Machine embroidery - please help a novice!

[Fink]

I'm looking to buy an embroidery machine as a treat, but I have some questions. I know they're stupid, I've never done any embroidery so I have no idea what I'm talking about - I thought an anonymous forum would be the perfect place to ask!

I only/principally want to embroider my own designs, not pre-downloaded ones (I might later get into it and use pre-programmed designs on dd's clothes, but this is further down the line and not an issue in the purchasing decision).

When they have the maximum size as so and so square - do I measure the area/perimeter/longest size? I know roughly what size shapes I want to do so this will be a deciding factor in the purchase.

Are there any machines which are better/cheaper in terms of the overall package - so the machine and the accessories all together rather than just a cheaper machine? Is there anything people would recommend? As cheap as possible, although I realise I am going to have to spend a bit. No set budget.

How hard is it to programme a new design (which I would already have in digital format, e.g. jpeg) and then to actually embroider it? Is this going to be way beyond my skill level or is it relatively easy? I sew a bit but tend to stick to the same settings on the machine for everything and just do straight lines or the occasional zig zag so I am nobody's expert!

What accessories do I actually need (I have got so much crafty crap around the house from meandering about Hobbycraft and the like thinking I could use that, and half the time I use the thing once or twice, sometimes never at all)?

Any other advice?

Thanks for any input.

Shamelessly bumping, but also to add that I don't need anything that can do loads of colours at once (I see some models seem to have multiple threads on top), one or two would be fine.

Anyone?

I have no useful advice Fink, but I didn't like to leave your pleas unanswered, esp as this is the best section of mnet imho!

I would go to two shops, two physical shops and ask their opinion, even if you can only find one you could go to a JL for comparison.

Then google something like how to choose an embroidery machine - lots of results like this. Read lots and ask as many suppliers as you can manage.

What about going to a show? There is a huge one in the NEC called stitch and craft, and probably others in other locations. You'd be able to see and test the machines and ask questions to the distributors and manufacturers?

Aww, thank you both for coming to my rescue! They both sound like good plans. I'm on the look out for shops in my local area, my go-to crafty place has recently closed. But I do live in London so it shouldn't be too hard to find somewhere else, I hope.

My first post. To answer your questions: If you want to embroider your own designs you will need software. I have a Janome mc350 and mc 500 which came with Janome software, (Digitizer Jr) as a package. There are three types of software. I have Digitizer Jr which is about £250 and is pretty basic but you can do lots with it and is good for entry level. The next is the full blown package and this can cost anywhere up to £3k but is usually around £1200 - £2000. Then there is the free software. If you look online you will see loads. But they may not give you the facility to make your own designs.

Digitizer Jr will read your jpeg and convert it to an embroidery design but unless the jpeg has simple and clear outlines it may not be satisfactory.

The learning curve is steep but if you are persistent it can be learned fairly quickly if you are ok with computer programs. However, if you have no previous experience you will be learning the software and the machine at the same time. Be prepared for tears. But it obviously can be done.

Regarding the design size, this would depend on your machine and you should go for the make that offers the biggest hoops. Whatever the size of hoop, your design will be smaller than the hoop size.

Accessories? Most come with the machine. But you will need embroidery thread, stabiliser and the usual sewing tools.

In your shoes, I would look online (youtube) there are loads of videos on there that will show you how to make your own designs. I would go to your local independent sewing machine seller and ask for a demonstration. For what you want to do, I think the bugbear will be making your own designs. The "essentials" software may not give you what you want and the full package is very expensive. They only way to find out is to try. You will need the "essentials" software anyway and when you have played for a while you will be in a better position to know what is next. Start small and grow.

Hopefully I can help, my biggest piece of advice here is that's it's more complicated than you are thinking!

You can pick up a cheap single. Wesley second hand machine from £500 upwards, for some of these the largest hoop design will be 4 by 4 some 5 by 7.

Creating your own designs is a whole different ball game- there are lots of different types of software out there sew what pro, janome digitiser, Wilcom and pe design are a few of those. Of those softwares they all have levels so around £200 would get you something you could add text in and move around a design and auto digitize , £1000 plus will get you a software you can actually create your own designs stitch by stitch- this is difficult!! It's takes years to learn to create designs well and most embroiderers will pay someone to do this for them. It's really not as simple as drawing something out or copying an image from a clip art.

On top of the machine costs you will also neee to add stabiliser, thread, bobbins and other sundries too.

Thanks a lot to both of you, plenty of food for thought.

For clarity, I already have jpeg pictures which I'd like to use. I sew church vestments and I'd like to be able to decorate them as well, with e.g. a cross, our community logo etc. I think 5" x 7" would do (although ideally I'd like bigger, I don't think it's worth the increased cost).

Does this sound feasible? Completely out of my depth? Hard but doable?

The difficultly is that a jpeg isn't the right format- so you would need to either digitize yourself or pay for it to be done-so he first option is years of skill and a very expensive program :)

Oh, so I guess it's a non starter then . That's a real shame. Most of the specialist ecclesiastical shops won't embroider onto items they haven't made in house (even when it's standard designs they already use) and all the companies I found locally offering embroidery were mainly dealing with t-shirt logos etc. I wasn't sure I could trust them with ££££ worth of fabric to work on.

It's a difficult one- embroidery is my business and whilst I will embroider customers own items I'll always put in a disclaimer that we won't be held responsible for any damage to your items during the process. Unfortunately the machines can go wrong easily- bobbins get stuck, fabric catches up, items fall out of hoops etc and whist we all go to every length to stop it (I pretty much stand over customers own items!) it does happen and most of us won't take your own things on for that reason- I can replace my items at cost price :)

Would getting iron on patches made with the embroidery designs you want be an option? Etsy might be an option for that.