Talk to DH maybe you can get him to let you use his computer for a few hours every day.

Or check Salvaction army or somewhere and find a used cheap computer

Try looking at joann.com they sell Viking, Husqvarna, and some Janome. I have a Pfaff and I can tell you that you don't need to be constantly hooked up to a pc - only when you are doing firmware updates or uploading new designs. My Pfaff has cards, but I find that I upload designs more from other websites. I do have a limited memory, but who wants to be stitching the same 8 or 10 designs all the time anyway? :roll:

Yes, I need to be conected to the computer while doing emb. but the same time the machine is emboridering I'm usualy here or looking for new designs or looking at new quilt blocks. I download any designs I buy right to the computer or to a CD. I now have over 4000 designs stored on my computer. I just open the machines program pick the design I want from the file or cd and push the bottom and it starts.

I have the Brother SE270D. It is under $400. It sews, quilts, embroiders...You do not have to be online to use it. With our dial-up, that wouldn't be possible anyway. It has some designs already in it. You can buy cards or buy the PED which will let you download designs from the internet or CDs. You can buy the downloads for as cheap as a dollar or two, but they can get expensive if you buy the more expensive ones.
I LOVE MINE!

I do not have to be on line to use the machine. The program is instaled on my computer. I'm just connected to a USB. So while the machine is working I am still free to use the computer. I do not need to buy cards or PED. If I see a design I like I just download it and save to a file folder I set up. I do copy all my files to disk so if I ever get a new computer I still have them all

I think maybe Buttercream's machine might be best for me since once we move the computer will be downstairs and the sewing machine upstairs. So I will need one thaqt can work independent of the computer. I am going to start saving. Hopefully we'll get a cost of living raise this year. We usually do but never know how much. The stock is way up there so I'm hoping it will be a 3.5 or 4% raise. I've been here 18 years so it finally has started to add up. But there are a lot of craft shows in the mtns of NC and southern TEnn so that might be an option--don't know till I try one. I like to do stuff like that, don't know if I want to do it all the time to sell, but am trying to figure out how to supplement retirement income. We won't starve, but might want extra income to go out to eat or take a trip/ things like that.

if you run the machine off the computer and use USB, is it scary to think about the computer catching a virus or worm and transferring it to the machine????

Vicki~ you can get the machines on eBay like mine. Their are tons of them on there. We decided to go with WM this time incase we had to return it or something. Most of the ones on eBay have the same warranty through Brother as any of them do. I got mine for Christmas, and I think it was easier on DH to get and hide it from WM than eBay. ;)

Ceanna, so this AutoPunch will let you embroidery any pictures you find? Tell me more about that. That sounds like what I want.

Autopunch is a program you can buy. Basicaly it auto digitizes your pic. It makes an embroidery design from clean artwork. You sould use images save in WMF, bmp or jpg. Pic should have a high resoulation. The program reduces the colors so it is able to stitch the art in embroidery. I have used it 2 times with good results. Kathy just got it for her machine too. So you might want to pm her to see how she likes its.

Hi, Vicky!

I would recommend a Brother or Babylock machine for embroidery. Either one has models very affordable for embroidery/sewing and quilting needs. I have a Babylock Ellegante that I love for embroidery. It is very easy to use. Babylock has an emb only machine that uses USB to transport designs for embroidery from computer, which is the way to go. I had an Esante that used cards, but it was a real headache to load those cards all the time to embroider designs. My machine uses USB flashdrives that makes the process so much easier to manage work with. I believe the Emb only machines run around 600 to 800 dollars. Brother loads alot of Disney stuff for embroidery yet it is just like Babylock. My 2 cents, for what it is worth. My thinking is these machines are easiest on the budget yet produce lovely work in embroidery, and sewing if you choose to get a combination embroidery/sewing machine.