Brother SE350 Computerized Embroidery-and-Sewing Machine
by Brother International Corporation
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Our Price: $497.62 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $295.00 (click here) Category: Art and Craft Supply See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Brother SE350 Computerized Embroidery-and-Sewing Machine
Customer Review: Just as I imagined
Summary: 5 Stars
After doing much research, I landed on this machine. The vendor's customer service was exceptional and the machine works like a dream.Customer Review: Great Machine!
Summary: 5 Stars
This was a surprise for my wife. She has been using it since she got it and it very easy to learn.Customer Review: A great Beginner Machine
Summary: 4 Stars
I give this machine 5 stars for ease of use, and 3 stars for the area where brother "fell down" on the job.
This machine comes with everything you need to begin sewing except the cloth ... including a spool of thread, bobbins, even a pair of sewing scissors! The CD that came with it was very helpful, and since my other machine was much older (and only sewed basic stitches), I was glad I watched it.
I started with a "test" piece of fabric, and was impressed at how easy it was to switch between stitches and to do some "fancywork" right out of the box. I have since moved on to making a quilt, and I have come to love the button instead of the old fashioned foot pedal (that also comes included). The needle up/down and the cut buttons are a great added touch.
While Brother Advertises this machine as having 70 patterns, 26 of them are letters of the Alphabet. However, the patterns are generic enough to be useful for a beginner.
The downside:
The additional embroidery patterns come on a "unique" card - and they are quite pricey. They do have a card writer Brother PED-Basic Software for Downloading Embroidery Designs with software that you can use to download your own. It is the only way to transfer new files (available on the internet) to the sewing machine. Given today's technology, brother could have used any of the flash cards or usb port to do the same thing. (Brother does have USB ports in their more expensive sewing machines) So, when figuring the cost of this machine, you need to include this item if you want to expand your embroidery content.
I suggest that if you are into embroidery, the Brother PE700II Embroidery Machine with USB Port may be a better buy long-term ... even though it is more costly. It offers both a USB port and a 5x7 embroidery area.
However, as a "normal sewer" who wants to move back and forth between both, this is a wonderful machine for the price.
EDIT - One other review stated that he/she was disappointed in the ability to do fonts. While there are basic fonts included on the brother, there are a number of pes files with much larger fonts that work well with the machine that are available both free (online) and at a cost - up to 4" per letter. I have used them to decorate clothing for my granddaughter.
Customer Review: I'd buy it all over again!
Summary: 4 Stars
I have been sewing for less than 9mos and I am capable of using this machine well. 9mos ago I was terrified at the thought of using a sewing machine. I was scared of everything that had anything to do with sewing. I knew no sewing terms and threading a machine seemed like an impossibly enormous task. Yet I have always longed for the ability to sew. So I took the plunge. I got my Brother SE-350 four months ago as a reward to myself for learning the basics. I say all of this to let everyone know that this is a very easy machine to master even for a complete and total beginner like myself. I almost immediately felt comfortable enough to try new techniques with the help of my Brother SE-350. I also love that it warns me when I am making a mistake and it tells me how to fix it easily. I am most impressed because I had never been close to an embroidery machine before I brought my Brother SE-350 home. I fully grasped all of the material in the manual within 2hrs and embroidered my 1st project the very night I opened the box. So, the biggest thing one needs to create with this machine is confidence in themselves. Of course there are things that give me great frustration. The directions are clear but they only offer very basic information. The manual does not explain that there are infinite embroidery possibilities if you buy accessories like PE-Design software. It doesn't even acknowledge that such things exist. Also the built in stitches and embroidery designs are neither fresh or new. They can even be considered quite unappealing and stale. I would still buy the machine knowing everything that I know now. I totally recommend this machine to anyone interested in sewing and embroidery. I don't think you can do better than this at this price. Take the plunge it's definitely worthwhile!Customer Review: great deal
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought a refurbished machine from kens sewing center through amazon. It arrived well packed except that the bottom of the carton had not been reinforced with tape and shifted during shipping causing the auto threader device to fall apart. I did some sewing and it works great I did hook up the embroidery part and and ran through the programming portion but did not sew with it as without the threader it would be a lot of trouble to constantly have to change thread by hand!@!! I am sure it is covered by someone but if I have to send it back for repair it could be gone for weeks. All this for a lack of tape!! Well I have sent an e-mail to kens and I can only hope they will find a way to help. all else aside this is my third brother sewing machine the others are terrific values and work perfectly and I am sure this will also