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August 18, 2008 :: 10:16 pm :: DIY and Craft Tutorials :: 10 commentsSo I’ve been using my new Janome 1600P-DBX sewing machine for a couple of weeks now, and I still heart it big time! It ain’t no industrial, but the thing’s got power enough for me! Aside from the extra oomph and 1600 stitch per minute speed, one of my ABSOLUTE favorite things about this machine in terms of features is the automatic thread cutter. It saves soooo much time and is just cool to use. It pulls your needle thread down to the bottom of your work and nips both threads pretty close to the fabric. Love that.
The second runner up would probably be the simultaneous bobbin winding feature which, because it runs on its own little motor and offers a separate spool pin for bobbin thread, allows you to wind up a bobbin — at the touch of a button! — while continuing to sew your project.
The Janome 1600P-DBX doesn’t come with very many accessories out of the box, but in terms of what it does come with, my fave here would be the adjustable cloth guide. The guide is basically a giant version of the magnetic seam guide that I used to love using on my little Memory Craft Janome 4900QC, except that the cloth guide is way more stable since it screws into your machine.
Since the number of standard accessories the 1600P-DBX came with was so underwhelming, I went and bought myself a bunch of extra goodies. First I got me a bunch of extra feet:
…followed by an 18×24 inch extension table, followed by some more feet!
The only feet that came with the machine are the bottom two in the photo with the machine feet, and I bought the rest of them separately. Unfortunately, I’m having issues with my zipper feet. =/ I was really excited about the middle foot in particular because it looks like you could use that one single foot to stitch to either the left OR the right of it. But, I get loops on the underside of my project whenever I use all but one of them.
WAH! Gotta get back to The Sewing Machine Shop to have shop chief Dan look at it, but I’m not looking forward to dragging this machine along with me. This sucka’s HEAVY!
I tried the compensating foot with adjustable guide today (the middle foot in the middle row) and thought it was pretty darn cool, but I had a hard time getting the guide to go over the straps while top stitching around the top of the bag. Hm…
On a brighter note, the extension table is awesome! It’s perfect for working with the Big Lugs since those use such mongo pieces.
I kinda wish the machine came with an auto needle threader. The 1600P-DB version, which doesn’t have the auto thread cutter, does and I actually didn’t notice that the DBX didn’t until it came time to thread the needle. But, it has a reverse function and knee lift, both of which are key.
Jimmy thinks I should sell my 4900QC now that I’ve got the big boy, but he just doesn’t understand! The 1600P only goes forward and backward, straight up stitches, nothin else. And sometimes a girl just wants to get fancy, ya know? A little zig? A little zag? And maybe someday a few buttonholes! So I’m hanging on to her for sure.
So, the industrial machine that I’d originally had my sights set on will have to wait. I just knew we didn’t have the room, since the industrial sits in its own table, motor and all. But also, I couldn’t decide which one to get! I’d narrowed it down to a couple (a Juki and a Consew), but I wanted to test drive them first and could only find two places that carried used or new industrials locally and neither of them had the model I thought I wanted. Then, when I found out that the instructor of my most recent handbag sewing class had a “professional” Bernina machine (stronger than a standard home machine but not as powerful as an industrial), I figured thought oughtta be good enough for me. And that’s how it happened!
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Nice site. I really enjoyed it. All the best, Randy
Hi, this was very informative for me. I was thinking of buying a Jonome 1600p-DBX, so would you still recommend it? I have never quilted a top before and want to learn. I thought this machine and maybe a Grace frame of some type. Any pointers would be great! Debbie
Hi Debbie, I absolutely LOVE this machine and highly recommend it for its ease of use, smooth sewing, speed and power as compared to higher-end home sewing machines. I’m not a quilter and don’t know a thing about Grace frames so unfortunately can’t give you much insight there, but I sew everything you see in my Etsy shop on my Janome 1600P-DBX, and the machine has been a dream of a workhorse. I would definitely recommend the small investment of purchasing an extension table for working on larger-sized projects, as well as some specialized presser feet (I get mine on eBay) so you can get the job done more efficiently.
For quilting-related (or general) questions about this machine, I’d definitely also recommend talking to the staff at The Sewing Machine Shop. I’ve had the best luck with reaching them by phone during business hours. Getting a response via email and/or their online form can be hit or miss. Here’s their URL: http://www.sewingmachineshop.com/index.html
Otherwise I’m happy to try to answer any other questions. Good luck finding your perfect machine!
Hi
Where did you pick up the cloth guide? I’m looking for one and i’m unable to locate the one that you have displayed. How much does it cost? Thanks
Pam
The new kind of eco bags is surprisingly good. These green bags can be fold into a very cute strawberry or even an animal. Our kids love the strawberry bags a lot since we put some candies on the eco bags and fold them. At the same time, we are teaching our kids on how to avoid using any plastic bags at all time when we have these little cute green supply strawberry bags.
simple I may have to get some of these
Good blog! Well done!
Your atical is really surprising.The article is very helpful to me. After read it, I think a lot.
I’m glad you like your Janome 1600P DBX. I bought one too, but I’m am not loving it as much as you do. What do you think I am doing wrong? I have only quilted two quilts with it and both times, my thread breaks about every two feet or my needle breaks. And the needle is so hard to tell which way it goes in because the directions are not very clear in the manual and the needle does not have a flat side like needles for other brands of sewing machine. I want to ‘love’ my machine too, but so far it has given me nothing but misery. I have done everything the book told me for troubleshooting and it doesn’t work.