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all KINDS of questions! (long)

Hello, everyone! I am Mary, and since my 18-month-old baby girl was born I have become completely addicted to sewing. The embroidery bug seems to have bitten me, and since this Christmas it's my turn for a big "toy," I'm trying to research the baffling array of embroidery machines out there.

You guys are such a helpful list and very welcoming to newbies. I've been keeping lists of all my questions as I've been researching, so I'd like to spit them all out and see if anyone has answers to any of them.

I have a new sewing machine, so I'm not terribly inclined to spend a lot of extra money on a combined embroidery/sewing machine -- unless the embroidery quality of those machines is superior to the embroidery-only machines. I don't care one way or the other for Disney. I would like to be able to digitize my own designs someday (take a cute children's print fabric and make an embroidered motif that matches, for example), but I have no idea what that entails -- from what I've been reading, it requires a Box, an extra type of card, and a software program for your computer? I've read about PE-Design, Origin(?), and Embird, with or without a read/write box to go with depending on whether your machine takes floppies (have I got that right so far?).

With a "little" (embroidery-only) machine: Is there much of a difference between the Amazing, Magic, and Ultimate boxes? You use them all to download free designs, put them onto a card, and then you just stick the card into your embroidery machine, right? When you've used 6 designs, you just delete them all from the card and start over?

But if you want to draw your own design, or photocopy one, or write your kid's name or something, then you also have to buy a software program like PE-D Basic, and then write to the card from there? Just want to make sure I'm getting all this right.

And none of them are compatible with a Mac, only PC?

For those who have seen both in person, or who have upgraded from one of the embroidery-only machines to one of the expensive combo machines, is the quality of the embroidery much better? I know that the big machines can do a far bigger hoop area. If you took, for example, a Brother card and stitched a flower on both machines, could you tell the difference side by side?

Is there a big difference in quality between the Brother PE 150v and

180D? Or is it just the extras?

Is there a big difference between the PC versions (6500,8500) and the ULT ones? Or is the major difference that the sewing machine is improved, but the embroidery looks the same?

I'm just a muddled newbie hoping for some opinions. Our budget is flexible. Thanks so much for even reading tghis far!

Mary

Reply to
Mary S.
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Whatever one you decide on----------Stick with Brother. They are the most user-friendly, and are the best engineered machines out there..........Take it slow on the Software--------you may find you don't need it. ALSO, get a machine that takes floppy discs!!!

Reply to
Pat

I will have to agree with that as far as the Brother ULT2001-3 line goes. I am very pleased with ours. Embroiders great, sews great but the conversion can be a little cumbersome.

I will second the floppy idea As far as q-uality of embroidery goes, I have never heard of a machine that does poor embroidery, even the $300 ones. The money is all in the "human interface" and I believe Brother has the best.

there..........Take

Reply to
Gymmie Bob

Thanks for the replies so far. So it doesn't sound like you get "prettier stitching" as you go on up the line. The only difference in how the various machines embroider is the size design they are able to stitch. That's very helpful.

Mary

Reply to
Mary S.

Mary, I have an 8500D and LOVE it!!! I have only really missed the larger hoop of the ult machine only a few times and could always get by without. If you are serious about embroidery buy a machine with a 5x7 field at least. You may think a 4x4 is enough, but you will soon find yourself wanting the larger field. The boxes I think are all pretty much the same. I use my Pe Design box and I have to say I miss the fact that my Amazing box (sold to my sister) was nicer for the fact it converted automatically to the version I needed for my machine. What I Love about the Pe Design box is the amount that the card holds. Now the newer Amazing and Ultimate boxes may hold more now, but before all I could put was 6 designs on the card. I hope this helps you some. Eliza

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Reply to
PKD

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