Craving an embroidery machine

[Gernella]

Being a total enabler @annieeg what about this:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1021784011713991/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A39f1299f-a32f-4fab-8497-ee2d99333951

£1400 in other places new.

[Renegade Sewist]

Also do you want a stand alone embroidery machine or an embroidery & sewing combination machine? Or have no clue which is better suited to your imagined needs? I  added that because when you have no experience you have no idea, just a vision in your mind.

Let me just add that no matter how big or small, new or old of an embroidery machine you get your initial outlay on extras will be about the same. A bigger embroidery field you'll go through more thread and stabilizer on large designs.

It might be worthwhile for you to get one of the smaller 4"x4" design combination machines. I don't know what the current UK models might be but an example is the Brother se600 which retails for about $400 here in the US. It replaced the se400 which they discontinued in 2019. New version has a color screen  and other enhancements. I have the se400 and it is a fantastic sewing machine. From the few embroidery projects I've done the ME is also good. Something similar would be an excellent starter machine. You'll immediately wish you had a bigger embroidery area of course but there is a ton you can do with this size. It's also on the small size so if you only do the occasional embroidery it won't eat up all your table or storage space. For me it was also my first computerized sewing machine. Worth looking at this sort of machine to get started.

[So Chic]

@annieeg
I love my 630 but I don’t have the embroidery unit although I’ve seen some beautiful work done by others on 630s.  However, as others have said these machines have been on the market for some time and are no longer produced.  Most companies who do embroidery commercially seem to use Brother machines.

[annieeg]

Thanks for all the input.  I've concluded (after a great deal of  research) that I need to sit on my hands and save money before trying to buy one.  Given my love affair with pfaff I like the pfaff creative 1.5 so I may buy one new (eventually) and have the reassurance of warranty.  They cost £1500 

[Lachica]

@annieeg I think you're wise. Those of us who like Pfaffs might be disappointed with a different brand. That said, I had a Janome 350e which I bought ex-demo. I loved it, it worked really well, but I quickly outgrew the small hoop. Brother machines are really good too, and the professionals seem to like them. Maybe look at dealers for a p/exed machine with a warranty? Definitely go for one that takes a USB & do your own research re the first release of the machine.

[Bill]

I'll chuck my own 2ps worth here.
Filled with aspirations of embroidering all sorts I first tried going the 2nd hand route via ebay. Auction prices were going through the roof and some machines were approaching prices near their original rrp.
I looked at cheap machines as my budget was restricted severally and even those were being sold faster than the manufacturers could make them.
I eventually found a higher end (£1400) brother going for £1200 as a reboxed option. No idea what a rebox is or why it was labelled as such, it had never been used.
Do now I had it. Next was embroidery threads. I opted for brothread reels as they were cheaper than the official brother and other makes reels. Still good quality though. Then came an extra table to place it on. Too big and heavy to be putting away and dragging out all the time.
Then there's the price of designs, fonts etc. There are free downloads out there, but not many and to be honest, they're a bit rubbish. You're looking at around £5 for something simple and upwards of £80 for really nice designs.
There is software available for creating your own designs but, it's not easy. I've given up for a while as I'm sure my brain was about to have a stroke from the stress. It's also (with a few exceptions) lucratively expensive.
My machine now sits under its cover 99% of the time and I am thinking of selling it. It just doesn't get the use its price warrants.
Think carefully if it's something you can't afford to not use as you planned.

[realale]

Oh, @Bill don't give up!! I spend months doing no embroidery at all, then months doing nothing but embroidery!! It's a big learning curve but the more you use it the better everything is.
As to free embroidery designs, there are some lovely ones out there. Try Kreative Kiwi who have lots of free ITH designs and the accompanying videos to show you how to do them. Bunnycup also have some good free designs. Memories in Thread have some good designs, not free but mostly £1.50 - £3.50. There are 7,274 free designs on https://www.embroiderydesigns.com/freeembroiderydesigns and I have had some excellent ones from there (also had some duff ones as well but only one or two).
There's lots of videos on Youtube on how to make the best use of stabiliser by reusing old bits. There's also lots of videos on how to use your machine to its best advantage. I recently watched a video on my machine and found a feature I didn't know/had forgotten it had!! (I've had my machine for well over a decade )
I found the best thing to do was to practice on spare bits of fabric using the inbuilt designs on the machine. In fact I made a sort of reference 'book' by stitching out the designs and putting them in a folder. Most of the designs I will never use but I have a handy real life example of what they look like.
don't give up, it can be a most rewarding hobby!

[Celia]

I do think we can be in love with the machine, technology or whatever without thinking about what we are going to make and also what we are going to do with what we make.

This is probably not a useful thing to say to you @Bill but might help you @annieeg. 

I am now trying to look at things from a different point of view and decide exactly what I want to make and also how many I want to make, then I try to see if I can do it with what I already have and only then think should I buy……….  I am also doing this with my kitchen equipment.

@Bill I will say that I am recently using some things that I have had for a very long time and had almost given up thinking 
Of so don’t give in too easily. Everything @realale said I will second.

[Ohsewsimple]

Like @realale i have spells when I don’t touch the embroidery side of my machines and then I’ll spend ages using it, especially when I’m doing one of my Appliscapes.  They don’t have to be used all the time, just the same as a sewing machine doesn’t. 
I decided there was no point trying to learn to digitise.  I don’t mind editing and customising designs.  But I want to spend my time sewing and embroidering.   There are so many good digitisers out there nowadays, far more than when I started embroidering.  So I’ll let them do it and I’ll pay for the odd designs I need.   
There are often sales on and an enormous amount of free designs if you look.  True, some are really naff or badly digitised.  But many reputable digitisers will have freebies so you can try them and see for yourself how good they are. 

[Acorn]

I came to the same conclusion @Ohsewsimple - that digitising is a separate hobby, and not one that I have much appetite for.  I bought a simple programme that enables me to edit and add text, and that does me just fine.

[coffeeandcake]

Like others, my embroidery machine can sit for months not being used as can many other things in this house. I considered selling it last year but DH pointed out that I don't need to use it all the time as long as I enjoy it when I do use it. He has lots of fishing stuff, various bikes and cool tools that definitely aren't used regularly but he enjoys them when he does use them. I got round the issue of the cost of individual reels of thread that I never seemed to have in the correct colour by buying one of the three drawer sets 

[Bodgeitandscarper]

Embroideredjust4u is a great source for cheap threads, stabilisers, pre-wound bobbins, etc.

[Bill]

Thank you sooooooooo much @Bodgeitandscarper 
The cost of stabiliser has been a big pain in my financial a45e since I started embroidery.

[Iminei]

You're looking at around £5 for something simple and upwards of £80 for really nice designs.

Where are YOU shopping @Bill  ????   

[Bill]

OMG! Would ya look at that? Some unscrupulous person has gone and doctored my post to make it look like I've no idea what I'm talking about.
I bet it was one of those mods who did it.
It's because I'm male isn't it? Honestly, the sexism here is intolerable. I feel so victimised.
I'm telling @Mr Twingo on all of you. It's a conspiracy I tell you.
Shocking. Just shocking.