Starting from zero: What embroidery/sewing machine would you buy in my position?
I’m new to sewing and embroidery and could really use some advice from people with more experience.
I recently lost my job and I’m trying to build something for myself, ideally a small children’s clothing business. My idea is to start by embroidering my own custom designs onto second-hand children’s clothing while I learn garment construction and sewing properly over time. I love the idea of creating unique, sustainable pieces instead of buying everything brand new.
At the moment I’m stuck on the big beginner question:
Should I get a combined sewing & embroidery machine, or separate machines?
My budget is pretty limited because I’m starting from scratch and I’m also trying to be realistic in case the business doesn’t work out the way I hope. I don’t want to overspend too early, but I also don’t want to buy something that I’ll outgrow immediately.
Machines I’ve been looking at so far:
Singer SE9185
Janome Memory Craft 100E
Brother Skitch PP1
What I’m mainly hoping to do at first:
Embroider custom artwork/designs onto kids clothes
Use second-hand/thrifted clothing as the base
Learn digitising/design creation over time
Eventually learn to sew and create my own garments
Things I’m worried about:
Buying too cheaply and regretting it
Buying too expensively and wasting money if the business fails
Whether combo machines are frustrating compared to dedicated embroidery machines
Ease of use for a total beginner
Reliability and maintenance costs
If anyone has experience with these machines (or starting a small embroidery business on a budget), I’d genuinely appreciate any advice, warnings, or recommendations.
Would you:
Start with a combo machine?
Buy a separate embroidery machine & cheap sewing machine later?
Buy second-hand instead of new?
Have you done any custom embroidery using any app-based machines?
Thanks in advance!