Digitizing Embroidery Designs

Dear users and authors,
who among you enjoys embroidering and digitizing embroidery designs, or would like to know how it’s done?

Oh dear, Josefa, that’s a question that’s not so easy to answer. In addition to a computer, you’ll need software that lets you digitize patterns, and there are quite a few options out there, depending on your budget. Personally, I use the Embird program—it’s relatively easy to use and doesn’t cost a fortune like some of the others. Most of what I know and do so far I’ve taught myself, but I’ve also had help from women who’ve been doing this hobby longer than I have. I’m part of a sewing forum, and thankfully there are a lot of women there who really know their stuff. There are also online courses you can sign up for to learn how to digitize embroidery patterns,  One thing is certain: anyone who starts this will realize that you have to invest a lot of time and, above all, have patience. But it’s also fun when you see it coming together, and the results are quite impressive—once the embroidery machine is hard at work, the rest is done; you just wait to see the finished product. After the first test stitch, the tweaking often starts all over again, because that’s when you see whether it’s okay or if you can’t leave it like that because it just looks YUCK. I’ve been working on a fawn for days now—I’ve deleted it countless times and started over from scratch, but I’m still not satisfied with what I see.

Love, Inge

From bottom to top, you’ll see a small selection of how my skills have developed over time. The mountain lion is my sticking point—I’ve been working on it for years and I’m still not satisfied; I know there’s room for improvement. “Thekla” is one of my best pieces from the early stages of my digitizing journey. You can also embroider bath towels really nicely—these were Christmas gifts about 10 years ago. I have kids who are in the Scouts, and a grandson started school back then, etc.

wow

Oh, Inge, I wish you lived in my neighborhood. Then I’d visit you often, bring you cake, and try to learn as much as I can from you.

Yeah, that’s what I think, too. If only I had someone to show me how to do it when I have questions.

These machines aren’t exactly cheap—I’ve already been to the store and gotten some advice—but what if I can’t figure it out?

I think Inge’s designs and work are so beautiful, and I imagine the design process itself would be really exciting, too. 

I switched to Design PE11 this summer; before that, I was using Embroid 5D.
I can embroider most of the designs again, but I can’t edit them anymore (from Embroid 5D)... I have to redigitize a lot of them... Design PE11 is much easier for that (for me) than Embroid.

Inge says it all... try and try again....
Sometimes it’s quick to digitize a design, and with some designs it takes forever and still doesn’t work....
Now I have a contact person at Nähzenter who helps me with problems over the phone. I didn’t have that with the “old program”—back then, it was just “try and try again,” or they’d say they didn’t know either. What a help! . That’s why I switched.

→ Inge: Beautiful pictures 😊

How’s it going?

I’d find that interesting to learn, too—I think I could usually turn ideas into vector drawings. So I’d like to take a closer look at Ink/Stitch.
But you probably need to develop an eye for good embroidery files, and I think that comes almost exclusively with experience.

I run into the same issue when trying to model for 3D printing—there’s a difference between how it looks in the program and what the printer actually produces—and how sturdy the final result is.

So I’m actually quite glad that I’ve only wanted to have something embroidered twice so far. All we’d have to do is find suitable files to buy—or even free ones—and then I could leave the whole thing to my mom and her embroidery machine :-)

How’s your embroidery going?

My embroidery machine is on a break right now—I don’t have anything ready to be embroidered. I’m also not really in the mood to digitize at the moment, but that’s nothing new—I go through phases like this every now and then.

Best regards, Inge

We used to embroider back in school during home economics class. We’d embroider a pouch using different types of stitches.
You guys make such great things 

I’m totally into embroidery right now, stocking up... so that when we get orders, we don’t end up in a “rush” (meaning: in a hurry, short on time, scrambling...) 😋
I still need to digitize two or three designs that are on my list.... I already have a ladybug; the next ones are coming up.... they’re trickier ones—small mountain chapels... 

You’re all so hardworking.