Quick Review: The Brother SE 350 Computerized Embroidery Sewing Machine is perfect for sewing and embroidery. Both beginners and professional designers will be pleasantly surprised to find they can create beautiful and fashionable projects tailored toward their own unique designs.
Pros: This machine offers 67 built-in sewing stitches to choose from and 10 styles of one-step automatic buttonholes. It also offers 70 built-in embroidery designs with five monogramming fonts. Additional features include an automatic needle threader, super easy bobbin winding system, an automatic push-button thread cutter, needle up/down function as well as a snap-on presser-foot attachment, a drop-feed function, sewing speed controller, an array of accessories and much more.
Cons: Some may find the 4×4 hoop size to be rather limiting. Machine does not include a carrying case.
Rating: 
In This Review
Quick Stats for Brother SE 350
Notable Highlights/Features
Reviewer Feedback
Manuals and Warranty
Brother SE 350 Extras
Video
Software
___________________________________________________________________________
Quick Stats for Brother SE 350
| Price | $289.00 — Free Shipping with Amazon.com |
| Sewing Stitches | 67 Built-in Decorative, Quilting and Heirloom stitches for mending as well as garment, craft and decorative sewing |
| Stitch Length | Adjustable up to 5.0 mm (1/5 of an inch) |
| Stitch Width | Adjustable up to 7.0 mm (about ¼ of an inch) |
| Stitch Attributes | Includes: Mirror, twin, multi-directional, side cutter, satin stitch regulator |
| Button Hole Type(s): | 10 styles of 1-step automatic buttonholes for a variety of buttonhole design options |
| Embroidery Stitches | 70 Built-in Embroidery Designs with 5 built-in Monogramming Fonts; Embroider design field up to 4” x 4” |
| Frame Patterns | 10 Frames (shape designs) with 12 Patterns (stitches to use for the shapes’ outline); 120 in total |
| Bobbin Type: | Top Drop-in Quick Set™: Drop in a full bobbin, pull the thread through the slot and start sewing. Easy! |
| Clear Bobbin Cover: | Y – Easily determine when thread is running low |
| Bobbin Winding System | Y – Super Easy Bobbin Winding System: Wind the thread around the bobbin, pass through the guide slot and press the start/stop button. |
| Thread Sensors | Y- Alerts you when upper and/or bobbin thread breaks or runs low |
| Automatic Thread Cutting | Y – Cutter built right in. Thread can be cut automatically after sewing. |
| Adjustable Pressure: | N – This is the amount of pressure placed on the fabric by the presser foot; sew heavy fabrics and multiple layers without sliding: this is preset and not adjustable. |
| Automatic Tension: | Y – Ensuring even stitching on any fabric type |
| Built-in Accessory Storage: | Y – Stores all your sewing kit tools handy in one convenient spot |
| Drop Feed: | Y – Lower the feed dogs for free motion quilting |
| 7 Point Feed Dogs | Y – Feed dog provides 7 points of contact with fabric ensuring smooth, even feeding of multiple layers and a variety of fabric weights |
| Free-Arm: | Y – Easily maneuver difficult to sew areas such as armholes and cuffs. |
| LCD Display: | Y – Touch screen (38 mm x 71mm) with on-screen editing and design memory (create your own stitches – then save to memory), can be operated with either your finger or the stylus touch pen. |
| Light: | Y – Bright light Illuminates sewing area; the convenient LED lamp makes it easy to work on dark fabrics. |
| Needle Threader: | Y – Threads needle by one press of a lever without frustration or eye strain |
| Snap-on Presser Feet: | Y – Quickly and easily change from one foot to another with no need for screwdrivers |
| Instruction Manuals & CD | User’s Guide, Quick Reference Guide and instructional CD |
| Limited Warranty: | 1 year warranty on parts and labor, a two year warranty on electronic pattern control and selection components (parts only), and a 25 year warranty on shafts and rods on the machine head. |
_________________________________________________________________________
Notable Highlights/Features
Sewing and Embroidery Stitches: 67 built-in sewing and decorative stitches with 98 stitch functions and 70 built-in embroidery designs gives you the ability to sew as well as create and edit your own stitches and store them into the built-in memory for later use. You can save up to 12 embroidery designs in the machine’s memory. Now you can give your projects that customized look. And if all that’s not enough you can open up a world of new embroidery designs for your embroidery machine: Brother’s PED-Basic® Software allows you to download embroidery designs, perform simple editing operations and write those files to original cards that you can use with your embroidery machine. If you want to add some more designs to your collection, you simply need to insert a Brother card into the memory card slot and then download the images onto the card using Brother’s PED-Basic® Software .
LCD Touch Screen: The Brother SE-350 Computerized Sewing and Embroidery Machine has a 38 mm x 71mm LCD Touch screen with an operation panel. This is where the creativity begins.
The screens provides for stitch selection and pattern settings, on-screen editing and design with memory capabilities (create your own stitches – then save them to the built-in memory) all which can be operated with either your finger or the stylus (touch pen).
The embroidery patterns can be selected from the following types; Simply press and all available options for each type are displayed for you:
a. Embroidery patterns- There are total 70 patterns. The patterns are completed by changing the upper thread according to the instructions displayed on the screen.
b. Character pattern- There are 5 types of characters: upper case/lower case/numbers/symbols/European characters.
c. Frame patterns- 10 shapes, such as squares and circles, can be combined with 12 stitch types.
d. Embroidery card- Press when selecting patterns from an embroidery card.
e. Patterns saved in the machine’s memory- Press when retrieving patterns from the machine’s memory. You can save up to 12 patterns or 512KB of data.
This one allows you to remove the embroidery unit
The LED screen also has a handy help guide with instructions that you can refer to if you get stuck.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Thread Cutter: No more searching for a pair of scissors or worrying about little thread pieces, the sewing machine can be set to automatically cut the threads at the end of the stitching. This is called “programmed thread-cutting”. If programmed thread-cutting is set, automatic reverse / reinforcement stitching is also set. Press the thread cutter button after sewing is stopped to cut both the upper and the bobbin thread.
Sewing Speed Controller: Allows you to select your sewing speed, making it as fast or slow as you like, especially helpful for projects with a lot if detail. Slide the sewing speed controller to adjust the sewing speed.
Start/Stop Button: Start and stop the machine with the touch of a button. Press the start/stop button to start or stop sewing. The machine sews at a slow speed at the beginning of sewing while the button is pressed. When sewing is stopped, the needle is lowered in the fabric.
Programmable Needle Up/Down: Program the needle to stop in up or down position. Useful for turning projects or repositioning fabric (pivoting corners)
Quick-Set™ Drop-in Bobbin: Drop in a full bobbin, pull the thread through the slot and start sewing. Clear cover allows you to monitor bobbin thread level
Stitch Panel: The Brother SE-350 Computerized Sewing and Embroidery Machine’s stitch panel is located at the front of the machine and shows all the sewing and decorative stitches along with their corresponding numbers.
7 Point Feed Dog: The feed dogs feed the fabric in the sewing direction. The Feed dog provides 7 points of contact with the fabric ensuring smooth, even feeding of multiple layers and a variety of fabric weights. Your fabric is guided perfectly from the top and the bottom. This is important for quilting or sewing with fabrics that require exact matching such as plaids.
___________________________________________________________________________
Reviewer Feedback
LIKES:
- This machine is so easy to use; it does most of the work even for a complete and total beginner.
- The machine alerts you when you make a mistake and informs you how to fix it easily.
- I don’t think you can do better than this at this price.
- I love the ability to sew without the foot pedal.
- It’s so much value for the money.
- I can say that this machine is GREAT for beginners.
- The machine’s threader is by far the BEST.
- My five year old daughter has been able to learn to sew on this machine with ease. As well as I have.
- The machine is very stable on a table. The foot pedal is very controllable (wont take off on you, even with it on near high speed)
- The bobbin winder is very even while winding, not messy.
- The auto threader and auto cutter are awesome! So easy to use and so convenient. I’ve already purchased the Brother PED-Basic® cord so that I could download more (free!) designs as well as more fonts.
- I am just learning to sew (a complete novice), and wanted to buy a machine that would be easy to use and introduce me to embroidery. This machine is WONDERFUL! It is very easy to learn to use, and the instruction manual that came with it is very, very easy to follow.
- The manual includes a lot of helpful hints for sewing.
- The help guide on the LED screen is wonderful too.
- I like that you can start/stop the machine using a button or the pedal. I am not yet good at controlling my speed using the pedal, and that button proved to be invaluable to me.
- I followed the manual to setup the machine for embroidery, and within no time I was embroidering on scraps of fabric. The embroidery came out so beautiful.
- The sewing machine part is very quiet–
- The help menu on the machine itself was helpful.
- If you are limited on how much you can spend (like me) then this is a good investment.
- I do like that it is light weight. Because I live in a condo with very little free space, it is nice to have a machine that is light enough for me to carry around and store away after each use. This is a great machine for a beginner.
- Out of the box, I was pleased. Evidently the bobbins are “different” than other bobbins as far as size but I already had a package of the exact same size.
- The instructions are comprehensive.
DISLIKES:
- The directions are clear but they only offer very basic information. The manual does not explain that there are infinite embroidery possibilities if you buy accessories like Brother PED-Basic® software.
- The built in stitches and embroidery designs are neither fresh nor new. They can even be considered quite unappealing and stale.
- There is a sensor which is supposed to indicate when the bobbin thread is running out. It doesn’t work well, requires special bobbins.
- It does not feed well with the bulk I am trying to push through it.
- The only flaw (for a quilter) to this machine is the size of its bed. You will have enough room for a baby quilt and a lap/couch throw. After that you’re pushing it.
- The embroidery part was a little hard to figure out because I never owned an embroidery machine before. I watched the videos that came with it, but I still had a little bit of a hard time.
- The machine is smaller in size than other embroidery machines. Some people might think that because the machine is light weight it would not be very stable.
- Keep in mind that the machine uses a 4×4 hoop, so your embroidery size will be limited.
- The only trouble I’ve had was using 22 cent WM thread – the tension SOMETIMES wasn’t right. But then, using Coates and Clark at $4 a spool also sometimes the tension was temperamental.
- The Machine does not come with a protective case.
Bottom Line:
Whether you are new to sewing or just deciding to upgrade to an embroidery-sewing machine the Brother SE 350 Sewing-and-Embroidery Machine has many of the features and functions that will help with the simplest of tasks yet still feed your creative flair to create your own original designs. Power packed and easy to use this machine offers great value for the price, and is a great machine even for beginners.
Rating: 
___________________________________________________________________________
Reference Manuals and Warranty here:
User’s Guide:
Study the manual for the correct operation of the various functions of your machine. After you have finished reading the manual, store it where it can quickly be accessed for future reference
Quick Reference Guide:
Brochure
___________________________________________________________________________
Brother SE 350 Extras
Accessories In the box:
- 7 feet (buttonhole, overcastting, monogramming, zipper, zigzag, blind hem, and button fitting),
- seam ripper,
- 4 bobbins including clips,
- needle set,
- twin needle,
- cleaning brush,
- eyelet punch,
- screwdriver,
- touch pen,
- 3 spool caps,
- spool pin,
- spool net,
- foot controller,
- scissors,
- disc-shaped screwdriver,
- embroidery hoop,
- accessory case,
- hard cover and manual.
