Free Embroidery Designs

i am new to this whole embroidery machine thing so i dont know anything yet. i am looking to buy a machine so i can add designs to my own creations that i started for my kids. i want to monogram but also do those cute little designs for cheering, fairies and trucks and cars, things like applique. im not doing quilting and i already have a serger and a sewing machine. so this would be all it is used for. will make several items but dont want to buy a $1000 machine until i get into making my money back.

can you give me a run down on what i need to look for.
i dont like the cards that you have to buy for certain designs. i would like to find clip art or free designs online and send them to my machine through usb port or something. also handmade designs maybe that i can design myself. is there accessories i would add to do all these things or would a certain machine have it all.

also what about the thread. i would like it to have multicolor on one design but i think only the large industrial machines do that.

In order to get a machine that will transfers via an USB port, and create your own designs or even use clip art you will end up spending $1,000 or more.

The Brother PE II has the USB option. http://www.allbrands.com/products/abp15438-0068.html

To create your own designs is another heap of money.

You cannot just download clip art and sent it to the machine. It has to be digitized in a machine embroidery format.

To do this you have to purchase digitizing software. This can cost $300 and up.

Forget the cards, they are practically obsolete – almost every designer has the option to download directly from their site.

Embird is a popular software that many people use for digitizing. http://www.secretsof.com/content/1869

You start with Basic Embird, and then add plug-ins (digitizing it one) as you learn and want to expand your talents.

You can do just as well with the $500 dollar Brother at Walmart or Costco and use an reader/writer unit and rewritable memory card, which you can get for just over $100. http://www.allbrands.com/products/abp01060-0165.html With Embird, that is still around $1,000.

There are many free embroidery designs you can download from machine embroidery sites without digitizing your own. You would still need the USB or a reader/writer and card.

Thread – There are stops already in most designs and this is where you change colors – you can use any color you want.

Editing software (Embird Basic) can be used to add stops where you want them for color changes.

About the only thing the industrial or professional models can do is work faster, using multi needles and multi spools of thread – the design colors stitch out the same on the home version or or pro version.

How hard is it to embroider…I do not have much experience with sewing machine. Mainly all I wanting to do is embroider cute graphics and customs names on baby items for a business i currently have running. I have tons of customers wanti8bng these products and I need to know how hard embroidery is. The machibne I have looked at is the singer futura because it appeaqrs to embroider for you once you put it in the computer. is this how all embroider machines work. What is the best one to use…as i said i am new to this and want something that will be easy to use and I love the idea of hands free bevause the though of sewibng a difficult design is kinda scary to me

Brother is the leader in machine embroidery. The Singers are not supported once the new models come out.

The SE400 sold at Walmart is less than $400 and serves as a sewing machine as well as an embroidery machine.

A sewing machine dealer may have something a little more expensive and they would be able to teach you how to do the embroidery.

There are some designs built into the machine and others can be downloaded from the Internet.

Before downloading, you need to be sure the design is within the size of the embroidery area of the machine – this is usually indicated by the maximum hoop that comes with the machine.

Create a folder on your computer for the designs to reside.

When designs are downloaded, most will be in a zipped/compressed file. They have to be opened and saved to the folder.

Embroidery machines will have a limited selection of alpha/numerical fonts. Others can be downloaded.

You select the design from the folder and copy to the method of transferal that comes with the embroidery machine; USB cable or USB stick drive.

Avoid machines that use floppies or memory card only as they are obsolete.

To view the designs on the computer you will need a catalog, such as Catalog Xpress or Embrilliance Thumbnailer. Cat X has more features and cost more than ET, which is only for viewing.

http://www.annthegran.com/Product.aspx?t=1&i=2567&gclid=CNbwwZ-HlqgCFYjsKgodi2XuDg

http://embrilliance.com/products/embrilliance-thumbnailer