Embroidered stool covers

[marko69]

I finished recovering these three stools for a friend today.  I used a Brother pe-700 for the embroidery, OEM Harley vinyl,  closed cell foam, dacron, and a layer of 1/2" volara foam on top of the wood base which makes it a little more comfee.

Before and afters.

[hdflame]

Nice job on the embroidery!  Seat covers look good too.  I would love to have a small machine to do that with.  What's the approx cost of an embroidery machine?

[Grebo]

Nice job  :D
What are you using for a stabilizer ? did you do them in the hoop ?
& What thread are you using.  :P  Go on tell.  ;D

I have a brother 750E, not had much time to play with it yet  :'(

[marko69]

hdflame:  It depends on the features and the maker, it's a pretty wide range, you can get a used Brother 270D for around $150 or a Viking for $5k. I bought this Brother PE-700, in like new condition from ebay for $450, its a great machine.  I watch ebay alot for embroidery machines and I would say if you bought a new 5x7 machine on ebay, it would be between $500 and $800 for a good machine.
If you are interested in buying a machine, look for one that has at least a 5X7 embroidery field. You can make large designs with a 4x4 machine and a large hoop and they are less expensive, but it's alot more of a hassle to make a design and punch it out then a 5x7 machine.  Also look for one that has automatic tension.
I also have a 270D (4x4) and a PE-150 and can make the same large designs with them (with a larger hoop), but it's alot more trouble and time consuming then the pe-700 (5x7) and the result isn't as good.

Grebo:  I use "iron on" stabilizer, no brand name, got a huge roll of it on ebay pretty cheap. Isacord 40wt thread.  I've only done vinyl and leather and always use a hoop.  Hoop marks come out pretty easy after you iron the vinyl back side, but you have to watch out when hooping leather, I use strips of muslin underneath the hoop or it will permanently crease the leather.

[marko69]

That should be,  Isacord "polyester" 40wt thread.

[hdflame]

How hard is it to take a picture/design and put it into the machine?  I think it's called digitizing??

[Cheryl]

You can buy designs is sets or one at a time, depending on the seller.  

You can buy the software to digitized your own stuff.. but its expensive, then there is the learning curve to use it.  Embird is one and I think is considered the best for home embroidery.   Google it and read up.

You can also take a  picture to a company who specializes in digitizing and embroidery..  Around here its about $35 per design to digitize and $5 to stitch out.  

While I have Embird and the machines..  I prefer to  send my digitizing out -- saves aLOT of time!

BTW ~~   Those are some really sweet  seats, whoever gets them are gonna LOVE them!  And if my daughter sees that she will be screaming at me to  put that on her  leathers!!!  (She just bought a Harley).  

Did you buy the designs off eBay too??

[hdflame]

I guess that answers it for me.  I'll get somebody else to do it. ;D ;D

[penguin]

I guess that answers it for me.  I'll get somebody else to do it. ;D ;D

me too-do you contract out?

[hdflame]

I guess that answers it for me.  I'll get somebody else to do it. ;D ;D

me too-do you contract out?

I haven't done any work with embroidery on it yet.  I keep looking at the Brother machines, but don't see one in my near future. :D  If I decide to incorporate embroidery in anything, I'll take it to someone else.