It's not quite like having the Jetsons' robot maid do your sewing, but it might be the next best thing.

As the first home sewing machine to incorporate high-tech robotics, the Memory Craft 11000 from Janome makes sewing and embroidery "easy enough for a first-grader." Manual tasks like threading the needle and snipping the thread at the end of a stitch are automated. The machine's built-in software is designed to make embroidery patterns nearly effortless.

If you didn't see the needle and presser foot, you might not realize the Memory Craft 11000 is a sewing machine. The first thing that catches the eye is the large color screen that can be raised or lowered for comfort. Measuring 7.5 inches diagonally and able to display more than 65,000 colors, it guides you through the entire sewing process. You can even watch instructional mini movies on screen.

Using technology developed for its industrial robotics division, Janome has given the Memory Craft 11000 professional-quality precision while keeping it relatively small in size. The machine avoids the need for the separate attachment required by most home embroidery machines. A modular arm folds out of the back of the unit and the embroidery hoop simply locks into place on the arm. Four hoops are available, two standard and two optional, including the giant optional "Macro Hoop" that allows designs up to 8 inches by 11 inches to be stitched out.

Despite its ease of operation, the Memory Craft 11000 is a comprehensive tool for taking digital embroidery designs and stitching them onto fabric. Embroidery designs can be imported or saved using numerous media, including a standard USB memory key, an ATA PC flash memory card, and an external CD-ROM drive. And because you can sit at the machine and access designs directly from your computer's hard drive, using designs downloaded from the Internet is easy.

The machine can be used with or without a computer and has timesaving features for quilting, home decor and garment creation.

By: Rick Young