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Looking for a New Sew/ Embroidery Machine!!!

I am so excited! After talking to my husband about my sewing machine and the pros and cons. He suggested that I buy a new machine! These three are on of my top list. It has been a little hard to search online because the price is not listed for most machines. I have only gone to one shop dealer in town. What are you sewing on? Baby Lock, Brother, Janome, Husqvarna Viking, singer, etc. Do you enjoy your machine?
What features would you want in a new machine to have?
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I love this machine but it is a little over the budget right now.
Hoop Size: 5”X7” or 6.25”X 10.25”
Max Stitches per minute: 800
Built in Stitches: 313
Embroidery designs: 158
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I like the price and features of this machine. You use your computer to access the embroidery side of the machine. The Singer Quartet is also a machine I would like to look at. It is the same as the XL 400 but with all of the embroidery software. It is a HSN exclusive machine.
Hoop Size: 4”X4” or 6”X 10”
Max Stitches per minute: 600
Built in Stitches: 30
Embroidery designs: 125
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I just found out about this machine. It too works with your home computer but you can also use a USB memory stick to access designs. That means you can work on an embroidery design away from your embroidery machine.
Hoop Size: 4”X4” or 6”X 10”
Max Stitches per minute: 600-800
Built in Stitches: 100
Embroidery designs: 250
Wow! There s a lot to look at!!
Please give me suggestions and post comments about what you like and dislike about your machines!!
Happy Shopping!
Leah

Comments

Amber Lynne said…
As far as I know, Singers are all around poorly made machines. They were once good, but no more. I was actually at my local sewing repair/all around awesome sewing shop this weekend and someone called with a Singer embroidery machine and needed it fixed and the woman said to me "people shouldn't buy such crappy machines". A better, low cost brand is Brother.
Sue said…
After months of shopping around I ended up with a Brother Duetta. Yes, it was originally way out of my price range, but I started comparing all the features and decided to take a leap making this the purchase that would last me for many many years. While comparing brands I found Singer to be the least favorable for a few reasons. From impartial sales people - the stitch quality just isn't there. And when you compare embroidery stitch outs, the Singer lacks. From a personal point of view, I didn't want my sewing machine to have to be tethered to my computer. It just takes up more sewing space and adds more cables and cords to a cluttered area. If you're interested in Brother but don't want to go to the extreme of a Duetta, look at their Innovis machines. I think most of those have USB ports on them now. As an FYI, there is a relationship between Brother and Babylock. It's very hard to determine which company is the parent company but they do have many similar features. Good luck on your quest. I know how difficult it can be.
Elena said…
I believe Brother makes BabyLock.
I sew on a BabyLock Ellegante. I was lucky to buy it gently used from my dealer, for about half of retail. My favorite parts are the thread cutting button, auto threader, auto foot up/down, and so far embroidering on screen without any software. I still haven't quite figured software out, so I've done some limited monograms on the touch screen. It also has a USB port, among other things.

Good luck!
Sew Spoiled said…
Thank you so much for writing every comment helps. I have a SE 270D brother and I love it! I have heard that Singer machines are unpredictable. You could buy a wonderful machine and have no trouble at all. Of course, the last thing you want is to get a lemon and have to send it back within the first week. There are so many machines out there! Please continue to post comments. It is helping!
Michele said…
I have an embroidery only machine and a sewing only machine. I can work on both at the same time which I love. Also, if one needs to be serviced I can still console myself at home with the other machine. I recommend getting a machine that you can easily service in your area.
celkalee said…
How nice to be machine shopping. How frustrating to be machine shopping. There are so many great machines out there, it is so hard to choose. I have always felt that a reputable dealer is key. However, I have a friend who purchased on line, with a great company and is very happy. I have a Viking #1 + but I do little machine embroidery. It works for me. Good luck in your search. There is a large on-line community at marthapullen.com that will tell you everything you might want to know about new machines, they are knowledgeable about their machines, and dedicated as well!
Ginger said…
I have the same embroidery machine you currently use. I've never used it to sew, I have another sewing machine (Bernina). It was a good machine to let me see if I liked embroidery or not. But it's too temperamental. I often wonder if I had purchased from a dealer and not from amazon, would I have a different experience. Probably not as the 270D is a temperamental machine, but one can wonder. So I would like to upgrade too. I would steer clear of Singer, as the PP said. If I were buying I would seriously look at Bernina and Babylock. Mainly because those are the 2 best dealers near me. I have a friend who has a TOL Janome and she loves it. I've also heard good things about Viking and Pfaff. Of the above brands I would go with the one that has a dealership in your area. Sewing machines dealers can be very helpful. Go in take a look, see how you comfortable you are with the staff. Sit down and test drive the machines. A good dealer can make or break the sewing machine buying experience. Most dealers have some sort of payment program, so that might be an option.
Cherie said…
I bought a Bernina 730E about 2 years ago (sewing + embroidery). Although it is a great machine, the dealer is 80 miles away, and SUCH a pain to get to. I bought it mainly for the stitch regular foot (BSR), which is the only non-longarm machine with a stitch regulator. If I had to do it all over again, I'd get 2 Janome's--1 for embroidery and 1 for sewing. I have a basic retired Janome that is fantastic (cost ~$350 10 years ago), and I will never part with it. It doesn't seem like the combo would be that much different than a 2-in-1 machine, but it would be SO nice to not have to change thread, change the foot, add the embroidery unit, etc. Janome makes a solid machine, and you get so much more for your money than with other brands. Hope that helps!
Sew Spoiled said…
Wow! So much information! Ok, today I am going to a few different dealers in our area to see the differences up close. I am taking my camera and I am going to Blog about it! At the moment (and it has been changing), I am leaning on buying a bigger and better sewing machine. I want to stitch faster and I would like to start sewing more with leather and thicker fabrics. Thank you all for the comments! If you have not told us about your machine and experiences please share! :)
Unknown said…
An Industrial or Commercial Embroidery Machine is an embroidery machine designed for production, or commercial embroidery. An industrial embroidery machine generally has more than one needle where each needle is used for a different colored thread. An industrial or commercial embroidery machine is different from a home or family type machine. Generally Home or Family machines have only one needle or, are more plastic based.



Silk Digitizing
Serena Williams said…
Thanks for the detailed article. Do you know any single needle home embroidery machine that can take .dst format. We just need a cheap one for testing our samples off and on and we were interested to test .dst formats. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Absolute Digitizing

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