Category Archives: Embroidery

Month 07 – Digitizing & Design

Corel Draw, Digitizing, Embroidery, Hatch, Sarah Vedeler

July felt like a month where we really were demonstrating our cumulative learning. I gave myself grace for July. I started the month – July 1 with an emergency room trip. By Sunday, July 3, I went into surgery for an unexpected/anticipated ‘pacemaker’! I just finished myt 6 week mark.

I decided to focus on ‘Christmas’ for this project because I believe in eternal, love, joy, hope, and peace. My goal is to make this design a medallion center surrounded by 12 blocks reflecting the twelve days of Christmas. Most of my hooping for this project uses my 272mm x 408mm hoop. The only exception is my center design that uses my 200mm x 200mm hoop. I created 3 versions before I got the design placed successfully, including breaking my outer ribbon for July’s design. I ended up with 7 hoopings to stitch out, excluding the quilting.

Below are pictures of my first version, including cutting the applique. For the second version of the design, I tested the stitching without using my applique. For this test I used the ‘knife’ tool to ‘split’ the outer ribbon. It was much closer than my first stitch out but you can still see the ribbon has not fully lined up correctly. As I stitched this one, I revised the design a third time for my final version.

For the third design, to break the ribbon, I created a circle 22.5” in diameter. Next, I used the ‘12’ and ‘3’ clock positions and digitized an open shape, tracing along the curve from “12” to “3”. Next, I zoomed in and ‘reshaped’ the curve to match the 22.5” circle. Then, using the ‘circle layout’ tool, I replicated 3 times. Finally, I zoomed in to make sure the 4 arcs were laying on top of the solid ring. Finally, I was able to delete the initial 22.5” circle and changed the ‘4 arcs’ stitch type from single stitch to ‘single motif’. Below are images of my final design files, the applique cut using my ScanNCut SDX330D, stitchout test1, amd stitchout test2.

Class 6 – Digitizing & Design

Corel Draw, Digitizing, Embroidery, Hatch, Sarah Vedeler

June was challenging for many reasons beyond class. I am happy to have been able to create the assignments. I will need to continue cleaning up and moving my connectors for a more continuous design. I am a longarm quilter and want to be able to create continuous motifs. I have one I created that includes freehand connector lines/swirls. I am hoping to adjust so I end up with one continuous design.

Busy week filled with lots of projects!

Corel Draw, Embroidery, Hatch, Home Updates, Hubby's Quilts, Longarm, Sarah Vedeler

This week was a very productive week! There was a ton of learning, quilt piecing, quilting on the longarm, embroidering, and even a new paint job on the house.

I finished up month 4 of my digitizing master class. Our project required using our Corel Design skills, Hatch embroidery digitizing skills, to creation of our cut files and embroidery design files. We then stitched out what we created. This month we are learning all about color.

My sweetie has been busy piecing his own quilts. When he finishes his quilt tops, he passes them on to me for the longarm. This week I quilted another ’fish’ themed quilt, a ”Christmas Doxie, and also a ’Touchdown Football’ quilt. (I will post pictures later today)

I was able to longarm my ”Little Red Wagon” quilt and finish up with binding. This was also a learning opportunity. For the first time ever, my machine threw the thread off the upper tension spring (of course when I wasn’t here watching) When I discovered it happened, it had completed two rows and sewn a pleat in the back. Yes, I really did pick out all the stitching. Since there was essentially no top tension, the bobbin thread was just laying on the back. This made for quick picking. Fortunately, I was able to place my zones again and am quite happy with the result. Thank goodness it was on my own quilt, I would have been panicked if it was someone else’s project.

My other project is my “Simply Dreaming Quilt” designed by Sarah Vedeler. I started this quilt right after my Mom passed away last year. I was able to work on Month 07, one of the outer borders. It was the perfect month because it is filled with lots of beautiful flowers. Mom and I used to spend a day in May visiting our favorite nursery together. With the one year anniversary of Mom’s passing, along with Mother’s Day, these beautiful bouquets remind me of our time together.

We also had our house painted this week – by a company and not us! This was a definite first – paying someone to paint our house. The last time we rented scaffolding, replaced siding, added cedar shingles, and painted. The crew that did the house pressure washed one day and spent two really long days painting. Love our new colors – navy, cream, and light gray!

Month 04 Stitch out…..

Corel Draw, Embroidery, Hatch

Taking a design from a graphic application, to embroidery digitizing software, and finally to stitch out is a lot of learning! Each time you move from one process to the next, you find areas for improvement. As I stitched my file, I discovered areas to improve my design. Places where there was duplicate stitching, not right type of satin underlay stitches, and missing candle-wicking stamps. As I stitched, I identified the opportunity for improvements to my design. I was able to revise my digitizing then send it back to my machine. I didn’t need to rehoop. I just loaded the new design on the machine, loaded my hoop with the stitching, then moved the revised design to where I was in the stitch out. My design isn’t perfect – all learning is like peeling an onion – you improve one layer, then are able to see what can be fixed next. Before I stitch this design agains, I would like to adjust my placement for the fills on the petals with stars.

Sampler Quilt….

Embroidery, Quilts

In between home improvement projects, I started a new quilt too. The pattern is a ‘Sampler Quilt’ from AccuQuilt. I am enjoying putting together the different types of blocks. Because there is also applique on this quilt, it is letting me practice digitizing and creating placement too.

For this quilt, I chose to keep the stitches simple, rather than ornate with decorative stitches. I am loving the simplicity and the bright colors. I chose to use all 6 of the colors of the rainbow. For each color I chose 4 prints from light to dark. For the background I chose to use white on white designs.

I have a log cabin block with appliqué and 2 rows of 2.5” squares before I begin to assemble the full quilt top.

Finished up “I Love Sewing”

Embroidery, Longarm, Quilts

Saturday I added all the decorations to the quilt top. Next I loaded the quilt on the longarm. The goal of this quilt was to teach me several skills, from digitizing to free arm quilting. On the longarm I practiced stitching in the ditch for the vertical and horizontal lines. Around the applique, I practiced tracing around the designs. Today I added the binding. While it isn’t perfect, I love reflecting on what I learned and skills I am practicing.

Learning to Digitize sew out…

Embroidery, Quilts

Started sewing out ” I love to Sew” quilting project. This project is all about learning to digitize both cutting files and embroidery/applique. To read more, visit this earlier blog post https://meditativesewing.com/2021/02/10/having-fun-learning-to-digitize/

I started by piecing the background quilt. Next I began slowly adding the appliques. I learned how to create shapes, add running stiches, tack down stitches, motifs, and even fills. It also taught me how to use PE-11, my Luminaire, and scan-n-cut interactively. Every block has flaws, yet I progressed and improved which each subsequent design.

Since I chose not to do raw applique – tack and trim, I ended up with about a 3mm space between my applique fabric and the stitches. I learned it is better to send the PE tack-down stitch to my scan-n-cut without clearance. The way I adjusted on this project was by changing the tack-down stitch to 6mm. For my motif stitches I also made them at least 6mm. I also learned for a stem stitch, the maximum allowed is 3mm.

A perfectionist, there is a time I would have thrown a project away with the first flaw. The fact that I continued and adapted is personal progress!! Here is a peak at the top with the applique finished. Tomorrow I will add all the decorative pieces – buttons, ribbons, etc.