Fabric & Stitch Settings (Janome JW8100)
I had started this reference page as I familiarized myself with my Janome JW8100. I began a list of the fabrics I’ve sewn and the settings I used to sew them, but it fizzled out after about 6 line items. That’s likely because I landed on the formulas that work best for me.
You’re more than welcome to use these as a starting point in your own sewing journey; you may love them or you may hate them. I know lots of people swear by a walking foot when sewing knits, for example. But I found a walking foot actually makes my results worse.
The best advice I can give is to test on a scrap piece of the fabric you’ll be working with before you dive in. Not the most riveting thing to do when we just want to sew, but it’s better than having to unpick seams, or worse yet, throw away all your prep work. Keep in mind, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the settings you should use for a particular fabric. It’s all about your test, your tools, and your personal taste.
I’m also including some buttons that link to stitch diagrams and names for the JW8100. Do note, I still have quite a few blanks on this list.
| Fabric | knits | wovens | heavy duty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Thread Tension | 4 | 4 | 3 to 4 |
| Presser Foot | A (zig-zag) | A (zig-zag) | A (zig-zag) or F (applique) |
| Stitch# | 5 | 1 or 2 | 1, 6 |
| Width | 1 | 3.5 | 3.5, 3.0 |
| Length | 4 | 3.5 | 2.4, 1.5 |
| Needle | blue tip | 90/14 sharp | 110/18 sharp |