Thursday 16 May 2013

Digitising Embroidery – Embroidery Machines

The evolution of the electronic embroidery machine has been watched closely. And many seamstresses interested in Digitising Embroidery will do their research before purchasing a machine. A good way to keep an eye on the technology and decide what type of machine would suit you is to visit your local sewing machine stores and find out what all the different manufacturers are up to and what new features are being added. Asking for demos of the machines is a great way to find out what they can do first hand.

Embroidery machine technology has moved forward rapidly since then 1990s. Perhaps not as fast as computers but it’s a close call what with components such as machine motors; steppers; cutters and robotic embroidery being computer operated and are in fact the most important parts of the machines.

Let’s take a look at a couple of machines that are great for Embroidery Digitising:

Brother SE400

This is a combo machine that can do both embroidery and sewing if you simply remove the embroidery arm. The machine has a large colour touchscreen display which makes it easier to decipher a design with more than 20 colours. Designs are also easy to load from a computer to the machine. 
 
 
This combo machine allows you to both sew and embroider.

The machine comes with a variety of sewing features as well as 98 stitch functions and 67 sewing stitches. It also has the ability for home décor embellishing, clothing, digitizing embroidery and so much more. The library comes with 70 built-in designs, 5 lettering fonts and 120 frame pattern combinations. You can also just use your computer to upload designs to the machine.

The Brother SE400 is great if you don’t really like using a foot pedal as there is no need to use one. Instead there is a “go” and “stop” button for ease of use. The machine has 3 speeds that allow for an array of abilities and a user friendly LCD screen that is easy to look at.

The best function is that you can sew and embroider. The machine allows you to switch back and forth between the modes. As well as a DVD that demonstrates and explains fully.

Another great advantage is that the machine works both on a Mac and PC and because it is motorized you can hop online for designs and import them. It comes complete with 5 pre-installed fonts that are easy to use and get started. The machine is also easy to thread.