Geri B

Okay, I know I should probably check with the store I purchased the machine from, but not to happy with them...anyway got an email from mfgr (babylock) letting me know about a software offered........Everyday Embroidery...so, I clicked on it..........some kind of software for $500.00!!!! Wow, was all I could say....I have not yet attempted any emb on my "new sewing machine", but if this is required.....no thanks.........

Tell me I don't need this to play with the emb part of machine........I thought all I needed were cd/flash drive........

azwendyg

Well, that depends on how you buy your designs. Although I'm not familiar with your particular embroidery machine, you probably got some designs with it that are ready to stitch out.

However, most designs you buy or download need to be converted into something your machine can understand and saved to the flash drive that way. That's what the embroider software does for you. That being said, there are other options out there that seem to work well. Years ago I bought a Bernina with an embroidery module and got the included (very cut down version) of their embroidery software with it. That worked for quite awhile because I wasn't designing my own embroidery, just buying and stitching out. That software won't run on new computers, so I had to shop around for something to replace it. I found something for a friend with a new Mac computer and Janome Deco 340 (I think) called "Embrilliance" that runs on both Mac and Windows for less than $150. I got a chance to try it out on her computer and really like it for the money. It does a lot more than my old software and it's relatively easy to use. It has options to write embroidery files out to a flash drive for all kinds of machines, so it's likely it would also work with yours.

Embroidery is a lot of fun, but it's not as easy as they usually make it out to be when you're buying the machine!

Edit: I also wonder if you may have gotten a CD or DVD with some software on it to allow you to write embroidery files to a flash drive with your machine, and they are trying to sell you an upgrade???

Freddie

I have an embroidery machine and there are a lot of designs to dowload on the internet, which don't need software. Some are free sites and then of course other sites have them for sale at a reasonable cost. Some sites have samples, so you can try out their designs. You download the files in the format that your machine takes. (mine is PES). Some downloads come with a variety of formats (mostly zipped) and you have to extract the file and pick your format.
If you need any more info,e-mail me.

rjwilder

Embird is great embroidery software and very inexpensive and easy to learn. There is a free trial download, www.embird.net

romanojg

I don't know about your machine. I bought a Viking ruby and it has some expensive software suites ranging from 500 up that is optional. This software allows you to edit and lots more. I don't have it because I can't afford it yet. My machine did come with the software that allows me to download designs; organize them and to be honest, I'm not sure what all else. This came with the machine so maybe you should ask if yours has at least the basic to do this with as well. What all is on your CD; mine has the CD and flash drive. Do you have a dealer to get classes from? Where I bought mine I got a start up class that showed me how to do some things including registering it online. When I can afford and have time to get the larger software I'll also take the classes to learn to do it all. I also get free embroidery of the month classes where I get to learn how to do new things. I love my embroidery machine and can't wait until things mellow out some so that I can do more with it. Somewhere on this board someone posted a free program for embroidery and I know that emblibrary.com likes embrid.

RedGarnet222

Trust me $500.00 I cheap compaired to my bernina software.
The machine has special software in order for it to know how to process the information to the embroidery module part of your machine. The software usually has designs built in and editing capabilities.

You can change things about the design you are wanting to embroider by going into the software program and telling it to do things. Like to reverse the design or re-size it. The are in some programs a way to stretch it this way or that. Depending on how much changing of the design or making your own design capabillities the program has, will determine the price of the software.

RedGarnet222

All that being said... Each type of machine has different software. I am not sure what type babylock has on thiers. Maybe you should make up with your dealer, or find another dealer who is willing to help you figure it out.

davis2se

I recently bought the Designer's Gallery Studio Plus program for $99.00. I think that was a great price, as I'm sure I recall seeing that on the DG website for close to $300.00. I am finding it sort of difficult to use though. Initially it took me 5 phone calls and about 3 hours on the DG website to even figure out how to GET to my files (absurd - I have to click on DG, then on "users" and then several other places to get my total folder of designs to come up). Once I do get there though it is really nice to be able to see each of the designs, rather than just trying to remember them by the name I assigned them when purchased. This program does not have editing features as far as I know, but I have that on my machine anyway. Before buying the software I would find a design I "thought and hoped" was the one I wanted, download it from the computer to a flash drive and then put it on my Janome to actually see the design.

I'm somewhat a newbie to machine embroidery and was surprised in a good way when I found out that the designs I've purchased through Embroidery Library and OPW are also available to me in all formats, not just the format indicated when I purchased the design. That is great for me as I have both Janome and Baby Lock machines!!!

Crqltr

Depending on which baby lock you have, mine is a older one I have a box to convert my designs, my friend has a newer one and hers came with software or she can download directly to a flash drive and bypass needing box. I think most of the expensive software is to give the ability of resizing and combining designs. You should even have built in designs to play with.

momto5

SandsComputing.com has a good program for fairly little money. I have used it for awhile and it does the job for me.