Janome Skyline s7 Review (after 5 years use) 

Thank you so much, I'm glad you found the video helpful. I wish we were neighbors too!!

No machine is perfect, but the s7 checked off all of my important boxes. Purchasing a decent quality independent bobbin winder definitely eased much frustration and was worth the extra cost. I've since upgraded to an MC 9400 and I find the bobbin winding mechanism slightly better on the 9400 but I still prefer the independent winder since it is so fast and easy to use.

When you say you 'started threading your thread through an hole, prior to winding', do you mind explaining how you did this please? Thanks Angela UK

@@angelakeal944 There is an open hole on either side of your Janome bobbin. I thread a tail of my thread from The inside of the bobbin and then wipe it by hand about 8 times before putting on the bobbin winder. Works every time, snip the tail off, it is usually about an inch long after winding. Hope this helps

@@Lindyanne622 Thank you - I will give it a try. I only bought the UK equivalent of this machine yesterday so I haven't even tried to wind a bobbin yet but I have spent ages looking around at videos and reviews. I am sure I will love it though. Thanks again Angela (UK)

@@angelakeal944 Good luck to you! I have loved mine and some of the videos regarding bag making use a Janome! Hope you love it as much as I do!

@@Lindyanne622 Thank you. I have bought this to replace my Pfaff Quilt Ambition2 which I can't get on with for bag sewing. I bought it as a good all rounder especially in terms of anything that isn't a straight stitch. After seeing the reviews I am sure it will be exactly what I need. I am going to spend tomorrow sorting out my sewing room before I get started on the learning curve that I feel sure is to come! Thank you once again for your kind responses. Best regards Angela

Since I've started doing more quilting, I've upgraded to a gently used Janome MC9400 and I have not been dissappointed. It has all the same features I loved about the Skyline s7 but with an extra 3" of throat space for free motion quilting and the ability to use the HP plate and foot for piecing. If I had the budget, I would buy the Continental M7 but the 9400 is a close second at half the price.

Have fun choosing your next machine and let me know if you decide to go with the Skyline/Atelier 7!

Thank you, I'm glad you found the video helpful! I'll see if I can carve out some time to make a video on stitch composer sometime soon.

I had a problem with the bobbins - they were squishy when I wound them. I found that I needed to be sure to "click" the thread into place. By pulling on it, if properly inserted into tensioning area, there was a bit of resistance on the thread. When I didn't get it right, the thread pulled off the spool very easily.

Amen..re bobbin winder..no matter what l do…sucks..why would this be a feature that did not get same amount of attention as the rest of the features..being a die hard Pfaff user ..made me realize made a mistake buying this machine 5 yrs ago..and yet do love most features..switch machines depending on the project l am doing…oh ya..detest having to get machine out of my bed to reach areas to clean..🇨🇦

I upgraded my skyline s7 to a gently used MC 9400 (the newest version is the MC 9450) about a year ago. It has everything I loved about the skyline with more harp space for fmq. Something I can't explain but appreciate about the 9400 is that it 'feels' beefier and more sturdy. The bobbin winder on the 9400 is better. The hp plate and foot on the 9400 are amazing and I love the thread cutter pedal. You can also use Organ brand needles which are a little easier to find than Janome needles, Organ is who makes Janome needles. I very briefly considered another brand and then easily chose the 9400 once I sat at one. Another plus is that any feet or accessories that you bought for the skyline s7 will fit on the other Janome 9mm machines. If I didn't have budget constraints, I would own the Continental M7.

Janome needles are made by Organ.

I hope you enjoy your new machine as much as I have loved mine!

After my tech installed a new threader and warned me to only use Janome brand needles size twelve or bigger, my threader has worked really well with no hanging up or getting stuck. Might be time for a new one with a bit of adjustment to get it working well again. I bought my bobbin winder on Amazon, it was a generic brand for around $50. It works really well and is super fast. I agree about the arm not being small for sleeve cuffs and such. When I need to sew in the round, I turn the item inside out and have the it looping up instead. My old Bernina had a really small free arm, but none of the other features!

Me too re bobbin winder..grrr..each time need to use it..🇨🇦

I have never sewn on a Brother, so I can't compare to that one. I upgraded my s7 to a gently used MC9400 (the predecessor to the 9450) because I have started to make quilts in addition to garment sewing. I think the 9450 would be a better choice if you are a quilter - that extra throat space is worth the cost difference alone when it comes to free motion quilting. My 9400 has everything I loved about the s7 with some additional features so I have been very happy with my upgrade. The s7 was my first computerized machine and I loved it but I love the 9400 even more!

Yes, it makes a big difference in the quality of the stitching, especial on thread heavy decorative stitches and the lettering. I also use a top-stitch needle.

Would you give a simple tutorial on producing the stitch library?

I've altered jeans with no problems and made bags with layers of cotton duck, batting, lining, etc. You do need to use a hump jumper when working with thick fabrics or lots of layers when turning corners or sewing over cross seams or it can get stuck, skip stitches, or have uneven stitches. If you use the hump jumper then all of those problems aren't an issue. I have not sewn with leather and it isn't listed by the manufacturer as being able to. I use my machine with knits all the time, it is why I chose this model to sew my custom skating dress commission work. The acufeed system really helps move stretchy fabric through evenly so that seams lay flat and don't stretch out or pucker up.

@@staceyecklanddesigns7399 thank you for your response. I am torn between getting an s9 or buying one machine for embroidery and one for just sewing. I was told I needed a heavy duty sewing machine for leather but the that limits me to making garments. I was told I would need three machines. I wish there was a sewing machine that did all.

​@@craftynurs3434 I think the new Continental M17 has the capabilities you are looking for but costs a small fortune. Three machines would meet your needs and cost far, far less. I like multiple machines better than one do-it-all because then you can work on different projects without having to switch machine settings around. I don't do any embroidery, but if I did I would be looking at the Janome 550 so that I could have something stitching out while I was sewing on my main machine. I did upgrade my s7 to a gently used MC9400 a year ago. While I loved my s7, the 9400 has a larger throat space for free motion quilting and a few more options. It 'feels' heavier duty but I'm not sure that it really is. The HD9 would be my pick if I needed something truly heavy duty.

@@staceyecklanddesigns7399 which one would you recommend for garments sewing, if you had the 550e and janome hd9? I was thinking the janome mc6700, what are your thoughts with those three? Although, it would take up a lot of space which I may not have and the cost would run around 9,000. About the m17, it is a beast and I could not afford it. It's as much as a car, so it is not for me, but I wish I could.

​@@craftynurs3434 I bought the s7 specifically for making skating dresses after testing many machines and it served me very, very well. It is a fantastic machine for the money and I liked it better than the 6700 because I wanted computerized features and programs that aren't available on the 6700. The 6700 is definitely a heavier duty machine than the s7. If I had the hd9 then I would probably go for the s7 because you wouldn't need the extra oomph. If the 6700 handles leather (I'm not sure on this and can't seem to find info online) than it may be a better fit for you because you could get away with two machines vs. three. Try them out at a dealer if you can but take your own fabric and leather samples in to see how each machine handles what you want to sew. When I was looking, I brought spandex, stretch mesh, and silk chiffon along with me to see how different machines would feed those specific fabrics. At first stitch, I absolutely loved the s7 over anything else I had tried.