Home Embroidery

Hello All,

Does anyone here use a embroidery machine? Is it's a convertible sew/embroidery or a semi pro embroidery only machine? I have used several brands over the past 10 years of quilt making. The embroidery came in when I wanted custom labels for the quilts. Baby Lock, Pfaff, Brother, Singer are the brands I have used. While Baby Lock and Brother are the exact same machines, Baby's have the higher pricing, and better quality control. The lids look different but the accessories are interchangeable. I do prefer the Pfaff for quilt making/piecing. Perfect stitches and plenty of piercing power. Jeans and thick fabrics aren't a problem, I have given up grabbing the fly wheel to assist the machine with making it through seam lines on my pants for a simple hem.
I recently purchased my first embroidery only machine and love it! I have a Brother Innov-is ND4000D that sews like a dream, quiet operation, and a feature rich touch panel with all the goodies. I use a mouse to control the touch panel very cool! Let's see a Singer, Pfaff, Janome, do that!

Anyone else have convertible machine they like? Hate? Why?
I always consider user error first and repairmen that will tell to get a new machine instead of telling you they don't know how to fix it.

Comments? Thoughts?

Kelly
San Diego, CA

I have the Brother Innovis 900D, which is a 4x4 combo machine. HATE. It sits in my closet and I pull it out for embroidery only.  I've considered selling it but we do use it to put names and initials on gifts and things like that, plus it's probably not worth much.

I've had it fixed and aligned 2 or 3 times and still the same problems.  Partly, I think, because it is a low-shank machine with snap on feet but that thing is completely unable to feed fabric in a straight line (even with fighting with it to guide along the edge of the presser foot) and it does not do well with multiple layers. The zipper foot is also goofy - it's made to go on either side so it is twice as wide, defeating the purpose of a zipper foot. The regular foot also has a knob on the side that constantly gets stuck on the fabric. I also dislike it starting in the far left position, but that's personal preference.

I have a baby Bernina that works much better, without any of the fancy bells and whistles of the Brother, which has the automatic cut, computerized programmable stitches and even tells you when the bobbin is low.  But if it doesn't sew right, what do those features get you?

Maybe I got a lemon? Except I've had it in for service MULTIPLE times and it behaved like this right out of the box so it's nothing that I did. It works fine with embroidery for the most part. I have to say that I'm annoyed you have to buy like the $4000 Bernina to get the automatic cut, though

I have Husqvarna-Viking Diamond which is a convertible sewing/embroidery machine.  Love, love, love it.  I tell people it is important to have someone that can service your machine handy.  My machine is two years old now and still sews like a dream -- had to have the thread cutting blades changed and the timing checked once; otherwise it has been a great love affair.   I do alot of appliques and monograms for people, as well as, making children's clothing.

I just got a Brother Innovis 900D (like yorkiemischief).  I've only had it a short time, but it's worked great for me.  I bought it from a friend (who also never had trouble).

It feeds well and sews great so far.  I even sewed a top out of charmeuse and it worked quite well (it was even better after I read more of the manual...)

My mom has a Janome Memory Craft (totally awesome machine), but she never went back to take the class from the store to learn how to use the embroidery features.  That drives me batty!  It's like buying a Ferrari and never driving over 30 mph.

On a side note to yorkiemischief...  You can go into settings and change your starting needle position.  I found this by accident and changed it to center.  But my old machine (also a Brother) starts far left and now I'm totally thrown off.  I may have to change it back.