Free Embroidery Designs

I’m completely new to monogramming and embroidery so forgive me if this is a dumb question. I have a Brother PE 770 and bought the PE basic design software. It seems I’m not able to layer or combine designs with that package so I downloaded a trial of embird. Does Embird basically do the same as the Monogram Wizard plus? I’ve been leaning towards MWP but I want to make sure that it has the capability to combine a monogram with an applique. Also, do you have to buy their alpha packs or can you buy single fonts from other sites to use? Any help or advice is appreciated!

I filmed a video on Buzztools software they offer a free 30-day trail on all software. This is my video on buzzwords. http://apexembdesigns.com/faq .

What I really need to know from you guys is if I bought designs off the internet can I transfer them to this machine. I realise I would have to purchase some software, but basically is it limited to what it can download?. Am looking to update my embroidery machine but not fork out too much as I would not be using it on an everyday basis, but would like the capability of getting designs off the computer.

Download to your hearts content!

The Janome 300e uses a Compact Flash card (used in some digital cameras) to transfer designs from your computer to the 300e. You will also need a Compact Flash card adapter (pcmcia card) in order to load the CF card into the 300e. You will also need either CF card slot in your computer or a card reader to transfer designs from the computer to the 300e (f your computer is a laptop with a pcmcia card slot, you will not need a card reader, just the CF card and the card adapter).

The 300e uses JEF format. (If you download the older SEW format you will need a program to convert to JEF–most on-line digitizers offer their designs in JEF).

The 300e comes with 4"x4" and a 5"x7" hoops.

If you download JEF format, you will not need any software. You will format the CFcard/adaptor in your 300e by putting it in the slot then turning the machine on. When you want to add designs to it, you put it in either the CF slot on your computer or in a card reader and drag or copy the designs to the EMBF5 folder that was put on the CF card when it was formatted.

You can find the CF cards and pcmcia card adaptors on ebay; they are inexpensive . I have used cards as big as 512mb without a problem, but I only put the designs that I will be using at the time on the card. I have several cards from old cameras that are as small as 16 mb.

If you are looking for software to change formats, you can use Wilcom Truesizer. If you want software that will let you adjust size, thread color, etc., Embird is a great way to go–it is not free but is a bargain for all that it will do (and you can purchase add=ons if you want to try digitizing for yourself in the future). Just download the JEF format designs onto the CF card and load them into the 300e. It is very easy. The 300e is a wonderful machine, you won’t be sorry if you get it!

Just be careful when you download designs that they are "legal" designs! Stay away from ebay as although there are legitimate digitizers that sell on ebay, there are also pirates who will sell you hundreds of designs for a few dollars that they pirated off places like Disney and other digitizers that they have no legal right to sell.

I hope this is clearer than mud 🙂

I have a Janome MC 9500 and need to convert designs to .jef format as well as be able to marry designs with lettering – shape of lettering andplacement of designs. I’d love digitizing capability as well but I know that comes with a hefty price.
I have been online and downloaded trial software but I really would like to purchase someting worthwhile. Thank you for your suggestions….

Try Wilcom Truesizer. It’s free – I know there is a link on http://www.dekatzenembroidery.co.za

I hate to appear like an idiot here but how do you keep track of files that you have downloaded from different Yahoo Groups? I belong to multiple groups that have free machine embroidery designs posted by different people at different times. The date that shows with the file (or folder) is "date created". I find myself opening the same folders and the same files over and over again to see if there are any new files there that I haven’t downloaded yet. We don’t always get a message when someone adds a new design to an old existing folder. Seems like I spend needless hours "looking" at the same things only to find I have already downloaded that design. Is there a better way of doing this that I’m missing? Call me crazy but at this point in time, it seems to me that it would make better sense for Yahoo Group to keep track of the "last date accessed" rather than the "date created". Thanks to anyone who can help me out with this!

it’s not an idiot question, but a good one. there is no tracking system within Yahoo that keeps track of where you clicked, downloaded or otherwise. I don’t think Yahoo will ever do anything like this either, since it would probably take alot to track each member’s ID for where they clicked and even if there was this capability, there’d certainly be tons of glitches.
sorry

this is the link to the groups suggestion board, you could add it, and I’d vote a thumbs up
http://feedback.yahoo.com/homepage/?prop=groups

good question