Originally Posted by
Divokittysmom
SQS; As someone just mentioned when purchasing a machine think about how you will use your embroideries. If you are thinking small designs then a 4x4 field may be enough for you.. If however you dream of embroidering jacket backs, skirt hemlines, tablecloths etc you will be much happier with an embroidery field much larger. I made that mistake with my first embroidery machine, as it had only a 4x4 hoop. Now, My Elli has one of the largest embroidery fields on the market and I am totally in love with this machine and all it can do! There are many machines that are moderately priced that will do a great job and have great sized hoops. Think about at least a 5x7 size hoop. And the MOST important thing of all is Dealer Support, I can't stress this enough! Even if it means purchasing something farther away from home than you would like, a supportive dealer who is willing to back you and gives classes is worth their weight in Gold! Good luck in your search!
Totally agree especially with the dealer support and also classes can be invaluable. I have a Viking Diamond Deluxe which currently is there top one, I did have a Ruby and it was also great, the Diamond has a very large hoop. I love my Vikings and have never used a 4x4 and rarely used the 5x7 hoop. I will hoop multiple designs if I have smaller ones, instead of doing them one at a time. All of the Vikings I've owned have been really great and you can use any thread. I would be upset at paying thousands of dollars for a machine and then have to only buy certain threads because it didn't play well. The only other emb machine that I've sewed on was a Brother and that was in class. While it did a good job and there are features that I liked about the machine that mine doesn't have mine has features that Brother doesn't have that mean alot to me. Vikings come with an organizer software that is a powerful tool and will help you alot with not only organizing designs but you can do some editing like adding the cutting jump stitch command. Love that feature. I would suggest though to go to several shops and try out the machine and when the feel of the shop's atmosphere and the machine feel right, you know you got it. I travel about 1/2 to 45 min to my store and it is so worth it. The teacher listens to what we need and want and incorporates them into our classes. The store has even now started not only the embroidery classes but using the sewing side of machine and all of it's features. This is great because you've paid for these features and you might as well know about them and how to use them. I love learning new things. Caution: no matter what machine you get, it's addicting and that's one of the biggest reasons to try out the machine and also to have some of the larger hoops available so you don't become bored or frustrated due to limitations. Good luck on your search and enjoy.