Looking back at designs that I bought to do that are still filed in the to do next, now seem so old hat. I no longer buy designs that have a stitched outline as they never seem to, not have that gap between the embroidery and that last stich line. Also once most in the hoop designs had a satin stich edge where you joined all the project pieces, now I avoid them as well, preferring the binding edge. cheers Heather

The earlier designs by Brother that came on cards all had black outlines and just two stitch directions, 45 or 135 degrees. They looked as if they came straight out of a colouring book. Especially when the outlines were satin stitch. But that was in the early 90s. Things have changed since, although some digitisers still seem to use that same digitising strategy.
I am not keen on outlines either, use them sparingly (but never in black) and I love the effect the light has on varying stitch directions - it brings colours to life and makes it look as if a great number of shades were used.


As i answered to your other post - start making your own designs, you'll be able to follow your own likes and avoid your dislikes.

1 comment

by toet 09 Oct 2013

As I answered if I need a new car do I buy the one most suitable for my needs or do I build one from the ground up. And if we all digitised our own there will no longer be web sites to sell designs.

I have stopped buying designs with outlines, I prefer them with out, they are more natural...they are definitely old hat to me also....

1 comment

by toet 08 Oct 2013

Thankyou Lets face it, we need to look at projects and designs and bring them into 2013.

I find that to be true with some designs, but most that I have purchased have been fine. I do not use any free designs with an outline stitch. I do not trust them to be well digitized.

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by toet 08 Oct 2013

Thankyou I am with you with the freebees. I try not use freebees, I have files of them from when I first started embroidery, have been slowly deleting the ones that I think will never be used, thinking on the lines of less is best rather than wast my day going thought old files.

Don't give up! It sounds like your fabric is moving in the hoop. Try placing light weight rubber shelf lining on your hoops. The tutorial can be found at Criswell. Also, be sure you are using the correct stabilizer.

Another solution (if your machine has the capability to skip through color stops) is to turn off the machine at the end of each color. When the machine is turned back on, the design will be automatically recentered, then skip to the next color. By doing this, each color stop begins from the original center rather than the last color stop which may have been distorted by shifting or stretching.

3 comments

by toet 08 Oct 2013

Thankyou, but you have missed my point. The outlined designs are so old style and lazy, the digitizing was not always the best, and why would you make a mug mat with an ugly satin stich around it if you can get a design with a nice fabric edge finish? cheers Heather

by sewist1 08 Oct 2013

Don't forget a lot of the older outlined designs were digitized in old software and that was all it was capable of then. With the software which is available now I can't understand why we are still seeing designs with outlines. Probably a lot of them are autodigitized.

by wendymay60 09 Oct 2013

To each his own

Posted 09,10