Embroidery Machines

[RosieM]

Hi, I'm thinking of buying an embroidery machine for my business and I wondered if anyone can give me any advice. Does anyone else here use one? Initially what I want to do is design a cross stitch design for a hand stitch kit but use the machine to stitch up my sample to save me time. I need the machine to use the correct type of cross stitch so it looks like it has been hand stitched. I know this can be done because I've seen samples on the net. Does the file created by the Machine Cross Stitch program by DPSoftware instruct the machine as to the correct type of cross stitch to use ie from one corner straight to the other corner and to use two strands of thread (I had a demonstration of the Janome Memory Craft 11000 and the stitch went through the fabric in the middle of the cross but it did use two strands of thread). I've also seen the Brother PR600, but only on the net, not in person. The Janome is not heavy duty/commercial but the Brother is. I do eventually want to utilise the other embroidery options but to start with I'm more interested in the cross stitching. Are there any other machines people use here?

The other thing I wondered is whether the embroidery machines use the same palette as the hand stitching. I know that the stranded cotton cones from DMC and Anchor cannot be used on the machine, there is proper machine thread for that. But do they have the same colours available?

Any advice/help would be extremely appreciated

Thanks
Rosie

[DPSoftware]

I don't claim to be an expert on embroidery machines but I will tell you what I know.

The colours of machine embroidery thread are different to hand cross stitch threads so you will not get an exact match. There is a thread comparison chart at http://www.sherio.com although I have not tried it out. Also if you take a design in Cross Stitch Professional with DMC hand stitch colours and change to a machine thread range, it will automatically select the closest colour and show the result on the screen. You can also use the multiple colour schemes feature to keep both the original and machine colour sets in the design simultaneously.

For machines, the main advantage of the industrial ones are the larger hoop area and the ability to use multiple needles to thread different colours at the same time. This means you can leave it running without having to stop and re-thread after every colour. If the design is bigger than the hoop size you will likely find it impossible to align correctly with cross stitch. General embroidery stitching is less critical in alignment as you can overlap areas slightly but if cross stitch is not aligned perfectly, it doesn't look right.

The brother industrial looks quite good but I have not used one. I have a used Toyota Expert 830 which is an industrial machine with 9 needles. You can try somewhere like Y.E.S embroidery who often have used industrial machines. Many of them are based on the same basic machine and the company also sell new industrials and service machines - based in the UK. http://www.yesltd.co.uk

The algorithms used to create the crosses will vary depending on the software you use. The algorithm is critical to the final effect you get since it has a great effect on the tension of the fabric which must be kept as even as possible to minimise pulling it out of alignment. Pulling creates gaps between stitches because the fabric has moved in the hoop but the machine doesn' know that and keeps stitching in the original designed location. Our software has had extensive work to try and even out tension by stitching parts of crosses in specific order. All machine cross stitch will have some stitching to the center of a cross as its impossible for a machine to get from one arm of a cross to the other without going down the middle. If the algorithm is done correctly then there should be as many as possible full corner to corner stitches and these should tend to be the top-most stitches in as many cases as possible. Some surface corner to center stitches are unavoidable. Our software allows setting the number of strands but you may need more than for hand stitching if you use the same stitch size due to the difference in thread thickness. You have to use an even number of strands to ensure the machine can get back to its starting point without leaving jump stitches for every stitch (which would have to be cut out by hand)

If you are trying to produce kit front covers then do look at the view in frame feature of our software which creates a digital image of the simulated cross stitch. In many cases this will be more effective than a picture of a machine stitched design. Also remember that a machien stitched design will be on plain material and not the traditional Aida or Evenweave fabrics used by hand stitches. The simulated pictures produced by the software can be on Aida or Evenweave too.

If you want life sized models for exhibition display then look at the Publisher edition and an inkjet printer big enough for your largest design. This combination can print directly a life-sized stitched simulation which you can mount and frame. I have sold many kits and charts using these models although I no longer sell designs.

[RosieM]

Hi Dave

Thank you so much for your response, it was immensely helpful. I will most definitely be checking out the links you gave me. The website I saw that had the machine cross stitch patterns is http://www.machinecrossstitch.com/. They don't do any design software but they do sell completed digitized patterns for sale and they really do look like they've been hand stitched.

I'm interested in an industrial rather than a home machine because I want to expand my business into the embroidery area not just cross stitch and I need a heavy duty one that can cope, so your advice on that was also very useful

I will most definitely use your machine cross stitch program rather than any other because I have been using your hand cross stitch program for years and am very comfortable with it and love using it.

Thank you so much for your help

Rosie

[DPSoftware]

You should get at least as good as that with our software and a good machine. The important thing is to stabilise the material well and try different brands of thread until you get one you like. There is quite a lot of difference between the results of different threads and materials.

[nancyhacildo]

try to start your business with 3-4 units of embroidery machine. At least you can test of you will profit to it. Remember, All big thing begins in small things.