The embroidery feature is built in. I have the 9000 which shares the same embroidery cards and hoops as the 8000. So, all you need are hoops and embroidery cards. The cards can be purchased pretty inexpensively, but the hoops may cost you more than you paid for the machine. Cards run from $10-$50 on ebay and they used to be in the $100 range when they first came out. I love my 9000 and it has very similar features to the 8000.