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Embroidery Fit Guide How we pick

First embroidery machine· checked Nov 10

A first embroidery machine for names and small gifts

Our pick for a first machine

Our line drawing of a single-needle embroidery-only machine, the class the PE545 belongs to Our drawing · Real photos at Sewing Machines Plus

Brother PE545

USD 499.99 at Sewing Machines Plus1 Before sales tax · seen Nov 10, 2026

  • 4 × 4 inmax. area
  • 135designs
  • 10fonts
  • YesWi-Fi
Check price at Sewing Machines Plus
  • 60-day returns: shipping deducted; opened machines: ask first5, 6
  • Brother warranty: 1 yr parts & labor4

The Brother PE545 stitches designs up to 4 × 4 in (100 × 100 mm) and takes them by Wi-Fi or USB stick.2 It does one job, embroidery, which keeps it simple to start. Check it against what you want to make below.

Not run by a machine maker or by Sewing Machines Plus. Our paid links go to that one shop, and we may earn a commission if you buy. We haven't used these machines: everything here comes from the makers' spec pages and manuals, the shop's listings and 30 sources. How we make money · How we pick

Linen tea towels with small embroidered initials in red and blue Photo: Mari Voipio · CC BY-SA 4.0 · modified

Is it your kind of machine?

Made for small designs and first projects

An embroidery-only machine has no sewing settings to learn. The PE545 is the lowest-priced one with Wi-Fi we found at the shop on Nov 10, 2026.1, 11

Names, initials and small motifs

Up to 4 × 4 in per design, with 135 built-in designs and 10 lettering fonts by the shop's count. Towels, tote bags, baby clothes and patches fit that size.

Designs from a phone or a PC

Brother's manual lists wireless LAN and a USB port. The free Design Database Transfer runs on Windows; the Artspira app runs on a phone.

You don't need it to sew

Keep your sewing machine, or don't sew at all: the PE545 only embroiders, so there's nothing to switch over.

Some supplies in the box

Brother packs the 4 × 4 in hoop and three pre-wound bobbins. You'll still need stabilizer, thread and needles (costs below).

How it works

Hoop, choose, stitch

  1. Hoop the fabric with stabilizer under it. The hoop holds the fabric tight; the stabilizer keeps it from puckering. The PE545 comes with a 4 × 4 in hoop.3
  2. Choose a design. Pick a built-in design or font on the screen, or load one by USB stick or Wi-Fi.2
  3. Let it stitch. The embroidery unit moves the hoop under the needle at up to 400 stitches per minute. With one needle, you change the thread for each new color.2
Line drawing of a single-needle embroidery machine with numbered parts: 1 hoop, 2 needle, 3 screen, 4 embroidery unit 1 2 3 4
  1. 1Hoop: 4 × 4 in on the PE545; the design must fit inside it
  2. 2Needle: one, so one thread color at a time
  3. 3Screen: pick, size and place designs
  4. 4Embroidery unit: moves the hoop as it stitches
Our drawing of the machine class, not a picture of the PE545.

Fit check

Does it fit what you want to stitch?

Checked against each machine's maximum embroidery area as its maker states it, for four first machines from the shop.2, 12, 14, 16

Finished caps or hats?
Do you also want to sew with it?
A white embroidered monogram, G B inside a ring of dots, on a napkin Photo: Tangopaso · Public domain

The offer

PE545 or a step up?

The Skitch PP1 has no screen and runs from a phone app. The Janome MC100E has a bigger 5.5 × 5.5 in area and, until Dec 31, a free starter kit by the shop's offer. The PE900 goes to 5 × 7 in, for USD 680 more than the PE545.12, 13, 16

SpecBrother PE545Brother Skitch PP1Janome Memory Craft 100EBrother PE900
Price (seen Nov 10)USD 499.991USD 529.9911USD 1,09913USD 1,179.9915
Max. embroidery area4 × 4 in (100 × 100 mm)24 × 4 in (approx.) (100 × 100 mm)125.5 × 5.5 in (140 × 140 mm)145 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm)16
Built-in designs1351via app1227414193 (the shop's page also says 190)15
Getting designs inWireless LAN (Design Database Transfer, Artspira app) and USB stick2Bluetooth to the Artspira app on a phone or tablet; no screen, no USB12USB stick14Wireless LAN (Design Database Transfer, Artspira app) and USB stick16
At Sewing Machines Plus Check price of the PE545 at Sewing Machines Plus Check price of the Skitch PP1 at Sewing Machines Plus Check price of the MC100E at Sewing Machines Plus Check price of the PE900 at Sewing Machines Plus
All specs (7 more rows)
More specs
SpecBrother PE545Brother Skitch PP1Janome Memory Craft 100EBrother PE900
Hoops in the box4 × 4 in (10 × 10 cm)24 × 4 in magnetic frame (100 × 100 mm)12SQ14e, 5.5 × 5.5 in (140 × 140 mm)145 × 7 in (13 × 18 cm)16
Built-in fonts101via app1211141315
Max. embroidery speed400 stitches per minute2400 stitches per minute12660 stitches per minute14650 stitches per minute16
File formats it reads.pes .phc .dst .pen2designs come from the Artspira app12.jef .jef+ .jpx13.pes .phc .dst .pen16
Weight17 lbs217 lbs1220 lbs1422 lbs16
Included at that priceMachine and standard accessories1Machine and standard accessories11Free Janome embroidery starter kit, "For a limited time: 11/1 - 12/31" (shop's words): tear-away and cut-away stabilizer, bobbins, 12 spools of thread, a USB stick with designs13Machine and standard accessories15
Maker's warranty1 yr parts & labor41 yr parts & labor41 yr labor, 5 yrs electronics171 yr parts & labor4

Specs as the makers state them on their product pages and manuals, unless marked as the shop's figures; prices are Sewing Machines Plus' before sales tax, seen Nov 10, 2026. Prices change; the shop's page is what counts. Full warranty wording is in the terms below.

The shop's terms, in plain words60 days from delivery, shipping not refunded, opened machines: refund or store credit (ask first)
  • 60-day money-back guarantee

    The shop's returns page: "You have 60 days from delivery to return any item that isn't marked final sale, opened or not." You start a return by phone or e-mail and get a return authorization first.5

  • Shipping isn't refunded, both ways

    The original shipping cost is deducted, "including orders that shipped free", and return shipping is paid by you. A machine without its original box and packing costs a 15 % restocking fee.5

  • Opened machines: two texts disagree

    The returns page refunds opened machines (minus shipping); the older refund policy says "Opened merchandise can be returned for a Store Credit". The older policy also lists items without the original factory box and freight items as non-returnable. Keep the box, and if you might return an opened machine, ask the shop in writing before you order.5, 6

  • Free shipping in the lower 48

    On orders over USD 49, to the contiguous 48 states; most in-stock orders arrive in 2 to 5 business days; items shipped by the maker or special-ordered show their own ship time on the product page. Not free to Alaska, Hawaii or the territories.7

  • Warranty after day 60

    Brother's limited warranty, as shown on the shop's LB5500M page: 1 year parts, labor and accessories, 2 years electronic components, 25 years chassis casting.4 The shop says it is "an authorized dealer for every brand we sell, so your warranty is valid".5

  • Price match

    Up to 30 days after purchase, as an in-store credit, against an authorized dealer's lower delivered price; some makers' pricing rules, Janome's for example, can prevent a match.8, 9

What it costs after you buyStabilizer, thread, needles and software: about USD 82–145 in month one
  • Stabilizer: about USD 9–18 a pack or roll

    Almost every design needs it under the fabric. Seen at the shop: 25 pre-cut tear-away sheets USD 8.99; a 10 in × 10 yd roll of tear-away USD 17.48 or cut-away USD 18.40; water-soluble 12 in × 10 yd USD 13.99.19, 20, 21, 22

  • Thread: USD 40 for 10 colors

    A 10-color kit of 40-weight polyester, 1,000 m spools, is USD 39.90; a 48-spool kit USD 169. Bobbin thread from about USD 7.23, 24, 25

  • Needles, spray, scissors: about USD 30

    Five 75/11 embroidery needles USD 4.39, temporary spray adhesive USD 13.79, double-curved embroidery scissors USD 9.95.26, 27, 28

  • Designs and software: free to start

    The PE545 reads .pes .phc .dst .pen.2 Brother's Design Database Transfer for Windows is free; editing software ranges from free (Ink/Stitch) to about USD 159 (Embrilliance's regular price, seen Nov 10, 2026) and much more for full digitizing suites.29, 30 File formats explained

Month one: about USD 82–145Shop prices seen Nov 10, 2026, our two sample baskets. The full list

Honest limits

Skip the PE545 if…

  • You want to sew with it too.It only embroiders. The Brother LB5500M sews and embroiders with the same 4 × 4 in area: sewing + embroidery machines.
  • Your designs are bigger than 4 × 4 in.Larger quilt-block motifs or a jacket back need a bigger area: the PE900 does 5 × 7 in, the Janome MC400E 7.9 × 7.9 in. Machines by hoop size.
  • You want to stitch finished caps.Brother's manuals describe cap frames for the cap's natural shape on tubular machines; the PE545 is a flatbed. A stitched patch, sewn on afterwards, works.
  • You only have a Mac and want Wi-Fi from it.Brother lists Design Database Transfer for Windows 8.1, 10 and 11. A USB stick or the Artspira phone app still work.
  • You'd like the supplies in the box.The Janome MC100E comes with a free starter kit (stabilizer, thread, bobbins, designs) until Dec 31, by the shop's offer, at USD 1,099.

Prefer to compare first?

The fit tool checks what you want to make, your largest design, sewing, budget and table space against 15 machines, and tells you when none of them fits.

Sources: Brother's PRS100 manual (cap frames), Brother's Design Database Transfer page.10, 18

Questions before you buy

Can the PE545 sew seams and hems too?

No. It's an embroidery-only machine. If you want one machine for both, see our page on sewing and embroidery machines.

How big can a design be?

Brother's manual gives a maximum of 10 cm × 10 cm (4 × 4 in) per design. A bigger design has to be split and stitched in parts, re-hooping in between. Hoop sizes drawn to scale.

What else do I need to buy?

Stabilizer, embroidery thread and needles. Brother packs three pre-wound bobbins with the PE545. Our two sample baskets at the same shop came to about USD 82 and USD 145 for the first month. The full list with prices.

Which design files does it read?

Brother's manual lists .pes, .phc, .dst and .pen. Tajima .dst files carry no thread colors, so the machine shows them in its default colors. File formats in plain words.

Do I need a computer?

No. You can start with the built-in designs and fonts, load designs from a USB stick, or use Brother's Artspira app on a phone. Brother's free Design Database Transfer sends designs over Wi-Fi from a Windows PC.

Can I send it back if it's not for me?

The shop gives 60 days from delivery. It deducts the original shipping cost, even on free-shipping orders, and you pay return shipping. Its two return texts disagree on opened machines (refund or store credit), so keep the box and ask the shop in writing if that matters to you.

Is it cheaper somewhere else?

Possibly not, but check. Brother machines like this one also sell at other stores, including Amazon, often at a similar price. Sewing Machines Plus offers a price match as store credit within 30 days. Our value is the fit check and the honest limits, not a secret price.

Have you used it?

No. We don't test machines. This page is built from Brother's manual, the shop's listing and terms, and the sources at the bottom, so you can check every number yourself.

Do you get paid if I buy?

Not yet. We plan to apply to Sewing Machines Plus' affiliate program on Awin; until it approves us, our links earn us nothing. Once approved, purchases through our links can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn't change what we write. How we make money.

Ready to check today's price?

Brother PE545: USD 499.99 at Sewing Machines Plus before sales tax (seen Nov 10, 2026).

  • Designs up to 4 × 4 in (100 × 100 mm)
  • Wi-Fi and USB, 135 built-in designs (shop's count)
  • 60-day returns: shipping deducted; opened machines: ask first
  • Brother warranty: 1 year parts and labor
Check price at Sewing Machines Plus Not sure yet? Try the fit tool
Sources (30) · checked Nov 10, 2026
  1. Sewing Machines Plus: Brother PE545 WLAN Embroidery Machine, product page at Sewing Machines Plus (seen 2026-11-10)
  2. Brother: Brother PE545 Operation Manual (US) (seen 2026-11-09)
  3. Brother: Brother PE545 included accessories (seen 2026-11-09)
  4. Sewing Machines Plus: Brother LB5500M Marvel, product page at Sewing Machines Plus (seen 2026-11-10)
  5. Sewing Machines Plus: SMP Returns & Refunds (seen 2026-11-10)
  6. Sewing Machines Plus: SMP Refund policy (seen 2026-11-10)
  7. Sewing Machines Plus: SMP Shipping & Delivery (seen 2026-11-10)
  8. Sewing Machines Plus: SMP Store Policies (seen 2026-11-10)
  9. Sewing Machines Plus: SMP Low Price Guarantee (seen 2026-11-10)
  10. Brother: Brother Design Database Transfer (seen 2026-11-09)
  11. Sewing Machines Plus: Brother Skitch PP1, product page at Sewing Machines Plus (seen 2026-11-10)
  12. Brother: Brother PP1 Operation Manual (seen 2026-11-09)
  13. Sewing Machines Plus: Janome MC100E, product page at Sewing Machines Plus (seen 2026-11-10)
  14. Janome Australia: Janome AU Memory Craft 100E (seen 2026-11-09)
  15. Sewing Machines Plus: Brother PE900, product page at Sewing Machines Plus (seen 2026-11-10)
  16. Brother: Brother PE900 Operation Manual (seen 2026-11-09)
  17. Sewing Machines Plus: Janome MC400E, product page at Sewing Machines Plus (seen 2026-11-10)
  18. Brother: Brother PRS100 Operation Manual (seen 2026-11-09)
  19. Sewing Machines Plus: StayPerfect Medium Tearaway pre-cut stabilizer sheets, 25 pack (seen 2026-11-10)
  20. Sewing Machines Plus: OESD Medium Weight TearAway 10 in × 10 yd (seen 2026-11-10)
  21. Sewing Machines Plus: OESD Heavy Weight CutAway 10 in × 10 yd (seen 2026-11-10)
  22. Sewing Machines Plus: Floriani Stitch N Wash water-soluble stabilizer 12 in × 10 yd (seen 2026-11-10)
  23. Sewing Machines Plus: Robison-Anton spun poly bobbin thread 60 wt, 1,100 yd (seen 2026-11-10)
  24. Sewing Machines Plus: Exquisite Polyester 10 Color Thread Kit (seen 2026-11-10)
  25. Sewing Machines Plus: Floriani Polyester Embroidery Thread Kit 48 spools (seen 2026-11-10)
  26. Sewing Machines Plus: Schmetz 75/11 Chrome Embroidery Needles 5 pk (seen 2026-11-10)
  27. Sewing Machines Plus: 505 Spray Adhesive 6.22 oz (seen 2026-11-10)
  28. Sewing Machines Plus: Havels Double Curved Embroidery Scissors 3.5 in (seen 2026-11-10)
  29. Ink/Stitch: Ink/Stitch (seen 2026-11-09)
  30. Embrilliance: Embrilliance Essentials (seen 2026-11-10)