I saw a Brother Galaxie 2000 and found it amazing and thought to myself that I would love to own one. Eventually I got a embroidery machine when a very longstanding friend bought one for me. I have not looked back. I have found that many watching the machines working for the first time enjoy keying in designs for themselves and watching it sew out. Each of us approaches machine embroidery in different ways, so top of ones list is not for another.
Decorating clothes, soft furnishings making ring cushions are all parts of machine embroidery that I like. Sadly I dont have much time to sew and need to find more time.
I look forward to reading others replies to your question

I wanted to buy a sewing machine to make maternity tops/dresses for my daughter and baby blankets. As I was shopping online and in stores I stumbled onto the embroidery machines and thought to myself how much cuter the things I would make would be if I could put designs on them. 5 years later I'm hooked now I am thinking about sergers because my sewing is getting terrible, I can't seem to sew in a straight line anymore.
I have noticed that people enjoy buying decorative items more so than neccessities.
If I were you I would make hand towels/kitchen towels/pot holders/small wall hangings/banners/door knob hangers that are season/holiday appropriate.
Also FSL jewelry,ornaments at Christmas time, candle wraps, and suncatchers.

Whenever I saw the machines being demonstrated, they fascinated me. Started checking into different brands and prices. Eventually couldn't stop talking about them and all the things I could do with one. Then I got my husband to look at them. He found them fascinating too. So when my birthday came around this year he told me he wanted me to have one. Love it!

I have wanted an embroidery machine since they first came out. I could not justify the money for one. Then I got laid off and some friends thought that they could help me by ordering some embroidery work. I thought, I have been sewing since I was a little girl, how hard can it be? LEARNING CURVE! Here I was learning about stabilizer, needles, digitizing, pulling my hair out. Well, I am not one to walk away from a challenge, and I still have a machine to pay for. But I am beginning to enjoy it.

I know myself I was bore with regular sewing and very stress out working as a adminstrative assistant for my state. So I had been wanting a embroidery machine for years and brought a white 4400( hated it because it had a lot of problems. But the company I purchase it from exchanged it for a huskystar em10 and I was hook. And since I am self taught I started learning all I could about embroidery. By the time I was layed off from the state I had already purchase a brother 2500d and started teaching myself how to digitize free standing lace. Since that time 2 years ago, I haven't looked back. Creating everything from coasters to my new challenge of making doll clothes with fsl.
Smiles
Sewinhuggs

If you make small quilted sampler wall hangings maybe that will attract interest.
I have a membership to country needle and she has some lovely samplers and many beautiful designs/FSL/ITH

Why don't you introduce them to quilting with embroidery - there are so many sites - that feature quilting - we could list them here for you if you would like or you could do a search and find them. I am not a quilter, but if I were - you can bet my quilts would have embroidery work on them - why don't you share some pictures of the two quilt projecs that the CUTE family have done together? I love the quilted coasters, wall hangings, and small in the hoop items that can be done with the embroidery machine. You are only limited to what you can offer to them - the more they see - the more they will think about it - right now - they are just thinking that you want to sell them a machine. Why don't you have a trunck show? There are several sites that come into town with their embroidery designs and show them to a room full of ladies - in the hopes that the ladies will in fact purchase their designs - you could perhaps have your dealership do the same thing. Contact Babylock or whatever dealer you have there and ask them about it. I went into my dealer to buy a sewing machine to make a baby quilt - I came out with an embroidery machine - I still haven't made the baby quilt and the baby is now turning seven in July.

I have a generic baby bib pattern that I make out of white terry cloth (front side) and white flannel (back side).

Before I sew the the 2 together, I embroider cute/funny sayings on the Terry cloth. They are a HUGE hit and fly off the table at any craft fair I am part of.

Maybe try making some of these...there are lots of sites you can go to to get sayings from.

I wanted to make embroidered nappies and covers like some of other members of another forum I'm a member of. I hadnt even heard of embroidery machines until January of 2009 when those members were showing off their projects, even tho I've sewn for as long as I can remember :) Hugz

I use to hand embroider, but now my eyes are going and to see the stitches was hard. The embroidery machine was like a prayer answered, had seen one and wanted it for a long time. finally purchased it about 3yrs ago now.
As for idea's I would show some ITH and FSL designs. they are quick and easy and make great gifts.
I also quilt so since purchasing my machine I have not made a quilt without embroidery. I always do a theme to who the quilt is going, for Father's day last yr I made a lap quilt for my FIL he is into antique cars, so of course I found a lot of old cars and signs to put on it. Makes it one of a kind, I think that is the best thing when doing a quilt that it is one of a kind.
I also did ITH snowmen last xmas for everyone in my family ended up making about 50 of them all were personalized with their name and yr made a great quick gift and was soooo easy, in fact my sister has not put hers away but put them on a shelf in her livingroom LOL guess she really liked them.

Like a lot of others I wanted a emb machine years before I could afford one with kids in school and me being a stay at home mom, the monies was just not there for that kind of luxury. I fell in love with the thought of doing kids clothing with a touch of personality and zip. So I waited about 20 yrs. and dreamed of the day I would have one. Then about 5 yrs ago I bit the bullet and bought mine it was a floor model and I got a good deal I thought at the time. It still works great and I don't regret it. Children or baby, local college logo design's, doing bags with the logo's is a good thing.

Hi "O2kar",

My first exposure to it was cross-stitch designs of Peter Rabbit on a quilt that a lady had done at my work. Up until then I'd only done traditional quilting and I thought, wow! this adds an extra dimension to it. So I bought my first embroidery machine that was about 8 years ago. Since then I've bought another Husqvarna and have given my first one to my younger daughter.

I was just reading your reply to "sewinhugs" about the lady who said that she quilts, no need to embroider!!!!!!!!!!! Poor woman, doesn't know what she is missing out on.

First of all - have a look at the quilt that I've done recently and show it to her and what can be done with QUILTING AND MACHINE EMBROIDERY! The possibilities are endless.

I've also done machine applique in them and they add another dimension to the quilt. Once people see what can be done, they will be excited and will want to try doing it themselves.

Since that time way back 8 years ago I've seen more machine cross-stitch in quilts and it's gorgeous.

Take along lots of samples of little things and that will surely entice their interest.

I think anything that has to do with the home is a good start. Eg. towels, washers, tablecloths, napkins, sun-catchers, baby clothes etc. etc. etc.

Good luck with it all love and blessings Chris

P.S. I'll attach the quilt I've just done for Ophelie and I'm in the middle of one for Aqualina.

I saw the designs and I said I want to learn how to do this .I went to a embroidery retreat and took a class in digitizing and when it was over I bought a machine and a digitizing program and went home and started then I got hooked and amm on my second machine.

My GM had Alzheimer's disease and we had to take all her expensive jewelry away when she had to live in a home. She always loved glitzy glamour, so I bought an embroidery machine just to make her outfits look pretty. My interest grew from there and now I have a sewing room full of machines. LOL

My first encounter with machine embroidery was with a regular New Home Memory Craft 7000 sewing machine. That was at least 15 or more years ago. It could have been as many as 20 yrs. It was one of the very first machines that had some very small built in embroidery designs on it. I still have the machine and I still use it for my regular sewing so as not to have to take apart the embroidery machines everytime I need to sew. I am surprised that it is still going and really has some very pretty stitches. I had a almost new Singer when I found this machine and I gave my Singer to my Aunt who is now 78. She is kind of old fashioned and very set in her ways. She did not like the almost brand new Singer so she gave it away. If she still had it, I would have gotten it back by now but she does not or will not tell me who she gave it to. To tell the truth, I am not sure she even knows where it ended up at! She needed a machine and when I let it go to her house, I told her that if she did not want it or use it that I wanted it back. It has been gone for so many years now that I know it will never be seen again. My family and I have always shared everything so it was natural for me to carry it to her house since she was complaining that her was worn out and was not working right. If I could get my hands on it now, I would refurbish it and use it. Of course, it would probably just end up at my son's and his wife would never even get it threaded and has no interest in learning. My son has already taken everything he can out of my house including a small sewing machine and one of my sergers. He has also run the embroidery machines when he was at home but has no time or interest in even trying now. I think he does not want to make his wife feel bad and does not want her to think he is a wuss!!! Men can be so dumb!

As an artist, I thought it would be fun to design my own patterns and sew them out. However, there are so many beautiful designs out there to collect, that I haven't gotten around to buying a digitizing program yet.

I have been a quilter over 16 years and a few years back my poor old sewing machine was wearing out. My dbf, Maurice, bought me a Singer Futura ce-100 and had it set up in place of my regular machine when I got home from work one day! I sewed and quilted on it for over a year before I made up my mind to do the embroidery. It was intimidating because I thought it was too complicated and the designs I'd seen looked "too good" for me to be able to do. I decided on my way home from work one day that today was the day I was going to do it and I went home, took the manual, set up the machine and just jumped right in. I kick myself for my own fear of trying something new. It is as addicting as collecting fabric and so is collecting designs I just have to have! I'm still learning but have become fascinated with FSL. Make a few FSL angels or ornaments, a small wall hanging with simple rw that a newbie might not be so intimidated by, maybe a couple ITH projects to show some versatility. Some applique designs would be nice too. One thing doing embroidery has done is open up a new avenue of sewing. I not only use the designs in quilts but now I make regular sewing projects I wouldn't have done before because I have the perfect design to go on it! I make things for my dgs I never would have tried if I hadn't started embroidery. The biggest thing is letting them know that they really can do this! Remind them how intimidating quilting was at first and let them know they can overcome that feeling when it comes to embroidery too.
Sorry to rant, I'm just so glad I overcame the self imposed intimidation and just did it! I love embroidery as much as quilting now and wish I had started when I was a lot younger.
Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.
Meri

Sorry, it's me again, but I made a rag quilt for my dbil using recycled denim and embroidery designs I thought he'd like. I see someone posted a pic of their lovely quilt and though this one is a guy thing I thought I'd post it too- if I can figure out how! lol
Meri

I decided that I could not afford the computer to attach to my Tin Lizzie LS as I had to pay freight and customs to South Africa and then the guarantee was also dropped from 5 yrs to nil as there are not any agents here. So I got a Bernina 830 instead to quilt with and am now addicted to embroidery also.

If you have a laptop that you can take to the shop with you >>> you have my permission to copy any of the project pictures I have posted and you can let people view a photo album of projects people have made. If you want you can give me your email addy in private and I can email you pics of projects I haven't posted too.

This is a very interesting question with a lot of interesting responses.

I resisted for a long time, a lot of the machine embroidery I didn't like, such as bullet proof cartoony designs and kind of thought that was what it was all about. Then I saw a segment on one of the sewing shows on TV where they took part of a printed design on fabric and digitized an embroidery to match. Well, that got me thinking about what could be done! My husband was interested in the computer aspects of digitizing and with his encouragement I took the plunge. I'm so glad I did!

I've been embroidering by hand since I was about 4 years old and had never even thought about machine embroidery until I decided I deserved a new sewing machine. I went into the shop at 11am and came out at 1.30pm with a Janome MC 9700 and an embellishing machine. I can tell you it took a bit of explanation when I got home! Sorry that doesn't really help with your question!