Modern Quilt Guild member using her Janome MC6600P and knew I needed to get that sewing machine. At the time it was out of my price range new, and luckily I found one second hand a short 2hr drive away. So in a freezing rain storm I drove 4hrs round trip to pick up my first Janome and it changed my sewing game significantly.
With my MC6600P I've learned so much – accurate piecing, walking-foot quilting, free-motion quilting, sewing curves, you name it, I probably learned or mastered it on this gal. She's a workhorse and my main squeeze.
In the spring of 2025 I added a new Janome to my roster – the Sewist 625E, as my travel machine! With my regular Toronto office trips I've started bringing projects to work on in the evenings, and this is the perfect small but mighty machine.
The past few years I have thought about applying to the Janome Maker team - maybe it was imposter syndrome, thinking that I wasn't making good enough projects - but I just never got around to applying. I was improving my skills, mastering techniques, and gaining confidence in my work. I also fully believe that putting yourself out there, and pushing past your comfort zone can do wonderful things.
So I applied, and I was specific in my application. I have two fully functional domestic sewing machines; what I would love, to be able to continue my growth as a quilter and share new knowledge with the quiltiverse, is a longarm. I'm so thankful that my friends at Janome Canada felt the same way.
The best machine for a beginner long armer to start with is the Quilt Master 15 with ProStitcher Lite, so that's where I'm starting!
The official announcement is out today, Feb 13, 2026, and the machine is set to arrive RIGHT before I head to QuiltCon, so I get the pleasure of being FULLY inspired and ready to set it up once I get home. If you haven't seen the Janome Life blog, check out the announcement here, and be sure to follow Janome Canada on Instagram for tons of inspiration, with content from me coming soon!
Thanks for following along - I'm so excited to start this longarm journey!
Jenn