"I could be wrong on this, but I don't know that any of the less expensive machine will let you create your own design on the machine itself. You would probably want to get Embird or something similar. There is also an add-on for Embird that…"

"@Yvonnee - Are you talking about the Scan & Sew? I'm not really sure what kind of card it takes and all the online searching I did only turned up people saying that the cards are hard to find. Can you try the company that makes the unit to…"

"I have white, black and grey embroidery thread. Generally, I use whichever matches the main colors of the design the best. And like Betty, I don't change my bobbin thread in the middle of a design."

"@Michelle - the main differences that I remember off the top of my head are that the 350 has USB imput (it also takes Cf cards like the 300) and has automatic thread clipping when a color completes. The USB was a big deal for me, personally, but for…"

"The regular price here (DC area) is about $120 USD. The fabric store I got my machine at has coupons like once a month and I got mine on sale and used a coupon, so I ended up paying about $65 for it. I use it for quilting, but also for a lot of…"

"I just got a Janome 350e embroidery-only machine. So far, I love it! It's really easy to use, to thread and add designs too :)"

"I have an Activa 220 - my very first sewing machine :) Diane - I use my walking foot for everything! And I'm with you, I am definitely not using the full potential of my machine."

"A lot of it depends on how much you are able/willing to spend. I did a lot of research and read reviews on pattern-review.com before picking a machine. I had it narrowed down to two or three in my price range and then ended up picking one that had a…"