Brother SE1900
Janome Memory Craft 500E
Singer Legacy SE300
Today’s embroidery machines can do what used to take hours to complete by hand. Most embroidery machines can create custom embroidery designs, some with hundreds of built-in designs for sewing and embroidery separately. With all of the options available, choosing a suitable machine can be challenging.
The most important features to look out for are the number of built-in designs, the ability to upload your own designs easily, ease of use, included accessories, and whether it has sewing machine capabilities.
Fun fact: Embroidery comes from the French word “broderie,” meaning “to embellish,” and the first evidence of this art form dates back over 32,000 years ago.
Creating your own custom designs, including complex projects, all depend on the embroidery functions of the embroidery machines. Some ideas include embellishing children’s clothing with their favorite Disney characters or adding colorful patterns to a top, or even monogramming towels as a gift.
Embroidery designs can add a personal touch to even the most ordinary materials. The best embroidery machines offer a wide selection of embroidery designs and include a USB port to add as many custom designs as the built-in memory can hold. They also can be a combination machine– a sewing and embroidery machine in one and should be easy to operate.
Embroidery Machines vs. Sewing Machines
While both using needle and thread, sewing and embroidery projects require different accessories to create custom designs. Most embroidery machines have a built-in USB port that allows users to upload their own designs to create custom embroidery projects via a USB stick.
Embroidery Machines
The best embroidery machine comes with embroidery hoops in different sizes, an embroidery arm that guides the hoops, and other types of special accessories for advanced embroidery projects. Stand-alone embroidery machines usually come with one embroidery presser foot, which is all that’s needed to complete most embroidery projects.
In addition, a multi-needle machine allows users to embroider using different thread colors. Most of these embroidery machines require a very advanced PC connection due to their remote computer screen.
These embroidery machines are for serious embroidery projects or those using the machine for commercial purposes. The embroidery designs are virtually unlimited on a multi-needle embroidery machine.
Sewing Machines
On the other hand, sewing machines come with several presser feet to facilitate different sewing projects. They also usually don’t allow for the complexity of embroidery designs possible with a sewing and embroidery combo machine.
In fact, purchasing solely an embroidery machine is only suggested for commercial use. Otherwise, we recommend purchasing a sewing and embroidery machine in one for home use, which doubles the machine’s functions.
The Best Embroidery Machines for Custom Designs
- Best Embroidery Machine for Custom Designs Overall: Brother SE1900 Sewing Embroidery Machine
- Best Remote Computer Screen Embroidery Machines: Janome Memory Craft 500E Embroidery Machine with Customized Embroidery
- Best Embroidery Machine for Custom Designs with Built-in Stitches: Singer Legacy SE300 Embroidery Machine
- Best Sewing and Embroidery Machine for Embroidery Designs: Janome Memory Craft Horizon 9850 Sewing and Embroidery Machine
- Best Multi-Needle Embroidery Machine for Custom Designs: Janome MB-4S Four-Needle Embroidery Machine
1. Best Embroidery Machine for Custom Designs Overall – Brother SE1900 Sewing Embroidery Machine
Selection Criteria
- Price – ~$999.99 – Our score: 9/10
- Built-in designs – 240 – Our score: 9/10
- Upload custom designs – Yes – Our score: 9/10
- Easy to use – Yes – Our score: 9/10
- Number of accessories included – Eight presser feet – Our score: 9/10
- Sewing machine and embroidery machine in one – Yes – Our score: 9/10
About the Brother SE1900 Sewing Embroidery Machine
This embroidery and sewing machine has all the features sewing enthusiasts expect on a modern machine. Ideal for beginners or advanced sewers alike, this machine comes with all of the bells and whistles to quilt, sew and embroider. Some embroidery features include a free-motion sewing arm, 240 decorative stitches, a USB port, an automatic needle threader, and a fast bobbin winding mechanism.
The color LCD touch screen provides easy control to create a custom design for quick computerized sewing and embroidery. What’s more, this machine comes with quilt patterns and sewing stitches to make garment sewing your own designs possible. The automatic thread cutter also makes fabric crafting more efficient. The maximum embroidery size is 5×7 inches.
Pros
- Outlines which pressure foot to use for each project
- All accessories are stored nicely in a box at the base of the machine
- Over 200 built-in stitches included
- Ability to customize color combinations
- The large LCD screen is intuitive and functional
Cons
- Can be challenging to set up the thread initially
- Additional embroidery hoops must be purchased separately
2. Best Remote Computer Embroidery Machine for Custom Designs – Janome Memory Craft 500E Custom Embroidery Machine
Selection Criteria
- Price – ~$2,349 – Our score: 7/10
- Built-in designs – 160 – Our score: 7/10
- Upload custom designs – Yes – Our score: 9/10
- Easy to use – Yes – Our score: 9/10
- Number of accessories included – One presser foot and five bobbins – Our score: 7/10
- Sewing machine and embroidery machine in one – No – Our score: 8/10
About the Janome Memory Craft 500E Custom Embroidery Machine
The advanced LCD touch screen on this Janome makes its high price point worth it. Embroidering enthusiasts can zoom in or out, rotate, copy and paste and drag a custom design before deciding on the embroidering pattern on the remote control screen. The large embroidery field is a whopping 7.9 x 11 inches, making this one of the best embroidery machines for creating large-quality embroidery projects.
Additional features include a USB port, built-in memory, a straightforward stitching process, an automatic needle threader, an automatic thread cutter. In addition, embroidery designs include two to three letter monogramming and six fonts.
Pros
- The auto thread cutter saves a lot of time
- Light enough to travel with at 20 pounds
- Comes with four embroidery hoops
- Large table that makes it easier to sew embroidery designs
Cons
- Art must be digitized already in “Jef” format to upload
3. Best Commercial Embroidery Machine for Custom Designs – Singer Legacy SE300 Embroidery Machine
Selection Criteria
- Price – ~$1,598 – Our score: 7/10
- Built-in designs – 250 – Our score: 9/10
- Upload custom designs – Yes – Our score: 8/10
- Easy to use – Yes – Our score: 9/10
- Number of accessories included – 10 presser feet – Our score: 9/10
- Sewing machine and embroidery machine in one – Yes – Our score: 9/10
About the Singer Legacy SE300 Embroidery Machine
This Singer is one of the best embroidery machines for custom designs for commercial use due to its sewing capabilities and features. This embroidery and sewing machine in one has a backlit LCD screen, a USB port with built-in memory, an automatic needle threader, 250 built-in stitches, and a bobbin thread sensor.
This good embroidery machine has a maximum sewing speed of 800 sewing stitches per minute and 700 embroidery stitches per minute so that each embroidery project can be completed quickly and efficiently. The embroidery field is roughly 10 x 6 inches wide to create large embroidery designs.
Pros
- 250 sewing stitches
- Ability to download own embroidery designs
- Can be used with the Endless embroidery hoop, sold separately
- All designs can be printed before sewing
- Includes an upper thread sensor
- Can be used with 110 and 220V
Cons
- Has a limited warranty
4. Best Sewing and Embroidery Machine for Custom Designs – Janome Memory Craft Horizon 9850
Selection Criteria
- Price – ~$1,899 – Our score: 7/10
- Built-in designs – 175 – Our score: 8/10
- Upload custom designs – Yes – Our score:8/10
- Easy to use – Yes – Our score: 9/10
- Number of accessories included – 10 Presser feet – Our score: 9/10
- Sewing machine and embroidery machine in one – Yes – Our score: 9/10
About the Janome Memory Craft Horizon 9850
This combo machine that’s a sewing and embroidery machine in one sports a full-color LCD touchscreen to easily control embroidery and sewing capabilities. This machine features a USB port, built-in needle threader, automatic thread tension, up to three-letter monogramming with two fonts available, and more than a handful of editing features.
The embroidery field is 6.7 x 7.9 inches which are large enough to create a range of patterns from flowers, snowflakes, or even company designs. This diverse and feature-packed combo machine enables users to create a plethora of custom embroidery designs.
Pros
- Has 200 built-in sewing stitches
- Includes a 25-year warranty on mechanical parts and a five-year warranty on electrical parts
- Comes with two embroidery hoops
Cons
- Does not come with a case
5. Best Multi-Needle Embroidery Machine for Custom Designs – Janome MB-4S Four-Needle Embroidery Machine
Selection Criteria
- Price – ~$5,299 – Our score: 7/10
- Built-in designs – 50 – Our score: 7/10
- Upload custom designs – Yes – Our score: 9/10
- Easy to use – No – Our score: 7/10
- Number of accessories included – Five embroidery hoops – Our score: 8/10
- Sewing machine and embroidery machine in one – No – Our score: 8/10
About the Janome MB-4S Four-Needle Embroidery Machine
Hands down the best embroidery machine for an embroidery business, this Janome multi-needle embroidery unit comes with four needles. Other useful features include a USB port to upload up to 3 MB of built-in memory to store an incredible 1,500,000 stitches.
Weighing 64 pounds, this large and heavy machine is intended for a designated sewing area. This four needle machine can edit 65,536 thread colors, has an automatic threader that, even while stitching, can wind a bobbin. It also has an automatic thread cutter for a continuous sewing feature and an embroidery field of 9.46 x 7.88 inches.
Note, this embroidery machine is not intended for beginning sewers as the unit contains very complex embroidery features and functions that require an understanding of embroidery machines.
Pros
- Is easy to set up for professional sewers
- Includes five different hoops
- Has a 25-year warranty on quality, five years for electrical parts, and one year of labor
- Can store up to 100 additional designs with its built-in memory
Cons
- Customer service can be difficult to contact
- Manual threading can be difficult
Conclusion
We hope you found our guide to the best embroidery machine for custom designs helpful. We’ve covered the different types of embroidery machines available along with our recommendations in various contexts.
We’ve discussed how you can choose the best embroidery machines with different features that make sewing and embroidery more straightforward and faster. Lastly, we’ve combined our recommendations to create fun personalized clothes, linens, or gifts for every budget.
Thanks for reading; we hope our suggestions help you choose the best embroidery machine, whether it’s as a gift or to add to your sewing room.
