Singer Futura Series
The Singer XL-580 embroidery sewing machine, similar to its cousins the Futura XL-400 and the XL-550, has higher end features and excellent value in its class.
The Singer Futura XL-580 includes a full 250 built-in embroidery designs, 7 one step buttonholes and 215 sewing stitches. It’s hard to imagine needing much more, for a long time of sewing and experimenting, with this fun to use sewing machine!
Pros of the Singer XL-580
Perhaps the biggest positive of the Singer Futura XL-580 is the price. While priced at slightly over $1000, the Singer Futura XL-580 has a number of features seen only on high end embroidery sewing machines, priced hundreds (and even thousands) more than this one.
The Singer XL-580 offers good value for the money and a number of features that the Futura XL400 and the XL-550 do not.
Here are some of the finer features of the Singer XL-580:
- Large 6”x10” hoop – not a commonly found size hoop. The larger hoop size allows you to embroidery larger areas and eliminates using multiple hoops.
- Endless hoop – This is a cool feature. You can use designs that are included in your sewing machine or use other designs that you like. You just have to line up the design each time your move your fabric for the next pattern. You truly can have an “endless design”.
- Quiet operation – always a nice feature! Noise can be annoying…
- Nice selection of presser feet – hard to imagine needing more.
- Large work area – while this makes the Singer XL-580 a large sewing machine, the large work area does make quilting and sewing a breeze. You can even embroider large projects, without a lot of scrunching up your fabrics.
- Threading system – simple and easy on eyes that need reading glasses.
- Knee lifter – gives you hands free control of the presser foot. Great for appliqueing, quilting or embroidering.
- A sewing machine – not just an embroidery machine, the Singer XL-580 is also a sewing machine and a quilting machine—making it an all purpose sewing machine, with many uses.
- Embroidery design – If you like to design on your computer, you’ll be pleased to learn that you can do that, and then transfer the design to your Singer XL-580. It’s nice to know that you don’t have to be attached to your machine to play with your designs.
Cons of the Singer XL-580
The Singer XL-580 is not for beginning embroidery enthusiastists. There is a definite learning curve when using the Singer Futura machines, whether the XL-580, the XL-400 or the XL-550.
Being a bit of a computer nerd does help, and reading the manual so that you understand how the machine works, is a MUST! If you have not used a Singer Futura embroidery sewing machine before, you will need to budget some time for learning how to do so…
While the Singer XL-580 does have a large 6”x10” hoop and a smaller 4”x4” hoop, in addition to the endless hoop, it does not include a 5”x7” hoop, which some people prefer to use.
Some Singer Futura owners have had trouble with thread breaking. However, if you make sure that you use the correct stabilizer, correct needle and slow down the machine on smaller designs, this should not be an issue.
In some ways you always do get what you pay for. However, the Singer XL-580 does pack a lot of value into an embroidery sewing machine that is very affordable for most embroidery enthusiastists.
Do expect to spend some time learning how to use the Singer XL-580. But, when you do, you’ll find that you’ll have a lot of fun embroidering and playing with this embroidery sewing machine!
Learn How to Digitize Machine Embroidery Designs
Ever have a great idea that you want to embroider, but you don’t know how to take it further and get your sewing machine to embroider your design? Cookie Gaynor, in this well-done video course on digitizing machine embroidery designs, will make it easy for you. She’ll show you how to use your manual, how digitizing works and even give you some designs to play with. If you’re creative, don’t miss this great video course!