Janome Magnolia 7318 Sewing Machine Review

Have you heard of Janome Magnolia 7318 yet? If you’re at least a little bit interested in sewing, you probably have and if you’re just starting out – they’re the best brand to start with.

For years they have made incredible, quality sewing machines with a great assortment of products aimed specifically at beginners and hobbyists.

Janome sewing machines are functional and well-made, yet affordable, which is what makes them so accessible.

A great example of this is the machine I’m going to be talking about today – the Janome Magnolia 7318.

If you want to find out everything that this sewing machine has to offer, keep reading, and check out my full Janome Magnolia 7318 review!

Janome Magnolia 7318 at a Glance

Here’s the most basic info about the specs of the Janome Magnolia 7318, here’s where you’ll get it.

If you want to get the complete info about the features of this machine and exactly what it can do – as well as what it can’t – keep reading and get my full Janome Magnolia 7318 review.

The Key Features of The Janome Magnolia 7318

Most modern sewing machines are filled to the brim with tons of features – however, not all of them are equally important, and sometimes it’s difficult to determine which are the most crucial features.

So, here they are – the key features of the Janome Magnolia 7318, explained.

18 Built-in Stitches

While that might not sound like a lot, it is more than enough for most people. It has all of the basics, and it also includes a 4-step buttonhole stitch that’s easy to use for anyone.

Adjustable Stitch Length and Width

With just a simple turn of a dial, you can adjust the exact width and length of your stitch to make it perfectly fit your current project. The maximum stitch length is 4mm while the maximum width is 5mm.

6 Different Snap-on Sewing Feet

Included with the machine are 6 sewing feet in total – there’s an all-purpose sewing foot, a buttonhole foot, a zipper foot, a zigzag foot, an appliqué foot, and a blind stitch foot. That covers all of the basics you could want to have with a machine like this.

They’re also easy to put onto the machine or take off. You don’t have to screw them or unscrew them – just press a button to take them off or lower the shank onto the foot and snap it on.

A Bundle of Accessories

You get a ton of good accessories bundled in with this machine. This includes things like a seam ripper, a screwdriver, a small spool holder, a foot controller, a lint brush, one needle set, two extra spool pins, and a bobbin.

The Other Features of the Janome Magnolia 7318

Besides those features, the Janome Magnolia 7318 can offer a lot of other useful functions as well. These include:

• 5-piece feed dog
• Drop feed
• Free arm
• Top-loading full rotary hook bobbin
• Push-pull bobbin winder
• Reverse lever
• Storage compartment
• Built-in carrying handle
• Built-in light bulb
• Thread cutter

My Unabridged Janome Magnolia 7318 Review

The first thing you might notice about this machine is its relative simplicity – it’s clearly targeted at beginners.

However, this is not a slight against it by any means, and it still offers a lot to people who aren’t just starting their sewing career.

Since this is not a computerized sewing machine, you don’t get a lot of choice concerning the built-in stitches, but what you do get is more than adequate.

All the greatest hits are in there, and you’ll get more than enough use out of them, especially if this is one of your first sewing machines.

You also get more than a few decent quality-of-life options here which can help a lot if you’re just starting out. Things like a reverse lever, a thread cutter, and a push-pull bobbin winder are greatly appreciated.

There’s no automatic needle threading though, but threading by hand is relatively easy to do with this machine, so it’s a forgivable offense.

The tension also needs to be set by hand, which can be good for people who are more experienced with that, but a bit difficult for beginners and those used to automatic tension settings.

The machine does have automatic settings for stitch length and width, which allows you to set the stitches to exactly what you need for a certain project.

If you want to take this machine with you to sewing class, it’s relatively easy to do – it’s small, lightweight and even has a built-in carrying handle for convenience. It’s definitely a portable sewing machine.

Despite its small size, this is a strong machine though. It’s not quite a heavy-duty sewing machine, but it can easily rip through tougher, thicker fabrics or even multiple layers of fabric at once.

It’s fast too, able to reach up to 830 stitches per minute and you can easily control its speed through the provided foot controller. This can take some getting used to, but it allows for greater control than fixed speed settings.

However, the machine does make a lot of noise while working, which can be a huge problem, especially if you live somewhere where the noise can bother others.

You need to use sewing machine oil on it regularly. The instruction manual doesn’t mention this at all, but I found it to be necessary, and it greatly improved the performance of the machine for me. It also reduced the noise.

Besides that, the only major problem I encountered is that the built-in light gets a bit too hot at times. I just unscrewed it after a while and started using a separate LED lamp to light up the work area – it works much better for me.

Overall, it’s a fairly good beginner sewing machine, and it offers almost everything you need to get started and excel at sewing in no time. The price is great, and the feature-set is more than adequate as are the included extras.

The Pros and Cons of The Janome Magnolia 7318 Sewing Machine

Here’s what I think are the major pros and cons of the Janome Magnolia 7318, broken down into a list:

The Conclusion

So, when all is said and done – should you buy the Janome Magnolia 7318?

Well, that’s difficult to say, and the decision is in your hands, but I would advise that you get it if you’re a beginner or just want a simple but good workhorse machine.

It has a decent assortment of options, it doesn’t cost too much, and it is able to work through most materials with its strong motor. Sure, it does make a lot of noise while doing it, but it’s worth it. For the price, it’s almost perfect.

So, do you agree with me? Maybe you have a different opinion concerning this sewing machine? No matter what, post it in the comments below – I just love hearing what you have to say and I’ll respond as soon as I can.

I’ll see you next time and, until then, happy sewing!