Lettering – Eileen's Machine Embroidery Blog

Archive of ‘Lettering’ category

So Much Talent!

March 1, 2019 by eileenroche / Baby Lock, Blog Tour, Continuous Embroidery, Current Posts, Digitizing, Embroidery Techniques, Hooping, Inspiration, Lettering, Marie Zinno, Nancy Zieman, National Embroidery Month, Social Media / 9 Comments

What do you get when you give 11 talented embroiderers a fairly simple fabric panel and a few embroidery designs? Eleven uniquely-embroidered works of art. It absolutely amazes me to see how people put their own stamp of creativity into an embroidery project.

The past month has been an eye-opener – we’ve seen subtle touches such as Marie Zinno’s soft blue filagree designs that are built-in the Baby Lock Valiant.

And an out of the box transformation by Cathy Sundermann of Stitch Fork Designs. That’s an impressive front door!

Deanna Springer of Nancy Zieman Productions sashed the wood grain panel with Nancy Zieman’s red Riley Blake shiplap fabric to spice it up. Deanna ditched the wrapped canvas idea and added a pretty floral border for a traditional wall-hanging.

Milinda Stephenson opted to wrap her panel around a pillow. This was a fast and easy finish and her dog, Iris, loved it!

Michelle Umlauf used the IQ Designer in her Baby Lock Solaris machine to enhance the lettering. Talk about perfect placement! That’s a show stopper technique and wonderful way to show how to incorporate prints with embroidery. It’s all about value – making sure the embroidery is visible on a busy print.

Michele Umlauf – Sewing Machine Artistry

Carla Reale used Baby Lock’s Palette software program to add her own message in the applique heart of the Grateful panel. Join the Baby Lock Palette group on Facebook to watch her video.

Carla Reale of the Baby Lock Palette Community

Karen Parker made two samples! Her Grateful panel shows offset floral sprays at the top and bottom. I love that layout and never think of using it! Of course she pulled her thread colors from her fun, striped border.

Karen’s English Pub theme set the tone for her border fabrics and faux leather trim – complete with nail heads! Her satin circles mimic a dinner plate and the embroidered knife and fork really seal the deal. Finished with two glasses of cold beer, this panel will look great in any proper drinking establishment.

Debbie Henry extended the wood grain quilting beyond the panel edge onto a wide border. Love her delicate blue floral spray in the center of the heart!

The Embroiderist, Colleen Bell, used a dark thread to quilt her Gathering panel – love how visible the wood grain is. She paired her panel with an embroidered chalkboard fabric. As a mother of nine, she knows a thing or two about prepping meals!

Sara Gallegos of Sew Positively Sara added family names to the applique heart on the Grateful panel on her Baby Lock Solaris. Of course, she nailed the placement of the quilting designs with the help of a quick camera scan on the Solaris. Nothing like seeing before you stitch!

Check out her blog at SewPositivelySara to see how she pieced the heart blocks on her pillow.

Our last participant, Debbie Cleek, added trapunto to her floral sprays on the Gathering panel. She used Designer’s Gallery to add the traditional technique of trapunto but with today’s technology.

I’d like to give a huge thank you to all of the participants. If you followed along, I’m sure you’re were as impressed as I was with their creativity. And so many techniques were shared! Please leave a comment and tell me what’s your biggest embroidery challenge. We’ll pick a random winner to send one Farmhouse Sentiments kit.

Lettering Like the Pros

August 18, 2018 by eileenroche / Current Posts, Digitizing, Eileen Roche, Inspiration Socials, Inspiration Software, Lettering, Perfect Embroidery Pro, Software Saturday, Software Techniques, Word Art in Stitches / 3 Comments

If you want to get lettering like the pros, you need software that gives you multiple font options, the ability to kern letters, change line spacing, density and column widths. Inspirations Perfect Embroidery Pro most certainly answers that call.

But if you want to put a stylized effect on your lettering with just a few clicks and instead of getting a master’s degree in digitizing (oh, I wish there was such a thing!), then Inspirations Word Art in Stitches is your answer.

Let’s look at the popular golf brand, Titleist. Their logo is a simple, classy script but it’s enhanced by the addition of embroidery foam under the stitches. If you visit their website, https://www.titleist.com/golf-gear/golf-headwear you’ll notice how all of Titleist’s catalog images are shot from an angle to highlight the dimension of the embroidered logo. That adds serious wow factor to a traditional cap and sport!

In Word Art & Stitches, dimensional text is just a click away. Whatch how easy it is. Select the Puffy text tool.

Type the word in the message box and boom – there’s your dimensional text.

This is such a popular technique that we teach it in our Stitch Lab events and everyone masters puffy text on their first try.

After teaching how to make it in the software, students learn how to stabilize and stitch the lettering on a pet bandana. Everyone of those pet bandanas are sent to a local animal shelter. Talk about a win-win! Students learn and the shelter gains a customized bandana for their adoption days.

Check the calendar at InspiredbyDime.com https://www.inspiredbydime.com/inspiration-socials/ to see if a Stitch Lab is coming to your area. You can fill out the form on that page to be notified when one is coming up in your region. Hope to see you there!

Make Sketch Fonts

July 28, 2018 by eileenroche / Current Posts, Digitizing, Eileen Roche, Embroidery Techniques, Embroidery Tips, Inspiration Software, Lettering, Perfect Embroidery Pro, Software Saturday, Software Techniques, Uncategorized / 4 Comments

Spotted on garments, chalkboards, wood signs and even glassware, open, airy fonts are the rage. It’s easy to get the same look if you have Inspirations’ Perfect Embroidery Pro. Follow along and you’ll be stitching this look in no time.

Open a new screen in Perfect Embroidery Pro (PEP). Go to File, Import TT (True Type Fonts).

Select a script font from any true type font installed on your computer. Write the message in the text field and place 500 in the size field. Click OK.

The text appears on the screen. To produce the best stitch file, meld the connecting elements. Select the o and v, right click, Shaping and Meld.

See how the o and v are one continuous line and do not overlap like the v and the e?

That’s the looks you’re going for. At this time, the ov is one unit and the e is a separate element.

Select the ov and e, right click, Shaping and Meld.

Select all, right click, Convert to Complex Fill.

With Love selected, change the Fill Type in the Properties Box to Contour. Click Apply. Change the density to 1.0 and the stitch length to 2.6. And there’s your sketchy font!

I just learned this trick from one of our education consultants, Tina Bartelmay. Tina is an embroidery whiz – she uses PEP everyday – evident in her awesome samples! Catch her at upcoming DIME event at a dealer near you. Click here to learn more about Tina.

Thanks for sharing this great tip, Tina!

Embroiderers Always Get This Request

December 7, 2017 by eileenroche / Current Posts, Eileen Roche, Embroidery Techniques, Embroidery Tips, Holiday Stitching, Lettering / 10 Comments

Stitching a name on a stocking cuff is something almost every embroiderer is called upon to do during the holiday season. Most cuffs are faux fur with long fibers that can creep over embroidery obstructing the beautiful stitches. On Saturday, I showed how to use Perfect Embroidery Pro digitizing software to create a light complex fill to hold down long fibers of faux fur.

Now let’s take a look at how to stitch it. On a single needle machine, you’ll have to open the side seam of the cuff to flatten it (and possibly a portion of the stocking). Find the horizontal center of the cuff and place a target sticker in that position. Point the arrow towards the top of the cuff (where it meets the stocking) so that the word will stitch in the correct orientation.

Hoop adhesive tear-away stabilizer and remove the protective paper. Place the cuff on the hooped stabilizer, keeping the straight edge parallel to the hoop. I like to rest the body of the stocking over the pantograph as it has less chance of falling into the sewing field. If there’s a hanging loop, pin it to the stocking.

Stitch color 1, the light complex fill, in a thread color that matches the cuff.

This color’s only function is to hold down the nap of the fur. It should virtually disappear after the decorative embroidery is applied. If you look closely at the image, you’ll notice I changed threads in the center section. The outside sections are stitched in a 40 wt. polyester thread – with the traditional sheen of an embroidery thread. The center section was stitched in our Retro Vintage thread – 40 wt., a matte finish. I think it disappears quite nicely. In fact, I can’t wait to try it on towels. Anyway, back to the task at hand.

Stitch the next color in traditional thread and you’re done!

No topper to remove, just tear it away from the hooped stabilizer and it’s ready to hang. How many stockings have you stitched this holiday season?

Software Saturday: Stitched Poetry!

June 24, 2017 by Denise Holguin / Current Posts, Free Designs, Home Decor, Inspiration, Inspiration Software, Just for Fun, Lettering, Perfect Embroidery Pro, Quick Gifts, Software Saturday / 12 Comments

Farewell to My Red Pen
By Denise Holguin

As Managing Editor, a portion of my time is spent editing the magazine. This includes making sure advertisements are placed, the Buyers Guide has the correct page numbers and the Table of Contents leads readers to the proper articles. I do all these tasks with a red pen.

And as strange as it sounds, I have only one (favorite) red pen that I use issue after issue. I was at a great loss the day it ran out of ink.

I penned a poem to commemorate the ‘passing’ of my red pen. Humored by the absurdity, I decided to take it one step further and embroider the tribute on to fabric.

Goals for this article:

Inspire you to start thinking about custom gifts you can make for family and friends that only they would understand.
Help you to discover your inner poet!
Practice your lettering and layout skills in embroidery software.
Problem solve on the fly.

Embroidery Products
Make Something UT5084 from Urban Threads (3.39” x 3.86”)
Free Skull Design courtesy of Designs in Machine Embroidery.

Embroidery software (Perfect Embroidery Pro was used)
Hoop Size: 300×200

At the Computer
First, we will type each line of text. Then we will rearrange and add other elements.

In Perfect Embroidery Pro, select the Text icon and type the words, “arewell, my friend.”

Click on the Text icon again and type, “You’ve served me well.”

Click on the Text icon and type, “When we, upon the page, would dwell”

Click on the Text icon and type, “To an editor, your color”

Click on the Text icon and type, “Was heaven, but now you’re dead.”

Select the Hoop icon on the left side of the screen. Select the 300×200 hoop. This will establish boundaries to rearrange the poem.

Select all the text. (Control-A). Change the font to “Times.”

Click on the first line of text. Go to the Transform tab and change the height to .69 inches. Repeat this step for each line of text.

Once finished, your text will look similar to the sample shown.

Click on File / Merge. Select the Urban Threads design. Place the design in an open space. We will be editing the design to fit our needs. Select the design. Right click and select Ungroup.

Select “Make Something” and delete it.

Since this is a tribute to a red pen, I selected and deleted the other tools that didn’t fit the pen theme.

You should only have two pens remaining.

Slide the last pen to the left of the marker. Then copy and paste the same pen and place to the right of the marker. Flip the last pen Vertically.

Copy the marker and place it to the right of the pen. Flip it vertically. Copy the first pen and marker and paste them to the right. Your version should look similar to the image shown.

Select all the pens and markers. Right click. Select Group.

Rearrange the rows of lettering to fit within the hoop. This isn’t the final stage of rearranging but it’s the first step.

Slide the pens to the right side of the hoop as shown.

Click on the Text icon. Type the letter “F”. Select Old English. Size the Width and Height to 1.77 inches.

Position the letter in front of “arewell”.

Select the Text icon. Type the word “red”. Select the Athletic font and resize it to 2.05” wide x .80” tall.

Position the word after “color” as shown.

Go to File / Merge Design. Select the Skull design.

Place the skull at the end of the poem.

Change the “F”, the word “red” and the set of pens to red.

I decided to change the word “heaven” to blue. There are three ways to do this:

Inconvenient & Hard:

Stop the machine before it stitches.

Too Much Work:

Edit the line of text so that it’s made up of three designs.

Easiest! (but you need to be responsible)

Select the last line of text. Right click. Select Break up text. Note, when you do this, the text is no longer a font.

Each letter becomes an individual design.

Select all the letters for the word “heaven”. Change the color to blue.

The third line of the poem is a little tight in the hoop. Change the height to .67 inches. Make any other last minute adjustments to the layout of the design.

Select All. (Control-A). Go to Edit / Optimize Sequence.

Save the design and send to the embroidery machine.

I framed the design and added the red pen to its final resting place.

Volume 103 It Started with a Quilt Block – Signpost Lesson

March 11, 2017 by Denise Holguin / Applique, Blue Hair Girl, Current Posts, Embroidery Techniques, In-the-hoop, Inspiration Software, Lettering, Perfect Embroidery Pro, Software Saturday, Software Techniques, Word Art in Stitches / 7 Comments

It Started with a Quilt Block was featured in the March/April 2017 issue of Designs in Machine Embroidery magazine. Since space is limited on the printed page, you’ll find the details for creating the quilt’s sign post.

Experiment by using your favorite quote or saying for your own signpost. Dime’s Patch Attach was used to fuse the final sample to the quilt.

Inspirations’ Word Art in Stitches and Perfect Embroidery Pro software programs pack a powerful punch when you have both installed on your computer. If you do, the Word Art in Stitches features are available WITHIN the Perfect Embroidery Pro software. You don’t have to open both software programs! Duplicate these steps to create your signpost.

Step 1. Make the Frame
Open Perfect Embroidery Pro. On the right side of the screen, click on the Bubble Text icon from Word Art in Stitches.

The window below will open. Click on the three dots to view the catalog.

Click on Objects / Borders. Select Borders-10.

Do not type any text in the Words field. Don’t worry about the size. The size will be adjusted later. Click OK.

The frame will appear on the screen.

Select the frame. Click on the Transform tab on the right side of the screen. Make sure the “Maintain aspect ratio” button is selected. Change the frame size to 5 inches Click OK.

With the frame still selected, right click and select Convert To / Applique

In the Properties – Applique box, select “Change Colors.” Click Apply to update the design.

Repeat Step 1 to add a second frame inside the outer frame. I made the inside frame 4.4” x 3.15”.

Once you’ve completed the inner frame, your design should look similar to the image below.

Change the color of the second frame (any color) to make it easier to maneuver.

Step 2. Express yourself with a fun message!

Select the Text icon at the top toolbar.

Type:

“Let your” <press Enter key>

“ideas take” <press Enter key>

“shape!” <press Enter key>

Select the Arial font. Resize to: 3.5” width. Change the Line spacing to 100 percent. This will add space between each row of text. Click Apply when finished.

Center the text on the frame.

I wanted to add emphasis to the words “ideas” and “shape” by using a different thread color. I can stop the machine before it stitches those words. Then switch the thread color. But that’s a hassle and I’m easily distracted. Or I can use the “Break Up Text” feature. Breaking up the text transforms the text data into stitches. All editing will then be done on each individual stitch (or letter if you group them) instead of the entire text word or phrase. It’s best to edit the text (envelopes, spacing, etc) before applying Break Up Text. Note: It’s wise to save the design in its original version before applying Break Up Text. Make your changes and save the new version under a new name.

Select the text. Right click. Select Break Up Text.

Each letter is a design – not text.

Select the appropriate letters for “ideas” and “shape!”

At the bottom of the screen, right click to add another thread color.

Right click on the Yellow to make the selection yellow.

Your design will look similar to the sample below. Don’t worry about the colors – you have the freedom to select any thread colors once you’re at the machine. 😉

Double check the stitching sequence is correct. Save the design and send to the embroidery machine.

Step 3. Stitching the Sign

Hoop Water Soluble Stabilizer in a 5” x 7” hoop. Stitch the first thread color—the placement stitch. Place the wood grain fabric down. Stitch Color 2, the tack down stitch. Remove the hoop but do not unhoop the project. Trim the excess fabric.

Return the hoop to the embroidery machine. Stitch Color 3, the satin stitching around the outer frame. Stitch Color 4, the placement stitch for the inner frame.

Continue the process to stitch the inner frame.

The finished sign should look similar to the sample:

Trim away the water soluble stabilizer leaving about a quarter inch all the way around the design. Soak the design until the water soluble stabilizer dissolves. Let the frame dry completely. Iron the frame flat.

Audition the sign on your quilt. Measure the distance to the grass to determine how long a strip to make for the signpost. I cut my signpost 6 1/2″ tall by 1 inch wide. I folded the fabric 1/4″ lengthwise on both sides to create a clean edge. I ironed it flat for perfect creases.

I ironed Patch Attach permanent adhesive to the sign and the post then I ironed them on to the quilt.

Additional Ideas:

Use this method to add labels to the back of your quilt.
Word Art in Stitches has a variety of shapes – not just frames. Experiment with animal shapes, food or people!

Mega Monograms

February 11, 2017 by eileenroche / Current Posts, Digitizing, Eileen Roche, Embroidery Techniques, Embroidery Tips, Inspiration Software, Lettering, Monograms, Perfect Embroidery Pro, Software Saturday, Software Techniques / 4 Comments

Mega Monograms by Eileen Roche

On the cover of the January/February 2017 issue of Designs in Machine Embroidery magazine, mega monograms were shown. The monograms are huge – 8″ tall – and are complex fill letters. They were created in Inspirations’ Perfect Embroidery Pro are the magazine included the step-by-step directions for some of the pillows. Recently, I had a reader ask how to transform the letter B into complex fill.

Here’s how. First, select the Text tool and type in the letter. Enlarge the letter to the size you want, my sample is 8″ tall. Select the Run tool and trace the outside of the letter B.Trace around each opening.

Select all three lines and click on Combine.

Select the letter, right mouse click, and select Convert to Complex Fill from the drop down menu.Once the letter is converted, you can add a border. Select all three elements and click on the Combine tool. Now the letter is filled.

Select the letter, right mouse click and Add a Border.You can change the border to Steil for a crisp outline on the letter. If you’re wondering why we didn’t add an outline, here’s why:

It’s All About Perspective!

January 14, 2017 by Denise Holguin / A Closer Look, Current Posts, Inspiration Software, Just for Fun, Lettering, Monograms / 17 Comments

If you’ve ever gone on a road trip you’ve probably seen roadside attractions. Imagine the excitement when the denizens of Tiny Land discovered enormous 1” pillows.

This new roadside attraction draws crowds of people who stop to get their photos taken. If you take a closer look, the Flamingo’s legs are the letters “J” and “L”

About the “Pillows”
The scene was inspired by Eileen’s beautiful assortment of pillows on the cover of Volume 102 January/February 2017. I wanted to see what a miniature interpretation would look like.

If you look closely, I even coordinated some of the same decorator fabrics Eileen used on her cover project.

The really fascinating part about the pillows is the tiny lettering. The “SAS” monogram is only ¼ of an inch tall. Perfect Embroidery Pro includes an assortment of fonts digitized for small applications.

Whether you need to stitch large embroidery fonts (like Eileen’s oversized pillows) or very small fonts as seen in Tiny Land, Perfect Embroidery Pro has you covered!

Font: Arial Small

Additional features:

Symbols were incorporated, including the Top Hat, Flamingo and Pine Tree.
I used the Bridge Convex Top envelope shape for the “TRB” monogram.

22 new symbols are available to all Perfect Embroidery Pro software owners. Just run the latest update (Version 9.35) and you’ll find 22 new symbols installed in your software!

Double Decker Applique Letters

September 17, 2016 by eileenroche / Applique, Current Posts, Digitizing, Eileen Roche, Embroidery Techniques, Inspiration Software, Lettering, Perfect Embroidery Pro / 6 Comments

I thought I would share one of my favorite projects: curved, double decker applique letters. I love everything about this project: the teal hoodie (so comfy), the split applique (trendy) and the double layer of applique (the perfect fabric combo: white felt outline and tiny bright print).Make one of your own in Inspirations’ Perfect Embroidery Pro. Open a new screen and select the Text tool, type LOVE in the Properties Box. Select High School Applique font from the drop down menu. Size the design to approximately 8” x 3.25”.

With the Text tool selected, push the green circle at the center bottom of the text box to curve the letters.

Select the text, right click and select Break Up Text.

The letters will now be four individual appliques. Grab the L and O and move them to a new screen. Select the L, right click and select Create Outline from the menu. Change the distance to .25. Click OK.

Select the outline, right click and select Convert To Applique.

Change the color of the new applique.

You’ll have to do this twice for the letter O. For the outside, repeat the steps above. For the opening inside the O, select Inside when you create the outline and change the distance to .50.

Resize the outline to fit inside the letter.

Right click and Convert to Applique. In the Properties Box, change the Applique width to 2.5 to fit in the narrow space. Save the design as LO and go back to the original file and complete the steps for the VE.

Preserving Signatures

May 14, 2016 by eileenroche / Current Posts, Digitizing, Eileen Roche, Inspiration Software, Lettering, Perfect Embroidery Pro, Software Saturday / 11 Comments

The grandmother of my children, Mom-mom Roche could feed an army within an hour’s notice. No one ever went hungry in her house. The warmth that is shared around her table is legendary – wonderful food, prayerful gratitude and lots of laughter.

On special occasions, she would dress her table in a fine linen cloth. Over 50 years ago, she started to ask her dinner guests if they would sign her tablecloth. Later, in her spare time (how she ever found a spare minute with 7 children, 21 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren), she would hand embroider their signatures. The next time you saw the tablecloth, the last signature would be stitched – she never missed a single autograph.

It became a rite of passage for all family members. I remember seeing toddlers finger the embroidery and ask when they could sign but Mom-mom wouldn’t let them scribble a few dashes and dots. Oh no, they had to actually hold the pen and sign their name. The anticipation was about all they could handle. They would watch an older child sit at the table next to Mom-mom and sign. Usually, a tongue was sticking out of the child’s mouth as he or she focused fiercely on the task. Oh the pressure! Not really, Mom-mom has a heart of gold and hugs to match.

My children, now in their 20s remember the day they were asked to sign. Not the same day, mind you, because Janelle is two years older than Ted so Ted had to wait his turn. They loved the ceremony of it and when visit Mom-mom they always examine the tablecloth looking for their own signatures, those of the newest family members and those who have are no longer with us.

Mom-mom has passed this tradition to her grandchildren. When Janelle was married last year, she gave her a hem-stitched linen tablecloth for Janelle’s table along with her blessing to update the tradition to today’s lifestyle. No longer will the signatures be hand embroidered, instead guests will sign a piece of paper, Janelle will photograph it and send it to me. I will then load it as a backdrop into Perfect Embroidery Pro digitizing software and digitize the signatures.

I’m honored to carry on this tradition for Janelle even if some of the nostalgia is lost in the process. She will have a stitched memory of a tradition from her childhood that she can pass down to the next generation.

Today, I started with family members who attended Janelle and Kegan’s wedding reception. (Yes, I know that was last summer!) In a new file in Perfect Embroidery Pro, I loaded the image as a backdrop (File/Load Backdrop).

Then I traced each line in same manner as the letters were written.

As tempting as it was to smooth curves and straighten lines, I forced myself to just follow the lines. After all, it’s a signature not a lesson in calligraphy.

What an enjoyable task – as I digitized each name I focused on that person, so many memories come flooding through my mind. It’s like I was spending time with them – all part of the gift!

Do you have any family traditions like this? If so, I’d love to hear about them.

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