Tips & Techniques

Placement Stitches for any border design

We are going to create some placement stitches to make an endless border design.

Click on the letter page and choose traditional and choose the line block. Type X (then touch the space bar 31 times) and type the X again. Make sure the gap is 0 and click on apply. The space bar actually creates a jump stitch in between the two Xs.

If your design is wider at the top, you might want 41 spaces in between the X's. Always use an uneven # of spaces so there will be a centering of the two Xs with the same # of spaces on each side of center.

Click on the design page and color sortand change the color to a color that is different from any in the design. This is now a design and when you select it, it will have an outline box around it and more important, it will have the center crosshair for placement. We will save this as a design and call it "ALIGNMENT 21"

TIP: I actually saved one with 21 spaces between the Xs, one with 31 spaces and one with 41 spaces. Then each time I created a border or found a border type design that I wanted to use as an endless hoop design, I used the appropriate size "alignment design".

****The machine must stitch the top alignment design first, then the border design, then the bottom alignment design. So, make sure you put them on the screen in that order.

Find the design you want to use. Zoom in and make sure the horizontal and vertical mirror points are exactly on the center vertical and horizontal lines.

Bring the "X alignment" design of choice on screen and put it above the design so that the bottom line of the outline box is right on the highest point of the design and the vertical mirror is exactly on the center vertical line.

You may have a border that is wider at the top and you may need a wider "alignment stitches" to cover the top of the design.

**If you have 3D Embroidery Studio, Viking has given us an update to the program called the "Nudge" feature. This allows us to use the up/down/left/right arrows on the keyboard to "nudge" the design by tiny increments to move it over to where we want it. So, we can use the Xs with the 21 spaces and just make sure the bottom line of the X's is right on the highest or lowest stitches of the design.

Then nudge it with the left pointing arrow on the keyboard so that the tip of the mirror is right on the central vertical line.

Click on copy and pasteand place this X design at the bottom of the design. Make sure the lower line of the outline box slightly covers the tips of the scallops and that the vertical mirror point is exactly on that center vertical line. Zoom in to be accurate and use the keyboard arrows to nudge the design

Make sure the whole design is within the borders of the design area. You will see round corners if they are outside of the lines. Make any necessary adjustments.

Combine and then look at the design again and make sure the mirrors are centered on the vertical and horizontal lines. Then click on center icon and save the design.