Free Embroidery Designs

I want to learn how to monogram. What kind of machine do I need? I have heard you can just get a software to hook up with your sewing machine. Is that true? I don’t have a huge budget so a low cost solution would be great.

If you already have a sewing machine you can learn to do this, but it takes time to learn as most will be free motion (you guide the fabric as the needle goes up and down).

http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Machine+Embroidery/Howtos/Free-Motion+Embroidery+Basics.htm

Otherwise, you will need to spend at least $600 just to get started.

There are combo (sewing & embroidery) machines that can give you more for the money or you can buy an embroidery only machine.

The embroidery machines have a limited amount of designs, letters, numbers and punctuation already built in.

To add more you can download from the Internet. Some designs are free and some you have to pay for.

You add the designs by sending them to a folder on the hard drive of the computer, a cd or flash drive.

You then select the design you want to send to the embroidery machine and send it via a direct cable hook-up that comes with the embroidery machine.

If the machine does not have this option, you have to purchase a reader/writer unit specifically for an embroidery machine and a rewritable memory card for the specific format of the embroidery machines. These start at about $100 for Brother PED brand (on line) and go up.

The Brother sold at Walmart, plus the software you would be spending around $600 and then you have to have machine embroidery thread, bobbin thread and stabilizer for another $50 or so. The machine will come with extra needles and bobbin spools…which can be resupplied where sewing notions are sold.

This one is a good price – http://www.sewvacdirect.com/brother-se350-combo.html
It includes the reader software and the shipping is free.

Check with local sewing machine dealers. They may have a good price on an embroidery machine that the owner traded in on a more expensive model.

I’m a college student, which means I don’t have much money. I recently designed a website for my cousin using Adobe Photoshop and Dreamweaver. She told me that I should try to market that skill on campus as a side gig, and I think it’s a great idea. But, I just wouldn’t know how to advertise such a skill. I wouldn’t know where to begin. Any ideas?

Here goes ways to advertise locally.

1) You need to create your cooperate identity with a custom embroidery company. Create your logo and business name on your cooperate apparel.

2) Put the logo on your Auto

3) Make up business cards and hand them out. Every time you see someone you know hand several of them out. When you give people your business card, always give them more than one and ask them to give them to their friends/coworkers, etc. Print up flyers and post them on public boards if there are any near you and post in a forums that related to your location if there are any!

4) The key for this kind of business is word-of-mouth. Think of some clever ways to encourage your existing clients to tell people about you. Perhaps you could start with a friend or family member to be one of your "spokesperson". I owned a convenience store for 10 years and a lot of business deals started in the checkout line by strangers. Tell everyone about you and ask if they know anyone that could use your service. Ask for a referral from an existing client

5) Start a website as a way to advertise you. Let your website work for you and your clients swap links. When making your own web site do some research on how to optimize your site so that you get a good ranking with a natural search. You do this by embedding smart key words. Your website could show your community involvement and you could have questions and answers on the site.

6) Look for websites that you can advertise for free. Advertise in the Yahoo local. Find free on-line classified web sites for your community. Typically the local chamber of commerce will offer such a service. You can advertise here for free: http://www.hits2u.com/?149843
http://goldbizz.localads.co.uk
http://www.trafficswarm.com/go.cgi?48605
http://www.koolplaz.com/
Post a link to your site for free when it is allowed
Try These:
Craigslist http://www.craigslist.com
Google Base http://base.google.com
Yahoo Classifieds http://classifieds.yahoo.com/
US Free Ads http://www.usfreeads.com/
Text Link Exchange http://www.txtswap.com/
Recycler.com http://www.recycler.com/
Classifieds for Free http://www.classifiedsforfree.com/…
7) A Yellow page ad seems to work great also.

8) Try to get your local newspaper to do a free article on your business.

9) Sponsor local sport teams or ballparks that hang up banners. There are also inexpensive ways to advertise like a local penny saver newspaper, high school yearbooks and newspapers, etc.

10) Call radio show call in and contest and always answer or make the statement with "your name and company name and you have been working hard" free radio ads are great.

11) Telemarketing

what are good websites with free embroidery patterns?

Machine Embroidery:
http://www.annthegran.com/FreeDesignsAgreement.aspx
http://www.brother-usa.com/Homesewing/DesignStudio/Projects/Designs.aspx
http://www.embroiderydesigns.com/free_embroidery_machine_design.aspx

Hand Embroidery:
http://search.aol.com/aol/image?q=free+hand+embroidery+designs&v_t=tb50-ie-aol-newtab-en-us

Im looking to start printing my own T-shirts, can anyone please tell me what the best software is to make the stencils as well as any other useful advise to help make the process easier. Thanks

As a former screen printing company owner and designer, I can tell you the industry standard is CorelDraw. The color separation and basic CAD technologies that were adapted early on are still universal today. Walk in to any screen print, embroidery, ad specialties, sign or vinyl banner shop with a CorelDraw .cdr file and you’re good to go.

The downside is that CorelDraw is the least desired vector app by professional designers because it is imprecise, the colors are dull and not quite right, and lots of other flaws. For screen printing, any vector drawing program would probably do, even Inkscape, which is free. If you use heat transfers, any design app will do. Paintshop Pro is a good one for hobbyists. Photoshop Elements is better but a little more expensive, but Paintshop Pro is owned by Corel, so is CorelDraw friendly.

Be advised that screen printing is expensive, labor intensive and has a high spoilage rate. Designing, preparation and clean up for screen printing a dozen t-shirts takes hours. The actual printing takes only a few minutes.

As a beginner, because of ink smudges, leaks and other printing mistakes, you might have to print a couple dozen shirts just to get 7 or 8 acceptable ones. If you are not planning on doing this as a profession, or eventually printing dozens or hundreds of something, heat transfer is a better alternative. Not iron-on, although you could start with that to see if you like doing it, but heat transfers applied with a professional heat press machine as is done by cafepress.com or zazzle.com or any local Kinkos or quick print shop.

Oh…and the stencil process? It is not created or applied with software. The stencil material either comes in sheets that you cut and apply to the screen, or is painted on. When the stencil material is dry, you will have to expose your art transparency to some kind of intense light source. Then the screen is washed out with warm water. Any areas blocked by your art will wash out and create the stencil that you will squeegee ink over that makes the final print.

Best of luck.

I have a Janome 6600P can someone please help as to how I download the designs.
Thank you.,
Sorry everyone I should have said that I have a Janome 350E embroidery machine as well as 6600P.
I shall just put it down as a "Senior Moment"
Thanks
Marie

I cannot find any information on the 6600P being an embroidery machine.

A computer’s operating system does not recognize embroidery machine formats.

You can save the download to a folder, but cannot open it without machine embroidery software.

If you want to see the design, you can download this free software http://www.pulsemicro.com/ambassadordownload

It is not what you need, but at least you can view the design.

Embroidery machines use (1) a direct cable hook-up to the computer, that comes with the machine, or (2) a flash drive, or (3) a memory card, or (4) a cd.

Which of the above methods does your machine use?

Only # 3 requires additional software – a machine embroidery reader/writer unit and card compatible with your machine.

The official web site has it for 144$, and secrets of embroidery has it for 131$ , but I know i’ve seen it for 119!!

You should also check out Diane’s Designs or My Embroidery Haven.
http://www.dianesdesignshome.com
http://www.myembroideryhaven.com

I bought my original Embird from Secrets of, and have continued to get my updates from them ever since. It is great customer service, and they keep your purchase records in case you ever need to download something again.

All I want to do is embroider my granddaughters names on sweatshirts etc. When I read the specs on these machines they all have programmed disks. Can I choose letters and create their names with the Brother SE-270D? Is there a better machine? I know very little about embroidery but I do sew. I need a new machine but I’m confused as to what these embroidery machines do or don’t do. How exactly would I achieve what I want to do – what are the steps to create the name Elizabeth for instance?

The Brother SE-270D uses a cartridge system which is very annoying, doesn’t work all of the time and if anything is just a little out of whack you can’t thread the needle. It is only a 3/4 machine (very small) and it does have a big embroidery field. For a beginner I would Highly reccomend either the Janome 9500. The Janome 9500 is a wonderful machine that both sews and embroiders wonderfully. The Janome 9500 has 3 built-in alphabet fonts so you can embroider the name Elizabeth with ease. Elizabeth could be done in one step with the 9500. All you have to do is choose the letters you want and it will group them together to make the word. Then you just have to set it to where you want, thread you needle and press the go button. Nice and easy. Embroidery machines allow to embroider full size designs like say you wanted a dog on your shirt, the machine can embroider it (provided the design is digitized, in a format where the stitches are layed out so the machine knows what to do). It is a wonderful sewing machine too. It has also has a full touchscreen which is nice and fun to use. But trust me the SE-270D is a joke. The best deal for the Janome 9500 is from Mr. Vac and Mrs. Sew. They have it for only $1599 with free shipping and no tax (if you are outside New Tork State)and it comes with so many extras. It comes with:

Stabilizer – This stabilizer is great for it’s uniqueness in that after you wash your item the stabilizer totally washes away – (Retail Value – $50.00)

Magic Box Plus Elite – Gives you the freedom to put up to 30 designs on your blank embroidery card from CD’s, other manufacturers cards and even the internet. – (Retail Value – $399.00)

Polystar Thread – Superior Strength, Shine, and Vibrant colors – (Retail Value – $305.00)

Polystar Prewound Bobbins – Get thread, thread and more bobbin thread, with the same quality and strength expected from the Polystar name – (Retail Value – $100.00)

Embroidery Magic II Embroidery Software – A Full lettering, editing, and digitizing embroidery software – (Retail Value – $399.00)

Pantostock – Filled with over 3900 Beautiful Quality Professionally Digitized Embroidery Machine Designs – (Retail Value – $100.00)

Cap Hoop – Allows you the unique ability to embroider on the uncommon medium of a typical baseball style cap – (Retail Value – $50.00)

Sock Hoop – Easy and simple sock embroidery – (Retail Value – $50.00)

With all of the stuff you get you are completely set to embroider whatever you want. The Magic Box allows you to transfer designs you like from the internet to your machine. The Thread is beautiful and shiny and it comes in a box of 61 colors with 1000 meters on each spool. It also has 144 prewound bobbins for embroidery (you only need white thread in the bobbin when embroidering) which I reuse for sewing because they are true plastic strong bobbins. It comes with 3900 extra designs all of which are incredible. A big roll of stabilizer (you need this for everytime you embroider it stabilizes your shirts etc.). Software that allows you to edit designs and make your own designs and do lettering as well. Also a cap hoop and sock hoop so you can embroider on caps and socks. I purchase all my things from Mr. Vac and Mrs. Sew they are such a nice company to deal with. They are kind and always make my shopping experience a pleasant one. Here is a link to the product and their number (you can order it on the phone or through the internet).

1-800-640-8227

http://www.mrvacandmrssew.com/go/product/id/717

I think ordering over the phone is better though because they will answer any further questions you have.

Tell Lisa and Joe Kevin told you about it:)

On the Brother BM-2600 sewing machine, can the feed dog drop for free-hand machine embroidery?
On the Brother BM-2600 sewing machine, can the feed dog drop for free-hand machine embroidery?

Yes u can do free motion embroidery but you will need a darning
foot which is sold seperatly for about $15 from brother but u will need the code which is in the your manual so u know you have the right 1

also u will need a hand embroidery hoop ,stabilizer and a design that u want 2 stitch out like a car or a Disney character.

the darning foot is a screw on. and cover feed dog with ur darning plate

I’m just trying to get an idea what I can sew on with this machine, and also which would be the best thread for embroidery? I know I can sew towels, but for some reason, I had difficulty sewing on one when I tried it. I’m thinking my machine doesn’t like the thread that I have so which embroidery thread serves best for that model? Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Embroidering towels or other napped fabric takes preparation of the fabric.

Be sure to use thread specifically for machine embroidery and bobbin thread specifically for machine embroidery.

There are tips, techniques and charts at Embroidery Library that would be very helpful to anyone who does machine embroidery. http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/elprojects/holder.aspx?page=techniques

I am looking for a website where i can find cute applique alphabets in a pes format for my brother machine. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

You will have to search the various sites that offer free downloads. More than likely you will have to purchase the design package.

Try http://www.sewforum.com for free designs, you can even request certain designs at no charge.

There are some here for sale – http://shop.ebay.com/sis.html?_nkw=Curly+APPLIQUE+ALPHABET+Machine+Embroidery+Design+Fonts