Hi and welcome. My advice is not to buy a SInger as there has been quite a number of negative reports here on them. I have Brother machines and they are excellent. I have a Galaxie 3000 which I have had for a long time and a PR650. I have added the last bit. Both Sue and I are in the UK, one on the east and the other the west. It is useful to have a dealer nearish to one for advice, repairs and goodies like threads etc. Mine is 2hours away but only a phonecall when needed

Welcome - you have come to the right place for help and support!
I have a Janome machine and am happy with it, but I use a PC. (I can't see it making much difference)
Someone will be along soon who uses a MAC and there will be votes for every make of machine! (Except perhaps Singer.)

Might is suggest that what ever you buy, buy from a reputable dealer that can support the machine and any questions you might have. If you order over the internet you are stuck. If you buy from a local dealer they usually have lessons to help you become familiar with the machine you buy. A local dealer will also make it easier for routine maintenance or warranty work. Local dealers also have trade in/trade up programs as you improve on your skills and want more.

Welcome to cute, you will have a great time here...... I have a pr1000 and use to have a brother galaxy so my only experience is with Brother machines and I love them. Never had any serious problems but would agree with everybody else you need to get a really good friendly dealer. Best wishes suelyn

It just depends on what you want to do with it and how much money you are prepared to spend. I have a Bernina Artista 730 which I adore but it is expensive and a Pfaff creative which is less expensive but has a big hoop area.I would go to a good dealer and try out a variety of machines. Always aim for the biggest embroidery area you can afford (even if you think you will not use it, as like everybody else here, you will get addicted and want to a bigger variety of work.) When you have decided what to buy, make sure that you organise your designs from the beginning, as you will collect many of them and it is a much bigger job if you do it later. Good luck with your decision making and let us know how you get on!

I have two Janome's 10001 & 11000 and love them both. One thing I will say is where every you are purchasing it from, Make sure you get free lessons. Hopefully they answer all your questions and not just trying to push a sale onto you. Lots of luck

Hi and welcome to Cute! Yikes...Personally, I would steer clear of the Singer...not very good reviews. I have a Baby Lock Ellisimo...again, it depends upon how much you want to spend...I would recommend getting the largest hoop area you can afford when you are shopping for your machine...believe me, you will always want a bigger hoop than you have! My largest is 8" x 12" and now the new Baby Lock has come out with a 9.5" x 14"...I love my Baby Lock and they make a variety of combination embroidery and sewing machines for a lot of different price ranges...Anyway good luck with your search..be sure to buy from a reputable dealer and get good educational support with whatever you buy...

Thank you so much everyone! This is a huge help! I've been researching again and I guess the Brother PE770 looks good. The only thing I don't like is the largest hoop size is 5x7. I fear that I will outgrow that size, quickly. Does anyone know of a brother with a larger hoop area? Also, do I HAVE to get software? Can I not use the fonts that I alreay have on my MAC?

Hi daughtridge, firstly, welcome to this great site.

Secondly, where do you live?

I have a Husqvarna Designer 1 with the largest hoop being the Mega Hoop 14.2" x 6" (360 x 150 mm). I also have a Brother Quattro Innovis Eye 6700D (Disney designs built in) with the largest hoop 12" x 8" (300 x 200mm). I love them both, but the Husqvarna is lighter to take anywhere.

I agree with everyone else on here - you need to find a reputable dealer and one who can help you when needed. My dealer at Thorpe's Newcastle is brilliant and has looked after my Husqvarna's for years. I live in Australia and we are very fortunate to have good reputable machine repairers. Good luck with whatever machine you choose. Love and blessings Chris, Newcastle, Australia.

Welcome! In my book the dealer is the most important Brother and Babylock are made by the same company and are both good machine. That is my only experience. :-)

I don't like the futuras i broke a couple already ,now i love husqvarns and Brother hugs

Hello and welcome to the cute family....I have 3 brother machines and i am very pleased with their performance hope all these comments from everyone will help look froward to seeing some of your projects...soozie

Love my Janome 350E (also 5 x 7) and yes, Brother has an excellent reputation, too. I've made it four and half years with a 5 x 7, and my fingers are getting itchy for bigger. However, if you're stitching to sell, you can hardly get your time, effort and money out of even 4 x 4 designs, so consider that in the mix of decisions. You can probably make the best money off monograms and names, which can be well handled in a 5 x 7 hoop. Let us know once you're stitching - you'll have some more questions!

I am afraid that I cannot help, as living where I do in South Africa the only choice I had was Bernina. I love my machine and I also get fantastic after sales service.

I have not heard anything good about the Futura machine. I have 2 Brother machines and a BabyLock. Look for a 5x7 hoop size and a self threading machine. That is my advice.

You really need to test drive a few machines to decide how user friendly they are for you. I recommend buying the machine with the largest hoop size you can afford. Also there is a software called Embrilliance that works with either MAC or pc and is reasonably priced. I have it and love it. Also would recommend HusqvarnaViking machines. Good luck in your search and enjoy! Hugs. Nan W

I love the idea of a stand alone embroidery machine. I have a Janome 350E and I love it. Never had a problem, stitched thousands of designs. If I ever had to get a new one it would be Brother or Babylock.

I would suggest going to a dealer that sells all sorts of brands of machines. Then sit there and try them and compare.. You will find one you are comfortable with. I have babylock machines and would never give them up. I love them. I highly reccomend them. Suzanne

I have experience with all of the BabyLock's offered in the last 6 years or so and have personally owned 6 different BabyLock machines (I currently own 3). Not one has given me any problems. I caused a few issues either personally or because of the poorly digitized designs I was trying to sew out. BabyLock service is AWESOME - none better. Their machines stand up to even klutzes like me and are super user friendly (heavy but well built and no messing with tensions etc). I started with the smaller hoop and within the year I was upgrading to a mid-level machine; and within the next year I upgraded again to the BabyLock Ellisimo and would highly recommend it or the Unity. There are good financing options available if money is the issue. I wholeheartedly agree that you NEED the hands-on lessons (my dealer offers free, as often as you wish). I can bring my machine in or they can walk me through most stuff on the phone. Of the hundreds and hundreds of other embroiders I've talked with over the years, BabyLock wins, hands down. Good luck, whichever way you go!

oh and you can sew on the Ellisimo without taking the embroidery head off!!!!! Cool, huh?

I started with a Singer Futura 350 and after a long time of frustration my DH got me a Brother and my frustration became joy and now I have 2 Brother machines. Still have the Futura and would be happy to give it away! It is just taking up space here and has not been used in a long time.

I've had a Brother Disney for the last 14 years. The max size it will embroider is 5x7 but with a little creative hooping you can push the limits a little. I wouldn't change anything about my machine. I just wish updates were available to use the accessories on something newer than a windows xp version.(accessories like Magic Box-card writer, and such) With todays versions that connect directly with your computer you should have a machine that is long lasting as well. Happy stitching. :)

I love the Brother brand. Much cheaper than Babylock and made by the same manufacturer. Check out www.kenssewingcenter.com for new, used, and refurbished machines for most reasonable prices and great customer service! Not affiliated, just a happy customer. A very reputable business located in Alabama. Get at a machine with at least a 5x7 hoop and as I only use the embroidery part of my combo machine, I would suggest getting an embroidery ONLY machine; much cheaper , than a combo. One can always find a great sewing machine inexpensively! Hope this helps. Good luck with your purchase.
Hugs, Angel

Welcome! Like others, I urge you to consider a dealer who will provide good service in the way of lessons and machine maintenance as close to your area as possible. I have a Janome 9000, and a Husqvarna Viking Diamond which I love both--I know many who also love Pfaff, Bernina, and Brother. The support you receive makes a huge difference!

I think a good dealer is as important as the make of machine. Good luck.

Welcome! I hate to say a machine isn't good any longer, but the Singer our mothers sewed on is a thing of the past! I haven't heard too much good said about them in the last 10 yrs. That said, all machines have their problems! Thus, as you have been told, be sure you go to a dealer, not a "big box store" to get a machine. Be sure & read the warrenty on several machines, including the fine print! I have 2 Vikings & have had several more as I have upgraded. However, they are no longer made in Sweden & I think they are not any better made now that the other brand names. I do like a lot of their "perks" on the machine. Size? I think you will find if you are doing a lot of embroidery, the 5x7 is necessary, but you will probably want a larger hoop too! Keep that in mind. Price the individual hoops vs. the machine with several hoops; you usually get what you pay for! It's not a cheap hobby, but oh so rewarding! I can't tell you about the software programs for a MAC as I have a PC by Hew.Packer. You need to be able to transfer designs from your computer to your machine, probably via an USB stick, as you really can't store all that on your machine as it will eat up all the machine's memory & can overload it even. Someone on here can answer you about that.

I have a Janome 11000SE and love it. I got4 hoops with it, but it did not include the 5X7. I finally bought that hoop and am glad I did. This is my first embroidery machine. I have now been eyeing up the Ellisimo gold 2 or the Brother compatible machine (I think it's the 6750D). Either one are awesome.
I also would say make sure you try them yourself and don't just have them show you. They are a lot of money so make sure you like it, you're the one who will be using it. Make sure you have a good dealer. And don't be afraid to try and get a better deal for yourself. I did as I checked with other dealers to see what they offered with it and the dealer closer to us matched what the others offered.