Brother SE-270D Sewing/Embroidery Machine

[ORD2KOA]

Michelle, do you know? Am I correct in my thinking that to use other Disney embroidery cards I need a Disney-branded Brother machine?
TIA!

 

[rcraw45425]

Michelle, do you know? Am I correct in my thinking that to use other Disney embroidery cards I need a Disney-branded Brother machine?
TIA!

Not Michelle but I can answer this, I have both the Brother and a bigger Babylock with a 5x7 hoop area. Yes, you can only use the Disney cards on a Brother machine, they have some type of trademark thing. For that reason alone I have kept my Brother, I highly prefer the Babylock, it uses the same .pes format but is just a better made machine than this one. You need to know the limitations ofthe Brother machine going into the purchase, it is limited to a 4x4 embroidery area, no larger, even if you get larger hoops. Also, some of the Disney cards are "large designs" and will not work on this machine. The cards run around $100 each too. If you want to do any monogramming you will really need to invest in a card reader/writer for the machines, I have an Amazing Box II, around $200 new. The monogram software I use set me back anothr $300. Also, with the limited 4x4 area some designs look "Crowded". For the new price, it's not a bad deal, it sews okay, but there are better machines out there. HTH

 

[mickeyfan1226]

I also have a card reader. I am learning more about my machine. I was thinking I had done a bigger design than 4x4 but I could very well be mistaken. I am sure there are better machines out there but what caught my eye was the disney items and I could not afford a better one. Or maybe it was I did not want to afford one. I do a lot of sewing when I am in the mood but this machine is great for what I need it for.
Michelle

 

[ORD2KOA]

Not Michelle but I can answer this .... it's not a bad deal, it sews okay, but there are better machines out there. HTH

Thanks Robin, I appreciate your taking the time to help.

Nancy

 

[ORD2KOA]

I also have a card reader. I am learning more about my machine. I was thinking I had done a bigger design than 4x4 but I could very well be mistaken. I am sure there are better machines out there but what caught my eye was the disney items and I could not afford a better one. Or maybe it was I did not want to afford one. I do a lot of sewing when I am in the mood but this machine is great for what I need it for.
Michelle

Thanks Michelle,

I just measured a design on a t-shirt I wear often, and it's 3x3, so I think the 4x4 will work just fine for me, and it's in my price range. If I decide to go nuts (I paint and make jewelry but haven't sewn in years, but who knows?) with embroidery, I could always move up. I saw some fabulous machines, but the prices are steep for the amount I suppose I would use it. (We lived in Hawaii 8 years - I think I pulled the machine out twice, ya know?)

Nancy

 

[scarlett873]

I hate to revive an old thread, but I have a question about this machine...

I know that you can purchase the cards from Brother with the Disney related stuff on them. But does anyone know if you can use an image that you have on your computer (like a piece of clip art or something) and somehow get that onto the machine to embroider?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Cyndi1975]

As far as I know you can't... seems somewhere on this thread that was mentioned... don't you just hate that?
Hope someone can come along with a definate answer for you...

 

[rcraw45425]

I hate to revive an old thread, but I have a question about this machine...

I know that you can purchase the cards from Brother with the Disney related stuff on them. But does anyone know if you can use an image that you have on your computer (like a piece of clip art or something) and somehow get that onto the machine to embroider?

Thanks in advance!

You can but it will cost you a fortune to do it. YOu have to purchase digitizing software which was around $700 minumum when I priced some 4 year ago. You can find tons of free designs off of sites like www.annthegran.com , all you have to do is register. Also Places like Embroidery gallery (I think, computer crashed and I lost all of my websites) have single designs for purchae reasonably. You purchase, they send you the zip file unzip and load into your card reader.

 

[ORD2KOA]

No, you don't need the PED basic, I'm not even sure what that is. This is a card reader/writer that you can use with multiple machines. it has four slots, you just put the card in the one that matches your machine brand. .

Hi. I was wondering about the card and reader and wonder if someone can give me some advice.

I recently purchased the Brother SE-270D, and haven't even tried (no time) to do an embroidery yet, but I'm wondering about the card.

Is the card proprietary? Meaning do I need a specific card that is for sewing machines, or is it just a regular memory card like you would use in other electronic gizmos?

I do already have a 21-in-one reader/writer for the computer and was wondering why I would need to buy another if I was just going to download an embroidery pattern and didn't need to digitize it.

If it isn't proprietary, does anyone know what the media card is?

Any help will be much appreciated. TIA

Nancy

 

[rcraw45425]

IT's a card reader/writer like this:
http://amazingdesigns.com/en/produc...=Amazing Box MAX with PES HUS Rewritable Card

I have the Amazing Box II, which was replaced by this one. It comes with a rewritable card. The card has to bea ble to fit into the sewing machine and be recognized. The Brother Disney cards are proprietary, they only work in Brother machines, that is why I kept my Brother when I upgraded to the Babylock, although both have the same embroidery format, .pes.

 

[ORD2KOA]

Hi Robin,

Thanks. DYK - Is the card a normal sort of memory card or something completely different?

Nancy

 

[rcraw45425]

Well, it's larger than an SC card, more rectangular in shape. about 2"X1" I'd say. The reading tines are on the long side if that helps. If you look on your machine you'll see the length.

 

[ORD2KOA]

Robin, thanks for the help. I did look at the slot and from the literature, it appears that the card is smaller than the slot, but I'm thinking it's got to be a Compact Flash card. I sent an email to Brother, we'll see if they respond.

UPDATE: I just tried a compact flash card and it's a little too thick.

I'm also wondering if a card with existing embroidery on it (meaning, not purchased blank) can be erased and re-used.

BTW - This is mostly about paying a premium price for stuff that's generally readily available and inexpensive for computer or camera use. If everything is proprietary to the machine, that's one thing. If it's just them (the machine manufacturers) giving the illusion of it being proprietary, that's just wrong.

 

[rcraw45425]

Robin, thanks for the help. I did look at the slot and from the literature, it appears that the card is smaller than the slot, but I'm thinking it's got to be a Compact Flash card. I sent an email to Brother, we'll see if they respond.

UPDATE: I just tried a compact flash card and it's a little too thick.

I'm also wondering if a card with existing embroidery on it (meaning, not purchased blank) can be erased and re-used.

BTW - This is mostly about paying a premium price for stuff that's generally readily available and inexpensive for computer or camera use. If everything is proprietary to the machine, that's one thing. If it's just them (the machine manufacturers) giving the illusion of it being proprietary, that's just wrong.

I think the only thing proprietary is the Disney designs. All of the other machines that take cards take the same size I think. The software that transfers the digitized design may also be proprietary.

 

[ORD2KOA]

Thanks Robin. I did get a response from Brother, and it sounded like I was the only person who ever complained to them that the card (which I really do think is a CompactFlash I - the II was a hair too thick) is being sold for like what, $60, when if it is in fact a CompactFlash I, the price should be more like $15. The person who replied did research prices on the internet and was sending a note to their technical people asking for more information.

Nancy

 

[majong]

i just purchased this machine used and have been playing with it...i've successfully embroidered and sewn just a few samples items. now my top thread keeps breaking after a few stitches. i'm using one of those short fat spools of thread on the spool attachment....can anybody help? any thoughts????

 

[rcraw45425]

What brand of thread are you using? I have found that the Coats & Clark from WalMart and some Hancocks is poor quality. I use Mettler and Robison-Anton, will use Sulky if I have to. I also stay away from rayon thread, for some reason my Brother machine doesn't like it, breaks a lot.

 

[majong]

I just purchased a spool of Sulky Rayon thread. I will try the Mettler brand. So when you say no rayon, are you just using Polyester thread or cotton?

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[rcraw45425]

I use Polyester, the new ones still give a good sheen to the finished garment and can be bleached (oh yeah!). I monogram all of our white bath towels with black Poly mettler (initials) and gold metallic (border). They have been done for about 2 years now and are bleached regularly with no color loss.

 

[majong]

Thank you for your suggestion: I immediately switched to the Mettler and I'm embroidering for longer stretches but it did snap again once. I'm playing around with the tension but when it snapped that one time with the Mettler thread, the tension wasn't high. I'm just getting a bit nervous that there might be something wrong with my machine? I'll keep experimenting......