What’s the best embroidery machine for patch making? We wanted to know too! So, we dug into the specs and found the top machines – comparing features, price, and reliability.
Knowing which machine you need is important before you jump into a purchase. While pretty much every machine should be able to embroider patches – if you want to make large patches, you should be aware that many cheaper machines are capped at 4×4 designs. You should also know that many embroidery machines do NOT come with embroidery software for making designs!
That’s why in this article, we’ll be covering the BEST embroidery machine for patches – including telling you about their features, embroidery max sizes, and what kind of software (if any) they include if you’re hunting for an embroidery machine for custom designs!
Best Embroidery Machine For Patches
Editor’s Pick! Best For Personal Use or Small Side-Business
Brother SE1900
The Brother SE1900 is a fantastic home embroidery machine that offers a LOT of premium features for a very affordable price.
For starters, it offers a generous 5×7 embroidery area, which is a great size embroidery machine for patch making. However, it’s also a dual-purpose embroidery AND sewing machine.
So, if you’d like to sew and embroider but don’t have the budget for two separate machines – this is a great pick which will let you do a lot of different projects.
It’s also loaded with premium features which cost a lot of money on other machines. This includes a thread sensor which warns you when the thread is about to run out, and the ability to create your own custom stitches for your sewing projects!
It also features a large color touch-screen for editing, adjusting, and previewing your embroidery designs before you sew them, a USB port for uploading custom designs, tons of built-in embroidery designs and fonts, and more.
The only negative for this machine is that it does NOT come with embroidery software for creating your own designs and will need to be purchased separately. Click here to see all the features of this machine, check prices, and availability.
Best For: Growing Home Business Or Heavy Personal Use
If you’re looking to start a home business, then a standard embroidery machine could present some problems. Most home machines are single needle, and you’ll need to change the thread manually every time you need a new color. While for personal use, this isn’t a big deal, if you’re trying to fill an order with a lot of patches, this is going to get tiring fast.
That’s why making an investment in a machine like Janome MB7 might be a smart decision. This one is still “technically” a home machine in that it’s ‘cheaper’ and smaller than a professional embroidery machine. However, you’ll be able to load it with multiple thread cones just like a professional machine and allow it to manage itself while you attend to other tasks rather than babysit it and frantically swapping out the thread.
The Janome MB7 also allows you to make much bigger patches than many consumer machines, capping out at a maximum embroidery size of 9.4″ x 7.9″. It stitches at 800 stitches per minute, which is not bad, but not quite as fast as some professional machines, (though the MB7 comes in at around half the price of one of those.)
You’ll be able to take advantage of 50 built-in designs, or use your embroidery software (NOT included with machine) to create something custom and then upload it via the USB port. If you plan to eventually move on from patches and embroider other items, the MB7 will handle most of them – but it may struggle with structured caps which can’t be pressed flat, so keep that in mind. Click here to read consumer reviews and see all available features.
Best For: Personal Projects On A Budget
Brother SE625
Looking to get into embroidery but don’t have much in the way of a budget? No worries! The Brother SE625 is a perfectly capable machine, and if you can track down a used one, it can be yours for as little as $320! (Though, even if you can’t get a used one, it’s still pretty darn cheap new.)
However, you will be capped at 4×4 designs. This is plenty big enough for small patches, but if you had your heart set on making back patches for jackets, I’m afraid you’ll have to get a different machine. Though the stitch quality for this machine is great, and it’s also a dual-purpose sewing and embroidery combination machine, allowing you to perform your regular sewing tasks as well as embroider, which is nice.
In the above Youtube video, you can see some patches made by this machine. BUT, please make note that this machine does NOT come with embroidery software. This means if you want to create your own designs, you’ll need to purchase this separately. Though there are some great options available that aren’t too expensive. You can pick up Brother’s Stitch Express for around $140, which isn’t too bad.
With this machine you’ll be able to sew patches at around 710 stitches per minute, which you can upload using the USB port, or use one of the 80 built-in embroidery designs to get creative. It also has an LCD screen which allows you to edit the designs on screen and change the thread colors, arc your text, and more to suit your needs.
If you’re interested in the sewing features of the machine as well, then you’ll be glad to know that it has some nice features for such an affordable machine! This includes 103 built-in stitches, 8 one-step button holes, speed controls, needle up/down, and free motion sewing capabilities as well.
This machine also made our t shirt embroidery machine list, because it’s just so affordable and produces great results. Click here to see all of the Brother SE625’s features and read consumer reviews.
It’s definitely one of the best low cost embroidery machines if you can find one!
Tanya, both a nurturing stay-at-home mom and a skilled crafter, is the creative force behind our blog. As the co-founder of Romney Ridge Farms & Crafts, she’s the editor and curator. She also runs the Romney Ridge Farms & Crafts social media accounts where we post new patterns for you to enjoy.
