Embroidery Machines

I know you all have wonderful sewing machines, but do you also have Embroidery Machines or one that attaches to the sewing machine.
I have a 2170 Pfaff, and owned it since 2007, just now getting around to learning how to use the embroidery part of it. Dingle berry I am! It came with something called 3D Embroidery a program that you use with your computer...Boy am I ever lost with it, did finally get it loaded and registered on my computer. and that only took me two days to complete. I recently took a class on how to use the embroidery part of it, the lady who gave me my class didn't have the same machine and it was..well lets say it was the a little like the blind leading the blind.

I hope to be taking some classes fairly soon on the 3D, maybe I will learn more then.

Mamu has shared with me a little bit about stabilizers and sent me a good link http://www.embroiderthis.com/stknhowch.html to look at and we talked a little bit about thread.

Anyway was wondering what some of you do with it...embroider tea or bath towels? Pillow cases, or embroider clothing?
Red work? What your favorite threads to use with what, and so on.

My mom has a babyloc Esante`, it was too much for her to learn...for the most part it sits and collects dust. I've started going over there and am currently using it to do the month names on the Tisket Tasket Basket. Her's has the removable emboridery bed that kind of plugs into her machine at the base.
Her machine has no hard drive I don't think I can utilize anything but these small floppy discs which makes the machine unable to download upgrades or of the free embroidery I've seen on the web. From what I understand that there are several types of files you can download, I think each may be specific to a machine or manufacturer.
I'm sure someone else knows more than me...my knowlege is extremely limited on this.
Here's a pic of a machine like my moms with the embroidery unit attached.

Schook, have I got a quilt for you. I was on vacation this last week in Naples, FL and found a local shop. SEW Studio. they had a quilt on display that was so cute. It was elephants. You used fabric and the embroidery machine to make the blocks. The embroidery created shading and satin stitch around the fabric. The elephants were all different, facing this way and that, some with 2 elephants, some with 1 elephant and some with a baby elephant.

I have been googling like crazy trying to find a sample, but can't. I'll keep searching.

I haven't been too excited about embroidery machines until I saw this quilt. It was incredibly cute.

Oh my that sounds so cute...I sure hope you will be able to find a picture of it! I forgot what type of embroidery machine do you have Luvsquilting.

I don't have an embroidery machine. I'm really thinking about it though. I think a mid-arm with frame would be first on my list though.

I bought my Janome last fall and traded it in this spring. I used it 3-4 times. I really thought I'd use it more, but didn't. It was sitting there collecting dust. I'd rather have a HQ16 longarm machine. I think I'd use it more since I enjoy quilting. But for now I'm not even interested in getting that.


memaw4

I like you didn't think I would use it much, and to tell the truth, I haven't used it much...still learning how to. I would love to have a LA machine, but at last, this was about 1/4 of the price...so I will be working hard at learning how to use my machine. Or sending them out for LAquilting...I could take a class at our LQS for 100.00 and learn how to use theirs then rent it once in a while for a 4 hour at a time slot. I am not sure which way to go on that one yet.

Any way, back to embroidery machines...I was told to use an Iron off stabilizer on top of towels when embroidering them, which it keeps the pokies stuff form coming out of the towels. In addition, that it last a lot longer. Therefore, I guess, I will try those once I learn how to make my computer to machine work right. It is kind of fun, and then there are embroideries of old style quilt blocks that I would be fun to do.

Good luck Schnookie on your embroidery machine. I was told to use stablizer behind my project, but I think they all are somewhat different. There are so many different ones out there that I guess you just need to try them all and then go with the one you like best. Of course different fabrics require different stablizers.

In our LQS you take lessons on a HQ16 for $20.00 then when you want to use it for 1 hour they take and use the money you spent on learning. So I guess you really just get to use it for free! I like that kinda of deal. They told me you could learn in about 2 hours! I'm going to go sometime and learn and then maybe someday I might invest in one, but it's not high on my priority list right now.

Hubby and I were talking again tonight about another house..(more room for a LA later on down the road......but don't tell him!) :lipssealed: :others-164:


memaw4

:others-164:

Ohooo, my lips are :others-164: too! He won't get it out of me that is for sure! Oh, dreaming of that LAMachine....

I have a bernina with an embroidery attachment. Until just recently I have use either the designs that came with my machine or purchased them. I have just started doing my own designs which I used to quilt my basket quilt. It's in my album if you would like to see it. There is a lot to learn but I am having a lot of fun learning!

Charal, I cannot seem to find the picture of your basket quilt...am I looking into the gallery under your name? Yes it is a lot of fun, to learn what that special machine can do...so far I am just learning how to set up a embroidery design on the computer and trying to send it to my machine...got it once then couldn't do it again, then got it once more. Now to set it up to actualy embroider something!

sorry schnookie....it's under UFO's for 2009....

Been there, done that..with transferring designs......I tend to use isacord thread when I embroider. And stabilizers....golly there are so many. Depends on the project where I use a cut away, tear away or wash away.......

I saw an episode of Sewing with Nancy recently and they showed some sticky faced stabilizer, you just put only the stabilizer in the hoop and stick the fabric to the sticky side (up) of the stabilizer...I'm betting that is some expensive stabilizer, but they suggest that the hoop "bruises" the fabric and you don't get burn out on your fabric from the hoop. I guess if I had some real fine fabric I might want to do that.

That is interresting, a sticky stabilizer, by the way what is (Burn out on your fabrics)...never heard that term before, but then I am so new to this embroidery thing.

The burn refers to damage done to the fabric caused by the hoop, as it might stretch or mar the fabric.

Here's a little tutorial on the sticky stuff...sulky makes it

http://www.windstarembroidery.com/embroidery-information.cfm?File=Hooping

Wow, this is very good info, and makes it easy to understand...Thank you CC for the link I made a bookmark folder called Embroidery Info. just to put things like this in it... Now I can go back and review it many many times! Until I get the hang of it myself.

The little clown is too cute, don't you think...and I hate clowns, they always have :affraid: scared me...but that one is cute! :)

I just got on to this topic today ( well...I've been away from this site for awhile) but i bought a Viking SE over a year ago & have the 5D program and have done a lot on it, but not as much as I'd like. For towels you should use the water soluble stabilizer..on top. And yes...the ALL are costly.....but you get a lot out of them. I made chefs aprons for every one on my Christmas list last year...young and old. I don't know how much you have searched for patterens but I like the http://www.emblibrary.com site...they have great patterns and great SALES

Some lovely designs there Georgie, Im glad you are having so much fun with your machine, I think a few of the ladies here have embroidery capabilities. In your avatar, is that a photo at your place, I love the watering can idea, its so cool!

GIMMPY....I was here a few years ago, but with working 40 hours & everything else, I didn't check in, I was on another small fourm. And no, that avartar is not at myhome...yet, found this neat site on FB ..they have some of the most awsome ideas.
Memaw...best hurry & getyour machine..missing oout on a whole lot of fun...just make sure you get FREE lesons
I ppostedd some of my things on the Web shots...but have many more

Glad you have you back Georgie, the watering can really is a neat idea, imagine them painted in different colours!

georgie, enjoyed your web pictures... nice quilts...

Memaw the link is under her signature but to save you time, here it is

Gerogies webshots album