sewing machine with lcd screen quotation

The Brother SE625 2-in-1 sewing and 4" x 4" embroidery machine gives you more! More color with a large color touch LCD screen, more designs, more fonts, more workspace, and features for creative sewing. View your embroidery designs in full color on the large, 3.7" Sew Smart color LCD touch screen display, and preview your design edits on the screen, before stitching. Expanded embroidery design editing features include the ability to change individual thread colors, place lettering in an arc, move designs on the touch screen display with the touch of a finger, and much more.

Choose from 280 fresh, inspiring embroidery designs built in and on the included CD, or import your own designs through the USB port. Sewing features include 103 versatile built-in sewing stitches, needle up/down and variable speed controls and drop feed for creative free-motion sewing. The expanded 6.4" w x 4.1" h needle-to-arm workspace allows more room for folding quilts and bulkier projects to the right of the needle, for easier sewing.

Included are 7 quick-change sewing feet, with spring action zigzag, buttonhole, overcasting, monogramming, zipper, blind stitch and button sewing feet. The spring action zigzag foot is designed with a longer foot, and, combined with the longer 7-point feed dogs, help provide smoother fabric feeding.

280 embroidery designs total, with 80 built in and 200 on the included CD, including beautiful decorative alphabet, Greek applique, borders, holiday, sports, florals, kids and nature designs

Explore the creative possibilities of custom embroidery with the affordable, reliable, and feature-rich PE535 embroidery machine. The PE535 comes with features that help make embroidery fun and easy. The large color touch LCD screen allows you to see your designs in color before stitching them out! Also featured are tutorial videos and an easy needle threading system to help you get started. Add new, fashionable embellishments to clothing in your closet, personalize a child"s belongings with custom designs and lettering, or turn everyday pillows and blankets into customized gifts for friends and family. With the PE535, the options are virtually limitless. The PE535 features a 4" x 4" embroidery area, 80 built-in designs, 10 frame patterns, and 9 font styles for lettering and monogramming. Included with this machine is a 25-year limited warranty and free customer phone and online technical support for the life of the product.

What are the differences between a computerized and mechanical sewing machine? Both types of sewing machines will contain the same essential moving parts and structure. The main difference is how the various functions of the machine are controlled. In a mechanical machine, the user manually controls all the functions of the different parts by turning knobs or levers. These engage gears that allow the machine to perform the desired function. In a computerized machine, these functions are controlled by microprocessors in the machine. The user inputs the desired functions with the use of buttons or knobs. The computer stores these commands in memory and controls the movement of the various parts to achieve the desired result.

One of the major differences between a mechanical and computerized sewing machine is the accessories. Mechanical machines use manual processes to achieve various tasks. They, therefore, require an army of parts to different settings like the type of stitches. You’d be lucky if you can make 20 different types of stitches with this kind of machine. You can select various stitch types with the touch of a button on computerized sewing machines. You won’t need to switch parts to achieve these settings as you’ll do on a mechanical machine. Some have USB ports or internet connectivity, which allows you to download thousands of additional stitches or make your own.

There are similar tasks that you have to undertake when setting up both types of machines. You will have to place bobbins and thread spools in the machine manually and manually change the presser foot for your desired stitch selection.

When selecting a stitch type on a mechanical machine, you do so by sliding a lever to the desired stitch, which is the same procedure for adjusting stitch width and length. A computerized sewing machine uses a different process for stitch selection. You select these settings using buttons or sometimes a touchscreen. Most computerized sewing machines come with an LED or LCD display that displays the chosen setting and a visual of the type of stitch you have chosen. The screen will then recommend the ideal presser foot to use for your selected stitch.

If you are like me, then you hate having to thread the needle manually as you do with mechanical machines. Some computerized sewing machines come with automatic needle threader which does all the work for you. Hooks automatically catch and pass the thread through the eye of the needle. This saves you time, avoids finger pricks and strain on your eyes.

On both types of machines, the fabric is automatically advanced, and the needle moved in the right direction to form the desired stitches. However, there is a difference in the control of the sewing process on both machines. On a mechanical machine, you’ll have to manually guide the fabric across the feed dogs as you sew. You control the sewing speed with a foot pedal or a speed control button. A computerized sewing machine has automatic processes that control functions such as speed. There is also a fabric guidance system that ensures your stitches are straight and even. Making a buttonhole with a computerized sewing machine can be as simple as pressing a button.

The position of the needle when the machine comes to a stop can determine the strength of your stitches. If the needle stops in the up position, the fabric can move around and weaken your last made stitch. Ideally, you want the needle to stop in the down position, which holds the fabric in place and allows you to turn it without weakening the stitch. In mechanical machines, you’ll have to press the foot pedal carefully to stop the needle in the down position before turning the fabric. Most computerized sewing machines often have a feature known as the “needle up/down” selector. The user can set this to stop the needle in the down or up position automatically when you stop sewing. This is a convenient feature that reduces errors and loose stitches.

One other useful feature on a computerized sewing machine is the automatic thread cutter. Old fashioned machines require the user to cut the thread with a pair of scissors at the end of sewing. The automatic thread cutter does this for you on computerized sewing machines.

On mechanical sewing machines, you adjust the thread tension turning a knob until you get your desired tension. Computerized sewing machines feature an automatic thread tensioner which senses when the thread tension needs adjustment and automatically adjust the tension.

Both types of machines have similar parts and are of similar size. They both take up roughly the same amount of space if you want to store them. Some come with a carrying case, and you can easily find carrying cases that fit both. However, mechanical machines contain gears and are therefore slightly heavier than computerized sewing machines. If you would be taking your machine to and from classes regularly, you might want to get the lighter computerized models.

As good as any machine is, it cannot run forever. There’ll come a time when you’ll need to replace or repair some parts on your sewing machine. Mechanical sewing machines have parts that are easy to replace at home. Also, the parts on a mechanical machine are less expensive.  Computerized sewing machines contain parts that will most likely require a professional to replace. You might even lose all of your stored favorite stitches if there is a problem with your computerized machine.

Your skill level can influence the machine you ultimately chose. Some beginners prefer the mechanical sewing machine because it helps them develop their basic sewing skills. You will learn the basics of sewing better with this type of machine because you control most of the sewing. It will take practice to be able to sew clean, even and straight stitches with a mechanical machine. However, novices who want to go straight into sewing without having to learn the basic sewing skills will find a computerized sewing machine easier to sew with. Automatic processes make sewing much easier than a mechanical sewing machine. You’ll start creating beautiful works of fashion in on time once you quickly acquaint yourself with how the various functions work. If you are a beginner and looking for the best beginner’s sewing machines, check out my sewing machine picks for beginners section.

Those who sew once in a while seem to find mechanical sewing machines easier to manage. For those who sew daily, a computerized sewing machine offers many time-saving and convenient features. You can save your preferences and re-use them at the touch of a button. When you use a computerized sewing machine, you spend more time sewing instead of fiddling with settings.

Some types of sewing are ideal for certain types of machines. Mechanical models are suitable for making simple stitches, stitch repairs, and hemming. This kind of machine is suitable for short-term sewing projects that do not require large fabrics. For more elaborate sewing projects such as embroidery and quilting, a computerized sewing machine is more suitable. The automated sewing process is suited to long-term and large projects. A computerized model can help you make embroidery designs you couldn’t achieve with a mechanical machine.

The price of a mechanical and a computerized sewing machine can vary wildly. A good mechanical machine can cost you a few hundred dollars, while a decent computerized sewing machine can cost a few hundred to thousands of dollars. Some high-end computerized models can cost upwards of $4,000. It is up to you to determine how much you want to spend on a sewing machine. If money is no object, then buying an advanced computerized machine for $5,000 might not be a problem for you. The amount of money you spend on a machine may be determined by expected revenue for those wanting to make a living from sewing.

While the 4″x4″ embroidery area is small for dedicated embroidery enthusiasts and the stitching speed’s a little slow, most Brother SE625 reviews praise this 2-in-1 sewing and embroidery machine. I’ve had mine for several months now, and it’s been great at both sewing and embroidery.

If you’re wondering if the Brother SE625 is perfect for your sewing needs, this Brother SE625 review can help! I’ll first start by giving you more information about its features, answering common questions, and finally detailing the pros and cons.

Other tools and supplies: 4 bobbins, 3 bobbin clips, 3 pre-wound bobbins with embroidery thread, scissors, disk-shaped screwdriver, cleaning brush, 4 spool caps, spool net, and darning plate

I’ve written a whole separate post on must-have embroidery machine supplies to show you my favorite products and teach you how to choose the right stabilizers, software, threads, and more for the Brother SE625.

While you can manually control sewing with the foot pedal, the Brother SE625 also allows you to sew using buttons on the front of the machine instead. Three buttons (start/stop, needle up/down, and reverse) combined with an adjustable speed slider allow you to sew foot-free.

A 3.2″ colored LCD display on the front of the Brother SE625 adds considerable versatility to this embroidery machine. This is where stitch selection or embroidery design selection happens.

When selecting your utility or decorative stitch, the machine allows for altering stitch length or width and displaying a preview of what the final product is going to look like. The machine also suggests the best presser foot to use with the stitch to achieve optimal results.

The following 7 presser feet cover your bases for most sewing projects. With them, you’ll be able to sew zippers, buttons, decorative stitches, and invisible hems, as well as overcast fabric edges.

There are 103 built-in stitches on the Brother SE625. You can set the maximum length and width to 5 mm x 7 mm if desired. Here are the types of stitches included with the machine:

You first place the bobbin on the bobbin winding shaft and slide it to the right. You then need to set up the thread. The manual and quick-start guide both contain instructions. And as if that’s not enough, instructions are printed on the top of the machine and are available in one of the tutorials on the LCD screen.

Installing the bobbin is equally easy. You’ll open the bobbin case and load it from the top, following the directions again in FOUR different places. Being a top-drop, quick-set bobbin, you don’t need to worry about drawing up the bobbin thread yourself. Once you begin sewing, the machine does it for you!

Just like winding the bobbin, threading is easy following the instructions located in the same four locations. Make sure to thread with the presser foot up or you might mess with your upper thread tension.

When it comes time to pass the thread through the needle’s eye, you can use the automatic needle threader. For something that’s supposed to save time, it’s not the easiest contraption to learn. Brother SE625 reviews either heartily praise or passionately dislike this feature. For sewists with shaky hands or poor eyesight, though, it’s going to come in handy and is worth the time to figure out.

With 8 buttonhole stitches, the Brother SE625 makes a variety of auto-sized buttonholes. The process is accomplished automatically in one step and is very simple to learn. By placing the button in the back of the buttonhole presser foot, you’re guaranteed to have perfectly sized buttonholes on every project!

This way, you don’t have to worry about accidentally sewing the two sides together! While it sounds fancy, the built-in free arm comes standard on most Brother sewing machines and is accessed by removing the flat-bed accessories storage compartment.

The spring action zigzag foot, coupled with the longer 7-point feed dogs, provide smoother fabric feeding. If you want a walking foot, spring action quilting foot, or 1/4″ piecing foot, you can purchase these separately. The Brother SE625 sewing machine is compatible with additional presser feet. I got a set of 32 on Amazon for a deal!

Several of the Brother combination quilting and sewing machines include an oversized, detachable wide table (like the Brother XR9550prw, HC1850, and CS7000X sewing machines.) While the Brother SE625 does not include this table, you can purchase a compatible wide table as an additional accessory.

Now that we’ve covered how you can sew with the Brother 625, let’s look at embroidering. If you’re new to embroidery, check out how to use an embroidery machine for an in-depth tutorial.

There are 80 built-in embroidery designs on the Brother SE625 sewing embroidery machine. An additional 200 designs come on an included CD for a total of 280 designs.

I think it’s a little odd that Brother created this technologically-advanced sewing machine and then provides a CD with designs. Many computers these days have done away with CD drives!

If you’re not in love with the 280 embroidery designs that come with the Brother SE625, you can import more designs using the built-in USB port. No need to plug the machine into your computer to transfer the files, which is a nice improvement over the Brother SE400! Here’s what the side USB port looks like.

The maximum embroidery area is 4″x4,” and one 4″x4″ hoop is included with the purchase. (The hoop itself is larger than this, but I’ll still call it a 4″x4″ hoop because that’s the usable area of it.)

This is an adequate size for monogramming and doing most small t-shirt embroidery designs. You may run into issues if you want to embroider something larger. Check out: embroider ideas with a 4×4 hoop for some project inspiration!

The prepared fabric (with stabilizer) then goes into the embroidery hoop, which attaches to the embroidery unit. Picking the correct needle size and thread type is important, so check your manual for suggestions! You can also check out my sewing machine needle chart to grab a printable to keep with you!)

Use the LCD screen and associated buttons to choose a pattern. You can choose from the 80 built-in patterns or import your own from your computer (or the included 200-pattern CD) on a USB drive.

Once you’ve selected the pattern, you can adjust the pattern in the pattern editing frame. With the touch of your finger, you can move the pattern around the area, change its size, and even change thread colors. These adjustments show up on the color LCD screen, so you know what your changes look like.

If you’ve chosen a multicolored design, note that the Brother SE625 only sews one thread color at a time. After the first thread color is sewn, the machine will alert you of the next color to set up. You will need to rethread the machine with the new color, so some automated features like needle threading are helpful!

The Brother SE625 is only compatible with .pes, .phc, and .dst embroidery data files. The preferred, and default for saving, file format is .pes. Other formats may cause your machine to malfunction. So be cautious about loading files from unknown sources.

Unfortunately, there is no included software with the Brother SE625 sewing and embroidery machine. You have to buy your own or purchase pre-made designs.

Many free designs are also circulating; be careful you only load trusted designs onto your machine. (I’ve written an entire post where I like to download free machine embroidery patterns if you want to check that out. And here’s another post listing websites with free or paid in-the-hoop designs.)

If you’re looking to get software, Inkscape with the Ink/Stitch embroidery extension is the best free embroidery software I’ve found. Because I have a Cricut Maker, I like to create SVG files in Inkscape and then sometimes digitize them into embroidery files using Ink/Stitch. If you know vector graphics, this is a GREAT program. However, it isn’t very easy to learn and has minimal support available if you’re new to embroidery and graphic design.

And lastly, SewArt is a good auto-digitizing embroidery program, which means it converts images into .pes embroidery files without much user input. Because it is not a manual digitizing program, the results may not be great, especially for complicated images! Also, don’t expect to run a commercial embroidery business with auto-digitizing.

If using the built-in overcasting stitch and overcasting presser foot, the machine does create a seam and finish fabric edges simultaneously. You will have to do any trimming yourself.

If you want to trim fabric edges while sewing, consider investing in an auxiliary Brother side cutter presser foot. The side cutter cuts excess fabric while simultaneously finishing the fabric edges. (Honestly, I’m in “like,” not “love,” with my own side cutter presser foot attachment. It’s PERFECT for cotton but not as excellent for knits. Learn more in my Brother side cutter foot tutorial!)

If you want this sewing machine to sew as quickly, accurately, or produce as professional of seams as a serger, don’t expect the Brother SE625 to do that. Invest in a quality serger instead of purchasing the side cutter foot.

Yes, the Brother SE625 sewing and embroidery machine handles reasonably thick denim jeans and canvas with ease. It also will embroider hats, towels, and other heavier fabrics.

I highly recommend the Brother SE625 or Brother SE600, its almost identical twin for beginners wanting a combination sewing and embroidery machine. (Read my full Brother SE600 review if interested, or check out my Brother SE625 vs. SE600 comparison post!)

With an easy-to-navigate display and comprehensive instructions, beginners can set up the machine with little frustration. The automatic features such as bobbin winding and needle threading are beginner-friendly, and the top-drop, quick-set bobbin eliminates the need to draw the bobbin thread up yourself.

With troubleshooting error codes and compatible presser foot suggestions, the Brother SE625 helps beginners who want to venture into sewing, quilting, and embroidery.

With its increased versatility and functionality, it’s not going to be as easy to learn as, say, a basic sewing machine. But, by reading the instructions manual and watching a few YouTube tutorials, you’ll be sewing well in no time. Just give yourself grace at first; we’ve all been beginners and sewn some pretty rough projects at first!

Slower maximum speed makes stitching intricate designs take longer, and it’s not as good at handling heavyweight materials as a heavy-duty sewing machine.

Jam-packed with features, the Brother SE625 allows you to sew, quilt, and embroider at an affordable price. It’s fun, easy to use, and a great addition to a craft room!