Brother CV3550 Double-Sided Cover Stitch Sewing Machine with Free Arm

Just picked up my new cover stitch machine last week. I put in a hem in a pair of yoga pants with the triple stitch and it looks lovely. I highly recommend this new machine for the triple cover stitch and the easy release at the end of your sewing. Well worth the extra dollars.

I used my 3550 to sew scraps of material onto the back of an old curtain to make pockets for a purse I was making. Putting different colors on each spool made for a very pretty accent to the fabric. However, like a lot of Brother products there isn't enough information on how to use the various accessories.

I pre-ordered this machine last year and waited 2 months before it arrived to my dealer and I absolutely love this machine. I'm a first time user of a cover stitch machine and this is one of the best additions to my machine family. The stitches are absolutely professional looking. I highly recommend anyone to purchase this machine for a professional finish and embellishment.

If you are looking for a cover stitch machine this is the one you need. The triple cover stitch is a nice decorative feature along with easy threading and the free-arm sewing. The instructional video is very detailed on how to use the machine.

I have only had this for a couple of months, but it works beautifully. So impressed with how easy it is to operate!

I am a professional alterationist and purchased this machine when it first came out as my goal is to always make an alteration look as if it “never happened.” While I do get good results most of the time, I do think there is room for improvement. 1. Increase the presser foot height. Tried to top cover the cuff on a sweater and it was very difficult getting the seam under the foot. 2. It hates sewing over bulky seams! It “ate” the aforementioned sweater!! You literally have to pull the fabric through when trying to sew across a seam on sweater knit or fleece fabric. 3. It sounds like a tank! (And that's what I named my machine: “Tank.”) 4. There is no way you can get the seam of a sleeve cuff positioned under the needles to sew in the round. The bed area is too wide when the side plate is removed. Hence, you are forced to either turn the garment inside out in order to properly position the seam under the needles, or rip out an underarm seam in order to sew it flat. So, bottom line is....unless I really need to do a top cover-stitch on something, this machine sits as I much prefer my Janome CPX1000. Perhaps Angela Wolf can do more extensive videos on the operation of this machine in the case there are solutions for these issues.

Temperamental machine that needs a lot of tweaking for each fabric. Lots of skipped stitches. Wish there were more options for usable attachments to help with binding for knits and hemming. Agree that the presser foot need to elevate much higher as I frequently have snags when I pull out fabric under the feet at the end of stitching. I will be looking for a replacement for this machine soon. Hear Janome is a good choice.

The machine came with a defect, which was later fixed for no cost to me. Now the machine is working like magic.

I have a 1034D serger and the 2340 CV, which have been solid workhorses. I looked everywhere for the 3550 when I heard about the double coverstitch. I've had it over 2 years and have yet to get a single line of stitching without skipped stitches. It has ruined everything I've tried to stitch on it. I've followed the tips on the facebook page. I just gave up halfway through a chewed-up pair of athletic shorts and came here to write a review before I throw this piece of junk in the garbage can. I have been sewing for 20 years and have never experienced such frustration. The LED light is laughable, and the presser foot doesn't lift high enough to slide even thin fabrics under it. This thing should never have made it to the market.

This machine needs A LOT of fiddling around to get a good stitch on a sample. When you finally get a good sample and use the machine on your garment, you have to fiddle with it again after you take the messy stitches out. This machine is so frustrating to use that it takes the joy out of sewing.