Recommendations anyone???

Hi Christine,

I have a Brother Innovis 1500, its about 3 years old and it still going strong. My machine converts from a Sewing Machine to an Embroidery Machine, when I purchashed mine it came with a Free version of the software needed to hook it up to a computer.

Good luck with your purchase..... you will have so much fun!!!!


Carina D.

Hi Christine,

I haven't bought an embroidery machine, yet, but I was going to share my experience as a point to think about. I bought a Janome Memory Craft 4900 for 60% off MSRP from a little Mom & Pop sewing store in Santa Fe, NM. It had only been used a month before the previous owner was making enough money to upgrade. It was in impeccably perfect condition, and she forgot her stash of fancy machine needles, so the store owner just gave them to me. Bonus! Plus, they run a program where if you want to trade up, they will give you credit for what you paid on your previous machine. So, sure, if you look at it from their prices, the little Mom & Pop specialty stores may look more expensive, but they more than make up for it in other ways, or have ways for you to save serious money. This same store sends out occasional e-mails about classes they offer, and specials. A few months ago, they were selling their floor model uber-fancy embroidery machine for about 75% off the MSRP. If you can find something like that, see what they have to offer... and go in with some time! The store owner was so excited that I was so excited, she sat down for about an hour with me, just showing me techniques I could use for what I was planning to do with it. And since I live 3 1/2 hours away, she said she'd mail me my sewing thread if I just called her, since I can't get it easily. Mom & Pop stores have more leeway when it comes to programs, discounts, and they do it because they love it! Plus, the "Pop" part of the operation knows the machines inside and out, and has been doing repairs for 25+ years. They'll even fix machines that they don't sell (since they only sell Janome). They were even offering another lady a trade-in deal on her not-Janome, because she kept having to bring it in for repairs, and they were concerned she was spending more on repairs than the machine was worth.

I think it's definitely worth checking out the little businesses

Anyway, hope that helps a little bit.!

Hi Christine. I agree with Moon Bell, Janome are a very good make for embroidery machines. I've tried out a few in shops and it pretty much depends on what kind of extras/functions you want. Road test and get all the specifications if you are investing it's worth the time