Enjoying Machine Embroidery

I really love my job. Not just because it doesn't feel like working for a living as I sit in my sewing room making fabulous things with gorgeous fabrics, but because I get to play with the best toys and then share them with the rest of the world. My new favourite toy is the Brother Innov-IS M2450ED Embroidery machine. I love hand embroidery, and it is my project of choice when I have a spare moment or as a holiday project. However, beautiful as it is, hand embroidery is definitely the slow route to needlework perfection. It takes time to complete, and years to master. An embroidery machine is the perfect solution - fast and perfect results every time.

Brother Innov-IS M240ED Embroidery Machine

So why this one?

That is a good question - I have had the Brother90E for a couple of years and I love it, but I feel that this machine is a real upgrade. It still stitches to the same 10cm x 10cm area but I have never found that much of a hindrance, and these designs are gorgeous. There are 125 designs in total, including 45 Disney licensed images which are super fun to use. (Just remember that all licensed images are subject to copyright).

The M240ED is purely an embroidery machine, and has a 3.7inch a full colour LCD touchscreen which is super easy to use and makes moving, resizing and mirroring your designs a breeze. I love the fact that you can make your changes with a finger, rather than requiring a stylus which I constantly lost on my 90E.

Editing

I also like being able to combine elements in the frame, and embroidering them all together. This allows me to create a design in the hoop and perfect my placement before I stitch a single stitch! All I need to do is press the Add button and keep building my design.

The 45 built in Disney designs are gorgeous, just as you would expect from a company like Brother. Here are a few of the items I have made since getting my hands on the machine!

Classic Mickey Mouse cushion

Disney Princesses Cushions

The Disney designs are not the only patterns on this lovely machine. I don't personally feel that the 10cm x 10cm design size is too much of a limitation, as larger designs can be created from repeating smaller elements. This table runner is created from a repeated floral design.

Finished table runner

Lining this up was a lot easier than it looks. I simply drew a line down the centre of my fabric with with a water erasable pen. I then used the embroidery sheet that comes with the machine to line up the design within the hoop.

Embroidery sheet for lining up designs.

The grid in the centre of the embroidery sheet is 10cm square and really helps with the alignment - just remember to remove it before you start stitching.

Embroidery is a great addition to premade items. In this case I added a design to a pair of jeans with an unfortunate pen mark on the front. I simply aligned the flower with the ink mark and started stitching.

Finished jeans

This video shows the jeans being embroidered. I put Stitch n Tear on the inside of my jeans and then hooped up, ensuring that the back of the jeans are tucked out of the way. Then we just stitch away!

I tried felt too - this is stitched onto 80% polyester felt with a stabilizer on the back, and it did a beautiful job!

Felt embroidery

Not all of the designs are pictures either - this cushion was made from 5 1/2 inch squares with the same design printed onto each block in black. It looks likes super fancy free motion quilting and I love the effect.

Patchwork cushion

In conclusion, this machine is a great introduction to the world of machine embroidery. It is full of designs, has a USB slot for adding further designs, and is easy to use so perfect for beginners.


I do not get paid for reviews, and I am not on commission (more's the pity) - these views are all my own! I have demonstrated this machine on Create and Craft, I just don't choose to blog about them all!