Upgrading to the Brother SE350 Sewing/Embroidery Machine

What next? Just upgraded to a sewing/embroidery machine, a two-in-one machine.


Found my Brother SE350 easy to operate after spending a few hours on it. The first thing that I used it for was making a batch of 4 of those Irish panty purses.

Found out that you move the sewing machine needle via the LCD screen. To move it all the way over to the right for doing 1/4 inch seams and for sewing in a zipper without using a zipper foot, I changed the number to read as number "7" as shown above. I used a number "3" stitch as also shown in the LCD pannel.

Also made another change. I like doing the back tracking manually rather than letting the machine doing it automatically. To make that change, I touched the upside down "U" with the arrow on it with my finger. Beforehand, it was outlined in black. Whenever you choose a stitch or the like, it becomes highlighted in black.

This machine allows you to use the buttons on the front of it when operating it, or you have the option of the foot pedal. I choose and used the foot pedal.

Now, I have to try out the other options and features on the sewing machine. It does one step buttonholes, which is the reason I originally decided to upgrade to this machine. My other one does the old-fashioned 4-step buttonholes. Not only does this machine do the one step button holes, it also does embroidery work, quilting, appliques and smocking too. Plenty of stuff for me to have fun with and to expiriment with.

Been sewing for around 50 years and never had a sewing machine with all of these features on it. Might try some of them. I always did most of those things the old fashioned way...... Oh, it also sews buttons on, too....

The red light comes on every time you lift up the pressure foot. When you back track, going in reverse you might say, the machine beeps, which you have the option to turn off.... Sorta reminds me of one of those big dump trucks. If you do something wrong, the sewing machine lets you know that by beeping twice....

It also has a safety feature built into it I also found out about when inserting a zipper into one of the panty purses. I use the plastic YKK type of zippers that you can sew over and through its teeth on. I use larger zippers and cut them down to size after inserting them into the garment or whatever,  as shown in the tutorials on the panty purses, which is the simple way to insert the zippers.  These zippers have metal stops at the bottom of the zipper, which the needle won't go through as it does to its plastic teeth.  On one of the zippers I was inserting into a panty purses, this metal part came into contact with the sewing machine needle, and the machine wanted to shut down, as a safety precaution, which it stated in the LCD pannel.....

I eventuly found the machine very easy to operate, especially when doing up the fourth panty purse on it. Just takes time and patience, plus reading the operating manual and following their instructions. The DVD that came with it was also helpful, too....

Hopefully using all of the options and features are just as simple as the plain straight stitching and zig zag sewing are. Check back here every once in a while to see how I'm doing with my new machine and what I've made with it and what features I've used when doing same.