Wildlife like bears, deer etc. to applique on an embroidery machine no larger than 5×7.
Ann the Gran – but you will have to look.
Artistic Thread Works – select design librabr and search. You can usually download the 1st item in a set free.
Embroidery Library
The Brother 400SE at Walmart is a good bargain. You get a quality name brand machine that you can use as a sewing machine or an embroidery machine (EM).
There are designs and fonts for names and letters built into the EM.
You can select letter types, size and enter on the screen.
As long as the size is within the size of the hoop that comes with the EM, no additional software will be needed.
The hoop that come with the EM indicates the largest area that the EM is designed for.
In addition, this model has USB connectivity, which means you can connect to your PC and send designs that you have downloaded to your PC to the EM.
Create a folder on the hard drive of the PC and name it Emb Downloads.
Then search the Internet for free downloads and save them to the Emb Downloads folder.
Make sure they are .pes format and sized within the hoop size of the EM.
Then as you want to use one of the downloads, connect the cable that comes with the EM to the PC.
A new drive letter will appear on the screen of the PC.
You send the design from the folder to new drive letter and then to the EM.
I looked on the internet for something to open the designs with, to no avail. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
You cannot open without machine embroidery software.
Computer operating systems do not recognize machine embroidery formats.
This – http://www.annthegran.com/Product.aspx?t=1&i=2567 can be downloaded as a free trial. It is a method of viewing the designs.
You still need a method of getting the design to the embroidery machine.
If the machine does not have USB connectivity, you need one of these that is compatible with the machine brand and format.
http://www.allbrands.com/products/abc0165.html
I’ve had other Singer machines but this is the first embroidery machine. (I’ve never even done hand embroidery.) I can’t seem to find any classes in my area. Any tips or clues on getting started?? Any books or websites to look into??
welcome to the wonderful world of machine embroidery. first you need to read your manual, you won’t necessarily understand everything in there but read it anyway, it is going to make sense very soon. there are soooooooo many yahoo groups devoted to machine embroidery. the people there are so very helpful. i will give you a few to get started.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/News_For_Embroidery/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EmbracingMachineEmbroidery/?yguid=102878935
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/magicstitches/?yguid=102878935
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/snaggersstitches/?yguid=102878935
here are some groups just for the singer futura
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SingerQuantumFuturaEmbroidery/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FuturaEmbroidery/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/QuantumFuturaHelpingHand/
the people on these groups will take you by the hand and help you all the way.
my favorite site for embroidery designs gives away 49 free designs at day. their subscription to their site is very reasonable. here is the link
http://www.designsbysick.com/amember/go.php?r=5647&i=l0">Designs by SiCK Embroidery Library
have fun with your new hobby.
Does this embroidery machine work with HUS, PES, and DST formats?
PES.
If you already have designs in the other formats, they can be converted by using Pulse Ambassador (a free download).
You cannot create original embroidery for a machine embroidery machine without using digitizing software. That being said, you can get digitizing software for anywhere from $99 to thousands of dollars. There are also TONS of free designs available. Just do a search for "free machine embroidery." The learning curve for digitizing software is quite high. I have found just about any kind of design that I want already made, and I’m not into digitizing. HTH
I want to learn how to sew. i want do be able to make dresses for my two little girls and start selling some I make but first I need a sewing machine. I saw a Singer Futura CE-150 Sewing and Embroidery Machine at walmart because I would also like to embroider but costs $539 and I cannot afford that. Does anyone have any suggestions on a good sewing machine.
For embroidery, consider learning to do free motion embroidery on a sewing machine… any sewing machine will do. Here’s a pro working — though his setup is a little easier, it’s the same idea:
http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3833/video-manuels-free-motion-embroidery-technique
And something less fancy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8hFRab26BE
As far as a sewing machine, I’d definitely suggest you want to get a model with a blindhem stitch… otherwise my basic suggestions are below. Please note that using a home sewing machine for business voids the warranty (they’re not meant for the duty cycle of sewing for a business), and that as soon as you learn the basic machine operation, I’m going to strongly suggest that you want to borrow Carol Ahles’ book, Fine Machine Sewing, from the library and at least learn her methods of machine blindhemming — it’ll save you lots and lots of time.
If you truly are going to use home machines to make stuff to sell, I’d buy a basic sewing machine (see below) and a decent 4 thread serger ASAP. Add computerized embroidery to that if you wish later.
My basic beginner sewing machine rant:
Take a look at Kate Dicey’s essay on choosing sewing machines at
http://www.katedicey.co.uk (and take a look around at her site…
there are a lot of nice little tutorials there!). The FAQ she
refers to is at http://preview.tinyurl.com/l5rzu6 now.
What I want for beginners in sewing:
– a machine that doesn’t scare you
– a machine that isn’t balky (cheap new machines are often very
balky or need adjustments often and are rarely repairable — just
too frustrating to learn on!)
– very good straight stitch
– good zigzag (4-5 mm is fine, more than that is gravy)
– a method of making buttonholes that makes sense to you
– adjustable presser foot pressure (which helps some fabric
handling issues)
– accessory presser feet that don’t cost an arm and a leg
(machines that use a "short shank foot" typically handle generic
presser feet pretty well. Some brands of machines use proprietary
or very expensive presser feet)
If the budget stretches far enough:
– blindhem and stretch blindhem stitches
– triple zigzag (nice for elastic applications)
– a couple of decorative stitches (you won’t use them nearly as
much as you think)
– electronic machine because of the needle position control and
because the stepper motors give you full "punching force" at
slow sewing speeds — mechanical machines often will stall at
slow speeds.
Please go to the best sewing machine dealers around and ask them
to show you some machines in your price range, *especially* used
machines you can afford. You’ll get a far better machine at a
specific price buying used than new and a good dealer is worth
their weight in sewing machine needles when you get a machine
problem — often they can talk you through the problem over the
phone. While you’re trying things out, try a couple of machines
(sewing only, not combo sewing-embroidery) over your price limit,
just so you can see what the difference in stitch quality and
ease of use might be. You may find you want to go for the used
Cadillac. Or you might want the new basic Chevy. Might as well
try both out.
Suggested reading: John Giordano’s The Sewing Machine Book
(especially for used machines), Carol Ahles’ Fine Machine Sewing
(especially the first and last few chapters) and Gale Grigg
Hazen’s Owner’s Guide to Sewing Machines, Sergers and Knitting
Machines. All of these are likely to be available at your public
library.
Used brands I’d particularly look for: Elna, Bernina,
Viking/Husqvarna, Pfaff, Singer (pre 1970), Juki, Toyota
New "bargain brand" I’d probably pick, if new, decent and budget
was my choice: Janome (who also does Kenmore).
What I want to use it for is monogramming and small pictures. I am sure that once I get more experience I would like certain options, but all the information on the websites is a bit baffling. Can you tell me from your experience which machine(s) I should be looking at? Thanks for your time!!
I have a Viking embroidery machine and LOVE it.
I have downloaded many designs for free on the internet that have sewn out beautifully.
Buy your machine at a good sewing machine store. They will have free classes on how to use your machine. Take as many classes on embroidery as you can. There are so many tips and tricks to learn that make it easier to embroider. You need to know what type of thread to use in both upper and in the bobbin, hooping, stabilizers, needles. I took classes at the store and at sewing conventions. If you can get to a convention take as many machine embroidery classes as you can afford.
Take time to just practice.. There is a learning curve with it. It will take some time before you are comfortable with it.
I’m wanting to buy a husqvarna Viking Designer 1 and I’ve heard really good things and a few bad things. I was wondering if there was anyone that has one and could give me some honest feedback?
There have been a number of machines called "Designer 1", "Designer 1+", "Designer 1 USB", so you might want to clarify what machine you’re thinking about. The current model is the Designer 1 USB.
Many of the people I know who do computerized embroidery have wound up preferring to have a second machine for stitching, so they can keep sewing while the embroidery machine is stitching out a design. That might be something you want to think about. I don’t do computerized embroidery (just hand or freehand machine embroidery), so I can’t really advise you much on this, except to suggest you might want to hop over to http://www.patternreview.com and read some machine reviews for yourself. You may need to join to read older reviews, but the basic membership is free and they don’t spam you.
My main machine is a 12+ year old Viking electronic, 30 stitches. I make almost all my famiy’s clothing, and it has performed nearly flawlessly over the years — and those flaws were my fault, not the machine’s.
Do I need to take classes for this? I saw someone had a computer program and from that it went to the machine. I just don’t know what I need to get other that an embroidery machine obviously. Do they come with computer programs? Thanks!
Two good machines to start with are the Singer Futura or the Singerxl6000 depending on your budget. Both have programs that allow the machine to transfer a design from your computer to the machine itself. You will not have to buy a seperate program. There are TONS of free designs online to get you started, and you can always buy a digitizing program later if you choose to start actually making your own designs. Embird is a good program to start with when your ready to do that
There are several yahoo groups for both types of embroidery machines I mentioned and you will get great help there
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