Machine Embroidery - Free Hand or Totally By Machine?

Hi Candide,

I can imagine your frustration! I have an upscale SM with a huge number of built in fancy stitches and 2 alphabets. It is a Husqvarna Platinum Plus - the TOTL non-embroidery machine.

I ended up buying this machine because I have never been one for over decorated clothing, prefering understatement, but I love the look of heirloom sewing and wanted more options than I'd had previously, so this was the machine for me.

The machine I have would certainly do that for you, but this is what I have noticed, that you may want to consider before upgrading:-

Using the built in fonts, you can only get the text / fancy sticthes as big as your needle total swing (or to put it another way - the size of the hole in the zig-zag presser foot). To do anything bigger you would need to go back to freehand satin stitch - my machine does at least have an auto taper feature for that! - and the width of the satin stitch is also under the same limitations.

I would think to do larger monograms on a regular basis, you are probably going to need a different machine - but I have no knowldge in that area!

I do love my machine and there are any number of ways round the limitations and the largest text size it produces is certainly fine for the usage I want from it.

HTH,

Sarah

Are you sure you don't have the Platinum 770? The Platinum Plus, like its successor the 950, has embroidery capability. As a trade-off, it has fewer stitches than the 770.

gwh

Candide,

If you only need a monogramming capability, it may be possible to fit your Pfaff with a mechanical monogrammer. My Viking 'Sew Easy' (the 200 series) has all the stitches I need but it's a basic model and it doesn't monogram. I took the chance of buying a Janome "Alphabet Stitch" monogramming attachment and found it is perfectly compatible with my low shank machine. For a two letter monogram, it's easier than the Singer monogrammer because it's set up mechanically to keep the letters in alignment; for more than two letters, you have to line it up yourself. The experiment cost me about $30 and I figured it it was a failure I could always offer it on eBay.

You'd probably need to find a used one. I don't think any manufacturers are turning out new mechanical monogrammers. I'm enough of a Luddite that I prefer a machine that I understand. Electronic circuitry make the fancier new machines very nice to use but they're likely to fail sooner than the mechanical machines, some of which are well into their second century and still stitching.

Max

towels,

manufacturers

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! Please keep em coming!

Saw a mechanical type monogramer/embroidery doodad on eBay several months ago, but let it pass as thought it would be yet something else that would lie about unused. Drat!!!!!!

Candide

I think your Pfaff is a low shank machine. That means there is a good chance that attachments made for a low shank machine will fit. Sometimes you can make some little adaption. For example the fork on the Greist buttonholer that's supposed to hold onto the needle screw won't fit on some machines but it works just fine if the entire fork is set above the needle screw. You may need to change your needle from center to left or right so the attachment doesn't interefere with the operation of your machine by, for example, running into the needle bar during part of its work. But if your machine is completely satisfactory except for the monogramming capability, this is a good, inexpensive option.

Keep watching eBay. Something will turn up eventually. Also watch the thrift stores.

Max

Eeek! Indeed, apologies to all, my brain is scrambled these days :( I do indeed have the Platinum 770, not the Platinum Plus. Thanks for spotting the error!

Sarah

If you have a good sewing machine that does everything you want (except monograms), you might take a look at an embroidery-only machine like the Janome 300E. It has monogram capability and several fonts "built in".

gwh