Creating a Cutwork File

The next step in this tutorial is to create the cutwork file for the bird appliqué. Once you have your final design, it is quite easy to change it to a cutwork file.

The first step is to drag the bird body and bird wing off the hoop.  Follow the directions in the picture to change the shapes to a cutwork file.

I then copy and paste the shapes into a NEW file.  I usually change the Cutting Offset to 0.3mm to make it larger so the blanket stitch covers all of the fabric pieces.

The file will come in grouped and so the first step is to ungroup them.

Using the rectangle shape, I draw a rectangle around each shape and resize it to a basic shape such as 3" x 3".   This rectangle is the size of the cut fabric and you will place your cut fabric in this square.

I always center the designs within each rectangle using the alignment tools. Then I change the line to a Running stitch with a length of 3.0.

I then make a duplicate of the rectangle and reduce the size by a 1/4" or 2.75" x 2.75".  I change the color to red and a running stitch of 3.0 as well.

I combine the blue running stitch rectangle and place them first in the design.  I combine the red rectangles and place them second so they will sew out after I have placed my fabric in the hoop. Then the red stitching will baste the fabric to the hoop.

To combine designs > Select both trays in the sequence manager>Right click on the designs in the hoop>Combine.

The last step is to select the bird body and the wing shape and Combine them. This step will then cut out the #1 blade position in both shapes, the #2 etc.

Notice the trays in the Sequence Manager.  Your designs should look like mine!

I always add these steps to all of my cutwork designs.

Cut the bird fabric - 3" x 3" and the wing fabric 2" x 2".  

Hoop the Medium/Heavy Tear Away stabilizer and stitch out the blue fabric frames.  Cut the fabric pieces following the measurements above. Back with AppliKay Wonder or your favorite stabilizer.  Spray the stabilizer and place the fabric pieces in their respective frames.

Stitch the red frame shapes- this is the basting box. Stitch the running stitch around each shape.

Change to the Cutting Tool.  Be sure to use the Cutwork plate, foot #44C and start with blade turn #1.  Cut away!

If this is your first Cutwork design from start to finish, CONGRATULATIONS!

You may download my Colorful Bird file DRAW here.

Coming next....How to convert this cutwork file to a Silhouette Cameo Studio file.

Gingerbread Man- He's just a cut up!

Yep - today's lesson is "cut him up!"

After you open up the software, select New and select your Gingerbread Man Paint from your most recent designs.  Change the hoop to your largest hoop with foot #44C.

Click on each section (except the eyes and mouth) and convert the outline to Cutwork and delete the fill.  For all of the sections, I checked  Running Before for 1.0 mm and an Offset of .3mm.

I drew a rectangle around each shape so I could place my pieces on the hoop.

Be sure to convert the outline to a Running Stitch or it will paint the rectangle. Drag the top tray to the bottom so the rectangles will stitch out first.

Here are my cut out shapes. ( I did not save the original design and this year, I did not line them up neatly.)

He is a big guy, so if you want him make him smaller, I would resize the Gingerbread Paint design first.

Here is the cut file if you want to give it a try and do not have time this week to 'play'!

I thought I would also add the link here to my SweetAline designs blog to see the original post from last year.

TBT Thursday

Welcome to TBT Thursday!  This post is designed to 'bring back' a few of the lessons that I posted before I had my blog fiasco!

Since snowflakes seem to be the 'theme' this week, I found another excellent quick project on www.noodle-head.com  The snowflake is a felt cut out with a raw edge appliqué stitch.

In her tutorial, she attaches a Snowflake template jpg file of the snowflake for you to download.  This design did not trace very neatly so I went back to my colorful snowflakes and selected snowflake 4.

After tracing the design you will have to trim out the center before you delete the white background or it will fill in it as solid.

Create a cutwork and appliqué snowflake following the video from yesterday's lesson here.

Here is the example of the Cutwork snowflake 4.  Remember to select your largest hoop with foot #44C.

I then created a 'raw edge appliqué file' by first duplicating the cutwork design and then I changed it to a different color and selected a running stitch. That stitch out is going to be your placement stitch.  Be sure to change your hoop to #26.

I then added a second running stitch and changed the color and set the offset to the inside of -1.0.

Move the placement stitch tile to the first position (drag the frame to the bottom) so you can place your snowflake cut-out in the correct position.

Now I have never cut out felt with my cutwork tool so I haven't any suggestions. Perhaps someone who has can comment below.   This idea right now is in theory only, anyone want to give it a try?

Welcome to Rewind Wednesday!

Welcome to Rewind Wednesday!  Is anyone else feeling the time crunch of the approaching holidays?  I sure do!

For today's lesson I created a quick video in which I feature how to make a cutwork, appliqué and Silhouette Studio file using Snowflake 5.  It is from the Colorful Snowflakes collection featured in yesterday's post.

I am sharing the Snowflake 5 jpg file here.  If you haven't signed up for the daily emails from www.dailyarthub.com, make sure you stop by often to check out their free daily design!

  

                

A few added notes from the video!

*For your fabric selection, choose Cotton 2 - mine is set for linen.

*Choose your hoop size and #44C when you are creating the Cutwork file.

*Choose your hoop size and #26 when you are creating your Appliqué file.



Here is a link for a quick holiday wine bag I found on Embroidery Library.  This is perfect pattern for an assortment of snowflakes!

I hope you are inspired to give this a try!  If you have any questions, post them in the comments and I will do my best to answer them!

Welcome to Rewind Wednesday!

The lesson for "Rewind Wednesday" is going to be slightly different today!  Recently Dottie H. was looking for some additional cutwork designs and one of the links I sent her is from the free download on the Bernina site here.

Since she does not own the software, her computer had no idea what program would open up the designs.  You will notice there are 4 files in the zipped folder.

 

The DRAW file is the native format for the Bernina DesignWorks program. It is the only format in which you can resize, rotate or alter to create a new design.

Many of you received the DesignWorks tools with your Sterling Edition 880 machine.  You do NOT need the software to be able to use these tools only the correct file format.  

In order to be able to stitch/cut out the design on your machine, you must have all three files.  The BMP, EXP and Setup information.  Otherwise your machine will not be able to read/stitch out the design.  It is possible to send the DRAW file to your USB stick but the machine will not be able to read it.

 

There are free Paintworks files as well on the Bernina site here.  This is what the Mexico Paintworks file looks like after it is unzipped.

Here is the painted design in the DW software.  Notice  the Paintwork pens in the Sequence Manager and in the Brushes palette on the right.

 

I opened up the DRAW file in the software and changed the outlines from paint to a running stitch. Notice the running stitch on the Thread side of the palette.

 

The free crystal designs can be changed in the software as well.  You can change the size/color of the crystals and convert the design from crystals into stitches.

 You can find the free crystalworks files here.

I hope this helps to clear up the confusion regarding the different types of formats that your machine will read. What do you think Dottie?

TB Thursday

Welcome to Throwback Thursday!

One of my extensive lessons on this blog was how to use WELD and TRIM. Earlier this week I demonstrated how to use the TRIM function.  You can find the post here

Here is a quick tutorial to show you how to create "mouse ears"!  Draw 3 circles with the Shapes tool.

Hold the CRTL key down and draw a 2.5" circle. Add a black FILL and black Outline.

Duplicate the circle but change the size to 1.5". Duplicate the circle again. These two circles are the 'ears'!

Select All > Weld

 I changed the Height to 4.5 ( be sure proportional is checked)and rotated the hoop 90 degrees.

To create the "mouse hat" I drew an oval. Select the circle shapes tool and just drag you mouse to the right.  The size of the oval is approximately 2.5 wide. Position it over the hat until you see the shape you like in the Sequence Manager box.

Then Select All>Trim  Drag off the  oval and Delete it.

Now I can create a design for my grand daughter's T- shirt!  It will be a few years before she actually will go to DisneyWorld.....

Select the Cutwork tool in the Object Properties box.  Check Running Before and change it to 1.0 mm

Save your file as Mouse_CUT and send it to your USB stick.

Now select Appliqué in the Fill properties.  Select Satin Serial in the Outline properties. and change the Offset to -0.3 and the Outline in Tool Options 

to .11 

Now Save as Mouse_APP and send it to your USB stick.

I added her name using the Walt-o-graph font found on www.dafont.com

I hope you have enjoyed this TBT!