Machine Embroidery Designs  Using Design Worksheets for Machine Embroidery

Embroidery worksheets are helpful in your stitchouts, especially when your format has altered the original colors of the design. Each time I test stitch, I print a page for each design. This page contains the image of the design, the color changes in order, dimensions, stitch count, etc. There is enough room around the margin to make notes for any edits I want to do. This facilitates my digitizing process, as I can take the stitchout and the worksheet back to my computer to edit and see exactly what changes I want to make. It enables me to bring my best possible design creation to market, with the most efficient use of my time and materials; YOU can use these worksheets to streamline your work in embroidery also, saving time and materials, and often frustrations.

Embroidery machines may have the ability to enlarge the image you see on the screen, or to isolate stitches of a color element, but I find a worksheet is more helpful and time efficient than those features. I always supply a color order chart for my customers, but I am a visual person myself, and recognize that it is more helpful to have a picture of the design I am stitching than a list of thread colors. Many of the companies I purchase my graphics from include in their copyright restriction a statement that I cannot resell the graphics, and I believe in following their copyrights-so that precludes my sending the design page to you when you purchase my designs. BUT, I can show you how to print your own page if you have embroidery software. So, if you do have software, open it, fire up the printer, and let’s get started.

Open any design in the customizing page of your software. I have had several versions of Bernina and Viking software, and they all had this feature-I think you will find most of your softwares do also. You can also print a design page from the cataloging function of your software (In Bernina it is called Portfolio, and in Viking 4D it is called Organizer.)

After you have the design open, be sure it is in the artistic, or 3D view if you have that choice-it will give you the best picture. At this time, if your format has changed the colors drastically, you can use the features of the software to change the thread colors to your preference. For example, for a flower, you may want to make the petals a different color, and be sure the leaves and stems are green if your format has changed them to brown. Some formats change colors so drastically, that characters look like smurfs–you can change skin tone however you’d like. Please understand that if you save the design with your color changes, the format will change them back the the color you started with–this is only to print a page to help you with your stitchout. After you have the colors the way you’d like them, go to File: Print Preview. A window will open which will show you exactly what you will print. It should always contain the picture of the design, the order of the colors as they stitch, plus optional other info I mentioned above. You may have a choice of the scale of the design, and other info you want included. When you are satisfied with the print preview, print the page. These pages will not only help you in your stitchout, but you can make a catalog of the designs you own for your reference. Several of my customers have indicated they like to keep a catalog of their purchases.

Please note, if you are printing an applique design, the applique areas will be blank–and the many colorstops needed for the machine for applique will indicate that you must change your thread color for every step of the applique. This is not necessary. I always bracket the colors in the list on my worksheet for each applique element to help me recognize that-but you don’t want to change the colors on the customizing screen so that they are the same-your machine needs the color change to prompt the stops for trimming, etc, during the applique process.

Hope this is helpful to you. HAPPY STITCHING!