Searching for top-notch quality but short on space? Well, look no further! Offering the best of both the sewing and embroidery worlds, the Janome Memory Craft 9900 offers an excellent 2 in 1 performance.
Let’s take a deeper look into what sets this machine apart, the pros, the cons, and everything in between.
What Is the Janome Horizon Memory Craft 9900?
The Horizon Memory Craft 9900 is a high-tech computerized machine for both sewing and embroidery. Made by the Japanese company Janome, a stalwart in the sewing world, it’s packed with plenty of specialized features to satisfy your craft needs.
It’s a professional machine, with a price to match.
Review of the Janome 9900
What’s in the box?
Standard accessories
- Zigzag foot
- Overedge foot
- Satin Stitch foot
- Blind hemming foot
- Rolled hem foot
- Darning foot
- Zipper foot
- Button sewing foot
- ¼” seam foot
- Embroidery foot
- Automatic buttonhole foot
- Stabilizer plate
- Straight stitch needle plate
- Zigzag stitch needle plate
- Button shank plate
- Needle set
- 5 Bobbins
- Bobbin holder cleaner
- Foot control
- Instruction book
- Power Supply Cable
- Screwdriver
- Lint brush
- Seam ripper (buttonhole opener)
- Quilting guide bar
- 1 large and 1 small spool holders
- Extra spool pin
- Scissors
- Touch panel stylus
- 3 interchangeable frames (metallic green, red, pearl white)
- Semi hardcover
- Embroidery unit carrying case
- 2 Embroidery hoops: RE20a(170mm x 200mm) and SQ14a (140mm x 140mm)
- Cloth guide
- DVD for instructions
- 4 Magnetic clamps
- Template CD
- Key icon reference chart
- Knee lifter
Optional Accessories (through Janome)
- 9mm presser feet
- Additional embroidery hoops
- Free Arm FA10 3.9” x 1.6”
Memory Craft Horizon 9900 specs
- Weight: 22.9 lbs
- Dimensions: W 18.7 x D 8.8 x H 12.4 inches
- Computerized
- 200 built-in stitches
- 175 built-in embroidery designs
- Sewing speed: 400 – 800 stitch per minute
- Maximum embroidery size: 6.7” x 7.9” (170mm x 200mm)
- Bobbin: drop-in
- LCD full-color touchscreen
- High-intensity lighting system: 5 white LED lamps
- Up to 3MB memory storage
- Warranty: 25 years
Key features of the Janome 9900
200 Built-In Stitches
Built-in stitches are sequences pre-installed onto the machine. It’s pretty rare to find a machine that offers such a huge selection of stitches. This wide range of patterns allows you to freely express yourself and get creative.
Automatic Threader
Getting a thread to go through a needle’s eye is probably one of the most frustrating aspects of sewing, especially if you’re using a small needle. This is something you won’t have to worry about with the Janome 9900, it’ll do the job it for you!
Drop-in Bobbin
A drop-in bobbin directs you to drop the threaded bobbin in a compartment next to the needle plate, as opposed to the conventional front-loading. This makes it much easier and quicker to set up the machine and get started.
175 Built-in Embroidery Designs
Sometimes all you need is a nudge of inspiration. That’s exactly what you get with 175 designs and shapes already programmed into the machine. This is great if you’re just getting into embroidery and need some guidance.
Touchscreen: Full-color LCD
Not just an average LCD touchscreen to control your computerized machine, you get a whole lot more. Being full-color, you can clearly visualize how a pattern or stitch will look and easily save what you like. The 3MB memory on this machine is more than enough space to keep all your choices stored.
Lightweight But …
As previously mentioned, the Memory Craft 9900 weighs in at under 25lbs, ranking pretty light on the scale compared to its competitors. By no means is this machine portable nor travel-friendly. It’s not like you can just up and carry it out of your home or workplace, but it’s fairly simple to take it from one room to another.
Important Details & Quick Tips: Getting the Best out of the Janome 9900
Speed control
If you’re not all that experienced in dealing with such machines, you’ll probably need to start off slowly. Luckily, the Memory craft 9900 allows you to set its speed with a control slider.
Consider this feature, as well, if you’re experimenting with a new design or stitch to get a feel for it.
Built-In Timer
In our craft, time is of the essence. Knowing how much time a particular project would take is helpful, which is where the built-in timer comes in handy.
It’ll accurately tell you how long it’s going to be until a design is finished, the clock even pauses when the machine stops to change thread colors or to refill the bobbin.
This allows you to efficiently plan your schedule and take advantage of the waiting time.
Free Arm
When you feel like freestyling, a free arm could make all the difference. It makes things super easy if you want to sew a hem or a cuff without accidentally sewing a sleeve shut!
Also, you can simply do free-hand stitching if you want a more natural shape.
Energy Saver Mode
This one is a quite interesting feature that deserves some credit. Did you ever think about all the power wasted when you leave your machine on but you’re not using it?
For that reason, the energy-saving mode comes into play. If the machine remains idle for a few minutes, the LCD touchscreen turns off. No worries though, all your work will be saved and ready to be continued at a mere touch of your fingers.
Lighting
If you think we’re about to overlook such an important feature, think again. How many times did you just wish for a bit of stronger lighting for those late nights of work or when you’re dealing with fine-detailing?
We’ve all wanted it at some point and the Janome 9900 delivers brightness with its 5 strategically-placed white LED lights.
Keeping Bobbin thread Intact
While using the Janome 9900, you’ll be very pleased to find a rather unnoticed yet extremely useful feature. This machine has a small thumb-sized guide right next to the rotary hook.
Its job is to automatically make sure the thread stays in position, which means that you’ll never have to deal with your bobbin thread tangling or bunching again.
What we like
- Variety of stitch and embroidery designs
- Brightly-lit workspace
- Ease of set up and use
- Runs quietly
- High-resolution LCD touchscreen
- Thorough instructions included
What we don’t like
- Cost – this is a professional machine with a price tag to match!
- Doesn’t work too well on thick and multi-layered fabric (leather, fur, canvas, suede, plastic, twill, reptile skin, and rubber)
- Maybe too much of a learning curve for beginners
Should you buy the Janome Memory Craft?
For such advanced features and specs, you’d likely be getting your money’s worth. If you’re looking to save some space or you multifunctionality, then the Memory Craft 9900 machine is a good choice, offering professional-level results.
Other models might suit you if
- You’re a beginner looking for a simpler budget-friendly start-up machine
- You work with very thick fabrics
- You’re already happy with your sewing machine and need a dedicated embroidery one.
The Janome 9900 isn’t for you? Here are some alternatives
- More suitable for beginners, the Brother SE600 combination machine or the Eversewn Hero 400 are more affordable choices
- If an embroidery-only machine is what you want, take a look at our Brother PE800 review
Wrapping up the Janome Horizon Memory Craft 9900 Review
The multitude of features and options of the Janome 9900 shows why it’s one of the most popular machines among the sewing craft lovers.
It’s easy to use with an enormous array of built-in designs, perfect for skilled users who are looking to up their game.
If you can get over the cost, the Memory Craft 9900 goes all out deserving its place at center stage.
