DO YOU HAVE AN EMBROIDERY MACHINE AND IF SO WHAT BRAND
03-07-2011, 07:04 PM
#1
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Arizona
Posts: 4,039
What brand of embroidery machine do you own and are you happy with it? Pro's and cons? suggestions??
Hubby said to research, I think he is going to get me one. Mainly I want to be able to do lettering and maybe some scroll work...Im so excited but looking forward to your experiences. THANK YOU :)
Hubby said to research, I think he is going to get me one. Mainly I want to be able to do lettering and maybe some scroll work...Im so excited but looking forward to your experiences. THANK YOU :)
03-07-2011, 07:16 PM
#2
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Possum Trot, KY
Posts: 3,843
Originally Posted by suebee
What brand of embroidery machine do you own and are you happy with it? Pro's and cons? suggestions??
Hubby said to research, I think he is going to get me one. Mainly I want to be able to do lettering and maybe some scroll work...Im so excited but looking forward to your experiences. THANK YOU :)
Hubby said to research, I think he is going to get me one. Mainly I want to be able to do lettering and maybe some scroll work...Im so excited but looking forward to your experiences. THANK YOU :)
This is what happened when I wanted one....
We got a Brother 2800D a couple weekends ago...haven't had it long enough to have a real good opinion but I like it so far.
03-07-2011, 07:17 PM
#3
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Battleground,IN
Posts: 1,496
I have a Bernina 630 Artista with embroidery module and I love it .You can add to a design rotate it any direction enlarge it or shrink it you can also flip the mirror image so you have a left and right.I did that on my moms pillow shams and they looked great.Mine has USB port which I like just plug in designs and your ready.Embroidery is alot of fun.
03-07-2011, 07:21 PM
#5
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: New England, USA
Posts: 2,950
Here is my humble opinion.
I have had two - A Babylock Ellagio (which I loved and sold) and a Pfaff 2170 which is fantastic. I wanted to be able to send designs from my computer directly to the machines and as I have 4D Software and it is compatible w/ Vikings and Pfaffs. I also sold Vikings for a time. All three of those machine are excellent choices but so are others such as Janome, Brother and Berninna. The Babylock had incredible stitches, not picky about thread and a fantastic display while the Pfaff has great stitches, is very finicky about thread(only like the expensive stuff), wonderful sewing IDT, better hoop size options and connects directly to my computer (I have 4D software). I also bought this 2170 used off of Craigslist.
My recommendations: First think about these questions -
1. How much do you want to spend?
2. How large of an Embroidery do you want to do? Some machines will only do 4x4 (this is really small and does not give you a lot of area), some can do 5x7 while some do really large and are very flexible.
3. What sewing features might you want on the machine?
4. How do designs get loaded? Some machines can load from a USB stick some connect directly to a computer and some use a machine specific card - which will require expensive software to load and are pricey to purchase preloaded designs.
5. Will you want "classes" and support? It is best to make sure that you have a dealer around to answer questions, have service and cleaning as needed even if you don't want classes.
Next go to every sewing shop that sells any embroidery machines near you and ask to play even if you do not intend to purchase that brand. You will learn a lot and be a better informed consumer (don't get sucked in to purchase until you play with a lot of them - even if you intend to purchase a low end machine in a box from a big box store play with expensive ones as well). If you have any questions about what I have suggested - fell free to PM me. Best of luck on this - they are expensive but fun. The purchase of the machine is only the beginning. There is special thread, hoops, stabilizer and designs which can all cost big $$.
I have had two - A Babylock Ellagio (which I loved and sold) and a Pfaff 2170 which is fantastic. I wanted to be able to send designs from my computer directly to the machines and as I have 4D Software and it is compatible w/ Vikings and Pfaffs. I also sold Vikings for a time. All three of those machine are excellent choices but so are others such as Janome, Brother and Berninna. The Babylock had incredible stitches, not picky about thread and a fantastic display while the Pfaff has great stitches, is very finicky about thread(only like the expensive stuff), wonderful sewing IDT, better hoop size options and connects directly to my computer (I have 4D software). I also bought this 2170 used off of Craigslist.
My recommendations: First think about these questions -
1. How much do you want to spend?
2. How large of an Embroidery do you want to do? Some machines will only do 4x4 (this is really small and does not give you a lot of area), some can do 5x7 while some do really large and are very flexible.
3. What sewing features might you want on the machine?
4. How do designs get loaded? Some machines can load from a USB stick some connect directly to a computer and some use a machine specific card - which will require expensive software to load and are pricey to purchase preloaded designs.
5. Will you want "classes" and support? It is best to make sure that you have a dealer around to answer questions, have service and cleaning as needed even if you don't want classes.
Next go to every sewing shop that sells any embroidery machines near you and ask to play even if you do not intend to purchase that brand. You will learn a lot and be a better informed consumer (don't get sucked in to purchase until you play with a lot of them - even if you intend to purchase a low end machine in a box from a big box store play with expensive ones as well). If you have any questions about what I have suggested - fell free to PM me. Best of luck on this - they are expensive but fun. The purchase of the machine is only the beginning. There is special thread, hoops, stabilizer and designs which can all cost big $$.
03-07-2011, 07:23 PM
#6
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: MN
Posts: 2,411
I have a basic Brother SE 350.. my only complaint is I wish I had a min of a 5x 7 hoop... this machine will only go up to a 4x4.....
Suggestion: Buy as big a hoop as u can afford...
Mine was a gift and I knew nothing about them when I got it... I still love it.. very easy to use and I have gotten tons of designs free offline!
Suggestion: Buy as big a hoop as u can afford...
Mine was a gift and I knew nothing about them when I got it... I still love it.. very easy to use and I have gotten tons of designs free offline!
03-07-2011, 07:23 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: pile of scraps, ILLINOIS
Posts: 980
Originally Posted by suebee
What brand of embroidery machine do you own and are you happy with it? Pro's and cons? suggestions??
Hubby said to research, I think he is going to get me one. Mainly I want to be able to do lettering and maybe some scroll work...Im so excited but looking forward to your experiences. THANK YOU :)
Hubby said to research, I think he is going to get me one. Mainly I want to be able to do lettering and maybe some scroll work...Im so excited but looking forward to your experiences. THANK YOU :)
03-07-2011, 07:29 PM
#10
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Arizona
Posts: 4,039
Originally Posted by eparys
Here is my humble opinion.
I have had two - A Babylock Ellagio (which I loved and sold) and a Pfaff 2170 which is fantastic. I wanted to be able to send designs from my computer directly to the machines and as I have 4D Software and it is compatible w/ Vikings and Pfaffs. I also sold Vikings for a time. All three of those machine are excellent choices but so are others such as Janome, Brother and Berninna. The Babylock had incredible stitches, not picky about thread and a fantastic display while the Pfaff has great stitches, is very finicky about thread(only like the expensive stuff), wonderful sewing IDT, better hoop size options and connects directly to my computer (I have 4D software). I also bought this 2170 used off of Craigslist.
My recommendations: First think about these questions -
1. How much do you want to spend?
2. How large of an Embroidery do you want to do? Some machines will only do 4x4 (this is really small and does not give you a lot of area), some can do 5x7 while some do really large and are very flexible.
3. What sewing features might you want on the machine?
4. How do designs get loaded? Some machines can load from a USB stick some connect directly to a computer and some use a machine specific card - which will require expensive software to load and are pricey to purchase preloaded designs.
5. Will you want "classes" and support? It is best to make sure that you have a dealer around to answer questions, have service and cleaning as needed even if you don't want classes.
Next go to every sewing shop that sells any embroidery machines near you and ask to play even if you do not intend to purchase that brand. You will learn a lot and be a better informed consumer (don't get sucked in to purchase until you play with a lot of them - even if you intend to purchase a low end machine in a box from a big box store play with expensive ones as well). If you have any questions about what I have suggested - fell free to PM me. Best of luck on this - they are expensive but fun. The purchase of the machine is only the beginning. There is special thread, hoops, stabilizer and designs which can all cost big $$.
I have had two - A Babylock Ellagio (which I loved and sold) and a Pfaff 2170 which is fantastic. I wanted to be able to send designs from my computer directly to the machines and as I have 4D Software and it is compatible w/ Vikings and Pfaffs. I also sold Vikings for a time. All three of those machine are excellent choices but so are others such as Janome, Brother and Berninna. The Babylock had incredible stitches, not picky about thread and a fantastic display while the Pfaff has great stitches, is very finicky about thread(only like the expensive stuff), wonderful sewing IDT, better hoop size options and connects directly to my computer (I have 4D software). I also bought this 2170 used off of Craigslist.
My recommendations: First think about these questions -
1. How much do you want to spend?
2. How large of an Embroidery do you want to do? Some machines will only do 4x4 (this is really small and does not give you a lot of area), some can do 5x7 while some do really large and are very flexible.
3. What sewing features might you want on the machine?
4. How do designs get loaded? Some machines can load from a USB stick some connect directly to a computer and some use a machine specific card - which will require expensive software to load and are pricey to purchase preloaded designs.
5. Will you want "classes" and support? It is best to make sure that you have a dealer around to answer questions, have service and cleaning as needed even if you don't want classes.
Next go to every sewing shop that sells any embroidery machines near you and ask to play even if you do not intend to purchase that brand. You will learn a lot and be a better informed consumer (don't get sucked in to purchase until you play with a lot of them - even if you intend to purchase a low end machine in a box from a big box store play with expensive ones as well). If you have any questions about what I have suggested - fell free to PM me. Best of luck on this - they are expensive but fun. The purchase of the machine is only the beginning. There is special thread, hoops, stabilizer and designs which can all cost big $$.
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