10 Best Embroidery Machines For Beginners

Embroidery machines tend to be very expensive and as a beginner it is always wise to not to invest a lot on your first machine. It is always better to start with a beginner machine and then upgrade when you plan to do it on a bigger, professional level. Here I have compiled a list of 10 best beginner embroidery machines, that to me are at least a class above the segment in which they are placed. Some of the machines in this list would even put some really expensive machines to shame, in terms of stitch quality.

In most cases, your first embroidery machine will be the one that will decide your fate with embroidery. If you fall in love with your first machine, it is almost certain that you will grow your skills fast and become a great sewer. If your first machine gives you trouble, you are going to hate the art for the rest of your life. This is what my teacher told me 20 years ago. So don't compromise on quality, if you do, you will regret your decision later. Now let us have a look at the best beginner embroidery machines you can get in US.

#1 - Brother SE400

If Lion is the King of the Jungle, then Brother SE400 is the King of beginner embroidery machines. SE400 has been ruling the segment for years now. There are 3 reasons for its success, quality, affordability and features. Unique thing about SE400 is that it is a sewing & embroidery combo machine. This means, you can use it as a regular sewing machine and as an embroidery machine. There is no need to own a separate sewing machine for regular sewing. Affordability contributed a lot to its success. For the segment it is placed, SE400 is feature packed.

Features

•   4"x4" embroidery area
•   67 built-in sewing stitches
•   70 built-in embroidery designs
•   5 built-in fonts for monogramming
•   Automatic needle threader
•   Automatic thread cutter
•   Programmable needle up/down
•   Top drop-in bobbin
•   USB connectivity

Pros

SE400 is one of the most user-friendly embroidery machines I have ever come across. Its easy to use controls and settings make it a beginners' favorite. The stitch quality is worth a mention. SE400's stitch quality is right up there with expensive embroidery machines. USB connectivity is another USP of this machine. In addition to the built-in 70 embroidery designs, you can also import designs from the internet. You can let your creativity fly high with SE400.

Why Do Beginners Love This Machine?

Brother SE400 is a complete package. It is affordable, it has great stitch quality and it has almost all the features that a beginner wants. Which is the reason why SE400 has been the champion for such a long time.

#2 - Brother PE770

If you loved SE400, except for the small 4"x4" embroidery area, Brother PE770 is your answer for it. But keep in mind that, PE770 is an embroidery only machine, there is no regular sewing option. If embroidery is your only priority, PE770 is one of the best you can get. The large 5"x7" embroidery area helps you finish your projects in a professional style. PE770 will suit beginners and professionals equally well. PE770 also has USB connectivity to import designs. The USB port on PE770 is a regular port in which you can directly plug in your USB sticks.

Features

•   5"x7" embroidery area
•   136 built-in embroidery designs
•   6 built-in fonts for monogramming
•   Automatic needle threader
•   Automatic thread cutter
•   Programmable needle up/down
•   Top drop-in bobbin
•   USB port

Pros

Brother PE770 is a user-friendly machine. USB port and built-in memory provides you unlimited options to experiment with different designs. The stitch quality is great. In fact, the stitches on PE770 can give you that professional finish that you normally associate with store bought items. The machine is affordable as well.

Why Do Beginners Love This Machine?

The large 5"x7" embroidery area, in addition to the great stitch quality and features, make Brother PE770 a complete embroidery machine.

#3 - Brother LB6800PRW

Yes, Brother LB6800PRW is a quality embroidery machine, but there one point you need to consider. You might have seen this machine while searching for a beginner embroidery machine, but most people are unaware of the fact that it is the same as Brother SE400 which we already discussed in this list. Yes, features and quality wise, both LB6800PRW and SE400 are identical, it is just a different model number (with a Project Runway branding). The extra you will get with LB6800PRW is a beautiful rolling bag. If you plan to take the machine to sewing classes, the bag might become useful.

#4 - Brother PE525

Take the regular sewing features out of Brother SE400 and you are looking at Brother PE525. This is an embroidery only machine. The stitch quality and embroidery features are the same as that of SE400.

Features

•   4"x4" embroidery area
•   70 built-in embroidery designs
•   5 built-in fonts
•   Automatic needle threader
•   Automatic thread cutter
•   Programmable needle up/down
•   Top drop-in bobbin
•   USB connectivity

Why Do Beginners Love This Machine?

PE525 offers embroidery features in an affordable range. Since it is a relatively recent release by Brother, you will get the latest software on this machine. There will be a few bug fixes here and there.

#5 - Brother PE540D

Brother PE540D is another quality embroidery only machine. It is very similar to Brother PE525, but comes with 35 extra built-in Disney designs. The stitch quality is also great.

Features

•   4"x4" embroidery area
•   105 built-in embroidery designs
•   5 built-in fonts
•   Automatic needle threader
•   Automatic thread cutter
•   Programmable needle up/down
•   Top drop-in bobbin
•   USB connectivity

Why Do Beginners Love This Machine?

In addition to the wonderful stitch quality and ease of use, Brother PE540D brings 35 extra Disney designs to the table, which some beginners will love. Letter 'D' in the model number stands for 'Disney'.

#6 - Brother DZ820E

Brother DZ820E is identical to Brother PE770 in features. The difference is in the color scheme and the accessory package you get with each machine. The accessory package that comes with DZ820E is of real value as it comes with 2 extra hoops, embroidery starter kit and 200 additional embroidery designs.

#7 - Singer SEQS-6000

Singer SEQS-6000 is now Singer's flag bearer in the beginner embroidery machine category. This is a sewing and embroidery combo machine. This machine is very different from other embroidery machines we discussed so far, because there is no built-in LCD screen on this machine. All the editing is done on your PC or Laptop with the help of an editing software and it is then transferred to the machine for stitching. For me, it is much more convenient to do all embroidery editing on a large laptop screen than on the small LCD screen.

Features

•   10"x6" embroidery area
•   30 built-in sewing stitches
•   125 built-in embroidery designs
•   5 built-in fonts for monogramming
•   Automatic needle threader
•   Programmable needle up/down
•   Top drop-in bobbin
•   Computer connectivity

Pros

The larger embroidery area is the USP of SEQS-6000. The fact that it is a sewing and embroidery combo machine, makes it even more appealing for beginners.

Why Do Beginners Love This Machine?

The large 10" x 6" embroidery area along with multihooping which lets you do designs up to 18 1/2" x 11" is the main advantage of Singer SEQS-6000. 10” x 6” and 4” x 4” hoops combined with good number of built-in sewing stitches and embroidery designs make it a good competitor.

#8 - Singer XL-400

Feature wise XL-400 is identical to SEQS-6000. So I am not going to repeat everything that I just said about SEQS-6000.

#9 - Singer S10

Singer S10 is a relatively new beginner embroidery machine. During its short run, it has managed to bag some great feedback from its users. It has a lot of features on board.

Features

•   5.5"x5.5" embroidery area
•   55 built-in embroidery designs
•   3 built-in fonts
•   Automatic needle threader
•   Top drop-in bobbin
•   Built-in memory
•   USB connectivity

Pros

One different thing that Singer did was to equip S10 with an LCD screen, which was not the case with XL-400 or SEQS-6000. Now that S10 has an LCD screen, you can do all the editing on the machine itself. 5.5" x 5.5" and 2" x 2" hoops will be good for beginners. The stitch quality is great and the machine is easy to thread as well. You can even store customized designs on the built-in memory of the machine.

Why Do Beginners Love This Machine?

Beginners will love S10 for its stitch quality and features. Singer fans will definitely love it.

#10 - Brother SE1800

You can't quite term Brother SE1800 as a beginner embroidery machine, but still it is worth mentioning in this list. SE1800 is a sewing and embroidery combo machine. It is an advanced machine with advanced features like the 'custom stitch' which lets you edit the built-in stitches. I will recommend this machine only to serious beginner sewers.

Features

•   5" x 7" embroidery area
•   184 built-in sewing stitches
•   136 built-in embroidery designs
•   6 built-in fonts for monogramming
•   Automatic needle threader
•   Automatic thread cutter
•   Knee lifter
•   Custom stitch
•   Programmable needle up/down
•   Top drop-in bobbin

Pros

Since SE1800 is an advanced machine, beginners will have to go through a learning curve. But once you get the hang of it, this machine is a beast. The stitch quality is top notch. The machine is packed with features.

Conclusion

This concludes my list of 10 best embroidery machines for beginners. But I won't point my finger to a particular machine in this list. You will have to decide which one is the best for you. Your requirements and my requirements will be different. So you are the best judge.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer only. Opinions may be subjective