Having only really done my own ITH designs, I wasn't aware of methods used by other digitisers. A friend asked me to help her with a design she had bought. According to the instructions, it was necessary to print a pattern and cut all fabric pieces to size (including clipping curves) before starting the construction. To say I was surprised was an understatement. I thought the huge bonus of ITH was that the measuring had all been done by the designer so the cutting out was done last of all.

I have done items where you make half the bag in the hoop and the rest using a sewing machine which is fine by me. And it helps when the 'design' states such.
My first ITH project nearly destroyed my embroidery machine (at least I thought that was what was happening - it was awful) because the foot became stuck in one of the layers and there were heaps of layers.
That design had a pre-cut applique, a zip and embroidery in it, all applied to the base fabric in various stages, then heaps of layers of lining fabric and batting. The last stitch actually went around the whole bag leaving me a small space to turn it through. Then I had to turn it right side out through the zip.
One very chunky small bag. Vowed that next time I made the bag it would be sewn together on the sewing machine with only the zip, applique and embroidery being done on the embroidery machine.
Shudder!!

FYI, Sarah Vedeler does embroidered appliqué, and her method is to cut first with a cutting machine. She explains why in her webinar (skip to approx 43 min to hear it).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h...

2 comments

by spendlove 23 Jul 2016

Interesting, I did listen to the bit you mention. (What a pity there were no pictures.) My comments were about ITH projects rather than applique so it isn't quite the same. The method described by Sarah is great if you have the cutting machine, the computer skills and the need to use the same design quite a few times, but I personally prefer to tack and trim. The only exception is when I want to create a hand stitched look by using a blanket stitch edge. Then, as Sarah quite rightly says, precut fabric is much better.

by nutshell 23 Jul 2016

No, not the same, but maybe her reasons and the ITH designer's are similar -- with complex shapes, using precut fabric gives a better result. I don't know what the "you should precut first" ITH designs look like, though, so I'm just making a guess. If the shapes in those designs are simple, well...maybe it's a to-may-to, to-mah-to thing.

I just saw a video that used that method and realized it was not for me. Until I have the silhouette I am not cutting out prior to use. I hope. Lol!

I've seen those before - I'm not a fan either.

Thank you for the way you digitise you ith projects. Much less fussing about and as someone else has already said it allows for the possibility that the fabrics may shift slightly whilst embroidering.

Thank you for all the digitisers who do it like you. Love Chris

I think this way you would have a lot of fixups, as sometimes the embroidery distorts the fabric, when I first started with app I used the phisofex the iron on paper, but still had little errors, now I find if you do the loose zz ( cutting round) at about 12mil, and the top one 40mil, it works fine...wendy

For crazy quilt fronts I have sometimes made a template for the pieces - handy when you want to fuzzy cut one or more pieces, otherwise just skip it and cut the pieces as you go. For the construction of the project I prfer the "small opening to sew by hand" method.

Then there are the finish on the sewing machine type designs.
The first I ever stitched were Husqvarna's Pretty Purses in the Hoop some 15 years ago. You had to finish them with a (few) straight seam(s) on a sewing machine. Which is not too bad when you have a separate sewing machine so you don't have to change the foot all the time and can finish one while the next is stitching.
I later designed and added some done this way in YouEmbroidery. You need a really large hoop to be able to make a decent sized purse.

You can choose to design it to stitch it in more than one hooping. That means you can use a smaller hoop and avoid using the sewing machine. Drawback is you can't use a continuous embroidery design over flap, back and front.

And I have designed owls that could be done totally ITH (apart from a small sew-by-hand opening) but then for my own use I changed the final outline so I could add an oval as a bottom piece on the sewing machine to make them stand up. Just depended if I wanted to spend the extra time.

And then there are the ones that have exposed seams which show when you open them :( Not every designer has an eye for the best enginering however lovely their embroidery designs might be.

2 comments

by spendlove 18 Jul 2016

Oh, how I dislike exposed seams!
Thank you for all that detail.

by mops 18 Jul 2016

Here's a link to one of the "finish by sewing machine" purses I digitised. http://www.cuteembroidery.com/858...

I am with you about ITH!!! It is to be so much quicker, & I like it like that!!! I will stick to my way also!!! Hahaha! Hugs, Judy...

When it states ITH, I assume that it IS done that way! Thanks to all the digitizers that do it your way..

I prefer your way and am delighted that you don't intend to change your methods

I'm glad you won't change your methods. I agree that cutting is the last step. Stick to your own way of doing things and keep us all happy

Yes I agree I have never bought a design where I have to cut out pieces as you have described.

I am with you, Sue...I like my in-the-hoop designs to actually be done IN-THE-HOOP....unfortunately, it has been my experience that MANY "so called" ITH designs are not actually done ITH...extremely disappointing when you purchase one that indicates that it is ITH...I have not bought many, but the few that I have have been very disappointing...that is one of the reasons I started designing my own...

Very pleased that you are not changing. All sounds too complicated for words.

I am with you. Don't change your method. I am always surprised as well when I see that and usually bypass that if at all possible.

I am seeing more in the hoop designs that are actually finished on a sewing machine, they sometimes don't say so in the description. I like my ITH designs to be done IN the hoop, I like your method better

1 comment

by spendlove 17 Jul 2016

Interesting - I've looked at a few pictures of "ITH" designs and couldn't see how they could be done totally ITH. You may have proved me right!