Embrodiery machines, is it easy for you to use or do you have days?
 

Sometimes I find machine embroidery can be a lot of work and or frustrations. Is it just me?Sometimes I have a love hate with ME. Wonder if others feel this way.

Sometimes it depends on the stabilizer you are using and sometimes it is the design. Yes, sometimes I do find things frustrating. Usually, but not always, it is my fault.

Want to pull my hair out at times. But, when project is done, I love having one.

Some days it is just best to turn it off and do something else! LOL! Just like regular sewing! We have good days and bad days! But it can be the design, the needle, the fabric, stabilizer or the thread. And some days it is just me!

Oh my yes! Luckily I have a friend that was very patient and helped me through it. She has since moved to AZ and I had decided to make bookmarks for all the students in my daughter's 5th grad classroom. It is like the machine knows when you are tired or in a hurry. Once I decided on a heavier stabilizer and shear determination I got thru all 26 all by myself.

How long have you been embroidering with your machine? It took my friend and I a lot of trial and error to learn the machine - that is after I took 2 lessons. Also, I bought the computer design program for the Husqvarna/Viking and that had a curve all its own. But even on those days that it seems to drive me crazy, I still love it.

Hope you are making fun things!

I too get frustrated using my embroidery machine. For me I think it is knowing which stabilizer is best for what I'm doing and centering the design on the fabric. I've had the classes that came with my machine but and have embrodered several items. Im never sure they will turn out like planned. Maybe if I spent more time embroidering and less quilting but that may not happen. Lol

No it is definitely not easy. I remember someone say it was cheating, and when I got my machine I was amazed at the steep learning curve. I have had mine 2 1/2 years and still don't feel my work is that nice. I do enjoy the finished product, but also understand the headache and frustrations. Especially when the machine is not working right and you have a deadline, come to find out that the whole time the stabilizer is the problem and not the machine after you have already wasted hours and potentially ruined items you need. I love ME, but still hate that I am a beginner knowledge wise.

I hate stretching the fabric and stabilizer over the hoop. Once that is done I'm home free.

I don't do machine embroidery but I have a lot of friends that do. The one thing I have learned from them is to use the best stabilizer and quality thread and to start with making a sample of the stitches before doing the design. It's a lot of prep work to good machine embroidery.

There's definitely a learning curve, selecting the right fabric, stabilizer, thread and design. You learn as you go. I've gotten better in the 2 years I've had my machine. I've found that doing test samples with different stabilizers and threads pays off in the long run. Keep a notebook of what works and what doesn't. Look for help online, like this page from Embroidery Library: http://www.emblibrary.com/el/elproje...ulHow-Tos.aspx Be patient and keep working at it. Good luck!