A hat stitching machine is one that embroiders and has a variety of features. For instance, an extra-high presser foot gives you the room you need to accommodate the hat’s rounded shape. Most people who use a hat stitching machine do so for a business that is frequently run out of the home. For many, a good quality residential machine can do the job and give them the versatility they need. Embroidering hats for customers requires being able to offer custom designs and professional quality embroidery. Below are five hat stitching machines from top brands that are favored by crafters who embroider hats and other items as well as those who enjoy sewing and/or quilting.

Stitches

The Brother PE770 is a Consumers Digest “Best Buy.” The embroidery machine offers a great deal of versatility with 136 built-in embroidery designs, 6 lettering fonts, and 120 frame pattern combinations.

Outstanding Features

The large 5” x 7” embroidery area makes embroidering large areas like hats easier for a more professional result. An easy-to-use backlit LCD touch screen and one-touch selection let you choose the appropriate stitch for each project and shows you which one you are currently using. Built-in tutorials make it easy and fast to learn the basics of using the machine. Additional features that make your embroidery go easier include a Quick-Set™ drop-in top bobbin, automatic thread trimmer, and automatic needle threader, the biggest timesaver in sewing.

Accessibility to Designs

The PE770 is compatible with iBroidery.com for unlimited design purchases to extend your design library. Stitches can be imported from the computer to a memory USB stick to your machine. A built-in memory lets you store the designs you choose to your machine’s memory for future use. There is also a design editing feature that gives you the freedom to change design sign, rotate, create mirror images, and more for an even greater selection of design options.

Accessories

The Brother embroidery machine comes with eleven sewing feet, a hard carrying case, embroidery foot, embroidery thread spool, 4 bobbins, twin needle, needle pack, kneelifter, storage compartment and more.

Price Range

The Brother PE770 typically sells for between $565 and $650 with the lowest prices usually being found on Amazon.

2. Singer Futura XL-400 Embroidery Machine

Stitches

The Singer® Futura™ XL-400 comes with a choice of 125 embroidery designs, 5 monogramming fonts, and outline lettering. There are also 30 built-in stitches that include two fully automatic one-step buttonholes. The machine includes the features you need for embroidery and for professional quality fashion sewing.

Outstanding Features

The Futura XL-400 comes with an extra-large 10” x 6” and small 4” x 4” snap-on hoops and the sewing machine has the capability to embroider designs of up to 18-1/2” x 11”. An extra-high presser foot lift accommodates heavier or thicker projects. The Drop& Sew bobbin system facilitates faster threading while the clear bobbin cover lets you monitor the bobbin thread.

Horizontal and vertical thread delivery makes it easy to use twin needles and for specialty sewing and topstitching. There are 6 StayBright™ LED lights for a well-lighted work surface and speed control for more precise sewing. A separate bobbin winding motor prevents you from having to stop sewing while you rewind. The SwiftSmart™ Threading System and automatic needle threader mean less time and frustration spent threading the needle. With the 3D Realistic View and Print feature, stitches appear on the computer screen exactly as they will sew. Just print the design to create placement templates.

Accessibility to Designs

The Futura connects directly with your computer using a USB cable to transfer designs. The embroidery machine is Windows® compatible. Built-in tutorials show you how to use the features to create designs. Additional designs can be downloaded at myembroideries.com.

Accessories

The Singer XL-400 comes with embroidery software, USB cable, two embroidery hoops, and two accessory trays.

Price Range

The Singer Futura XL-400 typically sells for between $565 and $900 with the lowest prices usually being found on Amazon.

3. Brother SE1800

Stitches

The Brother SE1800 is a computerized sewing and embroidery machine with 136 built-in embroidery designs, 184 sewing stitches, 10 buttonhole styles, 6 embroidery lettering fonts, 10 frame shapes with 12 border styles, and a maximum 5” x 7” embroidery field. In addition, sewers can design their own stitches and import purchased embroidery designs for more creative options. This feature makes it possible to add custom embroidery to hats and to store and re-use designs such as logos.

Outstanding Features

The SE1800 has a generous 3” x 1.6” LCD screen with adjustable screen brightness settings. Simply touch the panel to select a stitch and receive on-screen help. Two LEDs provide ample lighting of the sewing area. There is a thread sensor for both the upper and bobbin threads and an advanced needle threading system.

Accessibility to Designs

Import designs with a USB stick and store in the sewing machine’s built-in memory for future use.

Accessories

The Brother machine comes with 11 sewing feet, a 5” x 7” and 5” x 12” multi-position embroidery hoops, a hard machine case, and more.

Price Range

The Brother SE1800 typically sells for between $1,200 and $1,400 with the lowest price usually being found at Amazon.

4. Janome Horizon Memory Craft 12000 Embroidery and Sewing

Stitches

The Janome Horizon Memory Craft 12000 is designed to make sewing, embroidery, and quilting more enjoyable. The company touts this model as the most stable embroidery system they have ever created and an overwhelming number of buyers praise the Janome for its versatility and dependability. The machine comes with 425 built-in stitches, most of which expand to a 9mm width. There are also 338 built-in embroidery designs and 10 fonts with European characters. Sewers can create original stitches using the Stitch Composer™ and alter the length and width of the built-in stitches for unlimited creativity. No other machine produces a greater variety of professional-looking stitches.

Outstanding Features

The features of the Horizon Memory Craft 12000 are virtually unlimited as well. The machine has a 15” embossed stainless steel plate in the bed and 11” to the right of the handle, creating more workspace than any other Janome. The LCD full-color touchscreen makes selecting the perfect stitch fast and easy. Automatic thread tension, thread cutter with memory function, presser foot lift, and an auto declutch bobbin winder make sewing effortless. There are multiple editing functions including resizing, combining, duplicating, flip, arc, drag & drop, trace, and more! The extra high presser foot lift lets you sew or embroider heavy or thick materials while the AcuFeed Flex layered fabric feeding system ensure even feed of fabric for optimal stitching. The Memory Craft has up to 4MB of storage for keeping your favorite designs and there is an AcuGuide automatic cloth guide. Check out the product page on Janome.com to see the entire list of features.

Accessibility to Designs

Designs can be transferred to the machine via USB or a direct PC connection using Horizon Link.

Accessories

The Janome Horizon Memory Craft 12000 comes with a wide variety of standard accessories in addition to a number of optional accessories that are available. Included are the snap-on presser feet, an assortment of embroidery hoops, extra-large foot controller, AcuView Magnifier Holder with 20x lens, bobbin holder for Embroidery, knee lifter, quilting guide bar, straight stitch needle plate, and more!

Price Range

The price of the Janome Horizon Memory Craft 12000 is typically $4,999 but you can get the lowest price and free shipping from Amazon.

5. Singer Futura XL-550

Stitches

The Singer Futura XL-550 was made to inspire creativity in people who love to sew. The 215 sewing stitches and 125 built-in embroidery designs give you a lot to choose from for a variety of projects. There are also 20 embroidery fonts and 30 lettering frames with the option to size, rotate or shape letters for multiple design options. The machine also includes 6 fully automatic 1-step buttonholes. Decorative stitches are bold and beautiful with the 7mm maximum stitch width.

Outstanding Features

Multi-hoop capability gives you more options to embroider designs up to 18-1/2” x 11”. Perform basic editing on the computer screen. Add lettering to designs for custom and personalized embroidery. Rotation of embroidery designs in one-degree increments allows for perfect placement of embroidery on hats. The design file capability reads most file formats for a greater selection of new designs. An extra-high presser foot makes it easy to place multiple layers or bulky fabrics under the presser foot. There are 6 StayBright™ for better visibility of your workspace to prevent eye strain.

The Drop & Sew™ bobbin system makes threading faster while speed control allows for more precise sewing. A separate bobbin winding motor lets you keep sewing or embroidering while you wind a new bobbin. The SwiftSmart™ threading system with auto needle threader is a big time saver. The machine also has 2 built-in spool pins for horizontal and vertical thread delivery and 2 convenient accessory trays. Additional features for convenience and ease-of-use are an exclusive buttonhole underplate, programmable needle up/down, electronic twin needle function, drop feed, automatic thread cutter and more.

Accessibility to Designs

The Singer Futura connects directly to the computer via a USB cable without the need for cards or additional hardware. The machine is Windows compatible and may require an update from Futura-Support.com prior to use. The software CD includes installation, AutoPunch™, HyperFont™, and Editing. Convert clip art, logos, and your own designs into embroidery designs. Additional embroidery designs can be downloaded from myembroideries.com.

Accessories

The Futura comes with two snap-on hoops, a large selection of embroidery designs, software CD, and USB cable.

Price Range

The Singer Futura XL550 is typically priced between $1,000 and $1,095 but you can find the lowest prices at Amazon.

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