I am floored!! My husband has mentioned that he might buy me an embroidery machine for Christmas if I wanted one!! About the only thing I know is you can get a separate embroidery machine or the combo. I have a great Singer Golden Touch and Sew that I love. But wonder about the advantages of the newer combined computerized units or if a separate machine would be better.

Any comments appreciated.

Sunnye

If this is a christmas gift go for the newest type there is,janome has a new model 11000 whereby you can download patterns off the net, and put into your machine,I have an older model that takes cards only and can't get patterns off the net.Also there is Husqvarna websites where you can look at diff models.Search sewing sites and look at them then decide what model you want.

a combo machine is fine, but keep your current machine. You can't be sewing while that machine is doing embroidery, so you can keep sewing if you keep the other machine.

Not bad to have a second sewing machine you like, but if it is only dedicated to embroidery, then maybe a combo is overkill.

Get the best you can afford. Always my model regarding sewing equipment and materials.

All the home embroidery machines that do only embroidery (that I am aware of) are limited to a 4"x4" embroidery field. Combo machines have larger fields - size varies somewhat by brand & probably cost.

Good luck in your search.

Janome makes an embroidery-only machine with a substanitally larger field.
KatC

I have a friend who gets her machines from a friend who owns a shop.

She got the top of the line Brother - not sure of the name, but she loves it. She choose it after her friend had been to the big wholesale show where all new machines are debuted.

She raves about it and produces wonderful things with it.

I have a Pfaff 2144, but the learning curve on that machine was substantial. I understand the Babylock is really easy to use right out of the box and people love it. Whatever you choice, I hope you enjoy it!

I have both the Designer 1 and the Janome MC 10001. They are both great machines. However the Janome embroidery 300 or 350 does fantastic embroidery and the hoops are big. It even uses the giga hoop. The best part of that is you can sew on your other machine while that one embroiders and the investment isn't nearly as large as if you by it in a higher model sewing machine.