I need advise on an Embroidery Machine!!!

[Sebrightmom]

I am looking into buying an embroidery machine. I have been looking at some on the Walmart website. I am trying to figure out which one is best. I would love any input. Thanks

 

[eggchel]

I'm thinking about getting an embroidery machine, too. My sewing machine does a lot of embroidery stitches, but I want to do larger motifs.

After looking at some online, Ive decided that I want one with the largest size hoop that I can get. Also, I want it to be able to download designs off the internet so that I can do more than the standard Disney stuff.


Which machines are you interested in, so far?

Id love to get a Memorycraft11000 or a Bernina, but they are waaaay spendy.
Hancocks often has the Brother 300 on sale, but it seems to me that it had less features than the Brother 350. Still, it was over $800, I think.

 

[willowcol]

I have 2. 1 is the brother with disney design, the other is a brother sewing machine and emb. machine in one its a pc 6500. I have had the pc 6500 since 2001, the other since 2006. I love the pc 6500 it has multi sized hoops and does alot bigger designs. I got the smaller one because it takes the disney designs and you have to have a disney machine for that. My cousin bought the embroidery machine you hook to your computer (can't remember the name right now) she hated it. She always borrowed mine even after she got hers so she sold it. I have never had a problem with mine, though I got a brother serger and it didn't last very long. I would say Brother emb. are great.

 

[Wildsky]

I have a babylock esante - love it.

All you need is to find one that will take a disk - then you buy something like the "ultimate box" to download onto that disk from the internet or design your own.

 

[Sebrightmom]

There are so many it is so hard to find the right one. I was thinking about this one http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7933661&findingMethod=rr
It is the Singer Futura CE-150 Sewing and Embroidery Machine. Has anyone used it? I work at Walmart. If I buy one from them, I save 10%. So, I would like to try to find one that they have.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

My sister buys everything from the viking dealer. Last year she bought a $3000 machine it threads itself and cuts the thread even. It also takes one of those computer UV something or other. You just punch up your pattern and change the thread when it says to, to the color it says (or the color you want) and go about your business while it does this. Boy I would like that machine. I guess they are now closer to $9000. I am watching for a used one to come into his shop. The things you can do with that machine. Oh well until I can get mine I just hop, skip and jump down the road to her house (she lives 2 houses over and across the road) and use hers.

You can do disney on this machine, and you down load all kinds of free patterns off the net.

 

[willowcol]

Singer futura thats what my cousin had, it has a learning cuve. I never used it so can't really give you a honest opinion. Good thing about buying from Walmart is if it doesn't work for you take it back.

 

[MissPrissy]

The new Singer model is now on sale at Joann's Fabrics. $999. The older model is $799. The first model they made is cheaper but I don't like it( the 150) compared to the 250 and 350.

 

[RickiHupp]

I have the Disney Model Brother. I love it! It doesnt do really huge patterns but sews very nicely and I have never had any problems with it

 

[SewingDiva]

I have a Bernina 180E, and it has worked out pretty well. Hoop size is the biggest criteria I think, as well as a machine that has a wide used file fromat (NOT Bernina, actually.)

Machine embroidery is fun, and I've found the design aspects of it to be much more challenging than the technical aspects. One thing that just makes me cringe is the "motif smack in the middle of a sweatshirt" look. Patternreview.com has a good thread on machine embroidery that has been going for a couple of years.

I'm not a huge fan of free designs, I think a lot of them stitch out really badly and the stitch patterns are boring. Embroidery.com has a huge collection of designs (85,000) in every price range.

Also, there are about a ba-zillion different types of stabilzers out there, and in reality you will only need three: a wash away, a tear away, and a cut away. I use wash aways the most because I mostly do garments such as lingerie. Wash aways are also great for making a perfect buttonhole. My favorite wash-away is Pellon Sol-U-Web becuse it does't degrade as quickly as the types that look like Saran Wrap. Cut-aways I use only for performance fabrics like swimsuit knits, pack cloth or Polarfleece (lofty fabric also needs a top stabilizer.)

Phyllis

P.S. If you get into digitizing designs, make sure you understand the basics of copyright law.