So my birthday is on Saturday and DH came home with my present early... A Brother SE400!!! Yous should have seen my daughter try to carry the box inside :lol: She actually thought is was for her... haha fat chance. So now that I have my lovely machine, does anyone have any hints or experiences that they would like to pass my way?
I have heard about stabilizers and have bought 2 different kinds to try, but also heard about coffee filters and dryersheets. Is that right?
Also about thread and that the Rayon thread likes to bleed?
Please let me know if those are correct and any new info you guys might be able to give... I need all the help I can get ;)

YAY! New stuff!

Congrats, what a great birthday present. Have fun and share your work with us.

WooHoo, what a GREAT gift!

There are several stabilizers available depending on your project... fusible knit for t-shirts, sticky peel away for unhoopable projects, tearaway, cutaway, and water soluble. Sometimes you can get a sample to try these so you know what works best for you. Yes, rayon thread does have a tendency to bleed. It sews the prettiest for me, but if I'm making an embroidered quilt top, I like to use polyester embroidery thread, especially if it's for a baby quilt which will get a lot of wear and need washing often. Enjoy your machine. It's a whole new world!

Happy birthday. Enjoy your new toy.

Nancys Notions had a booklet STABILIZERS THE FOUNDATIONS GUIDELINES. I strongly suggest getting it, reading it, then keep it near your machine. Worth every penny!

Enjoy your new machine and stock up on all those different stablizers, I know I run out all the time. Also beware of people wanting you to embroider all sorts of stuff for you, they come out of the woodwork. hahaha

Happy B-day to you! Your DH is a keeper! Have fun with your new toy and post a pic of her!

Definitely will be making things today... just have to get it set up on my table and see if I can do it without chickening out.. :lol:

Happy Birthday !

Hubby is definitely a keeper :mrgreen: And now the addiction grows :shock: If he only knew :wink: LOL

The stabilizers are the tricky part , ask me how I know :roll:

Hi Brookmarie,

Wishing you a happy birthday in advance and I hope you get year and years of pleasure from your new baby!

Hugs

Caroline

Happy Birthday and I'm so happy you got your new machine.
I have several brothers I'm sure you will be happy with it.

WooHoo!!! :D:D:D

http://emblibrary.com/ has a big section of tutorials. It explains about which stabilizers to use, and how to hoop different projects, lots of other information.

I would avoid coffee filters, dryer sheets may work on some things... The sucess of a wrinkle free embroidered project depends on the stabilizer. Walmart sells washaway, cutaway and tear away, as well as Joann's if you are looking for good deals. I buy it off of the bolt and it can be cheaper than the packages.

Congrats, also check out sewforum.com they have oodles of info there!

have many happy hours sewing that is the best present a man can give his wife does it have the USB port to send designs to the machine with . Also there are a lot of free designs on the web my fav is bunncup designs all her retired ones are free so have fun

it does have a usb port, so i will be checking our her site (do you have an address, can't find it). I am coming up with one problem when doing this... the top looks great, but the bottom part has little globs of the top thread just knotted up together and I can't figure out why for the life of me. Does anyone know what I can do to fix that?

Be sure everything is threaded right even if it looks right start over and completely rethread top and bottom and check for burs on needle and that the shuttel is in right I have had them move on me . Also I will look up bunnycup address and send it to you I am at work now and don'thave it with me

oh my goodness!! I just found her site and I want the all :lol: They are all just soooo cute!

I don't think its a threading problem because it sstarts off great then knots, then is good again. It just keeps going back and forth

the site I was telling you about is www.bunnycup.com Also try Ann the Grann site they have a lot of free designs

When threading it, floss back and fourth the thread in the tension disks. It always works.

Ok, sorry... you lost me :?

Good for you! There must have been some subtle hints along the way....or did he pick it out himself?

Have fun and happy birthday!

yes, Definite hints (the ones that say I want that and wouldn't mind if I got it early) :lol: He catches the hints so well doesn't he.. hehe

When threading the top thread, hold on to the thread at both ends and floss it like you would your teeth so the thread gets seated between the tension disks. You won't get nesting underneath that way.

Ok, I see now.. will try that today Thanks

Happy Birthday and congrats! Aren't new toys fun?

It isn't my BD yet, but I bought myself one today ahead of time.After not getting Bros.350 the other day, I decided to stop in at the old WalMart in Iowa City. Lo and behold they had one & it was also marked way down--$184. Now all I have to do is take time and learn to use it. Have wanted one for years. I had really gone to IC to attend the demos, etc. at Shields Sewing Center. Time wasn't given in the announcement that the QMB received, but it didn't start until 5:30 tonight. Trip not entirely wasted as I did get my machine.

This might not be the correct thread to put this on but I am not sure where or how to do it. Some ones very sad event has given me a chance for some very nice sewing machines. A very good seamstres in our area past away not long ago. She had planned on retiring and sewing for retirement. Her husband sold her Janome, elegant baby lock, and a pfaf sewing machines, 2008 and 2009 models all the etc that goes with them. Lots of embrodiery thread, sewing floor lamp. I am sooo excited, I will need to take lesson so I can use the machines as they should be used. I will need to rearange many items or dipose of some things to make room for all these new items to me. Looking forward to listening to all of you so I can learn from you.

That is the best present you could ever get. I've a 1500 and I've enjoyed it so much! Stabilisers, there are so many try your machine shop that sells those machines they can be quite helpful especially if you're buying! I've never had any trouble with bleeding from rayon threads I find they are the best maderia is excellent. Enjoy your present you'll love playing with it

That is the best present you could ever get. I've a 1500 and I've enjoyed it so much! Stabilisers, there are so many try your machine shop that sells those machines they can be quite helpful especially if you're buying! I've never had any trouble with bleeding from rayon threads I find they are the best maderia is excellent. Enjoy your present you'll love playing with it

You will love this machine. I hope you have lots of fun!!!

Congrats and Happy Birthday!! your DH is a keeper for sure!

Congratulations. You are going to really enjoy your new machine. I have been embroidering (by machine) for 10 years and absolutely Love it.

I read where you were having trouble with the thread. FYI - some machines are finiky on what type of emboidery thread they "like". I mainly buy Robison Anton (Poly). I also find that the fatter the spool the nicer it unwinds in the machine (lots of the Sulky are the skinny spools - have lots of them, but like R/A much better, as well as Mettler, Iscacord and Maderia threads for Embroidery.

I also buy the pre-wound embroidery bobbins (by R/A). Your sewing store usually sells them in a tube/pkg. of 10.

I buy a lot of my thread from a place on the internet called Discount Embroidery. I used to buy my pre-wound bobbins from them 35 at a time, now I buy either 74 or 144. The price is way better than in the local stores. Same with the thread - they are less than in the store almost by half. And the shipping is free. If you have any questions they are great via the phone.

As far as stabilizers go, Sulky has a great book on that subject (you can get at JoAnn's with coupon). At my store it is with the thread section. Also, starting out you can use coupons (or notions on sale) to get Sulky stabilizers. I buy Florini, ABC, Jenny Haskins, and a few others from sewing store, especially if they have a coupon for notions; and I attend the ISS show as well as embroidery and a quilting show each year. If they are in your area absolutely attend - they are full of info, as well as great prices.

Also, if your machine came from a sewing store (not dept. store) they should give you a class(es) for free. If possile, defnitely take them. If they every have demos or classes they are great also.

Enjoy, it is so much fun. You can even incorporate your quilting with embroidery. I'm almost done making a large table topper via emb/quilt and hope to post a photo soon.

HAVE FUN and ENJOY

Karen

Brook one thing you should do and I have found its very helpfull. and that is get a small notebook. Everytime i do a design I put it in that notebook. I right down the colors I used names and number if possible. I also put what design I did and what I put it on and who it was for. Also if you move your maching from center to say 125 top or 250 down. That way if you ever have to do another one just like it you have all the information. The one time I didn't write it down I had a hard time making the design the correct size. I had done a retreat towel for someone and she ended up wanting a hand towel also. Same with enlarging the design. Have a lot of fun I have with mine.

Happy birthday How soon can you show us some pic.

That ia a good idea of keeping track of all your colors - I do the same. I always print out a copy of the design with thread colors for future reference also. I have a 3 ring binder I keep mine in, or else they end up all over the place and you can't find one when needed (ask me how I know). Since you may not have software you will want to do as the other lady suggested and write down the design and colors of thread.

Also, when just starting out try to do a design without a lot of color changes so you can get used to the process. If you pick one with way too many you may get frustrated (no instant gratification). One of my machines is a 6 needle and I still try to consolidate colors.

OH...Happy belated birthday, what a great new toy for you! You'll have a ball....you are soo talented that you deserved the new toy!

awesome, birthday gift, congratulations!