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Posts Tagged ‘Sewing Machines’

Embroidery and Sewing Machines?

November 17th, 2012 5 comments

I am looking to buy a embroidery and sewing machine and i am not sure which one to get as there are many out there. I have never worked on a sewing machine and really don’t do that much sewing however i would like to be able to make a quilt also. I do the hand embroidery and cross stitches and while i love it i would like to be able to do different patterns of like my pictures and things like that without it takeing me two years to finish a project. Does anyone have any suggestions?

This is akin to asking for a car, when you really want is a Bat-mobile that can travel on the air, road and water. Nevertheless, there are a few things you could look for to make your dream come true.

There are many reviews and buying guides on the web:
Embroidery machines: http://www.galttech.com/research/household-DIY-tools/best-embroidery-machine.php
Sewing Machines and Patterns Review: http://sewing.patternreview.com/news

Whichever machine you select, get the machine’s manual. There is a common assumption that machines are all the same, but it’s not true. Used machines can be wonderful, if they’ve been well cared for. But it does you no good to assume all machines need oil (not true), or to miss out on the machine full creative ability.
Sewing Machine Manuals: http://www.mastersewusa.com/

You can make Couture-level garments on a straight-sew machine, but most modern sewing machines offer more than one stitch. It’s creative use of these that make them powerful. I’m speaking of ordinary sewing machines that adjust stitch length, have a Zigzag or other cover stitches, plus whatever geometric or floral designs. For truly giving these options a workout on ordinary sewing machines, I suggest the public library. Seek out books on Decorative Machine Stitching
Fine Machine Stitching http://www.amazon.com/Fine-Machine-Sewing-Revised-Embellishing/dp/1561585866/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257164512&sr=8-2

And consider Bobbin Work. Many an artist has used a simple machine to create amazing works. If the thread, fiber, or ribbon is too thick to go through the needle, why not run it through the bobbin?
Bobbin work: http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/5025/bobbin-work-when-threads-are-too-thick-for-the-needle

On any machine you’re considering, ask if the Feed Dogs can be lowered. Fabric is advanced under the sewing machine’s foot by way of a moving metal assembly that pulls the fabric through in one direction only. If you can lower the feed dogs, you can move in any direction opening an entire world of creativity. Seek out web articles and books on Free-Motion Embroidery or Free-Motion Quilting it’s a world of hoops and stabilizers – but the work can be done on ordinary sewing machines that have the option of lowering the feed dogs.
Anatomy of a sewing machine: http://www.a1sewingmachine.com/image/basic%20sewing%20machine%20parts.jpg
Watch a video on free motion technique: http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3833/video-manuels-free-motion-embroidery-technique
Be advised: Manuel is working on an extraordinarily FAST manual machine. But it you note the hoop, the rotation of it, the turning of the work, it will make other Free Motion Embroidery directions make sense.
How to do free-motion embroidery http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_c/C-213.pdf

Machine quilting can be done on any straight sew machine. Some are just better at it than others because they have greater torque, or a larger arm. And these are great when you want to throw money at it. But artists can get a lot out of simple machinery if you learn the concepts of what you want to do. You do not need thousands of dollars to start.

Embroidery machines are quite amazing and you’ll be deciding between a bunch of Disney or the ability to digitize your own designs. Give some thought about the size of your work, what parts you need done for you, what magic you expect of the machine – and I greatly encourage researching what other artists have done with machine embroidery. You might just find they use a less expensive model (than what the dealer is telling you) to achieve their work.

The Art isn’t just in the machine, it’s in you.

What is a good sewing & embroidery machine for a beginner?

November 11th, 2012 7 comments

I would also like to know what embroidery software I can use for different sewing machines as well.
Well, I do not want to spend over $1000.00. My husband might have a heart attack if he knew that I said that, but I really want a good one that will sew and embroider.
It is so hard for me to choose a Best Answer because you have all been so helpful.

I have the Brother 270d. It is a little work horse. It does bother embroidery and sewing. It comes with a set of built in designs, including some Disney patterns. You will want to get the PE Basic so you can embroidery patterns that you download offline. You can find some sites with nice free ones – they are samples to entice you to buy their sets. I really like www.bunnycup.com (sorry for the tangent).

You do not need embroidery software to use the Brother 270d. You can begin embroidering and sewing right away.

You will want to get other necessities (stabilizer, thread, and maybe some more needles). The machine comes with a set of needles to get you going though.

The types of stabilizer and thread you use does not matter, though some are easier to work with than others. Do not let the price shock you – I use discount coupons from Jo Ann’s and Hobby Lobby to get mine. The spending in this department will be high initially! Again, this is why for a beginner I recommend the Brother 270d.

Costco has it on sale for $389.99 and it comes with the PE Basic. Wal-Mart sells this machine for $350. I got mine from my local Brother dealer for $500, but they threw in 1 year in store maintenance and free classes for life.

I hope this helps. True the other machines can do more, but you are paying more than double to price (and some of them do not sew). For a beginner, this is the best machine at the best price! Good luck!

Recommend a sewing machine with alphabet?

November 11th, 2012 5 comments

Hi, can anyone recommend a sewing machine including nice patterns, embroydery and alphabet? I am a complete beghinner qnd am willing to pay between 100 and 350 usd. must be easy to use.
Thanks a lot!!
Thanks a lot, but what about the Brother SE270D Computerized Sewing and Embroidery Machine, 350USD?

You really need to buy an embroidery machine from a dealer (sewing store) You will need lessons on the machine itself and for doing embroidery. This is not something to figure out yourself.
I know of two people who took back the Brother’s Disney embroidery machine to WalMart because they were so flustered with it.
Some dealers have older machine that were brought in when the owners traded up in models. Sewing stores are going to give you free lessons on your machine.
Once you have an embroidery machine you can buy 100’s of different fonts for it. Also there are many free designs on line. You just have to see if it is offered in your sewing machines "language" I have a Viking Huskavarna embroidery machine, I need designs in HUS.
Check out site below

A step by step guide on how to do sewing machine embroidery?

October 26th, 2012 2 comments

So for D&T textiles i need to give a step by step guide on sewing machine embroidery. Only half the class have used the sewing machines so i dont know. Could somebody please help. Thank you.
Our teacher said sewing machine embroidery:)

This is a sewing machine and not an embroidery machine?

Do these machines have built-in decorative designs (sometimes called embroidery)?

Are you expected to do free-motion stitching (embroidery)?

All three methods require the use of stabilizer.

The embroidery machine comes with hoops and the stabilizer and fabric are hooped together with the stabilizer on the bottom.

To emulate with a sewing machine, you need to baste the stabilizer to the back of the fabric and the sewing machine will then stitch the selected design. There is usually an open toe presser foot for this process.

For free-motion where you are the designer, baste as for the decorative stitching, disengage the feed dogs (or cover them with an index card and tape it securely to the bed of the sewing machine) and use a darning or free motion presser foot. Presser foot down and then you move the fabric to make the design. You can draw the design first with chalk or air soluble fabric marker, or draw on tissue and fasten over the fabric and trace with stitching.

Stabilizer for machine embroidery comes in tear away and cut away. Cut away is trimmed close to the stitching and left in. Tear away can be gently torn from the stitching.

Use a needle for embroidery.

Information Regarding Embroidery Machines

August 25th, 2011 No comments

There exists a dilemma for consumers when purchasing embroidery machines. This is because the markets have many competitive products proffering similar functions and, therefore, boast cutthroat prices. This makes it tricky for new users to make the right choice. Advertisements and recommendations almost always offer a brief and positive idea about each product. For this reason, a number of users, critics, and experts provide reviews that allow consumers to understand a product better.

Embroidery machines are available for both domestic and commercial use. For this reason, potential buyers need to carry out intensive research about the prices and analyze the available options. Embroidery machine prices tend to vary as they highly depend on the brand and their size. A Singer Quantum embroidery machine would cost about $5000. These machines are fully automatic, state-of-the-art sewing and embroidery machines, completely upgradeable to keep up with the users’ level of creativity. Computerized embroidery machines usually cost around $433. Singer Futura embroidery machines cost about $899. Bernina Deco embroidery machines are priced at $999 and are extremely lightweight.

For more information on embroidery machines click here

Information Regarding Free Embroidery Digitizing

August 16th, 2011 No comments

Embroidery is proven to be one of the most enduring arts and crafts of all time. For centuries, this art form has long pervaded in many civilizations and has produced results that are truly worthy to own. Embroidery, whether traditional or contemporary, is in fact one of the most popular projects that found its way inside homes and has long been enjoyed by many individuals as a form of productive hobby. Embroidery is not cheap so to say. It requires equipments ranging from threads, needles and garments to sewing machines and digitizing software. However, if you really would like to make embroidery as your productive past time or perhaps a small business, you could actually cut back on its cost by simply having free embroidery designs.

One of the main advantages of using free embroidery designs can be credited to their cost-effectiveness. Unlike embroidery designs that are expensively sold in arts and crafts shops, free designs for embroidery projects, as their name suggests, can be acquired without imposing financial burden on your part. They also come in a wide variety of designs and styles, giving you more options to choose from. Hence, you could easily select the pattern or style that would ideally befit the embroidery project you intend to work on.

For more information on free embroidery digitizing click here

Embroidery Garden

July 19th, 2011 No comments

One of the most useful tools for any embroidery enthusiast is a convenient sewing and embroidery machine. This is a type of device that can work to create quality embroidery patterns and designs for a variety of different things.

The main thing that a sewing an embroidery machine can do is that it will help to get different types of patterns put onto a piece of cloth. It is something that can do this in a faster amount of time than that of a traditional hand embroidery task. It works in that the user will be able to either get the cloth moved around the machine or to have the needle on the machine move automatically to get to different parts of the cloth.

It is incredibly easy to get a spool of thread to be installed into a sewing and embroidery machine. All that a user will have to do here is to get the thread inserted into the machine and then have the spool go through the opening on the machine. This is a convenient feature in that it will help to make it easier to get the thread to be protected. Many machines can work with threads of different size levels as well. This is something that depends on the type of machine that is being used.

A sewing and embroidery machine will feature a good sized area for a person to put a fabric onto. This area will generally feature sides that are six to twelve inches in length depending on the machine that is being used.

The needle that can be used for this type of machine will be one that can be easily adjusted. This can be adjusted into a number of different angles and motion patterns that can be used for a variety of different types of stitches.

The number of needles that can be used on a machine can vary. Some machines will only work with one needle while others can handle dual needle stitching processes.

Some of todays modern sewing and embroidery machines are ones that have large digital screens on them. They can be used to read different patterns or images that can be handled for an embroidery task. This is something that can be used to help with getting the most accurate types of sewing jobs handled. Be aware though that a sewing and embroidery machine with this feature will cost a great deal of money to do.

Basic types of machines will be able to work with a number of basic patterns. These include such things as letter patterns or traditional floral patterns. A variety of machines can work to get some of these things ready in a variety of different sizes.

These parts of a sewing and embroidery machine are great for anyone to see. This type of machine can work with a simple process that is used to help with making it easier for a person to get a beautiful design created for any type of fabric or other material. This is a useful thing for people to check out when it comes to getting a good embroidery pattern handled for something.

Free Embroidery Digitizing

July 19th, 2011 No comments

Embroidery is proven to be one of the most enduring arts and crafts of all time. For centuries, this art form has long pervaded in many civilizations and has produced results that are truly worthy to own. Embroidery, whether traditional or contemporary, is in fact one of the most popular projects that found its way inside homes and has long been enjoyed by many individuals as a form of productive hobby. Embroidery is not cheap so to say. It requires equipments ranging from threads, needles and garments to sewing machines and digitizing software. However, if you really would like to make embroidery as your productive past time or perhaps a small business, you could actually cut back on its cost by simply having free embroidery designs.

One of the main advantages of using free embroidery designs can be credited to their cost-effectiveness. Unlike embroidery designs that are expensively sold in arts and crafts shops, free designs for embroidery projects, as their name suggests, can be acquired without imposing financial burden on your part. They also come in a wide variety of designs and styles, giving you more options to choose from. Hence, you could easily select the pattern or style that would ideally befit the embroidery project you intend to work on.

There are many ways through which you can acquire free embroidery patterns. The first and perhaps easiest thing to do is to surf the internet. Nowadays, many design websites that specialize in embroidery offer embroidery designs that can be downloaded for free. Such sites will provide you with countless embroidery designs for nearly every embroidery types such as crewel, counted-thread embroidery and hardanger embroidery, which you can print up as many as you wish. There are also embroidery enthusiasts who share their embroidery designs on their personal blogs as well as in public forums.

Aside from the internet, you can also find free embroidery designs from embroidery magazines and catalogs. Usually, these printed mediums publish monthly collections of embroidery designs contributed by readers and professional embroiders. These sources also provide free designs from well-known embroidery companies. However, since they are only released once a month, the designs are not updated frequently, contrary to online sources which add new designs everyday and sometimes by the hour.

If none of the free designs from the Internet or from magazines and catalogs do not tickle your fancy, you might want to consider creating your own embroidery patterns. You can do this by downloading free digitizing software from embroidery websites. One of the main benefits of using such software is that you could customize patterns based from your own preference and style from which you can create striking designs that are truly unique and high in quality. Of course, if you would be choosing this option, it is necessary that you have some knowledge about basic graphic commands in order for you to easily navigate and manipulate the software.

Basically, embroidery doesnt have to be costly especially in terms of design. You only have to be patient and creative when going through the process of design selection in order for you to land on the right pattern that would become the foundation of your embroidery project. Once you are able to secure the design appropriate for your garment or craft of choice, you can easily start stitching the best embroidery items that you can share to your family and friends.

Free Machine Embroidery Fonts

July 19th, 2011 No comments

One of the most useful tools for any embroidery enthusiast is a convenient sewing and embroidery machine. This is a type of device that can work to create quality embroidery patterns and designs for a variety of different things.

The main thing that a sewing an embroidery machine can do is that it will help to get different types of patterns put onto a piece of cloth. It is something that can do this in a faster amount of time than that of a traditional hand embroidery task. It works in that the user will be able to either get the cloth moved around the machine or to have the needle on the machine move automatically to get to different parts of the cloth.

It is incredibly easy to get a spool of thread to be installed into a sewing and embroidery machine. All that a user will have to do here is to get the thread inserted into the machine and then have the spool go through the opening on the machine. This is a convenient feature in that it will help to make it easier to get the thread to be protected. Many machines can work with threads of different size levels as well. This is something that depends on the type of machine that is being used.

A sewing and embroidery machine will feature a good sized area for a person to put a fabric onto. This area will generally feature sides that are six to twelve inches in length depending on the machine that is being used.

The needle that can be used for this type of machine will be one that can be easily adjusted. This can be adjusted into a number of different angles and motion patterns that can be used for a variety of different types of stitches.

The number of needles that can be used on a machine can vary. Some machines will only work with one needle while others can handle dual needle stitching processes.

Some of todays modern sewing and embroidery machines are ones that have large digital screens on them. They can be used to read different patterns or images that can be handled for an embroidery task. This is something that can be used to help with getting the most accurate types of sewing jobs handled. Be aware though that a sewing and embroidery machine with this feature will cost a great deal of money to do.

Basic types of machines will be able to work with a number of basic patterns. These include such things as letter patterns or traditional floral patterns. A variety of machines can work to get some of these things ready in a variety of different sizes.

These parts of a sewing and embroidery machine are great for anyone to see. This type of machine can work with a simple process that is used to help with making it easier for a person to get a beautiful design created for any type of fabric or other material. This is a useful thing for people to check out when it comes to getting a good embroidery pattern handled for something.

Hand Embroidery Patterns

July 19th, 2011 No comments

One of the most useful tools for any embroidery enthusiast is a convenient sewing and embroidery machine. This is a type of device that can work to create quality embroidery patterns and designs for a variety of different things.

The main thing that a sewing an embroidery machine can do is that it will help to get different types of patterns put onto a piece of cloth. It is something that can do this in a faster amount of time than that of a traditional hand embroidery task. It works in that the user will be able to either get the cloth moved around the machine or to have the needle on the machine move automatically to get to different parts of the cloth.

It is incredibly easy to get a spool of thread to be installed into a sewing and embroidery machine. All that a user will have to do here is to get the thread inserted into the machine and then have the spool go through the opening on the machine. This is a convenient feature in that it will help to make it easier to get the thread to be protected. Many machines can work with threads of different size levels as well. This is something that depends on the type of machine that is being used.

A sewing and embroidery machine will feature a good sized area for a person to put a fabric onto. This area will generally feature sides that are six to twelve inches in length depending on the machine that is being used.

The needle that can be used for this type of machine will be one that can be easily adjusted. This can be adjusted into a number of different angles and motion patterns that can be used for a variety of different types of stitches.

The number of needles that can be used on a machine can vary. Some machines will only work with one needle while others can handle dual needle stitching processes.

Some of todays modern sewing and embroidery machines are ones that have large digital screens on them. They can be used to read different patterns or images that can be handled for an embroidery task. This is something that can be used to help with getting the most accurate types of sewing jobs handled. Be aware though that a sewing and embroidery machine with this feature will cost a great deal of money to do.

Basic types of machines will be able to work with a number of basic patterns. These include such things as letter patterns or traditional floral patterns. A variety of machines can work to get some of these things ready in a variety of different sizes.

These parts of a sewing and embroidery machine are great for anyone to see. This type of machine can work with a simple process that is used to help with making it easier for a person to get a beautiful design created for any type of fabric or other material. This is a useful thing for people to check out when it comes to getting a good embroidery pattern handled for something.