Silver Bullet Cutters Forum

I am seeing more and more, convergence of plotter cutting and embroidery. It is happening now, and our cats/SB more invaluable then ever.

Brother has come out with embroidery applique software. You can import a .fcm file (brother scan and cut file), create embroidery stitching around the applique, then export to .svg for cutting on the plotter side.

For us with the cats/SB, it is an easy matter of taking any design in SCAL and export to the requisite .fcm file format, and you can use your designs in embroidery and cut it out on the cat/SB and take that design to the embroidery machine to be entrapped by stitching performed by the embroidery machine. This is extremely enticing to me, because I simply cannot "get" blanket stitching on the sewing side - and I have tried.

You can see the new brother applique software here: https://www.brother-usa.com/homesewing/ ... lique.aspx

There are so many uses for our machines, and not just for paper media.

Hope everyone is well. I did finish the vets quilt and I can see I forgot to post it (the stenciled letters were all done by plotter - freezer paper was the media). I promise to catch up here.

Pat

Wow, that is great news. I also do embroidery and can use all the help I can get. Thanks for letting us know!

Thanks Pat - that is great information to have! My embroidery machine sits in here untouched because I just can't seem to find the time...... or desire. You have at least made me curious now!!

You're all welcome. I myself do not have an embroidery machine - - yet. I have been thinking about it. I am very interested in machine embroidered applique, chiefly because I am having such, such trouble on the sewing side about properly entrapping applique on a sewing machine. It's been such a challenge to me, and I hate feeling like a dunce when it comes to my quilting. So this might be a way of addressing this particular challenge to me - and since I already have the cat..........

Pat

There are several softwares that will allow you to export an svg on a design you have created. It works beautifully in embird and Sew Art/Sew What Pro. I have both softwares, I personally haven't heard many great things about the brother software for embroidery. Also Wilcom has just come out with software very pricey that will export a CDR. I can also import an svg with the Sew series, and an efm or wfm into Embird. I know Adobe illustrator will export out those two extensions.
I can also use all my ttf's in both programs, although it isn't great in the sew series, but awesome in Embird. I love all the programs, Wilcom's has a fully 30 day demo on their software, but it is about 1000.00. I decided for now to put my money on a new commercial machine. I love it so much. Will post pictures this weekend. I haven't done applique with the new machine I have been working on a fundraiser for a 5 year old with stage 5 wilms. But watch out world I am actually working with RJ the former disney artist again, and we are digitising his files what is great, is once I have done that I can export as svg and voila, I have a cardstock, vinyl, or htv file. I love saving time.

Yes Embird is an excellent software - not cheap but you can do about anything with it.

And Suzan , I agree about Brother software in general, but this new one is "supposed" to be really good. Emphasis on "supposed"!! :0

I love having options - especially when embroidery software is so darned expensive in general. I have gotten away from machine embroidery, but want to get back into it and incorporate it in my cards. The list of things I want to do just grows and grows...... and the time for all of it shrinks and shrinks! I need to get a better handle on things!!

I do all my creating of my embroidery files in Inkscape and then export as a wmf file and import into Embird and it works flawlessly.......

Right now I am digitizing for a lady and I do that also. But with RJ's stuff, I am working with sketchs, and the manual trace is super easy. then export out as svg.

Gigi Sew Art and Sew What are pretty good, and a lot cheaper than embird, but I out grew them. But used them for a couple of years.

Thanks Suzan - you are really doing a lot! I think I had Sew Art ages ago. I do already have Embird - I just have barely skimmed the surface of it!! I need more hours in the day or less interests to occupy my brain - or both!

I know what you mean

Honest, I think some of our super talented people here should be on craftsy teaching this stuff! I'm still a couple of months away at least from actual receipt of my embroidery machine. I think it is exciting what the future may hold.

Pat

Pat it is amazing, I have 3. lol I bought a really small one to see if I liked it, then upgraded to a bigger one that does 5 x 7 and loved it even more, and then I just bought a Brother PRS 100. It looks like a commercial it is a commercial but only one needle, couldn't afford the multi one. And the hat hoop and the whole hooping system is amazing. The hats basically sit on a drum so they embroider great. I did some for a fundraiser and it was perfect. And digitising is like working on SVG's. I can use my bullet for fabric. So I have the best of all worlds.

Suzan - another friend of mine has the Brother PRS 100 single needle. She loves it. I did not want to jump that far for a first experience. At the same time, I did not want to do what you and so many people seem to do - start small and wind up collecting machines - or losing money to re-sale smaller machines as needs grow. Under consideration is the embroidery only Brother 2200 - which is mid-level price and has some great features - but is not top banana. I am waiting to see what comes out of Brother's convention being held this week before making the final jump.

I agree with you. The first machine I only paid a couple a hundred. The second one was pricier, but all three are still usable. And when I am doing multiple projects I can run all three at once. The first does 4 x 4 which is perfect for shirt logos and small stuff, then my 5 x 7. and the big monster I can be running hats or larger items. Which works out well with the fundraiser I have working on. I can actually manage hats on two of them. So it works out, and the small one also sews. I may get rid of it. I have yet to do all three at once. But oh I could drive the whole house crazy.

Brother's convention did not reveal any substitute for the 2200, so it looks like that will be the machine I am after.

Pat