Embroidery machine vs sewing machine

How machine embroidery works

On an embroidery machine, you clamp fabric and stabiliser in a hoop and attach the hoop to an embroidery unit. The unit moves the hoop forwards, backwards and side to side under the needle, following a stitch file. The machine handles all the movement; your job is to choose the design, change thread colours when prompted, and hoop the fabric well.

Designs come built in, as lettering fonts, or as files you load by USB, wireless connection or software, depending on the model. File formats are brand specific, so check what your machine reads. Our guide to embroidery file formats explains the common ones, and our stabiliser guide covers what goes behind the fabric.

How decorative stitches on a sewing machine differ

A sewing machine feeds fabric forwards with the feed dogs while the needle swings side to side. Decorative stitches are patterns built from that movement: scallops, leaves, satin blocks and small motifs repeated along a line. They are limited in width, often to 7 mm or so on many domestic machines, and they can only run in a strip.

That makes them great for borders, hems and trims, but they cannot stitch a filled logo, a large monogram or a picture in the middle of a panel. For that, you need a hoop and an embroidery unit.

Three machines compared from their listings

The Brother PE900 is an embroidery only machine, the Janome MC1000 is a sewing and embroidery combination, and the Brother SH40 is a computerised sewing machine. The table uses listing details only; where a listing is silent, it says not stated.

See sewing and embroidery combination machines →

Hoop size and what it limits

The embroidery field, the area the machine can stitch inside one hooping, decides how big a design can be. A 5 x 7 inch field like the PE900 suits names, chest logos, cushion motifs and most tea towel designs. A 14 x 14 cm square field like the MC1000 suits monograms, small motifs and children's clothing. Larger designs must be resized, split into sections and re-hooped, or saved for a machine with a bigger field.

The diagram shows common field sizes to scale. If you already have a design in mind, try our hoop fit check, which tells you which common field it fits and how much margin is left. Our article on embroidery hoop sizes explains how brand hoop names relate to field sizes.

Which should you buy?

If you want to make or alter clothes, bags or quilts, you need a sewing machine whatever else you buy. An embroidery only machine is a good choice if you already own a sewing machine you like and want the biggest embroidery field for the budget, or if you plan to run embroidery while sewing on another machine.

A combination machine suits someone with limited space who wants to do both, though you cannot sew while it embroiders, and the embroidery field on combination models varies widely. Our guide to the best embroidery machines for beginners covers both kinds.

• Sewing machine: seams, zips, buttonholes, hems and decorative borders.
• Embroidery only machine: designs, logos and lettering inside a hoop, with no seam sewing.
• Combination machine: both, one at a time, in a single footprint.

Note:Switch off and unplug before changing needles, removing the embroidery unit or cleaning lint from the bobbin area. For motor, wiring or timing faults, use a qualified sewing machine engineer.

Frequently asked questions

Can a sewing machine do embroidery? It can sew decorative stitch patterns in a line, and with a drop feed and a darning foot you can do free motion embroidery by moving the fabric yourself. It cannot stitch out design files automatically without an embroidery unit and hoop.

Can an embroidery machine sew normal seams? An embroidery only machine like the Brother PE900 cannot. A combination machine like the Janome MC1000 can, once the embroidery unit is removed or set aside, depending on the model.

Are embroidery machines hard to use? The machine does the stitching, so the skills are hooping, choosing stabiliser and preparing files. Our article on whether embroidery machines are hard to use covers the learning curve.

Why do embroidery machines cost more than sewing machines? The embroidery unit, larger screens, design memory and file handling add parts and software. Our guide on why embroidery machines are expensive explains more.