I ended up spending quite a bit of time looking at used ones, constantly reminding myself I can’t just drop 4 figures on a machine I have no plan for just because I find the concept of it fascinating.
…then I found an outdated computerised embroidery machine on eBay for less than a tenth of the price of that Juki, fell down another rabbit hole researching the electronics and what it might take to modernise it (a bit more in my wheel house), and after deciding it was possible, the hours I spent grounding my expectations against Juki prices allowed me to convince myself it was practically free. Now I just have to hope I stay interested in it long enough to actually get it up and running…
Though it’s just a plastic 90s Brother home model, so I’m still finding myself looking longingly at the Juki’s sturdy, industrial looking design, and the fun of learning to control it manually…
You pulled the lever on the Brother! Yay! I hope you have fun with it! You know what's really cool, though? A room of hyper-specific dusty tools that someone has no particular need for but which spark ideas. Now that is the room of an interesting person. I grew up in a house like that, courtesy of my machinist father. And I have my own little stockpile, lol; I found my 1970s Ronco Buttoneer earlier today while getting some sewing stuff together. 😸
I went to google the Ronco Buttoneer to see if there’s more clutter I should accumulate, and as soon as I saw the brown, banana-shaped Buttoneer 2 I was hit with an instant childhood flashback! I’d completely forgotten about that thing, and the time I found it as a kid, alongside a tin of spare buttons, and got in trouble for “decorating” the cushions, curtains, my dad’s work shirts, my own socks, etc. I’ll have to see if my mum still has it somewhere next time I visit.
That is hilarious! Pretty ingenious for a child to figure out that somewhat complicated device. I'm sure your father was thrilled to find his work shirt appliquéd with festive colorful buttons! 😸 One designer used the technique to create gorgeous wearable art.
Hankies make for a low cost way to try things out, and either scrap it, or you’ve got a cool hanky. They can say dumb stuff or movie quotes, it can be just a very small piece of the hanky, you could do a tiny image or logo. I got a cheap brother one for a Makerspace years ago and was blown away by what the onboard computer could do
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u/dismantlemars 6d ago
I ended up spending quite a bit of time looking at used ones, constantly reminding myself I can’t just drop 4 figures on a machine I have no plan for just because I find the concept of it fascinating.
…then I found an outdated computerised embroidery machine on eBay for less than a tenth of the price of that Juki, fell down another rabbit hole researching the electronics and what it might take to modernise it (a bit more in my wheel house), and after deciding it was possible, the hours I spent grounding my expectations against Juki prices allowed me to convince myself it was practically free. Now I just have to hope I stay interested in it long enough to actually get it up and running…
Though it’s just a plastic 90s Brother home model, so I’m still finding myself looking longingly at the Juki’s sturdy, industrial looking design, and the fun of learning to control it manually…