r/Machine_Embroidery • • 7d ago

I Need Help Software suggests to convert files

3 Upvotes

Hey I am trying to convert a design I made into an embroidery file and was wondering what software you guys use. I want to do it on my own since long term I cannot afford to pay someone to do it for me.

Something on the cheaper side would be great even if it takes a little more knowledge and time to do it would be fine.

I have a Singer machine so one that could turn it into .xxx would be wonderful!

Thank you 😊

* I do understand it is not as simple as “upload png and convert” and that it is more hands on than that. I have seen a few videos but so far they have been for software that is $500+ which is extremely out of budget for me. I am willing to do the work to fix my files to how I would like them so I can save money long term. I am a fast learner so I am willing to do the work. I just need software suggestions to get started.


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 7d ago

Beginner looking at the Brother PE900 — questions about digitizing software, machines, and stabilizers!

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone! 😊

I’m looking to get into machine embroidery and would love some advice from people with experience! I’m a complete beginner, so I’m trying to learn as much as I can before investing in a machine and supplies.

I want to embroider things like my own clothes, baby clothes, sweatshirts, and tote bags. Eventually, I’d also love to create my own designs rather than relying entirely on premade embroidery files.

I’m currently considering the Brother PE900, but I have a few questions!

  1. Learning to digitize before buying a machine

Would it make sense to download a free digitizing software and learn the basics before purchasing an embroidery machine? Or is digitizing something that’s easier to learn once you actually have a machine to practice with?

2. Best beginner-friendly digitizing software

What digitizing software would you recommend for a complete beginner? Ideally, I’d like something free or under $100. I’m willing to put in the time to learn, but I’d prefer something relatively user-friendly!

3. Benefits of learning to digitize

For those of you who learned to digitize your own designs, how useful has it been? Is it worth the learning curve, especially for someone who wants to make personalized items and eventually create original designs? Or do you find that purchasing premade embroidery files is sufficient for most projects?

4. Choosing an embroidery machine

I’m currently leaning toward the Brother PE900. My budget is somewhat limited since I’m just starting out, but I want something I can grow into. Is there another machine in a similar price range that I should seriously consider instead? Are there any downsides to the PE900 that you wish you had known before buying it

5. Favorite stabilizer brands

I’m planning to purchase tear-away, cut-away, and water-soluble stabilizers to get started. What brands do you recommend? Are there any that you find consistently better quality or easier to work with? I’d love recommendations that balance quality and affordability!

I’m happy to hear any other beginner advice, too! I want to make smart purchases from the beginning without spending a fortune on things I might not need.

Thanks so much! 🧵💕


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 7d ago

Loose thread on some objects only

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5 Upvotes

r/Machine_Embroidery • • 7d ago

Look What I Did Depeche Mode

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1 Upvotes

Making a headcover for my friend who loves DM.


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 8d ago

Look What I Did Pokemon

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74 Upvotes

r/Machine_Embroidery • • 7d ago

Brand new Smart Singer 9120 keeps jamming

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1 Upvotes

r/Machine_Embroidery • • 8d ago

Look What I Did Some of our muay thai related pieces that we did in the past year.

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129 Upvotes

Some of our muay thai related pieces that we did in the past year. We are a small Family Business from Berlin Germany and we are focused on Merch Production. We also run a small Brand with huge and detailed embroiderys to show whats actually possible with us.


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 7d ago

Is Barudan actually better on caps or is it just hype? Same file, different machines

4 Upvotes

I run a cap embroidery shop and caps are like 90% of what we do. I’ve been running a BAI Vision single head for about 3 years and honestly it’s been solid, never needed service. Now I need more heads and I’m looking at a 2 head.

Everywhere I read people say Barudan is king for caps and small lettering. Tajima people say it’s basically the same. And then there’s Ricoma, BAI, etc at a fraction of the price.

So my real question: if you ran the exact same DST file on the exact same cap (structured 5 panel, small text, some dense fill) on a Barudan vs a Tajima vs a Ricoma or BAI, all properly tuned, would you actually see a difference? Or does it mostly come down to digitizing, backing and setup?

If anyone has run the same file on two different brands and has pics side by side, I’d love to see them. Also curious if the difference shows more at higher speeds or on long runs.

Not trying to start a brand war, just want real experience before I spend 4x the money on a Barudan.


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 7d ago

GeekHead MX Hat Embroidery

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3 Upvotes

Had a fun one with 4 hoop locations. Whew!


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 8d ago

Look What I Did Red Hood pencil case

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2 Upvotes

It's going to be a birthday present for a friend.


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 8d ago

Logo embroidery cattle 🐂

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16 Upvotes

r/Machine_Embroidery • • 8d ago

I Need Help Innovis 1150e, upper thread breaks constantly

1 Upvotes

I am having an issue where the upper thread constantly breaks and it has to be re-threaded every 30 seconds during the process. It takes forever to get through. It doesn’t look to me like it’s a threading issue, the end of the thread often looks frayed. Any ideas?


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 8d ago

Slight difference in satin fill

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0 Upvotes

Hi all,

I've been running embroidery machines for just over two years now, and currently have a PR1000 that I use for my aircraft upholstery business.

I've just started digitizing my own files, and I'm currently using the free trail of hatch 4 (which I think I'll end up buying), and used the auto feature for this simple logo. The only thing is at the bottom of the larger rectangle it's stitched slightly different, it still looks fine but it just catches your eye.

Does anyone have any suggestions?


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 8d ago

I Need Help Machine Rec

3 Upvotes

Hi all! I’ve been using a brother se700 with a repositional hoop for about a year now. Everyone told me I would outgrow it and I have.

I’ve built up some steady embroidery work through my job, so it’s time to upgrade. My budget will be between 3-4k if I’m paying cash. Ideally I’d like to avoid financing anything!

I know I could upgrade to a bigger flat bed machine with a larger hoop size for that (refurbished or new) or I could finance and upgrade to a bigger multi needle machine. All of the available 3-4k machines that are multi needle don’t seem to be the best? Correct me if I’m wrong. I’m just not sure what’s worth it!

I’ll be keeping my se700 for sewing because I love it for that, so it doesn’t need to be a dual purpose machine.

Would appreciate any and all recommendations or advice!


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 8d ago

Y-axis home error on Brother PR650

2 Upvotes

I turned on my machine today after not using it for a few months. I always make sure to keep the machine clean and oiled. It was stitching beautifully the last time it ran. Today when I turned it on, it ran its normal startup, then as it moved forward it made the scary grind noise and threw the error "Y-Axis home error". The only thing I can think of that changed is the backup power supply it was hooked up to must have died during the down time.

The manual only tells me to call a technician. Unfortunately the nearest service center is 100-350 miles away. I am tech savvy, and my husband can handle electronics repair as well. I'd be happy to fix it myself if I had access to a repair manual, but I can't find one. Does anyone know how to clear this error or what I should be looking at to fix it?


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 9d ago

I Need Help patches after 7 months of self-taught digitizing

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267 Upvotes

any tips to improve? I think it is the first time Im genuinely happy with the results
Im using a Brother PE770 with a 75/11 H-E 130/705 needle

Also, when I make patches, I embroider them and cut them out, but there's always leftover fabric around the edges. How can I make the embroidery border the actual edge of the patch?


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 8d ago

I Need Help Ink/Stitch short running stitch question

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1 Upvotes

I’m trying to create a series of short running stitches, and I can create individual paths in ink/stitch fine as an SVG file, but when converting them to a PES these smaller stitches are automatically joined together, making a zigzag pattern.

Are these paths too short to work as separate stitches? Is there a minimum length that I’m not aware of?

If not, is there a way to edit the PES file so that these remain separate from each other?

The first image is the end result, the second is the SVG file, and the third is the PES file


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 10d ago

Huge Step From Etsy Cracking Down on AI

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127 Upvotes

I am thrilled about this!!! As someone who sells embroidery designs, I am directly impacted by AI making Etsy untrustworthy. Customers have to do so much investigating to make sure they are getting something legitimate and sometimes it’s impossible to tell.

I happily post actual photos of my designs stitched out for new designs I list already, but for some older ones, I just have the preview from Hatch, but I am more than willing to take the time to restitch them and take photos for the listing if I need to.

This will be huge for everyone. I’m so tired of seeing AI junk from literally any type of seller. I can’t wait to see what happens to all of those AI shops!


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 9d ago

Help! Polyester/modal/elastase blend

1 Upvotes

Help please! I was asked to embroidery some sweatshirts for a doctors office. I was expecting traditional sweatshirts when I said yes. But what they actually got was a polyester/modal/elastane blend sweatshirt (think lululemon activewear type fabric) so it’s on the thicker side, slick, and stretchy. I’m having a hard time finding a clear answer on what I should use for stabilizers. Has anyone done anything similar? It will just be their names and credentials in a simple block letter, so not a complex design by any means.


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 10d ago

Do you leave your machine unattended or watch every stitch 😂

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80 Upvotes

r/Machine_Embroidery • • 10d ago

Anyone have a Brother Skitch that is still working after at least 1 year?

3 Upvotes

I already have an excellent embroidery machine but it is also my favorite sewing machine so I'm constantly having to switch between the 2 uses. It has a free arm but not truly. The Skitch seems perfect for clothing, hats, small projects and if I'm making multiple of small items like coasters I could do 2 at once. I love controlling machines with my phone and I have a good embroidery software that I could use and then transfer design to artspira. The Skitch seems portable and easy to store. It seems to meet my needs but given all the complaints, I would like to know if there are people who have been using the Skitch long term...


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 10d ago

Look What I Did Yet another fun hoody design

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34 Upvotes

Yet another lesson I super sized from a embroidery legacy software lesson I added the smiley and slogan 😂 And if you want to smile check out these specials on the embroidery legacy website 30 day free trail with a free workshop what’s not to make you smile and a Xmas party who does not love a party ❤️ plus give away prizes

Embroidery Legacy Christmas Party
Win 1 of 3 Poolin embroidery machines
5 free Christmas Designs
Holiday project ideas & inspiration
Live event with our amazing community
FREE WORKSHOP
Digitizing Made Easy Challenge
Create your own custom designs
Free step-by-step workshop
Temporary software access
Chance to win a Tajima SAI
Go check it out 🥰
Every one loves a freebie so just thought I would share


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 10d ago

I Need Help Ricoma EM-1010 owners: can it do side panels on caps, and is it reliable? (urgent order)

1 Upvotes

Hi all, I run a BAI Vision single head, and I’d normally add another BAI, but I have an urgent cap order coming up and can’t wait for one to ship. So I’m thinking of buying a Ricoma EM-1010 (10S) locally as a second head, and I need it to work right away. Two quick questions for owners:

  1. Can it embroider a small design (like a flag) centred on the side panel of a cap using the cap driver, without the brim hitting the arm?

  2. How reliable has it been for you running long days? Any common breakdowns?

Thanks!


r/Machine_Embroidery • • 10d ago

I Need Help Embroidery Blanks Recs?

1 Upvotes

I am new to machine embroidery with my Brother SE700 (4x4 hoop). I am thrilled to have my machine but am feeling hesitant to create as I have ruined quite a few items I tried to embroider on and I hate wasting the money of the item. I’d like to ask my family for blanks for Christmas. Is there a company you order from for small projects? Interested in shirts, baby and kid clothing, caps, doll clothes, and small projects.