Embroidery Digitizing Issues
When I began digitizing embroidery designs, I used an autodigitizing software by vsm. I am not artistic and could not draw to save my life. So I enjoyed the process of creating something I could stitch on my embroidery machine. But I found I was constantly tweaking the design features: changing the fill pattern, or angle, or stitchk order, so I did not enjoy the autodigitizing process. One of my challenging endeavors was to manually design redwork double run with no jumps.
Then I started seeing ads for Bernina quilting machines with the BSR. (Bernina Stitch Regulator). This feature enabled one to do free-motion quilting with the feed dogs down, laying down consistently spaced stitches. I went to the local Bernina store to check it out. While she was demonstrating the machine, the store manager mentioned the Bernina software and we began discussing creating designs. I told her of my frustrations doing redwork as double run with no jump stitches. So she showed me on the Bernina software how to outline the design features, being sure that all lines were touching other lines, then click on the “blackwork run” button. You then completed the design in about 60 seconds. OMG!
I have used and loved Bernina ever since. The software is expensive, and I have gone through 3 updates. I have also purchased expensive software which I just deleted from my computer because it does not measure up to Bernina.
One important difference between Bernina and most other embroidery softwares is that Bernina is an object based software. If you edit a design, changing size or shape, it is the whole object you change. The density remains the same, so the stitch count either increases or decreases. If you desire to change the density, you do that by altering the stitch length or spacing. So, there is no limitation to changing the size of the design, the density remains constant. Another object-based software is Hatch, also by Wilcom.
Please understand: I produce my various design sizes in my Bernina software. If you purchase a design and want to alter the size, the results may be disappointing if the stitch count does not change. Other softwares I have used which are not object based, are technically “stitch based”. When you attempt to edit a portion of the design, what you see is slices of stitches in sections. I am never satisfied with editing designs in stitch-based software.
Realize if you are going to alter a design you have purchased, the results may be VERY disappointing. You should always save the original design to be able to go back to it. For this reason, I supply designs in several sizes to prevent a buyer that frustration. For intricate designs for quilt blocks, the block sizes matters, depending on if you are making a crib quilt or a quilt for a king-sized bed.
Therefore, I do not recommend altering my designs, and I cannot guarantee stitch integrity will be maintained if you do so.
