I sew in a small space (approximately 7’ x 8’), that is occasionally transformed into a bedroom for overnight guests. That means that I’ve had to get really creative with my storage solutions for fabric, machines, rulers, and notions.

The best solution I’ve found for storing all my tools and most-used items is my sewing cart. I love that it corrals everything neatly, and I can roll it out of the room when we have guests. 

Of course, the first thing everyone asks me when they see it is: “What do you keep on your sewing cart?”

The answer is of course “A whole LOTTA stuff!” 

I’m going to use this post as a way for you to peek into my cart. I plan to add to it over time (I would imagine it will eventually become very long). Keep in mind: I do 95% of all my sewing on my Juki TL-2010Q sewing machine, so a lot of the tools are geared towards this machine. 

Without further ado, here’s what’s on my sewing cart.

My Most-Used Items

In this post, I’m breaking down the similarities and differences between these two awesome irons (and sharing which one I picked),  so that you can choose the one that best fits your needs and wants.

I won’t be going over every detail of these two irons - this will be more of a high-level comparison. If you’d like to see my in-depth reviews of each, you can check out my post about the Maven (blue) iron here, and my post about the Velocity (red) iron here. 

Similarities

Let’s start with the similarities between these two fabulous irons. 

They’re both made by the Reliable Corporation, and each carry a 1 year warranty. I’ve had a Reliable iron for years and have put it through some stuff. I’m happy to say that it’s still truckin’. These irons can best be described as sturdy, quality products that will last you a long time. 

Both of them will be amazing quilting room companions, and will help you get super flat seams while removing any and all creases from your fabric.

Cords

They each come with a long cord (the Velocity has an 8 foot cord, and the Maven has a 6 foot steam hose), which means that you can use them both without the need of an extension cord. I sew in a space that only has a couple of receptacles (plug-ins) and I’m easily able to reach my pressing area with both of these Reliable irons.

Water and steam

Unlike some other (more expensive) brands of irons, Reliable irons are MEANT to have water in them. You do not need to worry that you’ll ruin your Reliable iron by filling it with water - it will perform at its best / most effective when paired with water. 

The owner’s manuals state that while you can use tap water, it’s recommended to use distilled water to prolong the life of the irons. I live in an area with very hard water, so I always use distilled water with mine, and I’ve never had any issues with spitting, leaking, or spewing brown gunk. 

Both of these Reliable irons have internal pumps that produce SHOCKING amounts of steam in both the horizontal and vertical position. I promise that you will not be disappointed by the steam on these powerhouses!

Temperature

They both get hot enough to produce nice flat blocks. While the Maven (blue) does get hotter, I still get very flat seams while using the Velocity (red). 

Controls

I love that both of these Reliable irons are easy to control. The Maven has only one button, and the Velocity has  one button and one dial. They’re simple to use: you essentially plug them in and they just work. 

Both have an auto-off function for safety (more on that later). 

And finally, they’re both quiet. I probably care about this more than most people, as I live with a shift worker and am often sewing in the room next door while they’re sleeping. A quiet beep is much appreciated!

So it’s not a question of which of these two irons is the better one because they’re both great. It’s about which one is the better choice for you, based on your wants and needs. Let’s discuss!

Design & Comfort

Size

The biggest difference (no pun intended) between these two Reliable irons is their size. The Maven (blue) is a large, tank-based home ironing station that consists of a tank and a head that are connected by a hose. When you’re using the Maven, the base is stationary while you move the head around. That means that the base is permanently taking up room, which might be a concern for someone with limited space. 

The Velocity (red) is a classic hand-held iron design that is more compact and is easier to transport and store because of its size. I love that I can pop the Velocity into a small tote bag and bring it with me to Retreat!

Weight

While the Velocity is smaller, it also weighs more. A lot more. Especially when you fill it with water. When I’m using my Velocity, it feels like I’m pressing my blocks with a dumbbell. Personally, I love it. But since I don’t have a heat-resistant iron rest on the side of my ironing board, I spend a lot of time flipping it between the horizontal and vertical positions. At times it almost feels like a workout.

In comparison, the Maven’s head is solid, but is much easier to maneuver. And since the base of the Maven has a rest in the horizontal position, there’s no flipping the iron up and down. 

If you have any sort of mobility issue in your wrist, hand, elbow, or shoulder, I think the Maven would be a much better option than the Velocity.

Soleplate

The Velocity has an aluminum soleplate while the Maven’s is made of ceramic. Aluminum has a reputation of being a hard, durable material, and ceramic is not known to be as durable. 

The Reliable iron I’ve had for years (the now-discontinued 230IR) has the same aluminum soleplate as the Velocity 270IR, and mine does not have a scratch or dent on it. Given the abuse I’ve put it through - that’s saying something. 

Although I haven’t had the Maven for an extended period of time, I’ve been using it heavily for months and it doesn’t show any signs of wear or tear. 

The edge of the Velocity’s soleplate is sharper than the Maven’s, which I find helpful when flipping over a seam. The Maven will still push over a piece of fabric, but the seam doesn’t seem as crisp to me. 

Comfort

A big difference I noticed between these two Reliable irons is the comfort when using them. They both have comfortable handles that are easy to hold, but I’ve found that my hand gets uncomfortably hot when ironing with the Maven (blue) iron.

Perhaps it’s because my hand is so much closer to the steam when using the Maven, but I found that the steam curled around the head of the iron and reached my hand easily. As a result, I had to adjust my hold on the handle when using heavy steam. I experienced no such discomfort when using the Velocity (red) iron.

You might not experience this issue when using the Maven, but it definitely influenced my decision on which iron to use.

Water and Steam

Both of these Reliable irons are easy to fill. The Velocity has an opening that’s large enough to fill using a large jug of water (instead of the small funnel that’s included with the iron), but the Maven has a MASSIVE 1.5L tank. 

The tank is so large that it holds five times the amount of water compared to the Velocity, and it can be removed from the base for easy filling at your kitchen sink, or with a large jug. 

The takeaway here is that you’ll be able to iron for days without needing to re-fill the Maven. 

Anti-scale

Both irons have anti-scale systems, but they approach the task differently. The Velocity has a built-in system, while the Maven uses a cartridge that needs to be replaced periodically (an indicator light on the base of the unit will notify you when it needs to be changed). 

The cartridges can be purchased from either the Reliable website or their Amazon storefront, and cost $15 USD at the time of writing this. 

The Maven also has a self-clean mode which removes mineral build-up from the steam chamber. Reliable recommends running the self-clean at least once a month (or more often depending on the hardness of your water) in order to keep the iron working its best.

Steam

Steam is activated on the Maven by holding the trigger. If you want continuous steam, you need to continuously hold the steam trigger. I initially thought this would be inconvenient or uncomfortable, but the handle is well-designed and it feels natural to hold in the trigger. To stop the steam, you simply need to release the trigger.

The Velocity has a sensor built into the handle. To activate the steam, you simply need to hold the handle. To stop the flow of steam, you can either adjust your grip on the handle or push the button once to temporarily turn off the steam function. 

Neither iron produces a burst of steam - they both produce a continuous stream of steam. Trust me when I say that you do NOT need a burst to get great results with these irons. The continuous steam is MORE than enough for any ironing job you’re going to tackle. 

When it comes to water and steam, the biggest difference between these two Reliable irons will be how often you need to refill their tanks. If you’re looking to iron for a looonnnnng time between refills, you’ll want to choose the Maven 140IS.

Controls

When you turn them on, both of these irons start in an “auto” setting. I don’t know about you, but the first thing I do when I plug in my iron is crank it up to MAX so that I’m getting the hottest iron and the most steam. Ideally, this would be a very simple task to do. 

With the Maven, it is. It only has one button, and by tapping it several times, you can easily reach the MAX mode.

I find this task a little more frustrating with the Velocity. As I explained in my in-depth review, I find the dial on the Velocity to be finicky to turn and the display difficult to read. So this point goes to the Maven.

Auto-off

Both of these Reliable irons have an included auto-off function. After 10 minutes of inactivity on the Maven (and 8 on the Velocity), they each go into a standby mode where the heating element is turned off. 

This is a great safety feature, but one that I feel I don’t need. When in my sewing room, I’m often away from the iron for extended periods of time (sewing, cutting, etc), and I find it annoying to have to wait any amount of time for my iron to re-heat after being in standby mode. 

Luckily, you can override the auto-off function on the Velocity by holding in the button for 5 seconds.  Sadly, there’s no way to do this on the Maven.

This was a deal-breaker for me. I care more about this function than almost anything else when it comes to irons, so I chose the Velocity. I also don’t have much room, so the compact nature of the Velocity also made it a good choice for me. 

To be fair to the Maven…. It does reheat REMARKABLY fast. After switching into standby mode, you only need to press its button for one second and it will begin reheating. In my tests, I found that it reached its maximum temperature within 30 seconds of pressing the button (sometimes closer to 20 seconds). So it’s not a large inconvenience to wait for the Maven to reheat, but I am who I am! 

Which one should you choose?

This will depend a lot on your personal circumstances, but here are my main determining factors:

• If you have any sort of mobility in your upper body, you’ll want to choose the Maven. It’s hands-down the better choice for this scenario.
• If space is a concern, you’ll want to look at the compact and portable Velocity.
• If you want your iron to last eons between refills, the Maven would be a better choice.
• If the auto-off function is your personal bugaboo, the only option is the Velocity.

Did that help clear things up and help you make a decision? Let me know in the comments below which one you’d choose!

Where can I get one of these Reliable irons?

I’ve included some affiliate links below in order to make it super easy for you to pick up one of these sexy beasts! If you click on the links below and make a purchase, I may be compensated.

Reliable Velocity 270IR (red)

USA

• Home Depot
• Wayfair
• Amazon

Canada

Amazon

Reliable Maven 140IS (blue)

USA

• Home Depot
• Wayfair
• Amazon

Canada

• Amazon

Video

If you’d prefer to watch my comparison on YouTube, you can click the image below to check out my full-length video!

Design & Size

The Velocity 270IR is a typical hand-held iron (unlike the tank-based Maven 140IS which I reviewed here). This all-in-one unit is therefore a manageable size that’s easy to take to retreats, guild meetings, sew days, etc. 

It’s also great if you have limited space in your sewing area (like I do), or if you don’t have an ironing board with a dedicated iron rest (like I don’t).

It has a nice long cord (8 feet) which allows me to plug it into any of the receptacles in my room and still reach the island in the middle of my sewing space. I really appreciate the fact that I don’t have to use an extension cord with this iron!

The cord swivels where it attaches to the base of the unit, and does a good job of twirling out of the way while I’m pressing my quilt blocks - I’ve never found the cord to be in the way while ironing.

Given that I’m constantly removing my iron from my sewing studio (to convert the room for other uses), I wish there was a more elegant / efficient way to store the cord. I currently wrap it around the base of the iron which feels a little clunky. I guess I’m really nitpicking now!

The iron has an aluminum sole plate that has a lot of holes to allow steam to escape. My previous Reliable iron (the 230IR - no longer in production) has an identical sole plate and after two years of HEAVY use does not have even one scratch on it. It seems to be a very durable material, and glides across the fabric smoothly when heated.

Tap water or distilled?

The in-iron water tank has a capacity of 300 mL or 1.25 cups. And while that doesn’t seem like a lot of water, it lasts a long time (hours, even while using maximum steam).

It’s easy to fill the Velocity 270IR using the large spout. Although there was an included funnel with the iron, I haven’t found it necessary - in fact, the hole is so large that I can easily fill the iron while holding a giant jug of water. 

Why am I using a large jug of (distilled) water when I could just fill the little funnel with tap water? Because I live in Manitoba, and we have some of the hardest water in the world. Plus, the owner’s manual does indicate that you should use distilled water if you want to prolong the life of your iron. Which I sure do!

Pro tip: if you REALLY want your iron to last, the key is to remove any water after you’re done pressing. Overnight is fine, but if your iron is going to sit unused for any longer, you’ll want to empty it before you store it away. The more you know.

Steam

I’m a certified steam FIEND. I love to wrangle my seams into submission by steaming the heck out of them, so I require an iron that can pump out lots of vapour. The Reliable Velocity 270IR does not disappoint! 

A few things to note about the steam on this unit:

• it comes out in a continuous stream (rather than in a concentrated burst)
• the steam works whether you’re holding the iron horizontally or vertically (great for steaming curtains, etc)
• you activate the steam by grasping the handle (which has a built-in sensor)
• you can turn off the steam with one press of the button (there’s only one button)

The overall effect is really impressive. Your seams are going to be flattened, and you’ll be able to remove even stubborn creases from fabric. Hooray!

Part of the reason the steam is so impressive has to do with Reliable’s two elements and micro pump technology. Don’t ask me to explain this any further, but: the water is already heated by the time it’s pumped to the sole plate (you can hear the little pump chugging away), which means that there is NO spitting, leaking, or dribbling of water from the sole plate. 

The experience of using this technologically-advanced iron is quite different from the department store versions that I had been used to!! 

Temperature

The Internet tells us that when ironing cotton fabric, we should be using an iron that reaches 400°F. That’s good information, but I’ll bet you have no idea if your iron reaches that temperature.

But I do! I bought myself an infrared thermometer and have been testing every single iron I can get my hands on. Spoiler alert: almost none of them reach 400 degrees, and a lot of them (even some very expensive ones) barely reach 300°F. 

In my tests, I found that the Velocity 270IR reached a max temperature of 375°F (although it normally cycled between 360 and 370°F). Based on my experience, I’d say that a hotter iron does produce flatter seams, but that 400 is not a critical number to reach. If you are dead-set on owning an iron that does reach 400, you’ll want to check out the Reliable Maven 140IS.

With 1800W of power, this iron also heats up quickly. From completely cold, it took this iron just under 2.5 minutes to reach its maximum temperature setting. Nice! 

Comfort / Weight

Yes, this is a compact iron, but it’s still a BEAST. It’s made from heavy, quality parts, and you can feel it. 

When completely empty, the Velocity 270IR weighs 1.8 kg (4 lbs 2 oz), and when full it weighs 2.1 kg (4 lbs 11 oz). That’s like ironing with a nearly-5-pound dumbbell! 

I personally LOVE this, because I feel that its weight contributes to the pressing effort (and it means that I don’t have to push down on the iron). It also helps that the soleplate glides very smoothly across fabric. 

It takes a bit of effort to constantly change it from a horizontal position when ironing to a vertical position when setting it aside. For that reason, I would not recommend this iron to anyone who has mobility issues (again, you’ll want to check out the Maven 140IS).

The iron is well-designed and feels comfortable in my hand. Bonus: due to its height and the position of the handle, my hand stays dry and cool even when keeping the iron still and pumping out the steam. Points for whoever designed this unit!

Performance

I don’t have much to say about this: it just works. 

I’ve grown accustomed to the super flat seams that my Reliable iron produces, and now I’m a total iron snob - if it doesn’t work like it’s meant to, I don’t want to use it.

With the high temperature and massive amounts of steam, I found that the Velocity 270IR created incredibly flat seams when pressing even heavy fabrics like linen.

Try it and I think you’ll be impressed. 

Controls

The Velocity 270IR has very simple controls: one button, and one dial.

The button controls the steam and the auto-off function. Press it once, and the steam will turn on or off. Hold it for 5 seconds and it will disable / enable the standby mode. 

After 8 minutes, the iron will activate its auto-off feature (which turns off the heating element). It’s a great safety feature, but one that I don’t need or want. Happily, I can disable it by simply holding down the button. That means I can plug in my iron in the morning and it will stay hot all day long (or until I turn the auto-off function back on). ILOVETHAT

The button has good feedback and emits a soft beep when pressed. 

The dial controls the temperature / steam intensity (the two items are linked; the hotter you set it, the more steam is produced). 

And herein lies my one complaint with this iron: the dial is difficult to turn, and I can’t see the readout when the iron is in the vertical position (like it is when I plug it in and want to adjust the temperature). It’s minor, but it does feel like the one letdown in an otherwise-fancy iron. 

When you first turn on the iron, it is on setting 4, which is the “auto” setting. According to the cheat sheet on the bottom of the iron, you should set the dial to 5 if you’re ironing cotton. But if you know anything about me, you know that I turn it up to 8 “TURBO / MAX” every single time I turn it on. The hotter, the better!!! 

Who is it for?

If you’re in the market for a new iron, the Reliable Velocity 270IR would be a great option if you:

• are looking for a portable iron that’s easy to take with you
• like a heavy iron (think: pressing with a dumbbell)
• want your iron to stay hot all day
• love LOTS of steam
• want the flattest seams everrrrrrrrrr 

Where can I get a Reliable Velocity 270IR?

I’ve included some affiliate links below in order to make it super easy for you to pick up one of these sexy beasts! If you click on the links below and make a purchase, I may be compensated.

USA

Home Depot

Wayfair

Amazon

Canada

Amazon

Want more? Check out my full-length review on YouTube!

Design & Size

First things first: you probably noticed that the Reliable Maven 140IS doesn’t look like most hand-held irons. That’s because it has a large base (it’s a water tank), and the iron head rests on top of it. The head and the base are connected by a long (60”) hose that’s sturdy and thick.

The design is intriguing and attractive, and I find that people have LOTS of questions for me whenever I show this iron. Also? People want to touch it. I don’t blame them! The build quality is solid, and the iron head feels nice and sturdy in your hand. 

Because of the tank, this iron has a larger footprint compared to a hand-held model. When I placed mine at the end of my ironing board, I found that it took up valuable ironing real estate. I would have much preferred it if I could have placed the Maven off to the side of my ironing surface (but that wasn’t possible with my current sewing room set up).

Be warned: you’re going to need a bit more room for this unit. 

Water & Steam

I’m firmly in the “put water in your iron” camp. Personally, I find I get much better pressing results when I use steam while ironing (as opposed to spritzing my fabric with water and using a dry iron). 

Good news: Reliable irons were MADE to have water in them. They produce massive amounts of continuous steam (no bursts) which is activated by using the trigger on the iron head. You can also control the amount of steam that’s produced on the control panel on the base of the unit.

The only problem with tonnes of steam is that it takes a lot of water to produce it. With a hand held version, that would require you to refill your iron regularly (which is sometimes an awkward job). The Maven 140IS has a large water tank (it holds 1.5L of water) that can be removed from the base and brought to your kitchen sink for easy refilling. 

I found that with heavy use, I only needed to refill my tank once every couple of days. What a joy!

The Maven also includes an anti-scale cartridge and has a self-cleaning mode which makes it safe to use regular tap water with this iron. However, the owner’s manual does indicate that if you want to prolong the life of your iron, you should use distilled water.

Hot tip: the folks at Reliable told me that if you REALLY want to prolong the life of your iron, you should remove the water if your machine is going to sit unused for any amount of time. I had never heard that before, so I thought I should share!

Temperature

When it comes to pressing quilt seams, the hotter the iron the better. If you do a quick online search, you’ll find that it’s recommended to press cotton fabric at a temperature of 400°F. Great. But how do you know if your iron is reaching that temperature?

I wanted to find out for sure, so I bought myself an infrared thermometer and tested every iron I could get my hands on. 

The Reliable Maven 140IS was the only iron I found that actually reached 400°F. Woohoo!! 

Comfort / Weight

If an iron doesn’t feel good in your hand, you’re not going to use it. I’ve also heard from a lot of people that an iron that’s too heavy isn’t a good option (for a variety of reasons). 

That’s why I was happy to find that the head of the Maven 140IS was lightweight (1.2 kg or 2 lbs 11 oz) and felt nice in my hand. It was easy to maneuver around my ironing board, and the steam trigger felt like it was in a natural position and was very easy to pull. 

I did find that depending on where I positioned the base of the unit and how I rotated my quilt blocks, if I removed my hand from the iron head, the heavy-duty hose would sometimes pull the head into a different posititon (check out the YouTube video for a better explanation). That meant I needed to keep my hand on the handle in order to keep the head in the correct spot while pressing. 

But, if I kept my hand perfectly still while pulling the steam trigger continuously, the steam would curl around the iron head and make my hand uncomfortably hot. That meant I either needed to pull the stem trigger and then adjust my hand, or keep the iron head moving while pressing my seams. 

Both required me to slightly adjust my pressing technique, which made me feel like the Maven wouldn’t be a seamless adjustment for me.

Performance

I’ve been using (and raving about) Reliable irons for years, because they *WORK*. I cannot STAND it when I borrow someone’s (sometimes expensive and popular) iron, press a block, and find that my seams are still lumpy. What is the point of irons like that??? It drives me bananas!!

I’ve grown accustomed to the super flat seams that my Reliable iron produces, and now I’m a total iron snob - if it doesn’t work like it’s meant to, I don’t want to use it.

With the high temperature and massive amounts of steam, I found that the Maven 140IS created incredibly flat seams when pressing even heavy fabrics like linen.

Try it and I think you’ll be impressed. 

Ease of Use

This iron is super simple to use. When you plug it in, it turns on in Eco mode. From there, you can increase the temperature and the amount of steam by pressing the one and only button on the control panel. So easy!

After a period of 10 minutes of inactivity, the Maven 140IS will turn off the heating element and go into a standby mode. If you’d like to turn the heat back on, you simply need to hold down the (one and only) button for 2 seconds. The machine will heat back up within 60 seconds, and you’ll be ready to continue ironing in no time. 

I do wish I could disable the auto-off function (like I can on my handheld Reliable iron), but I’m honestly nit-picking. It gets hot super fast and is a great safety feature.

The Maven is also incredibly quiet. As someone who often sews in a room next to a sleeping shift worker, this is an important feature for me! You might not care about this as much as I do. 

Who is it for?

If you’re in the market for a new iron, the Reliable Maven 140IS would be a great option for you if:

• You have room for the larger base
• You prefer a lightweight option
• You don’t want to compromise on performance
• You want to iron for dayssss between tank refills
• You love super flat seams. 

Where can I get a Reliable Maven 140IS?

I’ve included some affiliate links below in order to make it super easy for you to pick up one of these sexy beasts! If you click on the links below and make a purchase, I may be compensated.

USA

• Home Depot
• Wayfair
• Amazon

Canada

• Amazon

Want more? Check out the video!

Origin Story

I first became interested in the Juki TL-2010Q when I saw it popping up in my Instagram feed from all sorts of quilters, including Sew Can She, Cluck Cluck Sew, and Crafty Gemini. Thinking that if these fabulous

Previous sewing machine

Before I bought the Juki, I had been sewing on a computerized Brother machine. My parents gave me the machine as a gift, and it was the first sewing machine I ever owned. It had a lot of sentimental value, but I was beginning to become frustrated with its stitch quality. I would describe it as a “jack of all trades, but master of none”. Meaning: it had a LOT of fancy stitches and other bells and whistles, but I didn’t find that it did any of them particularly well. I just wanted a sewing machine that would do ONE thing really well: sew a stratight stitch!
quilters would want one, maybe I would too!

The hunt was on

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this or not, but I kind of live in the middle of nowhere. There aren’t many sewing or quilting shops around, so I do most of my shopping online. I imagined that I would only be able to find this particular machine in another province, and prepared myself to pay hefty shipping fees to get it here. I fell off my chair when I realized that I could buy the Juki TL-2010Q online in Canada, and was even MORE surprised when I learned that the store who was selling it was in Winnipeg. That’s a mere two hours away from me! So close!

Bringing it home

Around the time I was searching for this machine, Mum came out for a visit. I stopped in at the shop that was selling the Juki before I picked her up at the airport in Winnipeg and gave it a test drive. I was sold! It was everything I had hoped it would be, and more! Not wanting to make such a purchase on impulse (despite the fact that I had done a lot of research on it) I decided to take a bit of time to think about the purchase before buying it.

When Mum’s visit was over, we went back to Winnipeg to drop her off at the airport. I brought her along to see the machine as well. She was impressed with the quality of the machine (FYI: she has been sewing on the same Elna that she received as a wedding present in 1975 and has never seen the need to upgrade – the woman likes things that are well-made).

Naming a new machine

The skies opened up and a downpour started PUMMELLING the shop while we were in the store. It was so forceful that people were stepping away from the shop windows out of caution. I had NEVER seen rain like that. But we couldn’t have Mum be late for her flight, so we loaded the Juki in the back of my car in the pouring rain (against the advice of the store owners). I was SOAKED to the bone during the thirty seconds it took to carry the box to my car. Every stitch of my clothing was sopping wet.

And so I decided to name my new sewing machine Dany – because she was indeed storm-born.

But y’know what? I’m not the kind of person who refers to her sewing machine by name. I have never once called it “Dany”. I usually refer to it as “the Juki”. Sorry, machine!

What I like about it

That’s enough silliness about how and why it came to live at my house! Let’s get down to the real reason you’re here: to spill the tea about this machine!

There are so many things that I love about the Juki TL-2010Q! I’ll break my top 5 features one at a time with a bit more detail.

Stitch quality

My stitches come out perfectly. Every. Single. Time. I’ve never had any sort of tension issue – just beautiful, even stitches. It’s such a relief to sit down to sew and know that the Juki will do its job reliably. This was my main goal in purchasing a new machine, and I’m happy to report that while it only does this one thing, it does it VERY WELL.

Scant 1/4″ seams

I wasn’t able to get an accurate scant 1/4″ seam with any of the presser feet that came with the Juki TL-2010Q, so I purchased this additional foot at the recommendation of other bloggers. It was the answer to my accuracy prayers!

Take a look at the block above… I sewed it from a pile of leftover scraps from other projects. I didn’t take any special amount of care when assembling it, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it measured 12.5″ when I finished piecing and pressing it (its intended size). That’s a LOT of tiny seams! If any of them had been off, or if ALL of them had been off by a hair, this block would have turned out the wrong size. With my trusty new presser foot, my seams turn out accurately every time!

Update about 1/4" Foot

I purchased my machine and 1/4" foot in 2014. The foot lasted many years, but then eventually the guide broke off and I had to replace it. Maybe I'm hard on my equipment??

Due to the rising exchange rate, shipping fees, and duties / import taxes, I decided to source my replacement foot in Canada. At the time, I couldn't find an exact match for the one I purchased from Sewing Parts online in Canada (this one is now available), but I discovered that Janome makes a 1/4" foot that was recommended for my Juki.

Unfortunately, the only ones I could find in Canada were off-brand (knock-off) versions from Amazon. Since the price was right, I decided to take a chance and bought two different feet (from two different sellers). 

They both worked great and produced scant 1/4" seams. This is one of the ones I bought (and love). If that link doesn't work for you, simply search "Janome 767820105 foot" and it should turn up some results.

Since I felt a bit "ick" about buying rip-off products, I decided to try out the authentic, Juki-branded 1/4" Presser Foot with Guide, and I don't know how to explain it, but sometimes I feel like it sews a TRUE 1/4", and sometimes I feel it sews a SCANT 1/4".

This video reviews the different feet available for this machine. 

For what it's worth, I've heard from a TONNE of different people that they are able to achieve a scant 1/4" seam using the standard presser foot (which is included with the machine). I do not have that skill, but I encourage you to try out the standard foot before purchasing additional ones.

Speed

Man, this thing is FAST! The Juki TL-2010Q thankfully has a governor (speed control option) on it, and I like to keep my setting at 3/4 to “rabbit” which is still so much faster than any other machine I’ve ever used. I was grateful for this option when I had some nieces over last summer who were learning to sew. We cranked the speed control down to “turtle” and they sewed safely!

Quality of build

The Juki TL-2010Q is made mostly of metal, and it’s a BEAST! This is not a lightweight machine, and I appreciate its build quality so much. It has no electronic components (that I’m aware of), and feels like it could keep stitching forever. One benefit of this is that if the power goes off while I’m sewing, I don’t lose any of my stitch settings. I just turn the power switch back on and continue sewing!

I also love the sound it makes as it stitches – you can HEAR the quality of the machine. It purrs! Maybe I’m not describing this well? I feel like you would almost have to sew with it to appreciate how solid it is.

Thread cutter

It’s such a weird thing to appreciate, but I LOVE the thread cutter on this sewing machine! While it does have a run-of-the-mill button you can press to snip the thread, the magic is in the foot pedal-operated thread cutter. The pedal works like a normal one (press it away from you to sew, further away to sew faster), but if you rock the pedal backwards (towards you), it activates the thread cutter. I have absolutely no concept of how this is accomplished – I’m just happy that it exists (kind of like electricity!)

Warning: you will quickly become dependent on this feature. When I switch back to my other sewing machine, I am constantly pressing backwards on the pedal and become frustrated when nothing happens. I feel insulted every time that have to use my FINGER to push a BUTTON to cut the threads. Like a lowly commoner!

Bonus: Free motion quilting

I should mention that this machine is ALSO known for its great free-motion-quilting abilities. I used this machine the one and only time I attempted FMQ on a project, and I can say that it was a (fairly) painless experience. The stitches were hilariously uneven, but I think we can all agree that was due to operator error, rather than the machine.

I’m not really “into” FMQ, but if you are, the Juki TL-2010Q seems to be great at it!

Things I don’t love about it

Overall, I’m very happy with the Juki TL-2010Q, but I will admit that it does have some features that I’m not so fond of. Here are my ONLY gripes with this machine.

Straight stitch only

I realize it’s a bit hypocritical to say above that I love this machine because it only does one thing and then to say that I don’t like that it only does one thing. But I would love it even MORE if it could do just a few more things! If it could do a zig zag stitch, I would use this machine for 99.8% of all my sewing. But then do you think I’d wish it could do a few more types of stitches? Maybe.

Lighting

This machine only has three little LEDs that don’t illuminate much. They cast shadows on my needle area, and make it difficult to see any lines I’ve drawn on fabric. I quickly fixed this by buying a strip of LED lights that I stuck to the machine’s throat. Now I can see everything!

Walking foot

Let me preface this by saying that I know of many quilters who tell me that their Juki is wonderful for straight line quilting with its walking foot. But I am not one of those people.

I had difficulties with the walking foot from the get-go. It’s awkward, clunky, and LOUD. Loud as in: people would complain two rooms over about its noise. I would have gotten over it if I got good quilting results, but I didn’t. No matter what I tried, I could NOT get my sewing machine to feed the quilt sandwich together evenly. I always ALWAYS had bunching, shifting, and tucks in my quilts. I had not experienced this with my previous sewing machine, and it was SO FRUSTRATING!!!

Thinking that I was causing the problem, I first tried modifying my quilting and basting techniques in the hopes of finding a magic combo that would allow me to quilt with ease. I tried spray and pin basting, then I tried fusible batting. I had bunching and puckers every time. Then I modified my method of holding and feeding the quilt sandwich into the machine, thinking perhaps there was a problem with either too much or too little drag. I also tried every possible combination of dial settings on the machine, to no avail.

If the story of my life with the Juki TL-2010Q was a movie, this would be the part where there would be a montage of me trying every single possible thing to get the walking foot to work for me (failing every time and getting more and more frustrated). Sadly, there would be no triumphant moment at the end when I finally conquered the walking foot.

Once I felt that I had truly exhausted every option I had, I called up Juki customer service, hoping they would have some tips for me. The people that I spoke with were very helpful and offered to send me a replacement walking foot. I was overjoyed! I could not believe their generosity!

When it arrived, I was unrealistically optimistic. The foot APPEARED to be exactly identical to the one I already had, but maybe it was fundamentally different in some way that couldn’t be seen with a naked eye?? That could happen, right?? I think you can guess that it was NOT a magical unicorn of a walking foot, and my experience was exactly the same as before. Womp womp.

So what did I do? I struggled with it for years, dreading the part in the quilting process where I would actually have to QUILT items. Eventually I grew so frustrated with it that I bought another sewing machine. I relegated my Juki to a closet where it sat for years until I recently attended a workshop and decided to bring along my “small” sewing machine. And you know what? I fell in love with it all over again! I have a machine that can do straight line piecing / stitching with ease, and *ahem* I also bought a long arm to do most of my quilting! So I’m very happy with my sewing machine lineup, and have recently found myself using the Juki TL-2010Q for all my piecing.

Final thoughts

I’m so happy to be reunited with my Juki TL-2010Q! It’s a workhorse, and truly does ONE THING very well! My stitches are straight and perfect, and my seam allowances match up every time. It’s what I bought it for, and it delivers on its promise of quality.

If you’re considering purchasing this model, I can wholeheartedly recommend it for straight line stitching. But I believe you’d be taking your chances if you were buying it for straight line quilting.

Where to Buy

If you're in the USA, I'd highly recommend purchasing your TL-2010Q from Juki Junkies. They have unparalleled customer service, a never-ending video library on YouTube, and will make sure that you and your new machine are set up for success. 

I'm located in Canada and purchased mine in person from Sewing & Embroidery Warehouse. Good news: they sell online, and will ship across the country. 

Located outside of either of these places? Here's a link for Amazon worldwide. 

Happy shopping!