The Sewing Place
Machine Talk => Embroidery Machines => Topic started by: annieeg on January 02, 2022, 11:50:50 AM
-
Looking at the cards @realale made (absolutely ADORE the can-can reindeer :love:), its inspired me to want an embroidery machine (I can see @Iminei rolling her eyes ;).
Even though its taken me many years, I've built up a bit of confidence with quilting and so I think I'd like to try embroidery.
Anybody got any idea what machine would be a good starting point? I'd definitely be looking 2nd hand as I'm pretty sure a new one would be out of my budget.
Happy New Year and TIA for any advice.
Annie
-
Glad to have inspired you!! :P
I've had my Janome 350e many years from new and have been quite content with it - although, I have been eyeing up newer models with bigger hoops :laughing: I'd probably stick with a Janome as I have so many designs and also I have the digitizer but while the one I've got is still sewing well and not giving me any problems I can't really change it - can I???!! :P (Of course I can but I'd feel disloyal getting rid of her after so many years good service :laughing: )
-
@annieeg I can vouch for Brother machines as being good and having a good needle threader. I can tell you that you will want the biggest hoop you can afford. You'll want a minimum of 5"x 7". I know this because my little Brother SE400 is a combination sewing and embroidery machine and is just a 4"x4" maximum design area. After my 1st embroidery attempt I wanted a bigger one.
-
I agree with @Renegade Sewist that the most important thing is going to be the maximum hoop size. I think that most machines (certainly the well known makes) are good, so if you're looking for a second hand machine you probably want to look for the best price to hoop-size ratio!
I was lucky enough to get my Husqvarna Viking Topaz 25 at half price from a dealer because a customer had ordered it, received it and then decided they wanted a bigger one. They hadn't even used it, and I got the full guarantee and all the bits and pieces. It's well worth looking for that sort of bargain from a dealer, and if you aren't set on a particular make it will be a lot easier.
-
@annieeg the Brother machines are probably the easiest ones as regards understanding and operating. As has been said, get the one with the largest embroidery area you can afford. Years ago 4”x4” was pretty standard for designs. Nowadays many designs are much larger and the smaller sizes aren’t always available as an option to purchase.
Try and get to a dealer as they should be able to show you how they work and give advice.
-
I’ve noticed that most shops sewing embroidery designs commercially use Brother machines so that might be a starting point.
-
Pfaff machines read all the other embroidery file types. Machines won't embroider right up to the edge of the hoops, so check the useable area. My big hoop says 300x260. I agree, get the biggest you can. I believe the Janome 500e is very good - I had the 350e first but I think it's obsolete now.
-
Do you by any chance have an older Bernina which is capable of embroidery? (Eg .630, 580, 570)
If so, I have a module you (or anyone else) can have for shipping cost only. It would be necessary to purchase hoops as I use those supplied as extras with my newer model. It is in perfect working order and comes with embroidery foot, original box, and carrying case.
-
Do you by any chance have an older Bernina which is capable of embroidery? (Eg .630, 580, 570)
If so, I have a module you (or anyone else) can have for shipping cost only. It would be necessary to purchase hoops as I use those supplied as extras with my newer model. It is in perfect working order and comes with embroidery foot, original box, and carrying case.
Thank you for the offer @Stitchalot but I only have Pfaff sewing machines :(
-
@annieeg do any of your Pfaffs take an embroidery module?
-
@annieeg do any of your Pfaffs take an embroidery module?
@Lachica I've got a 1475 but that's quite old and while it does have the cd designer attachment I don't think that it takes an embroidery module. The QE4.2 doesn't appear to have an option to attach any embroidery module either. But thanks for the suggestion. I've been scouting around for 2nd hand options but its all up near the £1000 mark so I might as well buy a new one (the pfaff creative 1.5 is £1500 or thereabouts) and get the reassurance of warranty etc.
-
Will you use it enough to get your moneys worth? If so, a new one with warranty and manual sounds good.
-
@annieeg I echo what everyone has said, if you can afford it go for a middle range machine with large area. This site (https://www.sewingmachinesales.co.uk/embroidery-machine/) has a few makes that you can compare and i can recommend them, i have had a couple of machines from them in the past. There does seem to be a delay in getting Brother machine at the moment. When my Innovis v3 finally gave up the ghost (after having it 10 years) i ended getting the V5LE because that was the only machine available even though i will only be using the embroidery function. That is how addictive it can become.
-
@annieeg also know to allow a few hundred extra pounds/ euro/ dollars for thread, stabilizer and designs. Your machine will have some built in and you'll like a few of those but within 24 hours of using it you'll be looking for specific ones online. The thread isn't cheap and comes in a zillion colors. Also decide which type of thread you prefer, rayon or polyester. With my machine I ended up with mostly the Trilobal polyester from Coats. It was accessible and frequently on sale at a chain fabric store that shut down a few years ago. Other big store doesn't have it. Then you need different stabilizers for different fabrics and types of projects. Who knew?
-
I started with a Brother PEW535, which does 4 x 4. It was inexpensive & not overly large. In addition to cost, you need to think about how much space you have for it. If you have more space, go for something bigger. Don’t forget to budget for good embroidery machine software.
-
Another thought, check the weight of the machine and will your sewing table take that weight. I ended up having to buy a new desk/table when i upgraded to the V3 as the desk my previous machine sat on would not take the weight.
-
Does anyone have any knowledge of the Memorycraft 8000? (One has just come up on FB quite near to me...)
-
Yes this was one of the very first embroidery/sewing machines in the UK great in its day but not great now as the technology has changed dramatically, it was the first embroidery machine I had.
-
ooh an embroidery machine again, for me it's one of those itches that i keep scratching, i feel very naughty :devil:
-
Thanks for the feedback on the MC8000 and in view of the age of the machine and its limits, I think I should cross it off my list of potentials. :(
-
Anyone got any views about the Janome 300e?
TIA
Annie
-
@annieeg
I had the Janome 300e after my Janome 8000 and before the 11000se and the 14000 that I have now, so it's getting on a bit now in terms of technology. It definitely used Janome design cards and also made use of low capacity (256mb ish) Compact Flash cards with an adaptor to store designs from the web. It's now replaced by the 500e model which uses usb storage and direct connection to a laptop I think.
-
Anyone got any views about the Janome 300e?
TIA
Annie
Yup. It's old out of date technology. @annieeg if you needed to replace your phone or computer would you buy one that was 10 years old or would you go for a current one knowing even it will be outdated in a year or two? Two things about this machine you should be thinking about. Nothing to do with Janome either, I like the ones I've used. First, by current standards this is a small entry level hoop. Have you thought about what precisely you would like to be embroidering, both designs and on what objects? Have you looked at designs to see if the ones you lust after are available for this, as well as how they look? Designs are not identical from size to size do to the number of stitches involved and the enhanced detail available on a larger design.
Second do you want to be buying special cards, card holders so you can put them in your machine as well as card readers? It takes a bit of fiddling to get a design from the net onto your machine with this older technology. I would strongly urge you to hold out for a machine that at the very least let's you attach your pc to the embroidery machine by cable to transfer designs. Even that is a PITA. That's how my machine works. Newer ones use a USB to both store and transfer the designs. The newest machines allow for wireless design transfer. :love:
I just wouldn't pay for anything computerized that is that old and frankly antiquated. If it's a gift, sure. Otherwise you hold off and save up for newer technology and the biggest embroidery size available. Remember that hoop size does not equal largest embroidery field. Sometimes they'll tell you 5" x 7" and your embroidery field is smaller. Other times it will do designs that big.
-
@annieeg Do you want an E machine just because or have ypu a specific project in mind?
If its the latter It would be a lot cheaper to get it done by someone else either professionally or semi professionally by someone close to you or on here....
-
@Iminei I want an e-machine because I would like to try my hand at machine embroidery. I have been quite inspired by stuff I've seen on TSP (not to mention a certain customised flower embroidered "Annie" cushion cover, done by a certain TSP'er ;).
I've been trying to control my usual impetuous impulsive-buy urge which is why I am attempting to find a machine which doesn't involve a huge financial outlay where I can crawl up the machine-embroidery learning curve.
The dilemma is to find one which is reasonably current, at a price I can afford.
Annie
-
My 350e is still going strong but is already far behind all the newer ones - hence my looking at upgrading. The display on mine is monochrome and tiny but I make it work. I'm used to it so there's no problem but a bigger display and colour would be good.... :P
-
Any opinion on the Bernina Arista 630? (Pattern Review feedback are generally positive, but I'd appreciate anyone else's opinion.)
Annie
-
According to Mr google, the first 2 digits of the machine's serial number indicate the year of manufacture. I think that this model was introduced in the 2000's so is approaching 20 years old.
-
Any opinion on the Bernina Arista 630? (Pattern Review feedback are generally positive, but I'd appreciate anyone else's opinion.)
Annie
Still old technology.
-
@annieeg have you said what is your budget? I cannot seem to see any mention of what you are thinking. It may help us to look/offer advice.
-
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.
-
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.
-
@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.
-
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 :scream:
-
@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.
-
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.
-
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 :embarrassed:)
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!
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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 :love:
-
Embroideredjust4u (https://www.embroideredjust4u.co.uk/) is a great source for cheap threads, stabilisers, pre-wound bobbins, etc.
-
Thank you sooooooooo much @Bodgeitandscarper :D
The cost of stabiliser has been a big pain in my financial a45e since I started embroidery.
-
You're looking at around £5 for something simple and upwards of £80 for really nice designs.
Where are YOU shopping @Bill ???? :faints:
-
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.
:angel: :D
-
@Bill I have to say, I was wondering where and what designs you'd seen that cost £80 :o :faints:
I think the most I've paid was around £15, but that was for a round handbag design, so embroidery for two sides and for the gusset, and the bag shape itself.
-
It's OK don't panic I know where I went wrong. The £80+ was for packs of designs, not a single design. Oops. Sowwy. :\ :)
-
Actually @Bill you aren’t so wrong years ago when it was difficult to buy individual designs and even before that when you had to buy cards to put in your machine they were often £50 + yes it was a collection but often you might only want 1.
I am sure there are a few of us on here that well remember that.
My first machine was Janome 8000 followed by a long succession of Brother, Bernina, more Janome then Husqvarna not necessarily in that order. The various systems where on the whole not interchangeable, I still have some remnants of older machines.
-
My most expensive one was $42 something/£31 something in the 4"x4" size. I bought it after I did one embroidery off the machine. :thumb: It is a collection of collage designs, 23 in total, and was actually about half price. Urban Threads. They have a lot of my money.
Both Urban Threads and their sister site Embroidery Library offer a couple of free designs each month available in all the sizes. For anyone considering a machine or a larger format you can download all of them and tuck them in a folder for "just in case". Em Library also does a Christmas club with some gorgeous designs each year, all free to members. Free to join too.
-
Embroidery Library currently has 70% off all collections (this is off the full price, and a lot of them usually have an 'everyday discount', so they effectively don't get the full 70% discount).
One of the packs on my wishlist there has a 'full price' (ie one that never actually gets charged) of $129.17 :faints: although it does contain 19 designs. It's currently $38.75, and I'm not sure what it costs with the 'everyday saving'.
-
Anyone seen this site? It’s been around for years and the digitising is great. But they have some pricey designs. Although looking through now I don’t think they’re as expensive as they used to be.
https://www.zundtdesign.com/
Yes @Celia it used to annoy me to have buy cards when I only wanted a couple of designs. I guess that’s why many people turned to digitising. But I don’t feel it’s necessary nowadays.
-
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.
I'm with the ladies. They may be the fairer sex, but they are also the superior one. :P
-
I'm with the ladies. They may be the fairer sex, but they are also the superior one. :P
Traitor! :P
-
You are funny and do make me laugh @Bill :laughing:
-
@Diane :D
-
@annieeg will you use the Pfaff Creative as a duel machine or will you just use it in embroidery mode? If you use it as a duel machine your QE will become redundant and the price for the Creative seems reasonable. If you intend only to use the embroidery unit and keep your QE then it is quite an expensive buy. You can get Brother embroidery only machine for less than £1000 and you will still have your QE
-
@sewmuchmore
Thanks for your feedback :)
I fully intend to use the 1.5 creative ad a duel machine.
I hope to sell the QE4.2 and a babylock eclipse overlocker and put the funds towards the cost of the new Pfaff.
-
Hi,
Does anyone know the price of a NEW Janome MC 350e. I've looked and looked but can't find that information.
TIA
-
These are fairly old machines @annieeg. Where have you seen one?
-
I think the 350e was superseded by the 500e so you won't find one new. I sold mine about 2014 I think, after I bought the Pfaff creative. At that time it was still current (just) and the 500e had been launched.
-
@Ohsewsimple I've seen one on FB and the seller is asking £500
-
@annieeg if I remember correctly I paid £600 for an ex demo, from a shop, with a warranty. It was a long time ago. I thought you'd decided to go with a Pfaff with embroidery module? For something like this I feel the manufacturer's warranty is worth having. These machines are incredibly complicated, have computerised controls & you have no way to know how well they've been treated if bought s/h. Pfaffs have a 5 year warranty.
-
If you know the previous owner personally & are sure it's working correctly then ask for a trial. Look at the stitch count (Google how to do this) as if I remember correctly a service is recommended after a certain number of stitches. £500 sounds high for an old model to me.
-
Thanks again for this feedback on the 350e. I Am hoping to get the Pfaff creative 1.5 but getting £1500 together will take me awhile and I wondered if the 350e might be a bit of a bargain, but it seems not. :(
-
@annieeg According to old webpages on the Internet Archive, it was on sale at Bamber's in Manchester for £999 in August 2010 and for £939 in December 2011.
-
£500 is a lot for a machine that old. I’d leave it alone.
-
£500 is a lot for a machine that old. I’d leave it alone.
:thumb:
-
As my mother used to say @annieeg , best be hung for a sheep than a lamb. I've always followed her advice. <3 Love the colour as well, very pretty..
-
These are fairly old machines @annieeg. Where have you seen one?
I think the janice 350e must be discontinued now?
See this link for john lewis. how old the link is I don't know but searching around this machine isn't available anywhere new.
https://www.johnlewis.com/janome-memory-craft-350e-embroidery-machine/p230556765
I found this link though for other machines.
https://www.sewingmachines.co.uk/browse-machines/embroidery-machines/
Not much choice but maybe the brother one ex display or preorder might do instead?
-
As I said previously I have the 350e but it is getting on now and newer models with better features have superceded it. Unless you know where it has come from and what the stitch count is I would pass on it. Do you have anywhere you could go to try one? I know you're not by me but if ever you are in the area you are welcome to come and try mine!! ;)
-
@annieeg Just had a newsletter from Gathered and thought you might be interested in this article (https://www.gathered.how/sewing-and-quilting/sewing/best-embroidery-machines/?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=Gathered%20Newsletter%2028%2F1%2F22_1511431_Gathered_Gathered%20Multicraft%20Newsletter_7978064)
-
UPDATE at 8 Feb 2022.
I have now bought a machine - the Bernina Artista630 :)
I'm aware that it may not be as up to date as I could have bought, but I got it for a VERY GOOD price including the Emboirdery hoop 150/400 plus the BSR foot.
So far I'm just trying to familiarise myself with all the sewing machine features, and haven't even attempted the embroidery aspect.
I want to thank all those who offered me their invaluable and experienced advice when I was shopping around and I hope they don't think I just ignored their input. :)
I shall now put the Pfaff QE4.2 back up for sale on the Forum for a keen price. :thumb:
Annie x
-
Ooh, have fun!!
-
You will enjoy experimenting with your new machine. Have fun!!
-
Have fun with it! Looking forward to seeing what you make.