Embroidery machines

[Auryn]

Well I figured since it became the hot topic and got my wheels spinning in the other thread that I would start a separate thread.

I've never thought about owning an embroidery machine- always figured "what am I gonna use that for??""
but now thanks to Cilean- don't know if thats a sincere or sarcastic thanks  , I've been thinking about it since last week.

I definitely would want one of the models that you plug into your computer and upload whatever design you want. The whole concept of having to buy cheesy dorky (not in a good way) designs on discs from the manufacturer is whats always left a bad taste in my mouth before.
Since there was mention made of models that fit that criteria under $1000, what are these models that would be recommended by those of you that have them??

Could you make personalized trim with the embroidery machine??

I do custom laser cutting and engraving so I am trying to justify to myself adding embroidery to the mix and make it a business expense. Since I will be adding a router soon this would be a good way to round out the business.

So lets have some embroidery talk.

[Master James]

Well it depends on what you want to do with the embroidery machine.  If you want to do blackwork with it, I hate to say it but you need a Bernina or Viking or one of those and they are over $1,000.  If however you want to do standard embroidery (pictures and such) then the Singer Futura line is not bad.  You can get one around $500-$700 depending on how much software you want with it and they work pretty darn well.  I have a Furtura CE-100 (older model) and it does regular embroidery pretty well and the Auto-Punch software does a decent job on digitizing pictures into embroidery designs for you.  Now this software is a pain to use but once you figure it out it works OK.  This is certainly not a high end machine but it will get the job done for you and it has a small (4"x6") hoop and a large (6"x9") hoop that comes with it.

[gem]

Gramercy, Auryn!  Let's keep this conversation going!

Adding to the OP, can we have some discussion of what to look for when getting started with machine embroidery--not just recommendations for particular machines (because we all know those can be really personal), but also how to choose one that might be right for you?  I've heard that the hoop size is important, and the stabilizers and thread can be really expensive.

And on a side note, the Brother SE270D has been on my Amazon wishlist (where I store all my ideas for things I might be interested in) since last April, which means somebody here on RF.com must have recommended it.  Can anyone tell me why? (I know I didn't put it there as a machine recommendation, b/c I had a brand-new Viking when I added it!)  It's certainly not because I have a deep longing to embroider Disney images on things (blech)!

[LadyShadow]

I'm looking at getting a similar Brother embroidery machine.  It looks just like that one Gem but it doesnt have the Disney things.  I heard that it is great for starters and is easy to use.

[Kate XXXXXX]

I'll be testing various Brother machines for a shop over the next few months.  This will include some embroidery machines.  I'll let you know how they go for garb, how they cope with blackwork or gold thread, and so on.  Should be fun!

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

When at Bristol, I see the chemises and shirts worn by the Queen and Nobles. The Attic Shoppe is where they  get them. I met this vendor a few years ago in Janesville, Wisconsin as I bought a few things from him. He uses several machines that use up to 6 spools of thread at a time. He said his Embroidery machines cost anywhere from $3,000 to $12,000.

It will depend on what kind of embroidery one will be doing to determine the kind of machine being sought. I want the Janome Memory Craft 11000 that is a computer that sews. Hook it up to the computer via a USB hookup and download and embroider beautiful Blackwork designs like magic. THat machine runs over $5,000 ON SALE!!!

[iain robb]

I certainly wouldn't turn my nose up if someone offered me a $5,000 embroidery machine, but I think $1,000 or less, as stated in the original post, is probably a lot more realistic for me. I too have been interested in the Singer Futuras, and I've looked at the Brother machines as well. I may be just looking for a long time, but I'd be really interested in the experience folks have with these less expensive machines.

[Tixi]

I have a Viking Platinum 950e (same as current model 955e) which is a sewing/embroidery combo machine. Got mine for $900 on ebay.

These are my thoughts and recommendations on Viking and embroidery machines in general based on this machine and my research into other sub-$1500 embroidery options out there:

1) Viking might be great at embroidery, but their machine documentation can be really sucky. You will want someone who knows, or the shop you buy it from, to show you how to use it - if you don't already know. Look for classes if none of those options are available to you.

2) The Viking software is stupid-expensive and their software documentation I also found to be pretty bad. There are other software packages which are not produced by Viking out there (Embird, Masterworks) that will work with Viking machines, though. All the software is expensive, but some look more user friendly with additional features.

3) Having to switch back and forth between sewing and embroidery is kind of a pain in the butt. Personally, I'd rather have a separate machine to do specialty things like embroidery or coverlocking. I couldn't see myself paying $6k for a machine, though.

4) If I ever get a new machine for embroidery, I would want it to have a USB connection or built-in networking (or some kind of cross-platform generic media like a CD or something) rather than using the D-Cards, floppy disks, or other proprietary media. You have to buy the cards and they don't last forever, and floppies break and are antiquated.


I want a Janome MemoryCraft, too!  But they are *so* expensive. And as I'm unemployed right now, I don't see that happening anytime soon

The inexpensive option I found that happens to have everything I would want (with software included, USB, multi-format file reading, etc) is that Singer Futura series -- Has anyone actually used one of these? I'd consider getting one just for embroidery, not sewing. But I'm afraid it's just going to be a "you get what you pay for .... so it's cheap and bad" kind of thing. Would love to find someone with a first-hand experience with them.

[Auryn]

I too would love to hear the opinion of owners of the Futura series of machines. I have found a couple locally on craigslist for under $800 but want to know the real deal.

Here are the questions I have as someone who knows bubkuss about embroidery.

What are the hidden costs of an embroidery machine?
Do you have to use special thread??

[Master James]

I too would love to hear the opinion of owners of the Futura series of machines. I have found a couple locally on craigslist for under $800 but want to know the real deal.

Here are the questions I have as someone who knows bubkuss about embroidery.

What are the hidden costs of an embroidery machine?
Do you have to use special thread??

Take a look at my first post and you'll see what I think about the Furtura machine.  Now granted mine is the bottom of the line but the software is the same across and that is the biggest problem with them and they absolutely will not do blackwork properly.  I've tried time and again to no luck.  The Futura will use just about any other machine's designs though so that is nice.

Yes there is some "hidden costs" associated with embroidery.  You do need special thread for both the spool and a different one for the bobbin.  You need to use embroidery thread for the spool and what's called bottom thread for the bobbin.  Bottom thread is a lighter thread and allows the embroidery to lay properly.  If you use embroidery thread top and bottom it comes out messy and way too thick.  You also should always use a stabilizer even if its a wash away one otherwise the fabric has a tendancy to move and the embroidery looks messy again.  Also you need embroidery pins (they are pretty long thin pins and usually have flower heads on them) to help hold the fabric tight in the hoop otherwise, again the fabric might move and it will look messy.  Hope this helps.

[Auryn]

Me personally, I probably won't do much blackwork if at all.
My idea is to use it for the following
- to do embroidered shirts for work- company name and logo on the breast pocket and on the sleeve- for us to wear and to sell to customers with their boat/airplane name
- to embroider designs (of my choosing) on garb and mundane clothing.

As far as software, I'm pretty good at picking it up. All software and platform takes some time to learn and get used to.
What about the software don't you like??

[Master James]

Well the Futura Software just doesn't have a lot of features to it.  Its pretty basic so if you have a picture that is EXACTLY what you want with ONLY the colors you need and NO fill, like a background, it works great.  If however you want to take some pieces out of the digitized picture like a background, its hard to do because it only shows you the pieces of the background not the whole thing and not in any easy to understand picture either.  It just presents you with a bunch of shapes and you have to decide to keep them or not.  Other than that, it works fine.

[Tixi]

if I'm reading this correctly, the Futura has problems connecting designs that repeat and are larger than the hoop?  Is that a problem with the software or the device itself?  Or did I interpret that wrong and it is another deficiency?

[Tixi]

What are the hidden costs of an embroidery machine?

1) IMHO the biggest hidden cost of an embroidery machine can be the darn DESIGNS. You buy them either individually or with others in a "collection". There are subscription services on the web as well as single-download shopping cart stores. You can sometimes find free ones on the web, but most cost $$$. If you know someone who has a machine, you may be able to "borrow" some from them.

If you have the software to do it, you can make designs yourself or digitize them from clipart. The thing is - you can't just take an image and transfer it to your machine and embroider it - you have to convert it into a 'design' first, which is program that instructs the machine how to actually sew a picture. It tells the machine how many stitches to use to fill a design, how to move from one part of the design to another, when thread needs to be cut, when to switch colors, etc. It needs to know the thickness of the thread and colors and stuff too, so there are a lot of things included in a design that go beyond a 'picture'.

2) the special threads and stabilizer, as mentioned

3) software - there are different types - organizer software, digitizing software, and design software - often has to be purchased separately and can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars.

4) memory cards or transfer cards (may or may not be included with machine)

5) some systems require you to have an external card reader for your computer. Such a device allows you to connect a port to your PC so that you can insert a proprietary memory card into a slot and read/write to it. Like this one:



6) regular cleaning, just like with a sewing machine


and then there's the 'optional' stuff:

- additional feet / accessories (optional)

- varying sizes of hoops to make for example very large or very small designs (optional)

Check out pages 62-70 of the Viking catalog to get an idea of what they offer:
http://www.e-magin.se/v5/viewer/files/default.aspx?paper=1060132949040,04490&startpage=1

[Cilean]

Okay, so I own a Designer SE, I have never had an issue not understanding the wording of the instructions for either the machine nor my 4D Embroidery System.  I have worked with several systems in the past and I can say they were the same for me.  As for "Stupid" expensive? The 4D is $2,500, which is pretty typical, Drawings is $3,700, Melco Amaya Bravo 32676-02 Design Shop Lite  would be around $2,500, and Embroidery Office Design Maxx  is GULP $9,800!  There are less expensive options, with Embird and many others including the Amazing Box.  I am just naming a few, but after doing extensive research, I did not find the 4D system more than others for what you get.

I have owned several embroidery machines, I began on a Pfaff 7570, Bernina Arista, now I have a Husqvarna/Viking Designer SE, and I will be in the next few months upgrading to the Diamond (You can hoop an entire side of a doublet!!! Joy!).  Remember, you don't upgrade every year so you need to think of your future and where you would be and what you want to do.  Machines begin at $800.00 and Yes Bernina has a 6 needle awesomeness that you can thread up and it only does embroidery, Janome has a 4 Needle lovely as well and they are pricey, it is the middle between home and professional and it is $12,000. Again it depends on what you need and what you want to happen in the next 5 years.


I have made my own trim, just from the designs on my Designer SE on biased tape! For the kids and myself when I could not find what I wanted on the market. (Sad now, no more Europa trims).  I want to make a gown with my own version of Fleur de Lys all over the purple velvety goodness.  But that is in the plans and far away at this time.

There are a lot of designs on the market. If you want some? Save up, this is Big Girl Pill time.  It can be expensive but if you only need 1 design there are some great sites out there that you can get 1 design from a pack.  Or you can get to be part of a group with purchases design packs to share. Or you can learn how to craft your own designs, and then sell them!! Making money to keep your habit in check (Ha!).

Where I live, all of the dealerships have classes to learn how to use your machine, even if you have a basic machine there are classes in which you can take for free so that you can ask your questions.  If you don't have anyone who can do this?? Don't buy from them!!!  If I have a question I can call or go over to my dealer and they will step me through step by step.  Of course this will ensure repeat business, so it is in their best interest for them to help you continue to work with your machine.  Many of the dealerships will have an embroidery night in which people get together and work with notions and designs, and of course there are groups online about Embroidery via machines with a ton of information!

It depends on your needs and what you want to do with the machine, the sky is the limit!

Just to whet your appetite? Check out these lovely pieces made with machines!
This was made on a brother machine


Here is the dress diary for the entire gown if you are interested:
http://www.naergilien.info/research/london1/Phoenix/index.htm

Also if you want to I have been chatting for 4 years or so now with the Ladies of Tudor Tailor stated this stomacher was in part Machine Embroider and hand sewn


Cilean