I have just bought a Baby Lock Flourish machine. I am looking for a software program so I can be able to use my purchased designs and add lettering to it. Will also be using it to write out quilt labels si I need something that has a good font or lettering part. Thanks so much.

There are many embroidery machine softwares out there, ranging from free to several thousand dollars. if you have a Mac computer then Embrilliance is the only software that runs native on a Mac. Embird is another inexpensive one. Wings My Editor is a free one that seems to be getting more popular. Every major machine brand has their own software, though it's usually expensive. Wilcom Truesizer is free but has limited functions. Wilcom also has more expensive versions. John Deere's Hatch is very good but expensive. These are just the first ones that come to mind.

Cari

1. Ihave used Embird since it came out for my editing and lettering - and have upgraded it several times.

2. I love the magnetic hoop - I have used it with regular embroidery and the Edge to Edge Embroidery for Quilting. Much quicker than trying to use a regular hoop to do any quilting.

3. It seems like none of my Yahoo groups regarding embroidery are very active - does anyone participate - or even just read - an active yahoo group (or some other web group) that involves embroidery?

Just wanted to show you all my wall hanging I just finished. It is a Lunch Box Pattern called Sew Vintage by Angela Steveson She has a lot of great pattern. they are machine Applique.

I belong to 2 Yahoo embroidery groups and neither one are very active. One seems to have lapsed into mostly ads and the other, MCEmbroidery, gets a few sporadic massages once in a while. I belong to one very active FB group, Machine Embroidery Help, sponsored by Allstitch.net, but I'm growing weary of it. It was very good in the beginning with a lot of experienced people helping others but lately it seem to be more and more inexperienced people giving bad advice to other inexperienced people. I've been doing this for 5 years and still consider myself a novice but experienced enough to have the basics down.

Cari

I really like this!

Cari

JuanitaBean, I love your wall hanging!

[QUOTE=Cari-in-Oly;7747907]I belong to 2 Yahoo embroidery groups and neither one are very active. One seems to have lapsed into mostly ads and the other, MCEmbroidery, gets a few sporadic massages once in a while. I belong to one very active FB group, Machine Embroidery Help, sponsored by Allstitch.net, but I'm growing weary of it. It was very good in the beginning with a lot of experienced people helping others but lately it seem to be more and more inexperienced people giving bad advice to other inexperienced people. I've been doing this for 5 years and still consider myself a novice but experienced enough to have the basics down.

I wish there was a good group too. I belong to two yahoo groups but I can never access pictures or reply to one person or ask a question and get an answer. Yahoo is always being hacked which scares me to even use it. This site is good but it is a jumbled mess. 350 pages, over 3000 messages/comments. How can you ever hope to find anything or get a question answered. It is worse than my pattern box!:( Have I complained enough? Sorry. I would start a new great one if I knew how! Let me know when you find a group of your dreams!!

I do too! It is a beauty! Your studio looks quite nice also! I went to you profile page and you have many beautiful items. Now there is another great project to add to your collection. Good for you!

With so much participation lately, I'm liking this group on this thread on the QB. If we all keep chiming in with questions, answers, examples, and so forth, maybe it will take the place of the old Yahoo! groups.

we just have to be active enough to keep it in the lime light!!

Thank you Cari, sewred and mary

Exactly! If someone posts something at least everyday, the thread will show up very regularly on the "Main" list of topics. Who knows how many other embroidery-interested folks we'll engage?

I have 2 types of magnetic hoops. The Viking comes with 4 magnets, I purchased 4 more. Using all eight worked fine. The other hoop I purchased a Monster Snap Hoop at Nancy's Notions is recommended for heavy applications. There's also a plain Snap Hoop that's not as strong.

I would love this! I am really having fun with embroidery and would like to see more conversations, pics, tips, etc.

pattypurple, you might try using sticky stabilizer for quilting. you hoop the stabilizer, cut off the paper exposing the tacky paper and place your quilt down on it, no need for the top hoop, it helps a lot. Especially if you are emb on fabric like velvet or others that tend to have marks left on them due to the hoop. This helps with the thickness, you can still put a few pins on the quilt around the hoop outside of the embroidery area. Hope this helps

I embrodiered some beautiful burp cloths for a gift. Would you believe I forgot to take pictures and it is all wrapped up and packaged off. I am going to try to post more here. It is good to share ideas and pictures with each other.

I tried sticky once and it was terrible to try getting off after quilting. Now I know there is water soluble sticky. Haven't tried that yet

I found this one you can make. Don't know anything about it but it is something I would have the materials on hand to make myself. http://so-sew-easy.com/non-slip-sewi...oot-pedal-pad/

A thought: Do you all think we'd attract a wider audience to this thread if we changed its name a bit? While beginning with "Embroidery Machines" (or "Machine Embroidery) is fine, I think we should drop the "Let's chat and have fun" in favor of something like "A place to ask questions, share knowledge, share successful projects, and help one another." (Please feel free to word-smith!)

I've subscribed to this thread for quite a while (2+ years?), and the words I've written (above) describe my experience pretty well. What words would describe your experience - or the experience you would like?

A good idea. Machine Embroidery is what I have always looked for. I have learned much by reading this thread. I don't offer back much because I've so much to learn!!

I have a Janome 11000 which I have had for some years and have used very little. I am hoping to get to use it this year and learn more about machine embroidery which in the past has been daunting to me. Any help will be gratefully accepted. This is the first time I have posted so I hope it is in the right place.

I just saw this past weekend that with in the next month or so Brother is coming out with some affordable machines, one is an embroidery/sewing machine. Not sure the hoop size but its under 400, pretty good for a brother. They are trying to make is easier on the quilter/sewer to get a decent machine when you can't or don't want to spend a fortune on a machine. Great idea as far as I'm concerned.

Brother has always had affordable lines of machines and there's been embroidery machines and combo sewing/embroidery machines at this price point for a while. On line shopping can get you just about anything at an affordable price.

Cari

I have a Janome 300E that has started making all kinds of noises when I try to stitch out a design. I am wondering if it would be advisable to have it serviced and fixed, or get a new machine. I have had this machine for years and it has stitched beautifully and it has done lots and lots of work for me. I am wondering if it is just worn out?

[QUOTE=Cari
These are new out or will be out shortly. I have both Viking and Brother for different reasons and each has things the other doesn't that I love. Now my serger, its Babylock and I love it.

Can anyone help with my question?

sounds good to me. sharing is what it is all about.

Yes it's worth taking for a service if you can't do it yourself. It needs to be cleaned and oiled once in a while. It's still a popular machine even though it's not made any more.

Cari

sounds good to me. sharing is what it is all about.

Thanks Cari. I have kept it well maintained, regular cleaning and oiling but I cannot fix the hoop carriage arm. Thank you for your response.

I have a Bernina and take it in once a year to be serviced by the dealer and have never had a problem with it. I keep it cleaned and oiled between times myself but the dealer makes sure things are working as they should. They also give it a deeper cleaning. So service for me is very important.

Have you tried to do any type of embroidery? I suggest an easy pattern to start with. It took me a long time to become comfortable with this thing we do.

Rhonda Lee,

What patterns do you suggest? (What makes one pattern easy and another difficult?)

I am just getting into embroidery. I have Anita Goodesigns. Are there other well digitized ones?

I decided to upgrade my machine after getting to demo the Janome 500E. After doing some research the 500E has had some issues with tension, right out of the box. I found this to be true with the one I got. After working to figure this out I merely changed the bobbin from what the dealer had given me, Janome prewound bobbins. Well that was the problem. I changed back to the cheaper prewounds that I had used before and the stitch is beautiful, with no adjustments at all. This is good info for those that are having these tension problems.

Patski, Those are good designs but there are many good digitizers online that have very reasonably priced designs. Embroidery Library, Amazing Designs, Etsy has hundreds of digitizers, Planet Appliqué for appliqué and the list is endless really.

This is the first I have heard about tension problems with the 500e. I've had mine for over a year with never a problem. I've used the Janome pre wounds as well as winding my own bobbins in all 3 of my Janome machines. The key with the 500e is using the proper bobbin case for the weight of thread you're using.

Cari

Cari,

Will you please write more about proper bobbin cases for thread weight? I didn't know this was a thing.

Okay, I'm specifically talking about the Janome 500e. It's the only machine I have that came with two bobbin cases. One has a yellow dot on it, that one is for regular embroidery, i.e.- whatever top thread you use and 60wt bobbin thread. The unmarked bobbin case(the one that comes in the machine, I don't know why) has less tension and is for heavier thread such as when you use the same thread top and bottom doing free standing lace.

Cari