Important lesson learned---If you want to RESIZE a design----WAIT-----------I have heard/read from "PROFESSIONALS" that you should NOT/NEVER resize a design smaller more than 20%. I resized a design from 5x7 to 3x3. WRONGGGGGGGGGGGGG----I thought it would make a cute tree ornament----NOTTTTT----It stitched about 25 stitches and BIRDS NEST----so I unhooped--put in new fabric and backing---start the machine and 25 stitches and same thing---BIRDS NEST----so today I downloaded the original design and decided to try it with the same fabric and backing but in the original size---BEAUTIFUL---sometimes it works and sometimes it does not----so what a way to spend a snowy (we did NOT get the blizzard----YEAH) day in TheCOMMONWEALTH---God bless Y'all!!!!!

When I resize one of my own designs I always do it to the design file and never the embroidery file. The reason is given by meganne further down. But even then it is not as straight forward as you think. There usually is a reason why a digitiser decides on a certain size. Enlarging a design not only enlarges the overall design, it also enlarges the tiny errors and irregularities. But that does not mean that you'd better digitise as large as possible and then downsize - small details become mini-objects consisting of too many stitches in a the same spot. Satin stitch columns become too narrow to stitch out nicely. Actually, it is surprising that you can resize at all with good results when it is more than ten to twenty percent.

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by osueo 28 Jan 2015

I tried once on an OLD BrotherSE270D to downsize a design using PEDbasic. I went through all the steps of putting on the card and then in the machine and back and forth----I DID resize the design----BUT I also ended up with a design of a shoe that punched holes in the item and teeny tiny stitches that were just jammed together. I NEVER did that again. With all the encouragement and suggestions from Cuties, I learn so much about what to do and what NOT to do. I do appreciate and thank you for all of your hard work keeping this site so helpful and friendly to all levels of experience of embroidering and sewing. God bless you.

At first, I was afraid to resize designs. As I got more experienced and got to know my software better, I'm more confident about doing it. With some digitizers, I never have any problem. With others, resizing is a problem. After a while, you get to know whose designs will resize well Always good to do a test stitchout.

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by osueo 28 Jan 2015

Thanks so much. Good ideas. I just hate to waste time and items with test stitchouts, BUT after my recent experience, I see your reason for doing it. I will continue to read comments and suggestions and encouragements from Cuties and appreciate EACH AND EVERY ONE. God bless you.

Never tried to change the size of a design - too scared!!! Thank you all for your input

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by osueo 28 Jan 2015

I am normally very hesitant to change sizes----But I thought I would be SMART----NOTTTTTTTTTTTT----didn't work---just birds nested---GRRRRR----Thank you and God bless you.

been there.. done that too....

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by osueo 28 Jan 2015

So you know and feel the frustration----Thank you and God bless you.

Thank you sooooo much for putting this up, I too have done this, and didn't know what I had done wrong, I am only new to machine embroidery, and that knotted mess (Birds nest ) was appearing a lot on my pieces and they would end up in the dust bin, NOW I KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING, !!!! I have now slapped my wrists and have learned a great lesson, thanks heaps, this site is so great.

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by osueo 28 Jan 2015

I agree---this is a great site---one tool I found is called a BirdsNest Tool---it is available for about $30-35----Amazon, NancysNotions,All Brands---various places----it really helps---it has a long hook that you put between the bottom layer and the machine---usually you can get it in there---MOST OF THE TIME BUT NOT ALWAYS----then it has a long blade (to me it looks like a doctor's scalpal) that you slide under and slice through the nest---then you get to take the bobbin and assembly apart and clean out the mess of threads---It was one of my smarter purchases---doesn't always work but most of the time it does----you DO get addicted to embroidery----glad you are now with us---God bless you.

You never know until you try, then you don't have to make that mistake twice.. Marian

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by osueo 28 Jan 2015

RIGHT--I thought I would try it again---well it birds nested in the EXACT SAME PLACE----so I again downloaded the ORIGINAL design---stitched it out in the normal size done by the ORIGINAL digitizer---and it stitched out BEAUTIFULLY---Thank you and God bless you.

Dragonflyer is quite correct about the way a design is digitised being an important factor to successful resizing.

When a design is digitised, usually in a DIGITISING module of a program, it is usually created in segments which are very close together, often overlapping. (Yeah we all know that!)

But a digitiser will, more likely than not, use different fill stitches, different techniques, different underlay stitches, different pull compensation, different stitch angles and even different densities for each segment and this is all done in a DIGITISING format, which is not the same as an embroidery MACHINE format, ie: hus, pes, jef, etc.

In most cases, the digitised design then has to be converted from the program's DIGITISING format to one (or all) of the different embroidery MACHINE formats.

So is it any wonder that resizing the finished design, in an EDITING module of a program, is such a hit or miss exercise.

Hey but don't get me wrong, even I will attempt a resize before I resort to de-constructing a design and re-digitising it to get a smaller or larger size. (for my own use of course and only if the size I want is definitely not available to buy. (before someone jumps down my throat)

Hope some of this chatter is informative.
hugs n roses, Meganne (Melide Menschen Designs)

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by osueo 28 Jan 2015

WOW---It is AMAZING how much there is to create the designs we get----You definitely have a lot of knowledge and experience----I usually will buy a design in both 4x4 and 5x7 because I do not want to chance ruining it with my attempts to make it a bit larger or smaller----I am definitely NOT a digitizer---Thank you for all of your knowledge you share with us CUTIES. God bless you.

If you hadn't tried, you wouldn't learn. So good for you to try it to see if it worked. Yes, you need to be careful about the density when you decrease the size. Be sure to know how to use your software when increasing and decreasing to be sure the density is OK when changing the size of any design..

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by osueo 27 Jan 2015

Thanks. I think I need to pay CLOSER attention to the software-----I think it is so important to try a trial before putting it on the final item, but sometimes it just seems that I think it will work OK and go ahead and put it on the item. Then it is OOOOOOPPPPPPPPSSSSSSSSSS----should have tried it first on something that didn't matter. Live and learn. Thanks for your wise words. God bless you.

When I decrease a design my software lowers the stitch count proportionately. If I increase it adds stitches proportionately. I think it depends on which software is used as some do not adjust stitch count.

SQ

2 comments

by graceandham 27 Jan 2015

And if you adjust size in your machine (10%) it probably does not add or remove any stitches.

by osueo 27 Jan 2015

Interesting----thank you so much---all such really great ideas...God bless you.

I have to say that from my experiences I agree with dragonflyer

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by osueo 27 Jan 2015

You are ALL so great and experienced and such smart ideas and people. God bless you.

Well....no more than 20% is what "some" say for resizing...and it depends upon how the design was digitized to begin with...and it also depends upon your having the ability to adjust the density of the design when reducing the size...lots of factors come into play here...the 20% rule is a guideline...but I have reduced some designs by more than 20% with great success...

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by osueo 27 Jan 2015

I really had not thought much about the original digitizing---since I have not had much practice doing digitizing myself---I can now see what you are saying---thank you so much for that information---God bless you.

Lesson learned and passed on. THANKS

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by osueo 27 Jan 2015

You are so great.
I agree about the lesson learned.
I love this site.
CUTIES are the BEST.
God bless you.

Lesson well learned!!!!!. It pays to listen to the more seasoned embroiderers. LOL. Hugs Marg

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by osueo 27 Jan 2015

And CUTIES are so great to help those of us who are not experienced. If I need to know something I put the question on Cute and I ALWAYS get ANSWERS. Thank you so much Marg. God bless you.

Lesson learned! Love Chris

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by osueo 27 Jan 2015

Thanks Chris. I agree. Lesson learned. I KEEP on learning here at Cuties. And I REALLY learn if I have done something that needs help. God bless you.