So today we have our second review with sewist Fenna – of Fabulous Home Sewn. So without further prattle from me, let’s see what fenna has to say about her machine!
Please share the brand name and model number:
Janome 4120 QDC
Is your machine classed as Domestic or Industrial?
Domestic
How long have you had this machine, did you buy it new and what was the purchase price or approximate price range?
I had it just over 2 years—an early birthday present from my husband! It was around $800, I believe, when I bought it brand new!
What made you decide to buy this particular machine?
I actually had my eye set on a Pfaff Ambition 1.0 with built in walking foot, but when I gave them a test run, I loved how this one ran. Also, it has a number of stretch stitches, the presser foot pressure can be adjusted, it is good for quilting, and has an alphabet which is perfect for making size tags, etc.
Approximately how often do you sew with it and what types of projects do you sew?
A number of times a week! I usually sew clothing—both knits and woven, but I’ve recently delved into the quilting side of things as well!
Does your machine have any special features which you enjoy or any special features you do NOT like and drives you bonkers? LOL
I love the automatic thread cutter! And, speed control for when I teach my children. One thing that can be annoying is if you are working on a button hole and the stitches mess up, you can’t just start again where you left off, you have to unpick the whole button hole and restitch it from the beginning.
Are there any features you really wish your machine has BUT is lacking?
I can’t think of any right now, other than maybe more speed at times 😉
How about features it does have BUT you find you never use? Example decorative stitches etc
It has the Russian alphabet which I NEVER use since I’d have no idea what I’d be stitching!
Would you recommend this machine to others and if not, why?
I would definitely recommend this machine to others—it sews knits well, is a great quilting machine, and has been very reliable so far!
If your machine suddenly vanished, would you replace it with the exact same machine or a different one? Why?
Hmm…good question. I’m not sure, I think I would since I know it is a good machine and has a lot of the features I want/need. Although, I might test out some other ones and fall in love with a different one.
Do you have any interesting stories to share about your machine? Example: It’s history….It was great grandmas, you learn to sew on it as a child etc
As I’ve mentioned earlier it was an early birthday gift from my husband as my old Shark (which was an anniversary gift to see if I would like sewing as much as I thought I would) wasn’t keeping up anymore. I was getting more and more frustrated, and my husband couldn’t think when I sewed on the Shark as it was loud, so I went to buy this one a couple of months early 🙂
Also, I tried using it to sew through a couple of layers of neoprene for a dog vest, but that ended up throwing the tension off!
Any Sewing Machine hints or tips you would like to share?
Keep the lint build up down by doing a quick clean after every project or two.
If you won the lottery and could add ANY new machine to your collection, which one would it be?
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Juki sewing machines….though I haven’t researched or tried any of them specifically.
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the Janome 4120 QDC Fenna! You can check out Fenna’s blog here, Facebook here and Zibbet here!
Would you like to share your thoughts on YOUR machine in your own review? We’d love to hear them! Please email me and we’ll chat! 🙂
Love this series? Please pop the button below on your blog so others can find it and enjoy it too! 🙂
What a fabulous series so pleased to discover it at #CreativeMuster – I have a very old machine from the 80s so nothing at all as fancy 🙂
Don’t you wish you could take home a different sewing machine every week or so to try it until you find the perfect machine for yourself? I’d love if I could test out various sewing machines in exchange for a through sewing machine review. Are you listening sewing machine companies? Lol!!! I can dream.
Oh YES! I WISH I could do just that Daryl….wouldn’t that be FABULOUS! Helllllllllooooo SEWING MACHINE COMPANIES……are you listening? LOLLLL… I am dreaming right along with you!
Thanks for stopping by Alice….I am glad you like this series! Sometimes those older machines sew better than the newer ones! LOL If ever you want to review your older machine, DO email me as I post reviews on old, new and everything in between! LOL
Great review! I always like to learn about other sewing machines and their features. I have a 15 yr old Bernina that I love and will never part with and I also have a Babylock Esante that is about 5 yrs old. I use the Babylock mainly for embroidery but it is also a sewing machine.
This is a great review. Where I live you can’t test drive a sewing machine. Unthinkable isn’t it. I’m really happy with the ones I have but if anything should happen to one of them, especially my domestic one, it’s good to read about what people think of theirs. I love all the decorative stitches on this one.
Me too Kimberlee….and you can’t have too many machines either! LOL
Oh my….no test driving? LOL….That’s no fun!! I ‘thought’ I would use all of the decorative stitches on my Pfaff….but I rarely ever do! I really should make a point of utilising them! hmmmm
thanks Christine for having me 🙂
My pleasure Fenna…thank YOU for taking the time to review the machine for us! 🙂
I would love to obtain the Janome 4120’s dimensions so that I can make a cover for someone as a gift without asking them for details. Can you blog that please as I cannot find any information on the internet and there are no distributors where I live. I hope you can help!
Hi Linda,
I contacted Fenna and this is what she says:
Hi Christine, I measured it as best as I could–it is about 12″ high (including the bobbin threader but with the stitch sheet folded back) by 16″ wide and about 8″ deep on the bottom and 4.5″ at the top. I’d include some ‘wiggle’ room in there to make sure it’d fit.
Hope this helps! 🙂
When I try to sew letters with this machine they look all stretched out and cut off at the bottom. I’m using this same Janome model 4120QDC, F foot, and size 11 needle. Any suggestions?
Hi Reeta….If you are on Facebook, I suggest you search ‘Janome Sewing Machines’ for a group specifically for Janome machine owners….You might be able to find someone who has encountered similar issues or someone who may have some suggestions on what to do or try!
It has alot of stiches to choose from. I am a big fan of Brother. I bought a cheap one from Walmarts, it has over 100 stiches.
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The decorative stitches are great for jazzing up bag straps too!
😊