An exemplary embroidery accessory for a sewing machine includes a spool, a support, and a mechanism for rotating the support. The spool receives a length of embroidery material and dispenses the material as it rotates about a first axis of rotation. The support is rotatably attached to both the attachment portion and to the spool. The support includes a sewing guide with an opening for a needle of the sewing machine and a dispensing guide near the spool for guiding the embroidery material from the spool to the sewing guide. The mechanism rotates the support about a second axis of rotation that is parallel to the first axis of rotation.

A multi-needle sewing machine includes a plurality of needle bars, a needle plate, a needle bar case, a needle bar drive mechanism, a needle bar case movement mechanism, a mounting portion, a frame movement mechanism, a processor, and a memory. The memory is configured to store computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, instruct the processor to perform processes. The processes include identification processing of identifying a position of the needle bar case in the arrangement direction, in accordance with detection of a retraction command causing the mounting portion to be moved to a retracted position, setting processing of setting the retracted position of the mounting portion on the basis of the identified position of the needle bar case in the arrangement direction, and movement processing of controlling the frame movement mechanism to move the mounting portion to the set retracted position.

An embroidery frame driving device includes: a base plate firmly fixed to an X-Y driving unit of the embroidery frame driving device; a fixation arm provided on the base plate; an attachment/detachment cam; a removing link; a coupling link; and an embroidery frame. The embroidery frame is slid against the base plate to rotate the attachment/detachment cam and the fixation arm through pressing of a pressing part of a fixation part to press and fix one end of the fixation arm to a fixation groove of the fixation part in attachment of the embroidery frame. The removing link is operated to rotate the coupling link and the attachment/detachment cam to rotate the fixation arm and release pressing and fixation of the fixation groove of the fixation part by the one end of the fixation arm in detachment of the embroidery frame.

An embroidery frame driving device includes: a base plate firmly fixed to an X-Y driving unit of the embroidery frame driving device; a fixation arm provided on the base plate; an attachment/detachment cam; a removing link; a coupling link; and an embroidery frame. The embroidery frame is slid against the base plate to rotate the attachment/detachment cam and the fixation arm through pressing of a pressing part of a fixation part to press and fix one end of the fixation arm to a fixation groove of the fixation part in attachment of the embroidery frame. The removing link is operated to rotate the coupling link and the attachment/detachment cam to rotate the fixation arm and release pressing and fixation of the fixation groove of the fixation part by the one end of the fixation arm in detachment of the embroidery frame.

An embroidery apparatus includes a main unit to be detachably mounted on a bed section of a sewing machine, a first translation mechanism that moves an embroidery frame holder with an embroidery frame mounted thereon in a first direction, a second translation mechanism that moves the first translation mechanism along an upper surface of the main unit in a second direction that orthogonally intersects the first direction, and an elevator mechanism that is supported by the second translation mechanism at opposite sides of the main unit and that raises and lowers the first translation mechanism. The embroidery apparatus is applicable to a sewing machine switchable between embroidery stitching and standard stitching. During standard stitching, the upper surface of the first translation mechanism is flush with the upper surface of the main unit, which enables both upper surfaces to be used as an auxiliary table.

An embroidery apparatus includes a main unit to be detachably mounted on a bed section of a sewing machine, a first translation mechanism that moves an embroidery frame holder with an embroidery frame mounted thereon in a first direction, a second translation mechanism that moves the first translation mechanism along an upper surface of the main unit in a second direction that orthogonally intersects the first direction, and an elevator mechanism that is supported by the second translation mechanism at opposite sides of the main unit and that raises and lowers the first translation mechanism. The embroidery apparatus is applicable to a sewing machine switchable between embroidery stitching and standard stitching. During standard stitching, the upper surface of the first translation mechanism is flush with the upper surface of the main unit, which enables both upper surfaces to be used as an auxiliary table.

An exemplary embroidery accessory for a sewing machine includes a spool that is rotatable around a first vertical axis, a support rotatably attached to the sewing machine and to the spool, a sewing guide, and a mechanism for rotating the support around a second vertical axis of rotation. The spool receives and dispenses a length of embroidery material and is supported above a sewing bed of the sewing machine by the support. The sewing guide has a needle opening configured to receive a needle of the sewing machine and to guide the embroidery material toward the needle.

A sewing machine translates a stitchwork frame with which a cloth is fastened along a direction of a plane where the cloth is fastened based on stitchwork data to form a stitchwork pattern. A presser foot located above the cloth has a height changed by an actuator like a stepping motor in accordance with the advancement of a stitchwork formation. Hence, a predetermined clearance between the cloth and the presser foot is maintained.

A sewing machine translates a stitchwork frame with which a cloth is fastened along a direction of a plane where the cloth is fastened based on stitchwork data to form a stitchwork pattern. A presser foot located above the cloth has a height changed by an actuator like a stepping motor in accordance with the advancement of a stitchwork formation. Hence, a predetermined clearance between the cloth and the presser foot is maintained.

The present invention provides a sewing machine enabling to sew a high-quality pattern without using an embroidery frame. In a sewing machine 1, a pattern is sewn while a fabric 100 is fed in a sewing direction by a feed dog 2a. The sewing machine 1 has a fabric guide 14. The fabric guide 14 has a guide portion 16 which extends straight in a sewing direction to serve as a basis of a cloth feed in an amplitude direction of the needle. The carriage 10 makes the fabric guide 14 slide in the amplitude direction of the needle by a predetermined distance. Thus, the guide portion 16 serves as an index of the position of the fabric 100 to be located for sewing the next pattern line. Since the fabric 100 can be accurately located for sewing the next pattern line, high-quality pattern can be sewn.