Brother Innov-is Laura Ashley Isodore 5000 Review

While visiting friends at Ace Sewing and Vacuum in Pompano Beach, Florida, I came across the Brother Innov-is Laura Ashley Isodore 5000. I understand this is the very first true embroidery machine in the Laura Ashley line.

Brother Innov-is Laura Ashley Isodore 5000

At A Glance

Aside from the pink accent color which always grabs my attention, the first thing I noticed about the Brother Innov-is Laura Ashley Isodore 5000 is the large work space.

Even with the embroidery unit removed, this machine has an extremely large bed. I could easily see how large sewing and quilting jobs can be completed on this machine with little or no difficultly fitting your work in the space between the needle and column.

Touch pad above the needle that controls all the key functions

One of my favorite features on this machine is the placement of the drop feed. Rather than hiding it someplace behind the accessory case or on back of the machine, the drop feed control is right up front where you can get to it easily and quickly.

There is also a large full color LCD touch screen and stylus as well as a touch pad above the needle that controls all the key functions… start/stop; reverse stitch; needle up/down; thread cutting; presser foot up/down; speed control slider and automatic needle threading.

I had to ask about the clear plastic window above the needle, and learned that it was a troubleshooting feature. Apparently, earlier models had a problem with the automatic needle threading mechanism and the window was added to aid in the process.

The see through bobbin cover is a major plus

The see through bobbin cover is a major plus along with the needle plate which has seam guides in both inches and metric measurements.

Features

Basic Features :

• 531 decorative, utility, quilting and embroidery stitch options including:
  • 416 built-in embroidery designs including 50 Laura Ashley European floral designs
  • 44 embroidery designs on CD
  • 17 embroidery lettering fonts
  • 3 sewing lettering fonts
• Sew with embroidery unit attached
• Full color LCD touch screen 3.1″ x 8.3″
• Adjustable screen brightness settings
• Touch panel stitch selection
• Screen saver
• On-screen assistance
• On-screen editing
• Rotate, mirror image, enlarge/reduce, letter spacing, thread density
• 5 Bright on board LED lights
• Automatic Needle Threader
• Automatic Tension adjustment
• Adjustable Bobbin Winding Speed
• Upper and lower Thread Sensors
• Automatic Thread Cutter
• Twin needle selection key
• Quick Set™ Bobbin
• Built-in Memory
• Updatable software
• Mouse Capability by USB
• Media Type Several Media via USB, Embroidery Card (via Card Reader)
• 15 One step buttonholes – 15 One-step
• 1 Four-step buttonhole
• My Custom Stitch™ Feature
• Drop feed
• Side feeding
• Start/stop button
• Speed control slider
• Needle position key (up/down)
• Automatic height adjuster™ aha® feature
• Presser foot pressure adjustment
• Free arm
• Needle up/down

Sewing Features :

• Work Space 4.5″ x 8.2″
• Sew up to 1,000 stitches per minute
• Knee Lift
• Presser Foot Leveling
• Automatic Presser Foot Lifter
• Pivot Function
• Drop Feed

Embroidery Features :

• Maximum embroidery area – 7″ x 12″
• Embroidery speed – 350 to 1000 stitches per minute
• 17 built-in alphanumeric fonts, including Cyrillic
• Built-in frame designs – 10 shapes/12 stitch patterns
• Thread wiper
• Resume function
• Trial position/layout function
• Built-in border function & designs
• Applique creator function
• Curving text on screen editing
• Space reduction on embroidery alphanumeric fonts
• Pattern rotating – 1, 10, or 90 degrees
• Drag and Drop Editing
• My Custom Design™ Feature (On CD)
• Print and Stitch™ Technology
• Compatible with all Brother Embroidery Software
• Software upgrades

Working on the Brother Innov-is Laura Ashley Isodore 5000

I really like the way you get warnings to move your hands ou of the way when you first turn the machine on. There is a warning telling you the embroidery unit is attached and another one to alert you when the unit is about to move.

On board threading guide make the process so easy

A large full color LCD touch screen and stylus

When you shift from embroidery to sewing mode, you get another warning telling you to change the presser foot. Threading the Brother Innov-is Laura Ashley Isodore 5000 and winding the bobbin are quite simple.

The on board threading guide make the process so easy, I daresay a beginner could easily master this task with very little hands on assistance.

Even though there is no on board stitch selection guide, the stitch selection process was fun in a way… that is if you have the time to scroll through all the stitch options in order to choose the one you want.
The first thing you must do is select your stitch category from one of the blue buttons at the lower edge of the touch screen. They is one for utility stitches, two for decorative stitches including buttonholes and one for alphanumeric fonts.

After selecting the stitch category, images of the stitches appear on the screen. The stylus is then used to select the desired stitch.

The quality of the stitches produced by the Brother Innov-is Laura Ashley Isodore 5000 are acceptable, but the straight stitches are not as well defined as I think they should be.

In addition, it is necessary to manipulate the stitch length and width in order to achieve proper density on some of the decorative stitches.

Acceptable stitch quality

The Brother Innov-is Laura Ashley Isodore 5000 is quiet and there is no vibration – a definite advantage, especially if you are going to be working on it for long stretches of time.

Fabrics

• Natural fibers/cotton-linen-wool
• Fine fabrics/silk-satin-taffeta/velvet
• Knits
• Synthetic fabrics/blends-rayon-polyester
• Leather/suede
• Denim
• Fur
• Reptile skin
• Canvas/Twill
• Plastic/Rubber
• Extra thick fabrics or multiple layers

Accessories

• 14 Snap on presser feet
  • Buttonhole foot
  • Embroidery foot
  • Overcasting foot
  • Monogramming foot
  • Zipper foot
  • Zigzag foot
  • Blind stitch foot
  • Button fitting foot
  • Open Toe Walking foot
  • Sidecutter foot
  • Free-motion quilting foot
  • Free-motion open toe quilting foot
  • Free-motion echo quilting foot
  • Straight stitch foot
  • Braiding foot
  • Cording foot
  • Circular attachment
• Multi-media card (MMC)
• XD picture card
• Secure digital (SD) card
• Memory stick
• On board Accessory Storage – when embroidery unit is removed
• Carrying Case Laura Ashley Rolling Bag
• Brother Embroidery System (BES®) Monogramming Suite Software
• Accessory pouch with seam ripper
• 10 Bobbins
• Twin needle
• Ballpoint needle set
• Scissors
• Chalk pen
• Lint brush
• Eyelet punch
• 3 Screwdrivers (1 large/1 medium/1 small)
• 3 Spool caps (1 large/1 medium/1 small)
• Vertical spool pin
• Spool felt
• Spool net
• 4 Embroidery sheets
• Embroidery needle plate cover
• Stylus
• Bobbin case
• Cord guide bobbin cover
• Embroidery bobbin thread
• Stabilizer material
• Embroidery unit carry case
• Hard case
• Bobbin guide set
• USB cable, power cord
• Owner’s manual
• 4 Embroidery Hoops
  • 7″ x 12″
  • 5″ x 7″
  • 4″ x 4″
  • 1″ x 2.5″

Maintenance

Tying Off The Loose Ends

This is not what I would call a ‘perfect’ sewing and embroidery machine, but it definitely has some great features. The warning signals are excellent safety features that should be included on every sewing machine.

I like working with the touch screen and I absolutely love the extra-large work space. The placement of the drop feed is a definite plus in my opinion. It is easy to get to and very easy to use. Just slide the lever left or right and that’s it.

All in all, I think the Brother Innov-is Laura Ashley Isodore 5000 is a good sewing machine. I am concerned with a couple of things, however.

First of all, the material used for the lid seems very fragile to me. It is made of that kind of plastic that feels as though it will crack or break if something bumps it or if it is handled too much.

Next is the clear cover over the needle. Although I was told there was an issue with the automatic needle threader, I did not encounter any problems during this review.

That is not to say that all the bugs have been worked out, but I tend to think that the manufacturer at least made a serious effort to correct the problem.

This is encouraging in that the manufacturer is obviously concerned about making sure users are pleased with their product and want to make sure it works properly.

Using the stitch selection guide is a bit cumbersome, simply because it is easier to just look inside the lid and refer to the stitch guide rather than a separate sheet that could easily get misplaced in a busy sewing room.

I was not in a rush when I did this review, so it was no big deal for me to scroll through the on board stitch menus to find a specific stitch. If, however, I were working at home and didn’t have a lot of time to do this, I can see how this could be a time consuming task that could be avoided if there had been an on board stitch guide.

All of the safety features, coupled with the quiet operation and the number of stitch options outweigh those concerns in a lot of ways. Of course, the real test of any sewing machine comes after it has been in use at home for a while.

Based upon my findings during this review, however, I believe anyone who purchases the Brother Innov-is Laura Ashley Isodore 5000 will be pleased with it.

When I attempted to research it online, I discovered that it is no longer listed on the Brother website, which tells me this is a limited edition machine that is no longer being produced.

That does not mean that you cannot find one if you want to check it out for yourself. All it takes is a visit to your local authorized Brother Innov-is dealer.

The staff will no doubt be very happy to show you the Brother Innov-is Laura Ashley Isodore 5000, give you a hands-on demonstration and answer any questions you may have.