Embroidery Machines what do you have
 

Hi everyone
I am thinking on getting an Embroidery machine but not to sure if i would use it much. i haver been sewing for 3 years now making Quilts and Bags and table runners and such. so if i buy one i do not want to invest to much money in my first one. so what do you have and how do you like it and what uses are your favorite.
Thanks for all of your opinons. :)

I use mine more than I thought I would. It's really handy for adding a personal touch. If at all possible, get one with a 5X7 hoop. Many of the lower end ones have a 4X4 and it is very limiting, although there are tons of 4X4 designs out there.
Keep your current sewing machine. You can do double duty: embroider and piece at the same time!

I agree wholeheartedly with PaperPrincess!!

You can check with your local dealers (Brother, BabyLock, Viking, etc) and see if they have a used one at a reasonable price. There are SO MANY designs out now that "quilt in the hoop" that I'm certain you will find yourself using it more than you expected. Get as large a hoop space as you think you can afford... that same "hoop space" equals "harp space", so that means you have more room for quilting as well.

Definitely keep your old machine for piecing... you can piece while the other machine embroiders... multi-tasking at it's finest!

I have an old brother ULT 2002D . I have gotten a lot of use from it. I pretty much opened the box and started embroidering. One thing I would say is get the largest field you can afford. It makes life so much easier. Newer models use a USB or connect directly to the internet for designs. While I will probably never buy another I have no regrets on this purchase. The enjoyment it has given me over the last 14 years is worth every bit I paid for it.

First, let me say that this can be a very expensive, addicting hobby. Besides the machine, there are threads, stabilizers, and designs. Software for editing if you really decide to get into it.
That being said, it's just so much fun. I bought my first machine, A Janome MC200E just to try and make quilt labels. 2 months later I bought a another machine with a bigger hoop size(although I use my smaller hoops more often), a Janome MC350E. Not too long after that I received an older Brother PE200 as a gift. I wanted it for the built in Snoopy designs. Then last year when the new Janome MC500E came out I had to have it. I love it! And just recently I bought another older Brother, a PE400D, again for the built in designs(Winnie the Pooh). I've spent a ton of $$ on thread, stabilizers and designs but I don't regret it one bit.
Any of the low end Brothers or the Janome MC200E are fantastic starter machines. The Janome has a 5.5" square hoop which is actually quite a bit bigger than the 4x4" hoop many of the Brother starter machines use. I found that I can actually use some of the designs made for a 5x7" hoop, as long as the design isn't over 5" square. if you aren't sure you'll like this hobby, a starter machine is good, that way you won't have too much invested and can easily sell it. If you do decide you like the hobby, you can trade it in or sell it to another beginner and buy a bigger machine. In my case I knew I was going to jump in with both feet but didn't realize just how deep I would jump. I really should let go of my 200E as it never gets used any more. 5 embroidery machines is too much lol.

Cari

testdrive, testdrive and ask tons of questions. Get as much info as possible, learn what features are available so that you can decide what you might want and if its in your price range. I would never go below a 5x7 but then I would never allow a 5x7 to be my smallest hoop either. For a lot of people a 5x7 will do a lot and you can learn to reposition your designs and make them larger. Check out you tubes, there's one for about every machine out there. I love both of mine and can't imagine being without one.

I am addicted to my embroidery machine, and yes I agree with the others on the 5x7 hoop, a must. I have a new brother and older Janome. Really read and study on this as much as possible to find out what is important to you and what your must haves are. It may surprise you to find you will use it more than you thought. This year I made embroidery tissue paper rolls, tree ornaments with candy canes. Also, free standing lace bookmarks and much more. Fun Fun, but I got to get back to quilting:thumbup:

I love my embroidery machine. It is a Husqvarna/Viking Topaz 20. It was a floor model and the dealer gave me a great deal and the full original warranty and several lessons. It came with a very basic embroidery program so once I had an idea of what I was doing I bought a better one, which was $350.00. I happen to live about 45 miles from Sewing Machines Plus so was able to go up and see in person some of the thread kits. (Started out with the Christmas kit, then the fall kit and finally the Spring Colors.) Now I buy colors as I need them and find that Threadart.com has a wonderful selection for reasonable prices. I have 3 different hoop sizes (4x4, 5x7, 8.5 x10). I buy most of my stabilizer on-line and sometimes at Joannn's when they have a sale.

I just made embroidered dish towels for 2 of my friends and my sister. My daughter teaches 4th grade and I just made embroidered bookmarks for all of her students as a Christmas gift. And I personalize pillow cases for my niece and nephew. And I have embroidered onesies for my daughter's friends that have had babies. And the list goes on and on.

Free standing lace is fun to make too.

There is a learning curve. But once you get the hang of it, which does not take long, you just keep embroidering more. My DD is forever asking me to embroider something.

My machine is a sewing/embroidery machine, since I have the Janome MC6600 I leave the Topaz set up for embroidery. But I can make it into sewing in just a few seconds.

Luckily I had a fearless sewing buddy (by that I mean she is not afraid to make a mistake) so we worked together to learn the ins and out of my machine. She ended up buying the Brother PE770, she got a great deal with the larger hoop and a thread kit with 50 different thread colors for about half of what I paid for my machine. She also uses the pre-wound bobbins, she said they are more cost effective than winding her own.

If you get too small of a machine, you may not use it very much. Most of my designs are larger than that. Just for fun go on the Embroidery Library website and see all their designs and prices just to get an idea. There are a lot of websites, but this one has a lot ideas and basic information.

I own the Brother PE 770. It is easy to use, good price and uses 4x4, 5x7 and the 12x5 hoops.

this one comes with a free laptop
https://www.amazon.com/Brother-Embro...=brother+pe770

this is the one I bought, customer service is outstanding
https://www.amazon.com/Brother-Embro...=brother+pe770

Janome 9900 sew/embroidery...love it but rarely have time for embroidery. I also have my original Janome 9700 sew/embroider....I can't multi task embroidering and sewing...I don't know how others can. I like to watch it! Lol!

sandy