Disboutiquers who embroider... help me please...

[BlueKangaroo]

My girlfriend and I want to start doing some embroidered items for a craft booth. Where do I start?

1. I want to start with a low price range machine to make sure it's worth the investment.

2. I want to be able to take my own designs and create embroidery files from them (if that's what it's called)

3. I would need to know where I can find designs that can be used for resale items (I'm assuming anything Disney is out of that question)

Thanks so much!!!!

 

[musicmama]

1. I want to start with a low price range machine to make sure it's worth the investment.

Brother has a great low-price machine (around $400 or so) that comes with a bunch of designs on embroidery cards, including Disney items. That's about as low a price as you will find for an embroidery machine. The better home machines are made by Singer, Brother or Husqvarna Viking and start around at least $ 1000., even if you buy a used model. My machine is a Viking Designer I ESS - I bought a used class model from my Joann's/Viking store 3 years ago and it was about $ 3500., not including the sewing software. You can buy from ebay also, but you need to look for a reputable dealer.

2. I want to be able to take my own designs and create embroidery files from them (if that's what it's called)

This is called "digitizing" and it's not easy. You need special software, a drawing pad - and the patience of a saint! I have tried this several times in the last 3 years, and I am very bad. My sister has had her machine and software a year longer than me and she's very good - but then, she was able to do this as a SAHM/empty-nester who had gotten laid off from her job and had the time to concentrate on learning how to do this!

3. I would need to know where I can find designs that can be used for resale items (I'm assuming anything Disney is out of that question)

You are correct in that Disney is a copyrighted set of items, and you will most likely not be able to sell branded items unless you have obtained a license to do so. However, other designs that you purchase may have completely different copyright enforcement.

I buy my designs from "embroidery library" and from a certain number of eBay vendors. The EL files are well done and stitch beautifully.

 

[mickeymaker2003]

The previous poster was right. All of the Disney designs--including any built into a machine--are licensed for home use only, which means they cannot be embroidered on anything for sale. All of the licensed character designs I have (Disney, Blue's Clues, Precious Moments, Peanuts, Dennis the Menace, Sesame Street and Garfield) are licensed this way so I can't sell anything with them on it (but I can give away things I have made with them on it).

If you are brand new to embroidery, I would not get into digitizing yet. Good digitizing software is expensive and the process is very time consuming. A mid-level embroidery machine that allows you to combine and resize designs and edit text would be enough to get you started (along with a design library)--I would make sure it will accept at least a 5x7 hoop as well. I have several Brother machines and have found them to be very user friendly. Brother machines that come with built-in Disney designs are the only ones that will be able to use Disney designs (the cards are locked and can only be read by the Brother machines with Disney built-in). No other manufacturer works with Disney. So if you'd like to do Disney for your personal use, you would need a Brother machine.

PM me if you want more info or want to talk about machines. I have had mine for several years and might be able to give you some ideas/hints.

 

[BlueKangaroo]

Thanks for the answers!

As far as digitizing, is that where I could take a part of a pattern from a fabric, say a bike or something, and then turn it into an embroidery file? Just want to make sure I have the terms right!

Off to do more research!