Machine embroidery can be a great hobby or even a great career no matter if you are young or old. Easy to do and even easier to learn, machinery embroidery can be picked up by almost anyone. So what is machine embroidery? Basically machine embroidery makes use of a sewing machine to create stitch patterns, and embroider designs on to fabric. All that is required to be a good machine embroiderer is a keen sense of aesthetic design and plenty of practice. Cost effective and uncomplicated, machine embroidery is excellent as it allows you to create intricate and complex designs in no time at all.
Types of home embroidery machines
There are two main kinds of home embroidery machines available in the market today. There are those that strictly used for embroidery only and then there are those that can do machine embroidery as well as regular sewing. The latter kind of embroidery machines are commonly referred to as combination machines as they do a combination of both sewing and embroidery. Ultimately the kind machine you want will depend on how you choose to use your sewing machine. Are you interested in embroidery design only or are you interested in creating embroidered fashions. Another important factor that must be considered when choosing between 'embroidery only' machine and a 'combination' machine is that embroidery machines have smaller embroidery fields. It is better to use a combination machine in the long run as you can not only embroidery but learn to sew your own clothes as well.
Choosing the right machine
Choosing the right machine is very important and you must be fully aware of what machines are available in the market before you make any choice. What it all comes down to is, what your needs are. If you are not someone who enjoys stitching, but is only interested in machinery embroidery, then it is well worth it to by an embroidery only sewing machine. Additionally if you already have a sewing machine or if you are on a limited budget but enjoy embroidering, then an embroidery only machine is ideal for you. However if you enjoy designing and fashioning your own embroidery and clothing then get a computerized combination machine as it makes sewing and embroidering faster and easier.
Embroidery only machines can be extremely affordable such the Brother PE-150 for just US $499. Brother also makes embroidery only machines for Babylock and Simplicity as well. Additionally Bernina has an embroidery-only machine called Deco in the market as well, which is quite good.
If you are in the market for a computerized combination sewing machine or if you prefer a machine with more advanced features, there are many makes and models of sewing machine options open to you. However these machines can be quite expensive with their prices ranging from about US $1000 to $5000+. The Brother PE-400D Combination Sewing and Embroidery Machine, the Pfaff 2124 and 2144 machines, Singer's Futura, Quantum Futura, and Quantum XL-6000 are all great combination machines that are wll worth your money.
Top machine embroidery sources
The internet is the best place to get machine embroidery designs from. There are many website online that offer free embroidery design downloads. Some great online sources from where you can get machine embroidery designs include:
www.freeembroiderystuff.com - This website is one of the best embroidery sites on the web. It not only offers machine embroidery designs to download in several different formats, but also includes catalogues, articles, discount coupons and the latest machine embroidery software as well. This website also has a downloadable pattern viewer in addition to a embroidery forum where you can post your questions or queries.
www.abc-cross-stitch-patterns.com - This website offers machine embroidery designs in a cross-stitch effect, in several formats. The site also has on sale professional quality embroidery supplies as well as books, CD's and software for designing your own embroidery. There is a tips section on this website as well.
Embroidery-designs.threadlove.com - Embroidery Designs by Threadlove is a great website that has a wide selection of machine embroidery designs for home and commercial machines. All of the embroidery designs are available in formats for every embroiderer. Additionally this site also offers custom and personalized embroidery designs as well.
www.emblibrary.com - Emlibrary.com has on hand free tips and tricks as well as free designs. A leading supplier of stock designs for machine embroidery on the internet, this website also offers all designs on the site for immediate download.
http://www.stitch.com - This is another good website that not only offer free embroidery designs, but also has available digitizing software, graphics software and Corel DRAWings stitch embroidery software.
