Janome Fastlane Fuschia Basic, Easy-to-Use, 10-Stitch Portable, Compact Sewing Machine with Free Arm only 5 pounds, Fuschia

I was looking for a very good quality sewing machine that my granddaughter could learn on. I did not want a toy. I came across this machine and found a YouTube review and loved it. I was disappointed that all the colours it is made in were not available but the colour I was able to get was a cute fuschia. It came earlier than expected and my granddaughter and I had so much fun. It is very good quality and would be good for any new sewer no matter what age. It’s so lightweight you could easily travel with it. It’s everything you would expect in a regular sewing machine except a buttonholer. Love it. Love everything Janome makes.

Just like another reviewer, I bought this as a birthday present for my 9 year old daughter who desperately wanted to learn how to sew. I did a lot of research and thought that the reviews of this machine were mostly exceptional, so I ordered it with great optimism.We didn't take it out of the box for about a month as we were waiting until we had some time to sit down and learn to use it (didn't realize there was a 30-day return policy!) From the first time, we had issues. It is not user-friendly. There is no light, which makes it hard to see what you are doing. It is very hard to thread the needle for some reason. You have to use a little tool, but even that requires keen eyesight without the use of a light.The machine does not allow for fast sewing, which I guess is ok if you are just learning, but it gets frustrating quickly. Also, winding the bobbin was awkward. It did not wind evenly and had a lot of empty space.Unfortunately, we used the machine twice and were so frustrated with the results that I just ended up teaching her how to use my machine. I checked the return policy, but we definitely missed that boat. Now we're stuck with a pretty piece of useless plastic!

This was sewing machine was purchased for my granddaughters 5th birthday. She has been asking for a sewing machine since she was 3 years old. Having many years of experience sewing, I really felt that she needed to wait until she was 8 years old so that she did not get frustrated and end up hating sewing.I purchased a toy sewing machine for her but thankfully I tried it out myself and realized if she was given the toy machine, she would end up hating sewing. So I continued to do more research, and more research, and ended up buying this machine. It greatly concerned me that it was electric and had a foot pedal. I was mainly worried about her little fingers and that needle.Well... she opened the package on her birthday and was not impressed. It was not the toy sewing machine that she wanted.Along with the sewing machine, I put together a sewing basket with several child friendly sewing notions. At that time she loved the sewing basket more then the machine. Inside the basket was the set of rules that came with the machine. Basically the rules were that the machine had to be used under adult supervision.The first sewing lesson got her hooked. She turned to me and said "Actually Grandma, this is really fun!" So.... the sewing lessons continue and they go for 30 - 45 minutes at a time. She is so proud of the little things she has sewn.This machine is really great. Great price, great looking, easy to use, and it sews great. Had a little trouble in the beginning figuring out the tension to make the stitches look decent. But once we got that figured out, it makes a really nice stitch. I love the stitching foot design. It is designed to keep those little fingers safe. If I had to come up with a "con" it would be that the machine is on the loud side and the little drawer on the front is a bit hard to open for even an adult. But those things are minor. I would definitely buy this machine again!

I bought this as a Christmas gift for my 11 year old daughter and it is just wonderful, sews at a speed that is easy for her and not to fast, better quality than those horrible kids machines (NEVER purchase one of these unless you want to rip your hair out in frustration), it is easy to thread, and very light weight. She loves the colour and has been sewing up a storm. The only real problem with this machine, and the only reason I didn't award 5 stars is that there is no light! I bought a stick on one for her, but I wish they had of incorporated one into the actual machine to light the work area, my old eyes need it for threading. Other than that, it is a great little machine.

The machine mysteriously stopped working and it seems the adapter won't work anymore as of March 14. Perhaps the plug got giggled around while it was sewing. :( I will contact Janome but according to the warranty card, I'll have to ship it (and pay for shipping + $10 handling fee) to get it repaired/replaced. :( :( :(She's used this a handful of times since March. Always supervised. Always taken great care of it. I take back my very good review. This thing is clearly junk. Ironically, my own Janome machine broke in February. Maybe it's a sign I should switch brands. Ugh. Really disappointed in this.---This was my original review:I purchased this sewing machine as a Christmas present for my six-year old daughter. I have been sewing for many, many years and own several top of the line machines, but I wanted her to have something she could use (more or less) without my constant hovering supervision. She was thrilled by the size and color ("It's kid-sized!"). I love Janome machines and it seems to be sturdy and well-built.Threading the needle is not as smooth as a higher-end machine. I would think for kids they might have included a needle threader on the machine, but maybe it's good practice for little fingers to get it through the eye. The stitches included are very basic and the machine doesn't sew as neatly as one priced 10x it obviously, but for a kid, this is really no issue. I really like the foot, which is larger than normal. I'm not concerned with her catching a finger in this one as I am on my machines. There is no needle up/down button, but the wheel will crank. There's also no thread cutter, so buy the little a pair of scissors and start training them to only ever use them on fabric! ;)If you're used to sewing on expensive machines, this one will seem like a toy. But there's some beauty in such a stripped down product also. Kids can learn the basics and I don't worry about my investment so much. She was immediately able to begin sewing pockets, pouches and pillows. I could see sewing a simple skirt on this machine. If your kid is going to be working with patterns or larger garments, this machine will be too small and limited though. If she sticks with sewing, I could see her outgrowing this in a year or two easy. But at least by then I would trust her to not hurt herself or damage a more expensive machine.So if you're on the fence about this, I'd consider the age and size of the child (again, this is very small), their interest, and the types of projects you see them working on. For kids just getting started, this is really a great little gadget. For an older child, one with more manual dexterity and more ambitious projects, I'd buy an adult-sized beginner machine. Janome makes a great product though — so I'd recommend them!