Can You Embroider With a Regular Sewing Machine?

On this page (8 sections)

1. What can each type of machine do?
2. What can a regular sewing machine do?
3. Why does machine embroidery need a moving hoop?
4. Which combo machines can embroider?
5. What can an embroidery-only machine not do?
6. What else do you need to start machine embroidery?
7. What should you check before you buy a combo?
8. Can you embroider with a sewing machine? Yes, with a combo

A regular sewing machine can't stitch an embroidery design on its own. It sews straight stitches, zigzags and decorative patterns, but it has no hoop that moves the fabric in a set path under the needle.

You can still do some hand-guided stitching on a regular machine, and that is covered below. For a stitched design from a file, you need a combo or an embroidery machine.

What can each type of machine do?

A regular machine sews seams and hems, an embroidery-only machine stitches designs, and a combo does both.

Free-motion stitching is the one way a regular machine gets close to embroidery, and the next section covers it.

What can a regular sewing machine do?

A regular sewing machine is built to join fabric, so seams, hems, zippers and buttonholes are its main work. Many models also include decorative stitch patterns that can add a border or a simple motif.

Decorative stitches repeat a fixed pattern along a line, while machine embroidery follows a design file inside a hoop.

Can you embroider with a sewing machine by hand?

Yes, in a loose, freehand way called free-motion stitching, but it isn't machine embroidery. You move the fabric by hand while the needle goes up and down, so every line is your own.

The results are artistic, and they can't be repeated exactly from a file. That makes free-motion work a quilting and freehand skill rather than machine embroidery.

Free-motion work needs a darning or embroidery foot and a way to lower the feed dogs, the teeth that move fabric under the foot. Many machines allow this, so check your manual before you try it.

Practice on scrap fabric first, and keep a slow, even pace, since the speed of your hands against the needle sets the stitch length.

Keep your fingers clear of the needle when you guide fabric by hand, and unplug the machine before you change a needle.

Why does machine embroidery need a moving hoop?

Machine embroidery needs a hoop that moves the fabric in small steps, so the needle can follow a design file. The hoop holds the fabric and stabilizer flat and tight, and the embroidery unit moves it as the machine stitches.

The design lands in the right place only when the fabric stays still in the hoop. That is why the embroidery hoop sizes guide and the do you need stabilizer for embroidery post matter as much as the machine itself.

Which combo machines can embroider?

Four combos sew and embroider, and each one fits a different need.

Brother SE700 for a 4 x 4 in field

The SE700 has a 4 x 4 in embroidery field, 135 built-in designs and 103 built-in sewing stitches. That makes it a practical start for small designs and everyday sewing.

Singer SE9180 for a large touchscreen

The SE9180 has a 7 inch color touchscreen, 250 sewing stitches and 150 embroidery designs. Singer says mySewnet lets you transfer designs wirelessly and track progress with app notifications.

Janome Memory Craft 1000 for a compact desk

Janome says the embroidery arm mounts behind the machine instead of at the side, which keeps the desk footprint small. The machine has 300 built-in stitches, 241 built-in designs and a 5.5 x 5.5 in maximum embroidery area.

Brother SE2000 for bigger designs

The SE2000 has a 5 x 7 in embroidery field, and Brother says that area lets you combine designs with less rehooping. Brother also says Color Sort reduces the number of color changes, and Jump Stitch Trimming trims the thread jumps inside each color.

Choosing between the four

Start with the largest design you plan to stitch, then pick the combo whose field fits it. The Janome has the most built-in stitches in this group at 300, and the SE2000 has the largest stated field at 5 x 7 in.

What can an embroidery-only machine not do?

An embroidery-only machine can't sew a seam, a hem or a zipper. The Brother PE545, the Brother PE900 and the Poolin EOC05 are all embroidery only, so none of them works as a traditional sewing machine.

If you want both jobs, a combo covers them, or you can keep a sewing machine and add an embroidery-only machine. Embroidery machine vs sewing machine compares the two in more detail.

What else do you need to start machine embroidery?

Besides the machine, you need stabilizer, embroidery thread and embroidery needles. Each one has its own guide.

• Stabilizer: do you need stabilizer for embroidery explains what the backing does.
• Needles: embroidery machine needles lists the common sizes.
• Thread: embroidery thread vs sewing thread explains why the two can't always swap.

What should you check before you buy a combo?

Check the space, the power and the hoop before you buy, since these combos differ a lot in size and weight. Brother says the SE700 and SE2000 are intended for sale only in the US at 120 volts.

The Janome is the shallowest of the four but also the widest, so check the width of your table first. The SE2000 is the heaviest, so plan for lifting it onto the table and for a sturdy surface.

• Included hoop: the SE700 comes with a 4 x 4 in frame set, the SE2000 with a 5 x 7 in frame set, the Singer with a 170 x 100 mm hoop and the Janome with a 5.5 x 5.5 in square hoop.
• Design transfer: the SE700 and SE2000 have wireless LAN, and the SE9180 has mySewnet Wi-Fi. For the Janome, check how files reach the machine if you need wireless transfer.
• Sewing stitches: the counts run from 103 on the SE700 to 300 on the Janome, so check which stitches your projects need.

Best sewing and embroidery combo machines ranks more models, and the Brother SE700 review goes deeper on the 4 x 4 in combo.

Can you embroider with a sewing machine? Yes, with a combo

Pick a regular sewing machine if you only need seams, hems and quilting, and pick a combo if you want stitched designs from a file.

A combo is the simplest route when you want both jobs in one machine. The Brother SE700 is a good place to start at the 4 x 4 in size.

If budget matters most, the budget beginner embroidery machines guide is the next read. The Embroidery Machines for Beginners guide covers each machine type in one place.

Brother makes the SE700 and SE2000, so its US site is the place to check model details.

Frequently asked questions

Can you embroider with a regular sewing machine?

Not a stitched design from a file, because a regular machine has no hoop that moves the fabric in a set path. It can stitch decorative patterns and free-motion lines that you guide by hand, but for machine embroidery you need a sewing and embroidery combo.

What is the difference between a combo and an embroidery-only machine?

A combo has a sewing unit and an embroidery unit, so it can sew seams and stitch designs. An embroidery-only machine, such as the Brother PE545, stitches designs but does not work as a traditional sewing machine, so it can't make a seam or a hem.

Do I need a special foot for free-motion stitching?

Usually, yes: most people use a darning or embroidery foot and lower the feed dogs, the teeth that move fabric under the foot, so they can guide the fabric by hand. Check your manual first, because not every machine can lower the feed dogs.

Which combo is a good first pick?

The Brother SE700 is a sensible first pick if a 4 x 4 in hoop covers your designs. If you need more room, the Brother SE2000 has a 5 x 7 in field, but it weighs 38 lb, so plan the lifting and table space before you buy.