How or why did you start machine embroidery?

[Deedles]

I sort of started it spur of the moment. It was about this time 3 years ago. I make and sell do-rags on the internet and was covered up in Christmas orders. On a Friday night my serger blade snapped in two. Saturday morning I had to go way across town to find a place that would replace them that day. I walked into the Sew/Vac repair place and promptly saw all these strange looking machines!

For reasons I won't bore you with now, I had a major case of sewing burnout and hadn't sewn anything but do-rags for almost 10 years. That means no visits to quilt stores, no idea what machines were out there or what any of the trends were. If WalMart or Hancocks didn't have wild colored fabric, I didn't notice anything else.

So...as I was waiting for the repair I started walking around the store looking at everything like a kid in a toy store. There was a woman sitting in front of this....machine, reading a book while it stitches out names on a sweat shirt. Cool! We started talking and she explained what machine embroidery was and what you could do with it. She had my attention! I could get back into 'sewing' without making quilts or clothes. When she saw my interest, she said "If you are serious about this, they have a great used machine that's in pristine condition. I know because it belonged to my neighbor." So long story short, I left there with a Brother ULT2001 machine, a starter kit that included a dozen spools of RA thread and some Sulky stabilizer and a promise of 2 classes to learn to use the machine. We never did get our schedules worked out for those classes but the day I brought it home I found the MP forum and from there Sew Forum. I don't know where I would be if it hadn't been for the shared knowledge from those two forums!

I have counted my blessings more than once that I was lead to a machine that fit me so perfectly. The ULT accepted floppy discs so I never had the hassle of Magic Boxes and such, still don't own a single Brother design card and it was so easy to learn to use. I now use it mainly for sewing and the INV 4000D for embroidery but this time of year you'll find them both humming away while I read! LOL!

So.....what's your story? How did you start?

[clae]

I have always loved sewing on my little Singer sewing machine but I always wanted an embroidery machine. About 3 years ago I splurged and bought my first one. I first thought it would be great for baby gifts. I make tons of burps and diaper bags for showers. I also monogram towels and such for wedding showers. However, it has grown into more than just my personal use. Everytime I take a gift to a shower someone wants to know who "made" it and then I end up making for them. I now sell on Ebay and Etsy and stay pretty busy but I wouldn't have it any other way.. I truly love embroidery!!!

[sew blessed]

My mom got me started, she thought I would enjoy it and it would be a fun way to earn some extra $$$ selling my creations. I also find it is something fun to do together with family. My sister likes quilting, and we plan to do some projects together also.

[Honeybee]

I bought a PE150 that sat in a box for three years. I never opened it. I was working full time and did not have time. That was three years ago, three machines later, it is my passion

[rubiesnana]

I just bought a machine,one day no experince at all self taught,and now i can"t stop,love it.

[rodneytb]

Retired from school teaching, and planned to do this. DH said go ahead so one day I bought the machine, with no idea what to do with it. Have since collected stabilizer, thread, designs, and have had a few successful projects and a drawer full of mistakes. Want to learn to digitize.

[pcsews]

I got my Ellure when my old brother sewing machine bit the dust in the middle of making my DD's first birthday quilt. I went to the sewing machine store and my husband told me to pick out the best one there. After I picked him up off the floor when he found out the prices, I settled for the Ellure. I love it!! I have made my DD tons of stuff on it!! My son occassionally will let me make him things.

[rosebud314]

I'm not quite sure. Just realized one day that they had machines out there to do this and knew I had to have one. At the time the only one I could afford was the Kenmore 19000, had to talk hubby into paying for half). That's the machine I'm still using.

[crumbear]

My husband bought me an embroidery machine about 2 months after I learned how to sew. I didn't care at all about embroidery, as I was still very new to sewing, and basically just wanted to continue learning to sew. After about another couple of months, the girls at the Viking Gallery forced me to bring my machine up and sit through an embroidery 'how to' class. I still remember the very first thing I embroidered...it was a grape cluster on a kitchen towel. I still have it, too! After that, I was hooked. I mean H-O-O-K-E-D!!! :D

[SewAddicted]

I had watched an episode of Sewing with Nancy where she had embroidered the front of a blouse, it was pretty and unique. I decided it would be fun to have one to "use every now and then." I had no clue I would become so addicted! Now I dream of faster stitching and bigger stitch fields! :)
Pam

[MackandMorgan's Mom]

My husband was tired of spending money for someone else to do what I could do!

[Sew So Happy]

I started embroidery to make a little extra money while being a stay at home mom. I now have no spare time, whatsoever!

[debi@thebeach]

I have a friend who has a Deco and would make the cutest presents. Then after watching her for years I decided I HAD to have one. My husband bought me the Brother Innovis 4000LTD this past September. I lOve it and all you wonderful people!
Debi
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[sewsigns]

I learned how to sew in a class at my middle school years ago, and passed with an A. Then I asked my mother for a sewing machine but she would not afford it. Years later, I mentioned to a friend about how I would like to pick it up again. That is when she told me about the embroidery machine and how I'd be hooked on it. She is right! I have Brother PC 8200 and Ellure Plus. But I am still learning...as I feel that I have not quite explore everything!

[mdquilter]

Well it's a long story that starts with my mother LOL......In 1986 she wanted a new sewing machine and my grandmother (her mother in law) asked her what machine she really wanted. Well mom had her eye on a Singer 6268 (which was an early embroidery machine) and my grandmother bought it for her. I used to watch mom stitch flower baskets on jumpers and thought it was way cool!

Fast forward about 20 years and I am now a quilter who wants to embroider labels for my finished quilts. My mom bought me a Brother 270D and the card reader with software to download designs from the internet for Christmas. I used that machine constantly for a year (Not sure I ever actually stitched a label on it LOL) and decided I wanted a larger stitch field. So for our anniversary this year my hubby bought me a Brother PE700 embroidery only machine. Now I stitch quilt blocks, labels, nametags for mom's red hat group, etc.

I am an embroidery nut and I love to incorporate embroidery into my quilts whenever I can :)

[dramaw]

I had a granddaughter, my first and only one...I saw such cute things on clothing that were embroidered...Since i was making all her clothes, I wanted to do some embellishing...Sew I purchased the PE150 at Walmart...I was hooked with the first design...Kept that machine for probably 3 yrs then purchased a ULT 2003D, then a Viking Designer SE, then upgraded again to the Innov-is 4000D. I have both machines going daily...I laugh now a the towels I made my DD on the PE150. I have come a long way baby...LOL