Ann The Gran Community

What do you think about having a machine specific user group?  If people signed up for the machine they use, they could discuss issues they have with others who have the same machine.  Or for software users as well. 

I have a Brother PE700 and BabyLock Ellageo, so I might be in two different groups.  If I have a question, others with the same make and/or model could discuss any issues together.

What do you think?

Pat, The Avid Embroiderer

Not sure.  Yahoo already has these groups.  Sometimes there are active discussions and then there is nothing for months.

I would rather see Tags cleaned up so you do not have to sort through a lot of garbage.  For example, how to unzip a file - I don't want to wade through a lot of discussion about this EM and that EM - I want to know how to unzip a file (I already know how, so no one needs to answer, just venting).

Pattiann - are you part of a Yahoo group like those?  I have not had good experiences with those groups.  I end up getting dozens and dozens of emails and I don't need more of that.

Perhaps I am not using those groups very well.  What do you like/dislike about them?

Pat, The Avid Embroiderer

A couple of BL - not much activity - a good endorsement for BL products.

There are a few postings of projects, once in a while someone has a question.  No discussion of prices of BL products permitted & a few other rules.

Likes or dislikes  - they aren't as interesting as ATG.

I set up my e-mail preferences so I do not get email notices of postings and new members.

I understand what you are saying, keeping a group going requires a lot of time and work. 

I also believe that ATG is really interesting.  There are so many ideas and personal observations, and that makes it really dynamic.

I do try to remember to say that my experiences are just that, my experiences.  Yours may be different and are certainly as valid as mine.  It is good to discuss different ways of looking at thing, it keeps us learning and growing.  I really like ATG for that!

I do have the same question about 'pricing.'  It does not seem right to be that embroidery machines 'hide' their prices, you have to go to a dealership to find out what prices are, a practice I find archaic and non-competitive.  When the new machines came out a few months ago, I was considering trading up but was just amazed by the prices - entirely too high in my opinion.  The machine I was looking at was a (barely) used Elantra which was traded up for the latest and greatest.  However, even with trading in my machine, they wanted just about the same amount for the Elantra as it had been costing new.

When pricing is secretive, the buyers lose. 

Actually, Pattiann, this is the sort of excellent conversation I would hope for in a "User Group."  Information that people could share from their perspective.   Others could find the information without going through dozens of pages of conversation.

Pat, The Avid Embroiderer

Hi.  I have a vikingDesigner 1 for years but I have purchased a Brother 4500D embroidery machine and I have a few questions.  I have not been able to find out how to "color sort" designs that has a lot of repeat colors .  The manual only mentions how to color sort repeat designs such as in frames or borders.  It was easy to color sort with my viking and I am sure it will be just as easy with the Brother once I find out how.  Thanks    Evelyn

Designers usually have a very good reason why the colors are stitch out in a certain order.

I have software editing programs that sort colors.  My embroidery machine (Ellegante) does not do this.

Pat, I think this would be great. I have a Husqvarna Platinum 950E  My serger is Evolve which I just love  Let me know this works Nelsi

Pat, Machine mfg do not want compitition, they make that very clear, they want as much for those machines as they can get and refuse to allow prices to be given on new machines online or most any other way then going to your dealer. We used to be able to buy currant machines slightly used for good prices, but Brother stopped that practice big time!  There were dealers who would hold seminars and afterward would sell those machines as used for a fair price, but in order to do that it needed to be online to get a larger number of people. Brother went after their dealers and stopped them from selling to any but their own market. It was disturbing because there were reports of really bad dealers and people were very unhappy, but Brother didn't care about that.  I love my Brother, I'd love to buy a new one, but I can't afford it and getting one used has also gotten too expensive with this practice.

Kraftycat, you hit the nail right on the head.

I feel that embroidery machines could be progressing in the same way as computers.  The biggest reason is probably that they do not sell as many and need to have money for research and development.  If it were an open market, prices would go down, but I would loose my nearby dealership.  I do want them to stay in business.  Frankly, I don't think they make much more than a living.  For the work and time they put into their shop, it is a shame.

I love my Brother and am  even more in love with my BabyLock.  You cannot compare them because they are different levels of options. 

I did recently see a Net demo of the Bernina and I was just as impressed as I could be.  In fact, there were a couple of features that I thought were really interesting.  They actually had a timer that buzzed you so while you got caught up in your craft, you would be buzzed to go pick up the kids from school!!  Simple but very effective.

Machines are a personal thing like a car or a vacuum, what I love, you may find useless!

Pat, The Avid Embroiderer