kwendt

Ok... grin... I’m totally new to machine embroidery. I just was gifted an older EMB machine. I was going to put it (minus the EMB arm) in my Horn cabinet, in place of my regular sewer. (My serger lives on my right hand side, table next to me). Thought I would use the one machine, putting the EMB arm on and off as needed. But!

But now I see ppl actually keep Both a reg sew and an EMB machine set up to use at same time???? What about if you have a serger? Keep all three set up? Maybe move serger to a further away table, keep the Emb and Sew machines close at hand? Or keep the Emb machine further away?

So I’m asking what’s Your preferred sew room workspace set up? What works and why? Where do you put it? Behind you? To the side?

I’m jumping from a 30 year old Janome and Antique Singers.... to a Babylock Ellegante. It’s got controls like an aircraft carrier! It’s huge, it’s Scary! Lol. Local BL dealer promises to help teach me... even tho I didn’t buy it new from them.

Rhonda K

You will love having an EMB machine. It's great that you have support from your local dealer. If you have space keep them all set up. Perhaps a "U" shape if the room allows. You can swivel your chair to the needed machine.

Quilter 53

I like to set my embroidery machine separate from my other machines. I have it set up on a smaller sturdy table all by itself. All the things I need for embroidery are within reach. There is a lot of vibration when embroidering and I thought the sturdier table would be better. Also if I sit right there and watch it stitch out, I get mesmerized watching it and don't get anything else done.
My main table (10 feet?) has my main machine, my serger and a straight stitch machine in the middle between them. I frequently have my daughters sew with me so this way everybody has a spot to work. I recently put a shorter table at a right angle to my main machine and have found I use it a lot! Just yesterday I slid the straight stitch machine over on the short table and used it to stitch the basting stitches needed when gathering the top of sleeves I'm putting in shirts.
I realize not everyone has the same size space to work with that I do, but I think once you try it one way, if it works, Great! If not, don't be afraid to move it all around and try something else.
After sewing on various kitchen tables over a 34 year period, I started setting up my attic as my studio. I've been working up there for the last 14 years and I'm still trying new set ups.
Excuse the mess. I'm in the middle of assembly line sewing costumes for an upcoming Renaissance Faire.
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sorry they are all sideways.

kwendt

Wow, Quilter! That’s an awesome attic space... and I love the vintage machines. Thank you for the tip about high vibration. Had not thought of that, but makes sense. Thank you. Have fun at Athens Ren Faire!

kwendt

Rhonda, yes I think it will be fun. U shape is an idea for sure. Will mean I have to flip my Huge horn cutting/sew table 180 degrees. Lol.

Macybaby

I have my "in use" machines set up in a row. I can slide the Emb machine down if I need more room for things like sewing on bindings at the Juki (straight stitch machine).



I also have an older pfaff emb machine sitting on an even older Singer cabinet past the serge - so I can use that if I need a swing needle machine while the Babylock emb machine is in use.

My LA is out in it's own shed, no room for it in the house.

romanojg

I have two emb machines and my serger. On one side of my sewing desk is my big emb machine with arm and over to the side is the serger. One the other side of my sewing desk is my other emb machine. That one can not sew with the arm on so I have to take it on and off when I need to sew or emb. It works for me.

Stitchnripper

I don’t use my serger often enough to want it out all the time but I have it in a closet where I can easily grab it when I need it. No issues regarding lifting it.

kwendt

Thanks everyone. Great point, stitchnripper. I thought about how often I use that serger... lots! And so...I decided to leave it set up ready to go. After some measuring.. I put the Ellegante on top of an old Kenmore sewing ‘desk’, after putting down a towel, then a laminate shelf over the top. I found that the machine didn’t sit quite right... there was a slight ‘bow’ in the middle of the old cabinet! I’ve got it across the room from me... leaving my regular stitcher, serger set up like it is.

I love how several of you use the old singers in your set ups as baste-ers, piece-ers. Unfortunately I don’t quite have that much room.

So... Set up the machine, tried my first design ... after the fourth thread change... it started acting funny. Before I could figure out how to stop it... the needle broke. Not the bobbin thread, either. My baby lock dealer JUST serviced it and gave me new bobbin cases. (Yes, the Embroidery bobbin case is in the machine, lol.) I know it was either a old needle, my error, thread or maybe unlevel??? I’m gonna go with old needle and my error! Lol

Today I’ll try again, after double checking with manual that I’m doing things right. And putting in a new needle of course. This thing is amazing.

Thanks again... you all give me courage to use this scary thing!

Rhonda K

The thread may have come off the spool wrong. When it gets caught like that the thread breaks. So now you have to also watch thread unwind. LOL.

You're doing great!