Digitizing Hearts for Valentine Sewing

One of the first really great font digitizers that I found when I started embroidering was Stitchtopia! A few months ago, I bought a font that is perfect for Valentine's Day from Stitchtopia, called Hope. This is a font with alternate letters and some of those letters have hearts!  (There is a Hope 1 and a Hope 2 so there are lots of choices of letters with swirls and  hearts, as well as simple letters to place between fancy ones).   I wanted to practice some things I had figured out after re-watching Embrilliance Stitch Artist videos and this font gave me some ideas.  I decided to fill in the hearts with color!

I also wanted to add some tiny hearts to make a bit of a composition for a cosmetic-style bag for which I just found a great video tutorial!  The bag features an easy zipper installation and a flat bottom.  Put together, I ended up with a little Valentine bag for my sweet daughter, which will be the "wrapping" for her Valentine gift she will get next month.

For this project, I used my embroidery machine, my sewing machine, Embrilliance Essentials and Embrilliance Stitch Artist (embroidery software), in addition to the Stitchopia Hope 1 font..

Step 1:  I wanted a background heart that would guide my composition.  It won't show in the finished design but it will give a placement guide to fit the other shapes in.  I clicked the Merge Design button to open the Shape Library to find a heart.

I selected this one.

The heart appears like this on the virtual hoop.  I sized it to fit the hoop.

Step 2:  I added my font.  I clicked the "Create Letters" button to access the BX fonts that I have loaded to my Embrilliance software.  I type these in using my keyboard all at once (that is the benefit of using Essentials and bx fonts!!)  

I decided that all the letters I needed were in Hope 1.  I selected the alternate lower case "p" and the alternate lower case "r".  Stitchtopia files that contain alternate letters always include a key to instruct as to which characters are mapped to the alternates and a guidesheet.  This makes it easy to pick my letters.

In the case of the letters I chose using the key, Pi@e$ was simply typed in the Properties text box to get this combination that used these two hearts.  I used the spacing sliders to connect the letters so that they appear as connected script.

With the text selected, I clicked the "Center Designs in Hoop" and "Fit to Hoop" buttons to size and place the text.  

Step 3:  I created a fill behind the text hearts.   I did this by selecting the Create button to access the Stitch Artist tools.  I used the "Draw With Points" button to outline the heart on the inside edge of the heart.  I close the shape by selecting "Open/Close 

The first time I tried this, I placed the points just inside the satin stitching of the letter....thinking that I would avoid too much overlap... forgetting that most hidden stitches are removed by the program.

But after my test stitch out, you can see that it was a mistake to do that.  There is a gap between the fill stitch and the satin stitch of the font. 

The rendering on the screen and on paper are not ever exactly like it is on fabric and I knew that but I wasn't really using that knowledge!  So I went back and pulled those points out to move them to the other side of the satin stitching, making the heart bigger and hopefully filling the gap!

I wanted to avoid those gaps I got on my test stitch out!!  I made the same adjustment on the bottom heart.

And I also did one other thing... I adjusted the density of the font that I had added previously.  I hated to do that because I adore the way that Stitchtopia fonts stitch out all by themselves, but I wanted to make sure that those gaps were gone and if the fill stitched under the font, I wanted to be sure it wouldn't show!  I need to do some kind of experiments on this, but today I just picked this out of the air and went with 9%.  I was able to do this by selecting my font in the objects pane and then selecting 'stitch' in the properties pane and moving the slider from 0% to 9%.  Again, was was just a guess based on absolutely nothing.    (Adjusting the density is another feature of Embrilliance Essentials!)

I am not even sure that this was absolutely necessary, but I share this with you in the case that it is helpful.  I really loved the result of the more dense letters with the filled hearts.  

I will show you more about the differences in my test stitch outs in step 7.  

Step 4:  I added small hearts I digitized.  I used the same heart from the library that I used at the start of the process, but sized them down to be accents.  I just copied and pasted and used the large outline to guide the placement.  I highlighted each one at a time and added fill by selecting the fill button.

Step 5:  Change stitch order and reduce jumps.  I moved the hearts around a bit on the objects pane (by selecting each and right clicking and selecting the "move earlier" direction) so that they would stitch in order around the composition and not in the haphazard order I placed them on the virtual hoop!  Then, I changed the stop and start points on all the hearts to reduce jumps as much as possible. Although I knew I would still have jumps, I did not want them to go through the font since the hearts would stitch first and if I waited to trim the jumps, I didn't want them trapped under the stitches of the font. To do this, I just moved the red and green bowties (the stops and starts).  

Step 6:  Remove the background.  Since I no longer needed the large heart outline now that my design has been placed, I selected it on the object pane and clicked delete.

Step 7:  Test stitch out.  I have already partially shared this above but this is the difference between my first test and my second (after I made my changes with the points and the font density).

The first test stitch out showed me my giant mistake of the gap between the fill and the font, but it also showed me that I didn't like the black-on-white so I switched to a white-on-black.  I also made teeny changes to the tiny hearts.  Because they were elongated a bit, they looked like they had an extra stitch at the bottom to me, so I made them squattier.  

Step 8:  Sew up the pouch.  I used a video tutorial from the Missouri Star Quilt Company to sew this super, super easy project.  This is not an in-the-hoop pouch, but rather a pouch sewn on a sewing machine.  The tutorial tells you everything to do, including how to sew in a zipper and how to square the bottom so that the pouch is self-standing.  It is completely customizable in size and you can add any fabrics and even trims!  I added my embroidery to the black fabric before it was sewn on the others so that the wrong side of the stitching is hidden inside.

I trimmed down my fused, pieced front and back bag pieces to 10-1/4" across by 8" down.  I started with a base piece that was roughly 25" by 9".  I only mention that because you can really make these any size so I was just trying to accommodate my embroidery while making a bag large enough to put small gifts inside!

I added the zipper and sewed it according to the tutorial.

This is unconstructed in that it is not truly lined as the face pieces are sewn onto the back of the batting-fused lining, but the inside is still fun.  Unlike her tutorial, I did serge all my inside seams. This bag took just minutes to make-- so incredibly fast and easy!

It finished at 9-1/4" across.

Step 9:  Zipper Pull Charms:  I beaded rocailles and glass beads on headpins and added charms with split rings.

I used half of a circle-and-bar closure and joined that to the zipper's pull with a split ring.  These were just things from my stash.  When my daughter was tiny I used to make her jewelry with clay beads I bought.  She had necklaces for every color of outfit and for every occasion so it was fun to pull those out again.

This is the finished pouch...ready to be filled with fun Valentine gifts!

List of links used in this post (none of these are affiliate links; they are all direct links):

• Stitchtopia Hope 1 font in 1", 2", 3" size:  click here.  When you select which file format you would like when purchasing, you will also get the BX file format at no additional cost included with the download!  
• Embrilliance Essentials:  click here.
• Embrilliance Stitch Artist:  click here.
• Video tutorial for the pouch sewn on the sewing machine:  click here.

Thank you for looking at my post!  I have tons of projects in my Gallery that include papercraft, sewing, and baking including these VALENTINE projects:  

• Valentines featuring Rainbow Loom bracelets
• Photo Valentines, Dressed up Candy Boxes, Religious Valentines, and Sewing a Valentine Doll Dress and Shoes!
• Valentine Doll Pinafore to Sew Plus Accessories
• Hershey's Valentines
• Dolly and Me style Valentine Cards, Printable Vinyl Doll T-shirt, and Upcycled Doll Clothes
• Valentine Gift Packaging, Fudgy Brownies, and Alfajores (caramel cookies)

For more info on machine embroidery, check out my Embroidery page by clicking the tab at the top of the blog or by clicking here.

Digitizing a Custom Snap Tab Key Fob with Stitch Artist

I received Embrilliance Stitch Artist earlier this month and have been learning some of the many features by watching videos. The first project that I have figured out myself and have shared on the embroidery Facebook groups is a custom snap tab design.  After posting it, I was asked by stitchers on two groups how I did certain parts so I am sharing all my notes here.  This photo tutorial explains how I use True Type Fonts with bean stitching to create snap-tab-style key fobs and tags.  Near the end, I also share my notes on doing this with a purchased font.   I highly recommend watching the BriTonLeap (official Embrilliance YouTube) videos on the Stitch Artist playlist before doing this. They are very helpful for explaining so many of the basic controls and features.

I will preface this whole tutorial by saying that I am really, really new to Stitch Artist and these are just my notes on what I have figured out.  There are most probably better ways to achieve this, but as a newbie, this is what I have to share.  I highly suggest being familiar with your embroidery machine and having had the experience of stitching out professionally-designed snap tabs before doing your own because it helps to know what the normal, standard snap tab design is all about.  Free ones are available on Facebook pages for Buggalena and Bean Stitchers.  I have links to my materials and any sites I reference at the bottom of this post.

I start by opening Stitch Artist in Embrilliance.

I originally drew a tab shape with points after measuring my hardware so that I had a shape that was 2" by 5/8", but I soon realized that the easiest way to duplicate this project with a set "tab" top was by saving an image that I could trace each time.  I took a screen shot and saved it.   (If you don't know how to do a screenshot, you can learn how to do that on a PC by clicking here to access a post I did that includes that info.)

With this saved, I can then select the image button to bring the picture to the virtual mat and have my own standard size that fits my hardware every time.    

I find my image that I have saved and click open.  This will just give me something to trace easily.

The captured image appears on the virtual mat.

I size it by grabbing the lower right sizing handle and I drag it diagonally until it is 2" tall. That handle will enlarge both the height and width proportionately.  This will make a tab that is 2" x 5/8".  (After it is stitched and trimmed, it will be 3/4" which is the size of the inside dimension of my 1" swivel clips that I will be snapping these around.  The tab can be sized to anything.  For instance, I will be making them larger for luggage tags in the future!)

Next,  I add text.  I click the Add True Type Art button.  This allows me to choose any font on my computer to make a name.  (There are other ways to add lettering but this is how I did it for this example).  I can always add new system fonts by going to sites like Dafont and installing them.  (If you need info on how to do that, you can click here for instruction from a post I did related to paper crafting.)

The TrueType Art box opens.  I type in a name and select a font.  I hit OK...

And the name appears on the screen as an outline.  I size using the handles and rotate.  (The blue dot allows for rotation).  I move the name to the right location using the picture of the tab as a reference. 

I fill the TrueType artwork using the Satin Column button.  

The letters are filled automatically but I can still adjust the satin column stitching and the outline as I want.  In this case, I did not.

The dotted red lines show me the jump stitches that will happen upon stitch-out.  I click on the first letter to see the red and green bowtie icons.  The green bowtie will be where the machine will start stitching this letter.  The red bowtie is where the stitching will end.  I move the bowties so that the end of one letter's stitch-out is very near where the next letter's stitch-out will begin.  

I have moved the green bowtie to where I want the stitching to start for the name.  The red is where that letter will stop stitching.

I can see that I will want to move the start of the letter 'a' near the end of the letter 'C' to shorten that jump stitch.

I can see that the line (now black) between the 'C' and the 'a' is short.  I can see that the 'r' needs to have its start and stop changed too.

I continue this for each letter all the way to the end of the name.

After I change all the letters' stop and start points the way that I want them, I work on the outline of the name and tab.  I click on the Draw With Points button.

I begin to trace my drawing of the tab.  I start at the botton and use the control key as needed to make straight lines or curved lines.  Whenever I make an error, I use my keyboard's backspace button to remove the last point or points.  Once the tab is drawn with points, I start outlining the letters of the name, leaving a little space.

Once I travel all around the name and am close to the point where I started....

I click the Close-Open Outline button.

And now my name and tab are outlined by a closed shape.

I no longer need that picture of the tab so I look over at the Objects window to the right...

And click on the word 'Design'.  This only selects the picture, not the outline I just drew.

I click the delete button on my keyboard and the design picture is removed.  I am left with just the stitching of the letters and the drawn outline.

I can click on the outline if I see something that needs an adjustment and move the line by moving the points.

Next, I change my drawn outline to a stiched line by clicking the Run button.

Ta-da!

I click the Run tab on the Properties box to get options for my run.  Next to the top Type, I select:  Bean.  For length, I chose: 3.2mm.  For the second Type field, I choose "3-passes." 

At this point, I have letters that will stitch and an outline, but I want to make a fabric placement line. I do that by adding a basting box.  I click Utility then "Baste Design" (NOT Baste Hoop).  

Embrilliance automatically makes this the first stitched out element.  It is only temporary, meant to use to hold the fabric in place.  

Next, I think about that bean stitch and where I want to start and stop the stitching.  I don't like it when the stitching starts and stops on the tab.  Somehow it tends to "show" to me.  I like it near the bottom.  Since the lettering will also end near the bottom, it makes sense to use it for a starting place.

This is where I have moved the start and stop bowties.

I look at a virtual stitch-out to check my work.

I am happy with this. Note: this design is in two colors even though I will be stitching in only one color because I want the stitching to stop so I can place a piece of vinyl under my hoop before the bean stitch is done.

I save and print it.  (I like a print out to use at the embroidery machine.) I move the file to my machine and stitch out the basting box and lettering.  (I hoop black tear-away and plan to float the vinyl I am using for the top of my snap tabs.  I am using black vinyl for my finished back).  

I only have planned for one basting box in my file.  I know where my fabric will be placed on the hoop based on the print out but I can stitch the basting box to use as a fabric placement on the stabilizer and then stitch it again to hold the fabric in place by manually doing that on my machine if I want to.  I allow the lettering to stitch out.  I remove the hoop from the machine....

I use a textile spray and tape to put a second piece of vinyl on the back of the hoop to cover the back of the stitches.

I place the hoop back in the machine and allow the bean stitch to stitch out.  Once complete, I remove the basting box.  This is the front.

This is the back.

I trim around the bean stitch and add a Kam snap and hardware.

For info on how to apply a Kam snap, click here.

I wanted to try a snap tab with a purchased font too.  I have tons of those and choose Stitchtopia Mayah.  Again, I bring in the image of the tab top.  Then I click the Create Letters and type in the name.  Stitchtopia has .bx files for all of the fonts they sell so it is very easy to make this name.  I adjusted the letters so that they were touching like script.  

The kids in our family call my mom Gaga.  

I follow the steps above to create an outline, remove the image, and add a design basting box.  I made the length of the bean stitch on this as 4mm, just to experiment.

My stitch-out made me think of the options for using this technique for making custom luggage tags. 

To explain this outlining bean stitch, this was also a 3-pass bean stitch, but I stitched it before adding my vinyl backing so I re-stitched it after the backing was placed.  

I hope these notes are helpful to you!

Links to products and information shared on this post:

• Embrilliance Stitch Artist:  click here.
• BriTonLeap (Embrilliance official Youtube channel) Stitch Artist video playlist:  click here.
• Dafont site for free fonts to add to your computer:  click here.
• Marine and glitter vinyl, metal swivel lobster claw clasps, and Kam Snap source (MikriWorld):  click here.
• Kam Snap installation video:  click here.
• Black tear away and black pre-wound bobbins (World Weidner):  click here.
• Stitchtopia Mayah font:  click here.
• Buggalena closed Facebook page for free designs in their files:  click here.  Buggalena also has a website with great designs to purchase:  click here.
• Bean Stitchers closed Facebook page for free designs in their files:  click here.  The Bean Stitch also has a website with great designs to purchase:  click here.

Name snap tab that I created with Stitch Artist and a ballet snap tab from a file I purchased from The Bean Stitch.

Thank you for checking my blog post today.  For all of my notes on machine embroidery and Embrilliance, links to my resources, and photo links to my previous embroidery-related projects, check out my Embrilliance and Embroidery page at the tab at the top of the blog or click here.  For my paper projects, check out my Paper Project Gallery or click here.