its a Barudan one head sample machine with the ability to do names, it has a keyboard attaches and 3 fonts.
Try and post it on ValueJockey.com. It is free and a great place to find out the value of just about everything. Include a picture in the listing, it helps a lot.
http://www.valuejockey.com/
We ahve a small business and I want to personalize my kids’ shirts. What is a auitable model for this type of use?
You should look for a machine that has (at the very lease) a stitching (hoop) area of 5 x 7, or you will be limited to designs no larger than 4 x 4.
Also important is Internet connectivity. UBS port B is direct connection via a cable that comes with the machine and USB port A is a removable flash stick/drive. A is the most convenient, the PC needs to be near the embroidery machine to use the port B cable.
The less expensive machines use machine embroidery reader boxes and rewritable cards only – these are almost obsolete.
Bernina and Husqvarna are the most expensive and are proprietary when is comes to accessories (like additional UBS sticks).
Brother and Babylock are the same family of machines, the most user friendly and compatible with software, including the USB sticks.
Singer – has had an iffy reputation for several years.
They all are basically the same as far as functions. They get more expensive as the luxury features are added on.
You should be able to get an embroidery machine that has the larger stitching area and USB connectivity for around $1,000, or less.
You can buy new or a dealer may have a gently used one that has been traded up for one of the luxury models.
Do buy from a dealer for the support you may need.
Visit as many dealers as you can, watch the demos and then try the machines.
Buy the brand you like best from the dealer you like best.
Don’t buy any software from a dealer until you have used the machine and are comfortable with what you can do with additional software – there are companies that have free trials that you can download and test.
For more discussions, you may want to sign up at:
annthegran.com or sewforum.com
Both have a lot of embroidery machine discussions – the sites are free.
As part of eco-schools we need to transfer images onto white cotton. I was just wondering if anyone had any new ideas. Eco-friendly ideas would also be excellent. The images might end up being images the kids have drawn, photos and also the fairtrade logo will be on it. These are the ideas I have come up with so far. The pupils are from 11-16.
Embroidery machine,
Applique,
Use image maker,
Fabric Paints
Printing (lino/ stencil etc..)
Batik
Any other ideas???
hand embroidery
free motion embroidery
beading
rust transfer "dyeing"
mudcloth designs
flower or leaf pounding
direct dye methods on pre-mordanted fabrics
altered fabric, e.g., cutwork
remember that the "greenest" methods are usually the most human energy intensive. The less "stuff" needed to accomplish the goal, the less environmental impact. Also remember that white cotton is not exactly environmentally friendly in its own right.
I have saved a design on a USB stick. When I try to open it on my machine, nothing comes up. Please let me know all the info you can! Thanks in advance.
It comes up on my computer fine, when I put the USB stick in. But when I put the USB stick in my Janome 350E embroidery machine, it does not show the design.
i haven’t worked with a janome machine for several years but do you a brother. the janome will use either a jef or sew file. what is the file extension of the file you are trying to use. i belong to many yahoo embroidery groups. here are a few of them. if you join a couple i’m sure someone on there will take you by the hand. the people on these groups are great and so helpful.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adesigninstitches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/News_For_Embroidery/?yguid=102878935
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SiCKDesigns/?yguid=102878935
my favorite site for free embriodery designs gives away 49 free designs a day.
http://www.designsbysick.com/amember/go.php?r=5647&i=l0">Designs by SiCK Embroidery Library
if you have any other questions e-mail me, would be glad to help.
deb
It looks like a slot for something like a compact flash card. Does anyone know what type of card this is? I can’t imagine I’d have to buy "special" cards. I know I’ll need software to digitize/convert images in PES format. I’d imagine the software also knows how to format the card so it can be read by the embroidery machine.
First, you have to have a card reader for machine embroidery and then you buy the card for your machine that is compatible with the card reader.
You use Brother memory cards or cards made for Brother machines. Again – these have to be compatible with the reader box.
You get these items from an embroidery machine dealer – preferable on-line.
Walk-in dealers don’t always have the cards in all formats, or any at all and have to order what you need.
They are more expensive than at online dealers.
To take advantage of downloading from the Internet, you need a card reader and a rewritable memory card.
You can get Brother’s PED Basic with a card for about $100 – On-line.
This is one dealer that I have bought from. They have a graphic showing how the card reader works. Note the PC requirements. http://www.sewingsupplywarehouse.com/pedbasic.html
Another dealer that I have bought from – http://www.allbrands.com/products/abp01060-0165.html
Digitizing is a horse of another color. This is software that allows you to create your own designs or digitize pictures and clip art. It is fairly expensive around $1,000.
You can download a free trial of Embird Embroidery Software here – http://www.secretsof.com/content/1853?PHPSESSID=f1d6a79654e8e476eaffaf7784b652a6 It is a very popular software and what you are downloading is the Basic program. It doesn’t digitize, but it is the base component for this software.
As you learn and want to expand, you buy plug-ins that allow you to digitize, among other things.
Free designs to download (I have used many of them) – http://www.brother-usa.com/HomeSewing/GetCreative/free-designs.aspx
When you buy or download designs, make sure they are no larger than 4 x 4. That is the maximum stitching area for the 350.
"Good" but "cheap" when talking about Embroidery Machines is an oxymoron, no such critter exists if you are wanting to go with a new machine. I have a Brother 180D. Brother is the only E machine you can get that you have a choice on Disney designs, but not all Brothers just the ones that have D in the name. You may be able to pick up a used one with a sewing field of 4" x 4", for around $400 or $500, but you will soon learn that you want to be able to do larger designs and the machine cannot be converted to do larger designs. My next machine is a Bernina 330 and has a sewing field of 5" x 7" and is large enough for what I like to do. I bought it used two years old for $825. Both machines have been trouble free and the designs looks great when they are done. The biggest thing you want to do is be very familiar with the sewing/embroidery machine repair shops in your area. Call around and see what kind of machines they work on; not all shops repair all machines. Next you want to check their reputation and how well they handle repairs/maintenance and people. It is best to buy from your local shops whether you go new or used as they are usually willing to do their best for a return customer. Do not buy from a shop or store that does not do repair/maintenance, because even if you never have any trouble with your machine it does need to have a yearly check up that keeps it in good working order. When checking out a shop if you are not familiar with any, ask if they have good used machines for sale and check the prices against what you may have found on ebay or elsewhere, don’t forget to add the shipping and handling to the ones you found online. From my limited knowledge of the different embroidery machines the ones most widely recommended are Brother, Bernina, and Janome, but all have different temperaments and it is best to try them out before you decide.
If so how easy is it to thread, adjust, understand. Do you like the machine and is the embroidery that it does sufficient?
The Singer CE-350 is not available yet and honestly there is not enough difference between the CE-350 and CE-250. The only difference is the color the faceplate and the software it comes with. The machine itself is the same as the Ce-250 it just comes with editing software which is not a necessity, because the CE-250 already comes with AutoPunch. The Editing Software can be purchase separately right now so you can have basically a Ce-350 it is just green. As for the machine itself, I feel it is a great machine for any beginner or inexperienced embroiderer. I have the Brother Innovis 4000D so I know there are a lot of difference when there is a huge price difference. The Singer CE-150, CE-250 and CE-350 are twice as fast as the CE-100 and CE-200. You used to be able to count the stitches now you can not. They improved the software and gave the machine a sleeker look. They did a nice job. As for threading, It is a little tricky at first because you have to make sure you floss it in the tension assembly but aside from that it is fairly straight forward. The embroidery that comes out of the machine is pretty good I think.. Of course the Brother Innovis 4000D is going to have better stitch quality and go faster but the CE machines do a surprisingly nice job. The best deal I saw for the Singer CE-250 is Mr. Vac and Mrs. Sew. That is where I got mine because they have a wonderful add on package you can get with it (I think it retail for like $500 or Something) for only $99. They had a nice fast delivery and a charged No Tax (Because I am in NJ) and Free Shipping. I hope all this information helps. Here is a link to the Singer CE-250:
http://www.mrvacandmrssew.com/go/product/id/955?PHPSESSID=a37664687ba4764b351decb89ce6da31
I am just opening my first home business, doing childrens clothing, and would like to get a sewing machine with embroidery options (LOTS and LOTS of ebroidery options)
i dont know what to look for,
or how it works (are you just stuck wiht what you purchase ? or is there a machine that allows you to buy extra embroidery programs to use ?? [kind of like a cricut machine products..])
What exactly do you mean when you say .pes formats, what are the other types of formats, and how does this one compare to the others ??
and is there a way to create your OWN embroidery patterns ??
i am looking for something that i can get a WIDE variety of fonts.. any pointers ??
EDITED TO ADD:
Embroidery designs are formatted and there are several formats (think of it as a language).
Each brand of embroidery machine has a format and this can vary by brand.
Formats can be converted, so if you have a machine that reads only .pes and you see a design that you love and it is .hus, it can be converted to .pes using conversion software, for which you can find free downloads. Pulse Ambassador is one that I have used.
There is software with which you can edit designs and create your own. Embird is a popular brand. Most have a trial which you can test to see how user friendly it is and if it is what you wish to purchase.
You may find most embroidery machines have only the basic fonts. This is something to keep in mind when shopping.
You may be able to work a deal where a font package is included with the purchase of an embroidery machine.
ORIGINAL REPLY:
All the major brands are good machines.
Brother and Babylock use the .pes format, which is a very popular, easy to find embroidery format. These machines are also very user friendly.
Visit dealers with your wish list, this should include price.
Once you tell them you want the machine for a home business, they will let you know if the machine’s warranty covers this type of use.
It would be best to have a sewing machine and an embroidery machine and not just one machine.
The stitching area for embroidery is limited and will be indicated by the hoop size. The standard 4 x 4 hoop is very limiting.
Any design larger than the stitching area of the embroidery will require software for editing and splitting the designs into smaller segments that will require re-hooping for each section.
An embroidery machine with at least a 5 x 7 hoop is a better choice.
There are thousands of designs available on the Internet, many are free. A machine with a flash drive (aka, stick drive or thumb drive) would be the most convenient method of getting designs from the PC to the embroidery machine.
Create a folder on the hard drive of your PC and name it Embroidery. As you download, save to this folder and then create sub-folders for each category. Keeping the designs organized will save you a lot of headache later on.
This is a very good site for machine embroidery tips and techniques – http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/elprojects/holder.aspx?page=techniques
Keep in mind, Disney and other licensed designs cannot be use on items that you will be selling.
Best wishes in your new adventure!
My fiance and I run a screen printing business and came across a non-working BAS-416 machine. We have fixed it! Now we want to learn how to digitize images. Any insight and/or links to resources would be greatly appreciated!
I was going to give my usual answer in that you need a software program for creating your own designs and that it takes quite a bit of time to learn to digitize a professional quality product.
However, after viewing the manual for this model, I am beginning to think the machine is as equality difficult to learn. I cannot tell what machine embroidery format it requires.
http://www.brothercom.ro/docs/2-Partsbook%20-%20carti%20piese%20de%20schimb/Masini%20de%20brodat%20BROTHER/BES-1210BC%20BAS-401,412A,416A/BES-1210-BAS-416A%20Instruction%20Manual.pdf
Most owners of professional embroidery machines, have a company rep help them set-up and learn to use the machine.
The format appears to be .dst (Tajima). Finding a software program is not difficult. Most, if not all will save in the format of all embroidery machines.
Machine embroidery software requires a Windows OS.
If you do a search of free machine embroidery software or free machine embroidery trials you will get a sampling how to create your own designs.
Good luck in your adventures into machine embroidery.
I am looking for a simple sewing machine that has an applique and embroidery feature. Nothing too fancy. thanks
I have a Brother 8500 and I love it!! It does a great job at doing machine applique and it’s great for embroidery too! And these days, that machine runs a fraction of the cost that it did when I bought mine back in 1999! You can usually pick up a used one for around $1,000. I know that sounds high, but originally it cost $4400! And most of the newer machines that do both sewing and embroidery will run between $4,000 and $6,000! The fact that I have been able to get FREE embroidery designs for it online for all these years helps a lot!
Now if this is way too high for your pockets, you may consider getting a Elna I think it’s called, or maybe it’s Quilters Dream? Look in a quilt magazine and see what machine it is that Ellenor Burns is pictured with. Hers is for doing applique and all great quilting stitches. And then you could consider buying separately a Brother 150? I think that’s the number, but it’s a BASIC embroidery ONLY machine and it runs around $200. I don’t know what the Ellenor Burns machine costs, probably close to $500 or more since she’s endorsing it. Hope that helps!
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