A new product from Brother - which is on display at CES 2010 this week - could revolutionize crafting for the home sewer. The Entrepreneur offers all the features of a home embroidery machine but can also transfer designs and photos via a USB stick or computer. A large high-definition, color touch-screen lets you select, edit and move designs and it also offers a wide-angle visibility range so you can see your embroidery creation come to life. And with a speed of up to 1000 stitches per minute, this little beauty can create designs in a flash.
The machine features a six needle single head that has automatic-color change capability - allowing the user to embroider multicolor designs quickly and easily. The Sharp LCD touch-screen measures 4.5” x 7” and has a 160˚ horizontal and 140˚ vertical viewing range. Users can rotate patterns in one degree increments, arrange text, change the size of the design and combine designs.
The control panel is easy-to-use and there’s a handy quick reference guide included. There are three USB-ports – including one high-speed USB port for quick design transfer. For first-time users there’s also built-in movie tutorials and the intuitive on-screen icons make it simple to learn about the features of the machine. A super-bright light turns on for editing and threading but shuts off when the embroidery begins to avoid shadows.
The 12” X 8” embroidery area can be filled entirely without having to re-frame the design and using the edit function allows the user to combine fonts, designs and frames. There’s a wide range of built-in fonts and designs to choose from including alphanumeric fonts and Greek, appliqué, floral and Renaissance alphabet designs.
If you're wondering about the product name - Brother has aimed this product specifically at people hoping to start-up a home-based business. The machine is designed to create professionally-finished results and can be used to monogram shirts, jackets or even towels with business logos, school names or sports team motifs.
Brother dealers throughout the country have been holding educational seminars for people interested in starting a home embroidery business. Dean F. Shulman, senior vice president of Brother International Corporation and head of the company’s home appliance division, said, “It is important to note that these seminars are not promoting a franchise opportunity—but rather a product that provides the opportunity to start producing profitable items right away.” According to Shulman, a home-based embroidery business using the Entrepreneur embroidery machine could be started up for about USD8,000.
See Brother for more information and dealer locations.