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Brother CE8100 Sewing and Quilting Machine Review (2023)

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For anyone looking for a machine that is the pinnacle of easy sewing, the Brother CE8100 sewing and quilting Machine should be high on your consideration list.

It is really feature rich, while the variety of preset stitches and included feet make it a great choice for expanding your horizons while creating creative and durable quilts, apparel and more.

brother ce8100 review

Keep it note that the CE8100’s features if you’re an experienced sewer, but its intuitive design may be just what you’re looking for to grow your craft.

Let’s let’s take a look at all this model …

Brother CE8100: The Details

The Look

The sleek, pearly white housing of this machine gives it a clean, sturdy look.

The CE8100 weighs about 10 pounds, certainly one of the lighter sewing machines on the market, and the detachable table gives you a nice, wide workspace. Subtle magenta accents also add a touch of decorative flair.

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A bright LCD display on the front panel lets you quickly enter different stitch styles. There’s also a handy reference sticker with a full table of stitching selections, meaning you don’t need to keep a manual handy to fine-tune the settings for your project.

Overall, this quilting machine is blocky, making it look more dated than other models, but it’s clearly made for convenience and keeps the most important functions at your fingertips.

Specs

  • Weight: 10 lbs
  • Dimensions: 12.5 x 7 x 16.3 inches
  • Stitch: 120
  • Speed: 850 stitches per minute (max)
  • Automated/Mechanical: Automated
  • Spool: Jammed quick change coil
  • Warranty: 25 year limited warranty

Accessories

This machine includes 10 accessory feet for maximum customization. We’ll go into these functions later, but the full list includes:

  • Zigzag foot
  • Buttonhole foot
  • Zipper foot
  • Button presser foot
  • Overcasting foot
  • Blindstitch foot
  • Monogram foot
  • Strap foot
  • Ringing foot
  • gathering foot

The Brother quilting machine also comes with four bobbins, seam ripper, needle set, ballpoint needle, twin needle, cleaning brush, screwdriver, three spool caps, extra spool pin, instructional DVD, foot pedal, power cord and a user manual.

These accessories are lucky for you, because it can use as soon this machine as you open it, and you do not have to rush to the store to get a to stock up. Pop in the DVD and get started.

Here’s a great video on what to expect when unpacking your brand new Brother CE8100:

Brother: The Company

Broeder has been around since 1954 and specializes in household machines, including printers, fax machines, scanners and sewing machines.

They have a wide range of fabric products that bring quilting, embroidery and garment printing to the convenience of your home station. Their product line shows a commitment to providing sewers with all the tools they need to create beautiful projects.

Brother also offers project designs, tutorials, and newsletters through their website, all of which useful sewing tips and opportunities to discuss projects with fellow seamstresses. I think this is an incredibly important feature for anyone looking to get the most out of their machine. Having these types of resources at your fingertips can help you find the motivation to keep going and try new ideas.

The CE8100 lets you unleash your creativity by using Brother’s resources and experimenting with new stitches, projects and challenges.

Features

7 point feed dogs

The feeding system on the Brother CE8100 sewing machine is excellent, allowing you to process a variety of fabrics and materials — Brother says it’s advanced enough to handle sew almost any fabric, and we believe them after our thorough testing!

brother ce9100

Up/Down Needle Button and Twin Needle Capability

Two other features quilters will especially love are how easy it is to raise and lower the needle – just press the up/down button to hold everything in place – and the twins needle function of the machine.

Perfect for hems and decorative stitches, don’t forget to stock up on twin needles!

Stop/Start- button and adjustable speeds

On the computer side you will find many options to stop and start your machine and adjust the speed of your sewing.

The stop/start function means you can get rid of the old foot pedal, if you choose.

brother quilting machine

Easy threading of the needle

Another feature that will benefit both beginners and more experienced seamstresses is the advanced, simple needle threading system.

This automatic threader sees the needle threading in a matter of seconds, with no fiddly fiddling to deal with.

Quick-Set Drop In Bobbin

We love Brother’s Quick-Set drop-in bobbing system when we’ve come across it on other sewing machines, and we’re happy to seen as a hallmark of the CE8100.

Jam-resistant, the spool promises to allow thread to roll without risk of tangling. We also really like the clear coil lid that makes it easy to see when nor the thread runs down.

Free Motion

Quilters, get excited!

The Brother CE8100 quilting machine has a great drop-feed function your movement will sew your entire quilting project.

Move the fabric as you see fit, and the needle will intuitively follow.

Wide detachable table

Another quilt-friendly feature of this machine is the extra wide detachable table that can to the machine to give you extra surface space for large projects.

A super bright, high beam LED light in the arm a light on your quilt while you work.
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brother ce8100 sewing machine review

120 Built-in Stitches

You will find one of the biggest advantages of the Brother CE8100 model in the dizzying array of stitching options included.

There are 120 unique built-in stitches, including decorative stitches, quilting stitches and utility stitches.

This makes for exciting embroidery projects that don’t require the time and expertise to decorate your fabric by hand. One of the best features to play with!

The CE8100 also includes 8 different automatic buttonholes in one step — ideal for tailors! We think you’ll also love the included buttonhole and button presser feet.

Brother CE8100 Sewing Machine Review

The positives

Designed to sew on any fabric

One of the things we really love about the Brother CE8100 is the fact that it is incredibly versatile, especially in the fabric it can work with.

The advanced 7-point feed system is safe and ensures a smooth feed, no matter what material you use.

In addition, the large number of feet that Brother supplied with the machine means you can do a lot of experiments!

Easy to use

One of the most important aspects we look at when reviewing sewing machines is how easy it is to they are to get started right out of the box.

We know we’re not the only people who don’t want to hang out for hours trying to read a little eye of the needle.

We are pleased to report that the Brother CE8100 is very user-friendly and beginner-friendly.

The simple needle threading system plus the Quick-Set drop-in bobbin provides an easy threading experience with minimal risk of snagging or knots.

In addition, the stop/start button is a great alternative for anyone who has a little trouble with a foot pedal and the adjustable speeds make it easy to find your way around.

brother ce8100 review

Great for Quilters

As you should be able to tell from the name, the Brother CE8100 sewing and quilting machine for quilting.

And it results in spades.

From the free-motion quilting, the 7-point feed dog, the huge range of quilting stitches and the large working area, most quilters will find this perfect for their needs.

Lightweight

Weighing in at just 10 lbs, the CE8100 is very portable -and that the wide work table is removable makes it quite compact too.

We’ve seen this machine at many of the quilting gatherings we’ve been to and know that many people use it as their’travel’sewing machine with a heavier duty one in their craft room at home.

If you like to travel often with your machine, or just don’t want a huge quilting machine taking up weight and space in your home, the Brother CE8100 sewing machine could be a good choice for you.

Affordable

We think this sewing and quilting machine offers great value for money.

While certainly not the cheapest sewing machine on the market, it is a fairly high quality machine that is highly versatile and will allow your skills and experience to grow with the machine. It’s not the most versatile machine we’ve used – and it doesn’t quite have the power we’d normally go for – but we think it’s reasonably priced given its capabilities.

The Negatives

Definitely not Heavy Duty

Of course, the downside of having a super light and portable 10 lb sewing machine is that it just doesn’t have as much power and strength as some heavier machines.

Although it is good for almost all machines fabrics, including quilts, we don’t fancy the odds of the Brother CE8100 with multiple thick layers.

In addition, the bobbin winder will occasionally suffer from the lack of weight and strength in the machine: be careful not to rattle or cram it with too much wire.

brother ce8100 for quilting

Versatile but not specialist

Although we love this machine can do a lot with little, so However, there are some features you may find that don’t work and on a more expensive, higher quality machine.

See this machine as an all-rounder, master of most, and be practical and patient in learning how to use some of the more exotic features.

For example, you need a much more powerful machine to sew confidently or monogram, so if you’re interested are in those options, inspect other models.

A Little Loud

Again, thanks to its relative lightweight, the Brother CE8100 is a bit of a rattle as it doesn’t have the weight to stabilize the machine.

It’s definitely not the loudest sewing machine we’ve ever had. have used, but late night sewers may need to consider a certain level of soundproofing if you share a house!

Overall verdict

For beginner and advanced sewers and quilters, the Brothe De CE8100 is a great machine that gives you high versatility, lots of room for experimentation and excellent value for money.

Advanced sewers may find it basic, and some features may not be quite specialist enough for those working to a very high standard of work, although some may find this the perfect machine for travel thanks to its super portable weight of just 10 lbs.

Have fun sewing!

Where to buy the Brother CE8100

The CE8100 is not the most popular and most widely bought of the Brother sewing machines, but you can still buy it online in several places.

Check out this starter stores:

En of course it’s also available on Amazon – where it comes with a bonus foot pack!

brother ce8100


Have you tried the Brother CE8100 sewing machine Not yet?

Not sure if this is the model for you? Browse our latest sewing machine reviews.

References
  • sewingfromhome.com
Avatar for Mutasim Sweileh

Mutasim Sweileh

Mutasim is the founder and editor-in-chief of sewingtrip.com, a site dedicated to those passionate about crafting. With years of experience and research under his belt, he sought to create a platform where he could share his knowledge and skills with others who shared his interests.