Brother Skitch PP1 Embroidery Machine, Grey

The 100mm frame size does limit what you can do. You are supposed to be able to do larger designs by moving the frame but I haven’t tried that yet, (great care will be required to get perfect alignment, but the same applies to the bigger machines when doing runners). Simple set up and using the software for doing any of the available designs is easy. It becomes more complicated when you create your own designs, but that is the same for any embroidery software. It get the full functionality, you need a monthly subscription, but there is free software available which you can use, and then import your designs. I haven’t used the free software yet, but it has excellent reviews and will avoid the subscription costs.The build quality seems excellent. You will need a wider bag for storage than an ordinary sewing machine because the part the hoop attaches to is permanently attached to the machine. There are several trolley bags on Amazon that are large enough, ( the trolley bags all seem to be a little wider than the non trolley versions).If you want to do smaller embroidery pieces, this is excellent value for money at half the price of a combination sewing and embroidery machine, (If you have space for an extra machine , if you are restricted on space, the more expensive combined machines may be a better but pricier option ).

What sells as an easy to use machine just fails to deliver. Being app based and trying to create your own designs on a mobile phone just doesn’t work, you just can’t get the detail you want. First 3-4 runs were ok before constant jams and needle breaks. Even when it was running you couldn’t take your eyes off it because as soon as you did a thread snapped. Biggest waste of my money in a long time, more headaches than success.

Having used Brother embroidery machines in the past for textile projects, I was excited to see what the new generation of these machines would offer.The Skitch PP1 is a sleek machine in a steel grey colour. It is not too heavy and can be moved around easily. It requires the Artspira app which is easy to set up, and connecting the machine via Bluetooth was also straightforward. The app is easy to navigate, it has a wide range of paid and free designs, and through it you can select the functions to operate the machine. You can select an image from your files to embroider, draw a design within the app, or choose a design from the app catalogue. Setting up the machine with the threads was a little trickier. The manual, whilst descriptive, was hard to follow. There are some unofficial online videos that described the steps a lot easier and were very easy to follow. The machine comes with black thread, so coloured thread would need to be purchased should you wish to use them.The machine and the app is great for encouraging creativity, however a lot of the functions are limited for the non-subscription holding user. For example, the draw in app feature only allows you to use black thread, and you cannot use the upload file to embroidery design. This, and certain other features are restricted due to the subscription paywall. If you already have PES files, these upload onto the app fine.Overall this is a fun machine, it’s great for personalisation and adding unique touches. The experience is much more enhanced if you pay for the subscription, however for a piece of equipment that is not cheap, this does hamper its utility.

I was looking forward to a machine that was easy to use, affordable but highly disappointed. Wish I could return it and buy a different one. Keeps jamming, loosing signal with app, additional money for use of app. You need high quality materials such as cotton. Good quality threads, or it will just break. So far in six months managed three napkins. Wasn't fit for purpose, now need to find more money for different machine.

I'm amazed this was released in the UK so quickly! First of all, if you have any pes files at all then don't bother with the paid version of the app, it's the same old designs we have had bundled in for free for decades now and they recently updated so you can import your own files and modify them without having to upgrade. Just email them to yourself and download on your phone.It's compatible with the Brothread thread packs and doublin size A 60S/2 (60S2) bobbins, both available on amazon UK. I used the brothread tear away stabilizer, had it dead centre on tension and it was perfection.The single thing which needs highlighting is that the hoop size is 100mm x 100mm. This means that only a fraction of the designs on the app are available to you, both free and paid. This hoop though, just amazing! You take a picture of it before transferring the design to the machine and you can not only see your design but also reposition it within the hoop. There is also a feature within the app where if the thread breaks, and mine did once because I missed the 5 slot when threading, you can take it back to the very stitch where it broke, and it's actually super easy to match them up and completely avoid disaster - I could never have done that on any of my earlier machinesSuch a good machine, although no, it's not the one you want for adult hoodies or shirt slogans. What you can do is add details to pockets, baby clothes, pet stuff, hankies, napkins, tea cosy and so on, using the latest technology but without having to pay thousands. Ok without the app it's a brick, but I doubt the app is going anywhere within the next 10 years and at that point my skitch will absolutely be worn out with use.I'm a pfaff user and tbh, I think I'm going to stop saving for the fancy creative now, if I do upgrade in the future it would have to be a brother as I'd miss the app features too much and this, my dear sewing friends, I suspect is the whole point of brother making this adorable fantastic machine.