How to Use Two Spools of Thread on the Janome MC9400

I get lots of questions about the thread stand I use on my Janome MC9400 to handle thread cones. As I own a long arm machine, I have more thread cones than spools and needed a way to use these on the Janome MC9400, so I purchased the optional two spool thread stand. This stand works well for using thread cones as well as handling stacked threads that should feed vertically, rather than horizontally.

The two spool thread stand comes with two vertical thread stands, two thread guides as well as two thread caps and an attachment to handle cones that can be taken off the vertical thread stand when not needed. The thread guides consist of two interconnected extendable metal poles that will lock into place with a slight twist when you extend them. They can be collapsed when not in use.

The stand also comes with a small thread guide that fits into the round hole that you'll see when you open up the top of the Janome MC9400. It's important to check with your local Janome dealer to get the right two spool thread stand because they are machine specific. If you get the wrong one, you'll find that this small thread guide won't fit into the appropriate hole.

Fitting the two spool thread guide onto your machine is quite simple. At the back of the Janome MC9400 there are two screws. These need to be taken out and the protrusions on the thread guide will fit right in. You then screw the screws back into the machine, putting them through the holes in the two spool thread stand first. 

To learn more about the two spool thread stand and how to attach it to your Janome MC9400, click on the photo below to watch a video on my YouTube channel.

Creatively,

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Janome 9400 HP Foot and Needle Plate

While most sewing machines come with two needle plates: a straight stitch and a zigzag plate, the Janome Horizon Memory Craft 9400 QCP comes with an additional needle plate and a special foot that goes with it. The HP foot and needle plate combination are wonderful for quilters who are striving for that perfect 1/4" seam and there are several beautiful straight stitch choices that you can create. I love this new HP foot and needle plate combination available on the Janome 9400 and it has become my go-to choice for piecing!

The HP (High Performance, or as I like to call it, Happy Piecing) foot is a bit different from the other feet included with the Janome 9400: it is already permanently attached to its own presser foot bar. See, it really is special! 

The HP needle plate is a straight stitch plate which helps to give you a lovely straight line of stitching and avoids any needle flex going in and out of the fabric. You won’t be able to do any zigzag with this needle plate in the machine as it won’t let you. Well, you could probably find a way around it if you tried really hard, but when you pop in the HP needle plate, the Janome 9400 will only show you the straight stitches that you will be able to stitch. This avoids having to worry about selecting another stitch type that might cause the needle to hit the foot and break the needle and damage the machine.

As a quilter, I don’t usually look at the other straight stitches available, but if you are a sewist, there are some really nice triple stitch options that would look amazing if you are top stitching. I could certainly see how some of these stitches would make nice embellishment details on a collar or on shirt cuffs. While the Janome 9400 will suggest the stitch length, you can always change the look of the stitch by making it shorter or longer.

To see some of the straight stitch options available using the HP foot and needle plate, click on the image below to watch a video on my YouTube channel.

Creatively,

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Sewing Machine Set Up for Free Motion Quilting

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is how I set up my sewing machine for free motion quilting so I made a video to show you how I do this.

There are really two things to consider: what tools you should have that will help you to free motion quilt easily and how to set up your sewing machine.

First, let's take a look at the tools. Having the largest area around the machine's needle to support the quilt will be very helpful. If you have an extension table, this is the time to put it on your sewing machine. If you don't have an extension table, a Sew Steady table is a great investment. 

Image courtesy of amazon.com

It's a good idea to have something underneath your quilt so that it will slide easily on the machine bed. I like to use the Supreme Slider: it's durable and can be easily cleaned.

You will also need something to help you grip the quilt and move it around. I like to wear Machingers for this purpose: they are lightweight and have rubberized tips on each finger that help you grab the quilt.

Now let's take a look at the machine set up. Whenever you are starting a new project, you should insert a new needle. You should also turn your stitch length to 0.

You will also want to put the appropriate foot on your sewing machine. You probably have a darning or free motion foot for your machine and you will need this when you are free motion quilting. 

You should lower the feed dogs on your sewing machine - or should you? If you are using the Supreme Slider, the feed dogs are already covered and some sewing machines actually work better when the feed dogs are up when free motion quilting. Try both on your machine to see which gives you the best results.

If you have a newer sewing machine, it probably has a speed control on it. This allows you to adjust how fast the machine is stitching - how fast the needle is going up and down - when you press the foot pedal. Play around with this until you can press the foot pedal all the way to the floor and are comfortable with the rate at which the machine is sewing. This means you don't have to think about what your foot is doing - you just need to focus on moving your hands.

For more information on how I set up my sewing machine for free motion quilting, click on the image below to watch a video on my YouTube channel.

How do you set up your sewing machine for free motion quilting? Leave me your best tips in the Comments below.

Creatively,

P.S. Did you know that you can sign up to receive FREE emails full of quilting goodness? Just click here to receive FREE content directly in your email inbox every few weeks from Chatterbox Quilts. I know you'll be glad you did!

P.P.S. I am an Amazon affiliate and will receive a small amount of compensation if your purchase a product by clicking through links in this blogpost. This allows me to continue to provide you with FREE content each week. Thank you.

Perfect 1/4" Seams with the Janome MC9400 O Foot

This is the last blogpost in my series about the new feet included in the Accessory Upgrade Kit for the Janome MC9400. Just because it is the last blogpost does not mean that the foot I’m going to tell you about is the least of the feet included in the kit. If you aren’t familiar with the Accessory Upgrade Kit and what is included in it, click here.

For most quilters, stitching a perfect ¼” seam is a constant struggle and any help we can get to achieve this is most appreciated. One of the feet included in the Accessory Upgrade Kit for the Janome MC9400 will definitely help you stitch that perfect ¼” seam. It is the O foot or ¼” seam foot without guide. Let’s take a closer look at this foot.

If you are thinking that you may already have an O foot in your Janome MC9400 accessory storage box, you’re right! There is, however,  a significant difference between that foot and the new O foot: the new O foot doesn’t have a guide on it. The black metal piece that is on the right side of the foot when viewing it on your machine has now been removed. This guide is helpful for running along the edge of your fabric when stitching a ¼” seam. While I like this foot, I sometimes find that the metal piece can catch on loose threads and cause issues if I’m not watching carefully. You won’t have this problem with the new O foot as the black metal guide has been removed.

There are some other helpful features on the new O foot that I know you’re going to like. You will notice that there are some additional markings on this foot. There is a raised metal piece that extends to the edge of the front of the foot and this is ¼” away from the needle drop position. While this sounds complicated, what it really means is that you can use this guide to stitch another line ¼” away from a previously stitched line.

There are also three ¼” markings on the left side of the foot and these can be used in different situations, such as when you are at a corner and want to stop ¼” away from it to turn your fabric – or ½” or ¾” inch.

If you’ve been using your original O foot on your Janome MC9400 and wishing that it didn’t have the metal guide on it, you’ll appreciate the new O foot without the guide as well as the additional markings on the foot.

For more information on the O foot and to see it in action, click on the image below.

Creatively,

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New Open-Toe Darning Foot for the Janome MC9400

Another new foot for the Janome MC9400!

You might wonder why the PD-H foot or darning foot is included in the Accessory Upgrade Kit for the Janome MC9400 and that’s a good question. If you aren't familiar with the Accessory Upgrade Kit and what it includes, click here for more information. Once you see it, you will understand: unlike the original PD-H foot included with the Janome MC9400, this is an open-toe foot. What does that mean and why should you be excited about it? Let me tell you.

The new PD-H darning foot will look similar to the original PD-H foot, with one big exception: there is a cut out at the front of the foot between the two red lines. This foot is an open-toe one, which means that you will have excellent visibility when using it.

As a quilter, I use this foot for free motion quilting and the better I can see my stitches when quilting, the better I like it! If you are a sewist, you will also find it easier to see what you are sewing when using it for darning or other applications.

I like to use the stitches in the Quilting area under the Sewing Application icon for this foot and you won’t notice any difference on your display screen. You will, however, notice a difference in how well you can see your sewing path when you are using the open-toe PD-H foot.

I would caution you on one thing when using the open-toe PD-H foot on your Janome MC9400: be careful not to catch the open area at the front of the foot on any loose threads or fabric as you are stitching along. As there is an opening at the front of the PD-H foot, it can catch on areas such as these. As long as you are watching where you are stitching, this shouldn’t be any problem.

I’m sure you’re going to really notice a difference when free motion quilting or darning on your Janome MC9400 with the open-toe PD-H foot and will appreciate the extra visibility.

To learn more about the open-toe PD-H foot, click on the image below to watch a video.

Creatively,

P.S. Did you know that you can sign up to receive FREE emails full of quilting goodness? Just click here to receive FREE content directly in your email inbox every few weeks from Chatterbox Quilts. I know you'll be glad you did!