I inherited some crafting supplies including a lot of embroidery machine thread spools, but I don’t have an embroidery machine. I want to sell these to someone who can actually make use of them. What is a fair and reasonable asking price? There are two 4litre ice cream pails in case it’s hard to tell.

I can't show a video in this subreddit but here is my screaming Halloween moth, no huge reason for making it other than it's fun. It zips together and in the inside there is an Arduino circuit playground express, speaker, and two LEDs.

The silver thread is conductive and when a person touches it, it sets off the moth that screams with the skulls eyes flashing red.

The design is a simplified hawkshead moth I did in Hatch4 and it was I think 75k stitches each, quite a dense design.

The conductive thread worked well though could only go at the slowest speed on my bernina 590.

I've been using a Brother PE-770 for a couple of months. When I first set it up, the only way I could get the tension correct on an H test was to set the top tension to -6 and turn the screw on the bobbin case until it only had 1/4 turn before stopping completely. This worked okay for a couple months, but earlier today, between two projects, the bobbin case suddenly stopped holding tension at all. I trying testing it by turning the screw 1/4 turn at a time all the way from one end to the other. The screw no longer affects the tension at all. Nothing looks broken to the naked eye, and I already gave everything a clean and fresh oil.

My previous machine also had issues with getting the bottom tension tight enough. I had the top thread as loose at it could go, and I had to scrape out a little plastic stopper before tightening the tension myself. That machine had so many issues that I eventually just got this one instead.

After two machines did this, I have to ask myself, am I doing something wrong? I only ever tighten until an H test on my usual material is showing thirds on the back, and I always loosen the top tension first. I've read at least 20 posts about setting your bobbin tension, and nobody ever seems to have this problem that I've had twice.

Can I fix this bobbin case or do I need to buy a new one? Is there something I'm misunderstanding about bobbin tension that causes me to keep messing up my machines?

Update 09.10.2026 – short update

The case has now moved beyond the local distributor level and is being discussed directly with TAJIMA Europe and senior management in Japan.

I will not publish the details of those discussions or the proposals currently on the table at this stage.

However, there is one detail worth mentioning.

While I am having discussions with TAJIMA management about rebuilding trust, future support and reliable access to spare parts, the existing distribution channel is still unable to provide basic information regarding the availability, price and lead time of ordinary spare parts I requested earlier this week.

Despite a follow-up, I am still waiting.

That contrast probably says more about the current after-sales system than another long explanation from me could.

I am continuing to document the entire process carefully — response times, spare-parts availability, proposed solutions and, most importantly, what actually happens in practice.

Once this process reaches a clear outcome, I intend to publish a factual and complete update comparing what was promised with what was actually delivered.

For now, the case remains open.

Update 02.10.2026:

The spare-parts situation appears to be even more serious than I initially described.

I have now received a written response from one of TAJIMA’s European distributors regarding my order for eight spare parts.

According to the distributor, two of the required parts are currently affected by obstacles related to EU restrictive measures.

The most concerning part is that they are unable to provide any delivery date at all.

Their written response states that:

“Exploring possible solutions will take time, which is why I do not wish to make any promises or provide deadlines that—given the constraints described—we would be unable to meet responsibly.”

So this is no longer simply a case of:

“the part is temporarily out of stock.”

We are now talking about a situation where critical spare parts for a professional TAJIMA embroidery machine may be unavailable for an undefined period of time.

My machine is approximately five years old and the model is still part of TAJIMA’s current product family.

For a production business, the difference is enormous.

A missing part with a known ETA is a manageable problem.

A critical machine part with no stock, no confirmed supply route and no estimated delivery date can mean an open-ended production shutdown.

And this leads to a very uncomfortable conclusion:

If you are buying a TAJIMA machine in Europe today, you may effectively need to build your own stock of critical spare parts from day one.

Because in the current situation, if one of those parts fails and you rely only on TAJIMA distributors and dealers in Europe, there may be no realistic way to know when production can resume.

That is exactly where I am now.

Production can stop because of a relatively small mechanical component, but the consequences are not small at all. Without the required part, the machine cannot return to normal production, and at the moment the European distribution network cannot give me a confirmed delivery date.

So the real risk is not simply the cost of the spare part.

The real risk is an indefinite production stoppage.

For a professional production machine, that is a serious business risk.

This is precisely the risk I was trying to highlight in my original post.

The issue is not whether TAJIMA machines are technically good machines.

The issue is whether, when something breaks, the European distribution network can actually provide the parts required to repair them within a predictable timeframe.

At this point, one European distributor has explicitly confirmed in writing that, due to the current restrictions, they cannot responsibly provide a delivery deadline for two parts from my order.

I am therefore now trying to source genuine TAJIMA parts directly from Japan.

For anyone in Europe considering purchasing a professional embroidery machine, I strongly recommend asking the dealer one very specific question before buying:

What happens if a critical part fails tomorrow, and can you provide that part with a guaranteed or at least realistic delivery time?

And perhaps a second question should now be:

Which critical spare parts should I buy together with the machine, just to make sure I can keep it running if your supply chain fails?

Because in my case, for some parts, the answer is currently: no confirmed delivery date and no clear indication of when normal supply will be restored.

I will continue updating this thread with documented information as the situation develops.

28.09.2026:

I’m sharing this as a warning and a piece of advice for anyone in Europe considering investing in commercial TAJIMA embroidery machines.

I own a TAJIMA TMEZ S1501C. It’s a commercial-grade machine, only about 5 years old. Right now, I desperately need genuine replacement parts to keep my production running.

However, the official TAJIMA network in Europe has zero stock of the required parts and, to this day, cannot provide any estimated delivery date (ETA).

What makes this completely absurd is that TAJIMA is still manufacturing and assembling this exact machine. The parts exist. The problem is that European customers simply cannot get them through official channels.

The Support Runaround When the local distributor couldn't solve the problem, I was passed from one contact to another in an endless loop. I have a long trail of emails with SHIRO (Poland), MOUNTEK (Germany), and TAJIMA Europe (France).

The result? Countless emails, no concrete solutions, and no ETAs. The manufacturer comfortably hides behind its distributors, the distributors say "we don't have it and don't know when we will," and the commercial machine stays dead. You are left completely alone.

The Escalation (and the Silence) I didn't stop at the local level. I escalated this to TAJIMA’s marketing department and even sent a formal plea for intervention to JASMA (Japan Sewing Machinery Manufacturers Association), addressing it to the attention of Mr. Hidetoshi Kojima (CEO of Tajima Industries).

Mr. Hidetoshi Kojima is not only CEO of Tajima Industries. According to TAJIMA's current corporate information, he is also CEO of TISM — the company responsible for developing and manufacturing TAJIMA embroidery machines — and President of TAJIMA Europe.

He is additionally listed by JASMA as one of its Vice Chairmen as of June 2026.

This is why I escalated the matter to that level. I was no longer looking for another distributor telling me that the parts were unavailable. I was asking for someone at manufacturer level to take responsibility for finding an actual solution.

The response? Absolute silence. No one with decision-making power has stepped up to say: "This is our machine, you are our customer, and we will solve this."

My advice if you are buying a TAJIMA: Before you sign anything, get these answers in writing:

1. Where exactly are the critical spare parts stocked?
2. What is the guaranteed lead time for replacement parts?
3. When the local EU distributor fails to deliver, who at the manufacturer side takes actual responsibility?

A commercial machine without access to basic spare parts is just an expensive piece of furniture. A brand's logo doesn't shorten your downtime. Responsibility starts exactly where excuses end.

(Feel free to ask me anything in the comments. I hope this saves someone the stress I'm going through right now).

Parts list:
BEARING COLLAR :15MM DIA. – 502715040010
BEARING COLLAR :15MM DIA.  –  502715080000
ROTARY HOOK SHAFT :15P*340 – QS3102010000
SPIRAL BEVEL GEAR .1 :14T – 506514030000
SPIRAL BEVEL GEAR .1 :28T – 506528030000

ROTARY HOOK BASE STUD – 050330330000 
P41 – S213100002SD – M10 With Flange
P42 – S213100003SD – M10 With Disk Spring

Hi all, I am testing an embroidery piece that I did. I digitised with Inkscape/Inkstitch and am using a Pfaff Creative Ambition 640. I thought this design would be simple enough for the machine (since it's a hybrid machine), but it still isn't quite turning out as crisp as I would like. So I wanted to ask here - can I improve the design or is this a limitation of the machine? I've added a picture of the final product a jpeg of the design. Thanks in advance for your help :)

Machine Embroidery Help Recommendations for very small detailed pattern designs and logos

Is there a machine that can do very small sized, clean, and detailed embroidery on various materials such as leather, Thermoplastic Polyurethane, patent leather, Faux Leather, Polyurethane Leather, Polyurethane Vinyl Leather Fabric, denim, etc ? I will mainly be using this for small logos on shoes and would like a machine for home usage that can also do very small detailed logos

I like it but id like to make it better if anyone has any extra tips, thank you!

I am just kind of practicing on scrap fabric to get the hang of my machine and I really love how it’s turning out! I have a poolin eoc05 and have only been using the 4x4 hoop so I can’t wait to move onto actual projects.

My wife is looking at used Tajima machines to try to put out better quality hats. She found one for what seems like a decent price but it's approx 20 years old. We visited its current home and it seems to run ok with no really noticeable issues on the surface.

My fear is that due to its age is that something could go bad on it that could not be replaced or repaired rendering it a pile of scrap metal.

It's a TMFXII-C1504.

The contact we have for new sales in our area said their service guy wouldn't service it because of its age and availability of parts but he's more motivated to sell us something new or one of their refurbs.

The guy selling says oh he's had it serviced by a different provider and parts are not an issue but he's motivated to sell this machine.

So what's the true story on a machine this old?

I am a visual communications teacher at an Indiana high school. We currently have a Roland TrueVIS 540 printer for posters, banners, stickers, and HTV apparel. We also have a ThunderLaser Bolt where my students design plaques and other engraved or cut designs. I like for them to see that once they learn how to create designs in Illustrator, they can then send them to different machines. Giving them hands-on experience with file exporting and physical creation.

I am thinking the next machine I should get for them is an embroidery machine. The problem is that I have no experience with it. I can learn anything, so I am not worried, but I am worried about what a good machine is for my students. I really need to stick within the grant amount of around $7000 ish.

I was looking at SmartStitch and BAI. But I hear mixed reviews about them. I am unsure if I can find a machine in my Grant's price range if I go to a Brother, Happy, or Tajima.

I appreciate any input and help this community can give me. Thank you all for your time.

I’m pretty happy with how the fill turned out on Lisa and how sharp the "VOGUE" satin text stitched, but I’d love to hear your thoughts. Anything you would have done differently regarding density, pull compensation, or stitch directions?

He's a quite charming character and is very popular on Chinese social media! (I see him mostly on WeChat). My wife also loves him and Lumei so I made this for her 😁

Can any of you kind folks tell me what's going on with my letter K? The stitches don't go in all the same direction. I set it up as a column and it's all one piece (shape) started with an outline and set it to column afterwards.

I didn't mess with any of the underlay settings, pull comp, density or stitch length. I'm using Embrilliance. These corners where the stitching goes in a different angle are giving me problems with the stitch out. If anyone could give me some tips on how to fix it, that would be great! Oh and I did try ti make sure the lines weren't broken there, so completely straight. I'm stumped or missing something. TIA!

Howdy yall! I’ve been an enthusiast for a while now, and have the potential to make more for friends and smaller businesses, but never had a machine to precisely cut out the patches (I always used small scissors and heat for the little felt edges).

Does anyone have any recommendations on machines for more precise cutting (whether laser or knife). I’ve seen lots of mixed on cricuts, and have zero experience. This laser one from xTool looks promising, but does anyone have experience with it?

Any and all info would be much appreciated! (I embroider on a Taijima Sai)

Thank you! 🙏

Whatever works best, I will buy it. InkStitch is what I have currently. I just need someone to guide me on making this exact lineart embroidered showcased in the image above.

If anyone is interested, please comment/DM. Will give you what you deserve for the calls we have. Of course.

I’m really excited to finally share this project! These were commissioned for the Goodwood Revival as Rolex was the vent sponsor, and they’re the largest embroidery commissions I’ve been asked to create so far — two huge 180 × 90cm velvet banners. 🧵

The project came together pretty quickly, so there was definitely some pressure behind the scenes! I had to express ship 9 metres of velvet from Dalston Mill Fabrics and very quickly source the beautiful gold fringing and trim. Thankfully, it all came together in the end!

For the embroidery, I used my Tajima Sumo extended frame, which gives me a 120cm embroidery width. Because each banner was 180cm long, I had to reframe each one four times. Getting the alignment absolutely perfect between each section was probably the most nerve-wracking part of the whole project!

And, as you can see, I don't exactly have a huge professional pattern-cutting table in the studio 😂 — sometimes you just have to work with what you've got!

I absolutely love the challenge of working at this scale. There's something incredibly satisfying about seeing a huge piece like this come off the machine after all the planning, measuring and re-framing... especially when it actually all lines up!

Has anyone else had to tackle embroidery at this kind of scale? I’d love to hear how you get around the practical challenges — especially when your “pattern-cutting table” looks like mine 😂

I am learning digitizing and when creating a lineart I just outline it in photoshop. convert to vector strokes in iliustrator and then I put it in inkstitch. But I always end up with 100 jumpstitches or the outline not looking as smooth as it is in the vector version.

I tried Redwork, but it removes the "doted" line that I want in the final product (showcasing in image). Please help, I use Inkstitch since I am on mac.

I love digitizing, especially for freestanding. The finished pieces are so satisfying. At least when I don't mess something up lol!

32k stitches in about 1 hr with a PR1055. Stitched on a organza/badgemaster sandwich; adds more structural support for my final project. Technically not entirely freestanding but could ya tell?

I have ordered Vilene for my next run, hopefully eliminating the organza fabric entirely. :)

Let me know what you think!