Make All the Projects!

I've never met a craft I didn't want to try

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If you use Wilcom on a Mac you get no tech support

If you use a Mac computer and run Wilcom software, you are on your own. If you contact tech support, they will either refuse to even let you state what you need help with or berate you for your hardware choice. I did not know this before I spent thousands of dollars. I wish someone would have warned me, so I am warning you. If you run Wilcom on a Mac, you do not get even basic tech support. It is not stated anywhere on their website that I could find (and I have looked). They do not tell you that until after they have your money.

Google It

If you search Google for Wilcom and Apple, the first two results will be pages on the Wilcom site telling you how to install Wilcom on a Mac. In the blog article How to run Wilcom software on a Mac  “I will recommend using this technology without any hesitation to any Wilcom user who wanted to move to a Mac and keep their Wilcom software, or to any Mac user who wanted to have the best embroidery software.” There is a tiny note at the bottom of the page stating *Please note: research current as of February 2013. This is an independent review only. Wilcom does not provide technical support on hardware devices.  

What that little line is NOT saying is that Wilcom will not provide ANY support if you are using a Mac. You read that right – they will not support their product if you are running windows on a Mac. It does not matter if the issue relates in ANY WAY to the computer you are using. If you admit to running a Mac, the conversation is over and no support for you.

My experience

I recently “upgraded” from E3 to E4. I installed it per the enclosed instructions and was off and running, but I ran into a glitch on some files created in a previous version. It is a fairly new product, these things happen, it is part of using such a complex software. That is what tech support is there for. I went to the Wilcom America site where I purchased the software and located the Technical Support Policy. Now I will admit – I did not realize that the “Chat Now” that popped up may not be for tech support (I don’t know if it is or isn’t, but it is not listed in the policy, so it is possible that is not what it is intended for and I may have erred by using that, but I never got far enough to find out.)

As a digitizer, when a customer has an issue with a design, the first thing I need to know is what they are trying to do and what software/machine they are using. With that in mind, I started my conversation with Selena with that relevant information. Rather than type it out, a screenshot says it all (and yes, I got snarky. It was unprofessional and not my best moment.):

I followed up this conversation with a post in a Facebook group for Wilcom users and a message to support@wilcomamerica.com. In the Facebook group, the tech support manager for Wilcom recognized the problem immediately (I had not deleted E3 after installing E4 – nothing in the instructions told me to). It turns out that unlike what Selena said above “The control Z works on our PC version”, it is an issue that happens regardless of hardware. The fix was quite easy and was entirely unrelated to my computer. Maria encouraged me to call the 1-800 number for support. In the future, I will do that, but I had already sent my email. Maybe they have different people than those who manage the chat and email? Later that evening, I received an email from support@wilcomamerica.com that frankly left me stunned.

Hello,

Thank you for your queries.

Wilcom was not designed to run on a Mac.
Just because some people are acctually using parellels on Mac systems to run our software
does not mean we will support any issues that occur that maybe Mac related. If you called Apple and told
them you had an issue with Wilcom, what do you think they would say?
The reality is that most of the world still use PC’s
and that is a fact.
Just know that if you choose to use a Mac you run a risk.
Concerning the problems you are having in your Wilcom program we can take a look at this.
We would need for you to send the files you are having trouble with as attachments to us, so that we may escalate them to our development team.
Please explain in detail what you have experienced.
Thank you again for your query.

I have searched the Wilcom America site for “Apple” “Mac” “Parallels” “virtual machine” “boot camp” and I find nothing. As I said above, when I Googled Wilcom and Mac, I found the blog post recommending it as a solution and a page titled “Install ES/DS e3 in a Mac Computer” and the page “Operating System Compatibility” which again instructs users to install a partition and run Wilcom on Boot Camp, Parallels or VM Ware Fusion. Nowhere do I find anything stating that they will not support their software if you follow their recommendations and install Wilcom on a Mac.

I want to be clear, I understand that by running Windows on a Mac using a virtual machine, I run the risk of running into a problem that Wilcom cannot solve. It is a risk I am willing to take. I was NOT aware that they would refuse to talk to me, or be incredibly rude. I am stuck – I have spent thousands of dollars on this software – which really is the top of the line. It can do things that no other software can. If it works. I don’t expect Wilcom to deep dive into compatibility issues between Windows running on a PC vs Windows running on Parallels. I do expect them to run through the basic tech support possibilities, not refuse to even talk to me. If you run a Mac, do not buy Wilcom. That is really sad to say because it is amazing software, but without tech support, the risk is too high. If you use a PC, think long and hard about if these are the people you want to turn to if you have an issue. Who knows what unmentioned sin you may be committing that will set them off at you?

I hate writing this post. I love digitizing and embroidery and I want to be a positive presence in the community. This post is not positive and that is very uncomfortable for me. I feel a responsibility though. All I heard when I was considering a Mac was how great they are and how well they work with creative software – and that is all true. Nobody warned me (because they didn’t know, I’m sure) that I would run into such an issue of non-support. I would have either stuck with PC or not bought Wilcom and I do not want anyone else to have the same regret.

NOTE: This is my personal experience with Wilcom America Tech support regarding their professional software E4 on June 29, 2017. I do not know if Wilcom Hatch support is handled by the same support group or not.

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Intro to Embrilliance embroidery software

We are so used to software that has sequential levels where you have to have to have a base level software and then upgrade to other levels. Embrilliance is different. Each piece is a fully functioning software on its own so you can purchase one or all of them. Best of all, it works on Mac or PC and all updates are FREE. Yes, F-R-E-E free forever.

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I love analogies – so I think of Embrilliance like a recipe. Eggs are great and you can use them on their own. Add them to a few other yummy ingredients and they make something even better! Each piece of Embrilliance has a job and does it really well. If you keep adding modules, they work together seamlessly and you can’t even tell which one you are using anymore, they just work as one.

Embrilliance Essentials

This is often the first piece people buy because as the name implies – it does many of the essential functions. Essentials lets you combine designs, including adding text. If you combine appliques, it will remove the satin stitching where they overlap so you don’t get that ugly bump underneath your top piece. You can resize your designs, change colors, and so much more. You can see everything Essentials can do for you here. If you buy it and you just hate it (you won’t!), they have a 90 day money back guarantee.

I combined an In the Hoop bib with an applique and now I can send them to my machine as one design (yes, I know, I mixed my sports!)

BX fonts are an Embrilliance exclusive and I think they are GENIUS. Digitizers like myself are now including this format when we sell alphabets. You can install the entire font with the (double) click of a button and it will be included in your library. From there you can type words, scale them up and down, put them on a circle or morph them into other shapes. Best of all, you type them just like you would in a word processor. Putting on my old timer hat, back in MY DAY, we had to merge each letter file into our design, one at a time and line them up as well as we could.  BX fonts are a game changer.

All of these text options are built in using Essentials and BX fonts. It was as easy as typing my text and choosing the shaping.

Embrilliance Enthusiast

Enthusiast takes manipulating designs up a notch. You can edit individual stitches to take out pieces of a design that you wish were not there. Carousel and Scatter functions let you turn a simple item like a star into a full hoop design.

The feature I see most in demand for Enthusiast is splitting designs for multiple hoops. This will let you split a large design to use with your smaller hoop, rehooping your fabric multiple times. I’ll be honest, I’m chicken, but I have seen others get very adventurous with it!

I used the Essentials Knockdown stitching to make the words on this bunny’s arm stand out nicely. It is a fantastic feature for working with fluffy fabrics like Minky or fleece. It is like a permanent stabilizer that lets your fonts shine, not get lost in the fluff. (I used Essentials to put the name on the ear)

There is so much more Enthusiast can do – check it out here.

Embrilliance stitch artist

This is the one I love! Embrilliance Stitch Artist lets you create your own designs from scratch. I wrote all about why you don’t want to use autodigitizing. This is manual digitizing in a clean and easy interface. The Embrilliance 90 day satisfaction guarantee is especially helpful with Stitch Artist. There is a real learning curve to digitizing, but this gives you time to watch the videos, try it out. Ask for help on the Facebook page or in the Stitch Artist Facebook group. You can even hire me for one on one tutoring via Skype. There is something SO COOL about watching a design that you created stitch out. There are 3 levels, each one introducing more features and control.

all the rest

Those are the big pieces that I use most. A few others that may be useful for some embroiderers are:

  • Density Repair Kit – Ever had a design so thick it could stand up by itself (but isn’t supposed to)? DRK can help smooth out the areas that have way too many stitches.
  • Alpha Tricks – Your favorite alphabet isn’t available in BX format but you really want to be able to use it like a BX font? You can convert it yourself with AlphaTricks.
  • Thumbnailer – This is a tiny little program that runs in the background and works in the folders on your computer. Rather than showing up with a generic icon, your designs have a tiny image of the design! Scroll through and grab that flower you were thinking of, rather than opening every.single.file. that says flower in the name.

 

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I love digitizing

My first few posts here were about how challenging digitizing is and what you should think about before buying digitizing software. Those are important considerations, but I’m afraid I may have missed a really important point. I LOVE digitizing. It is an art and a science and it works with my brain. I even go to Maker Faires to share machine embroidery and digitizing with a whole new audience.

Maker Faire embroidery In the hoop

Maker Faire Milwaukee 2016

I believe that there are 2 main kinds of digitizers. There are those who are naturally good at the art and those who are good at making the software do what you want it to. You definitely need both to be successful, but I think most people tend to one end or the other and have to learn the other side. Personally, I couldn’t draw my way out of a paper bag. Somehow I have raised two daughters who draw beautifully, but that is not my skill. What I CAN do, is find cute art from talented artists who allow commercial use and add my technical expertise and make it a great design. I can bend the software to my will, which at times is quite easy and at other times it is quite a challenge!

digitizing is hard but digitizing is fun

I used clipart for the face and ears of this kitty – that is way beyond my simple drawing skills

I love to create In The Hoop designs – those are designs that create an entire project on the embroidery machine. I could put a design onto a zipper bag that I bought in a store or sewed on my sewing machine. OR, I can create the entire bag on my embroidery machine, including sewing the zipper in place.Other examples are Felties, Stuffed toys, Mug Rugs, Stockings and on and on.

All of these projects were made entirely on the embroidery machines. Each one was a fun digitizing puzzle.

In the hoop designs are often quite simple from a digitizing standpoint. Many of them are just straight lines. The challenge is in figuring out how to make them work. How can you make this Christmas stocking with no raw seams, fully lined and just a small turning hole to sew or glue closed? The short answer is – by layering fabrics in the right order, with folded edges in the right places. For the long answer, you would have to stitch one out to see what I mean.

People have asked how you do that. There is really no simple answer, you pick a place to start and then experiment, either in your mind or with fabric until you figure out how to make it do what you want it to. My Peekaboo line of toys took several years to figure out. I saw a sewing pattern for a reversible stuffed toy and started trying to figure out how to do it. It turns out that the Peekaboos are entirely different, but from the idea spark to the design, it took about 2.5 years and a lot of tests that did not give me the result I was looking for. It was all worth it though when I pulled Peekaboo Bunny off the machine for the first time. The customer response to it has been amazing and I am so grateful for it, but that IT WORKED! moment is what pushes me to figure out what is next.

Figuring out an applique is a different kind of puzzle. Which elements need to be laid down first so that they overlap correctly? Is there any way to make a run from one spot to another rather than a jump so that the machine doesn’t have to slow down, tie off, trim, move, tie in, speed up? What order should I stitch the colors so that I don’t have to go back and repeat a color, yet still have them overlapping correctly? Would that spot of color be better as a filled stitch or should it be another applique fabric? It is a logic puzzle, making all of the pieces fit together as efficiently as possible. This is the part that people either find tedious and frustrating or a fun brain stretching challenge.

The objects on the right are the top and bottom of the belly patch with a run connecting them – that has to stitch before the feet so that the feet look like they were in front of the belly. The run makes it so that the two pieces stitch as one, so that the machine does not have to stop and jump from one to the other.

I participate in many Facebook embroidery and digitizing groups. Frequently someone will ask “How do I ___?” fill in the blank. There will often be multiple responses that are completely different – and none are wrong! That can be quite frustrating for people who just want a straight answer. Just tell me what stitch I should use to make an applique! It is the beauty and frustration of digitizing though – there is no right or wrong way, just the way that you like. My personal “secret sauce” of Column width, underlay and density for an applique is just that, my secret sauce for MY perfect applique. My next door neighbor might think my underlay takes too long and is a waste of time and thread. Neither of us are wrong. Don’t even get me started on the options for applique tackdown stitches – single? double? bean? vintage? zigzag? Whatever you choose, people will passionately tell you how wonderful it is and others will tell you exactly why you are wrong.

Each part of a design is a chance to make decisions – should the tip of that arrow be a flat fill or satin stitch? Should the stitches run side to side? at an angle? I want it to look like the stick is on top of the feathers of the arrow but under the tip – how can I make that work?

You might read this and think I am nuts for finding it all fun. Maybe I am! There are many wonderful artists out there who do not want to have to think about all of these things. You want to spend your time figuring out fabric combinations, new color schemes, ways to take the same design everyone else is stitching and make it your own. Thank goodness you are out there so that crazies like me have someone to stitch our stuff. Or maybe you just want to get the project done – I do that all the time, I buy from other digitizers rather than re-inventing the wheel. If you read all of this and thought that it sounds kind of fun – you might be a digitizer in the making! Personally, I really like StitchArtist from Embrilliance for new digitizers. It is simple yet powerful. They have a TON of YouTube tutorials to help you get started and learn new techniques. I also offer one on one tutoring via Skype or other video platforms, so that you can learn from your own comfy chair.

 

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Digitizing embroidery designs for beginners

First, a bit of vocabulary – creating embroidery designs is a process generally called digitizing. The software you need is called digitizing software. The first thing to figure out is if this really is something you want to do. Many people get a machine and assume that they should make the designs that go on it. That is certainly an option and it might be the right option for you.

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Hang on! Are you comfortable with your embroidery machine?

I strongly encourage you to get to know your machine and how to work it well before you jump into digitizing. Embroidery and digitizing are two related but entirely different skill sets. When you stitch out your design and something goes wrong (it will, it happens to everyone, it is all part of the learning process), you want as few variables as possible. When your fill and your outline don’t line up, is it an error in the design or are you using the wrong stabilizer or is your tension off or is it just not really a design suited to the fabric you are using? Once you are confident with your machine and stitching on different fabrics, you will be able to test your designs and know if it is something that you need to change in the design or if it should be corrected at the machine. There are enough things to learn when starting out in embroidery. Using designs from reliable digitizers will help you through the learning curve.

Is that pucker from using the wrong stabilizer or because the design needed a tweak? My tester was experienced and had run into this before, so we knew that the design needed a tweak and I was able to fix it quickly.

OK, I’m getting pretty good at this embroidery thing – now I should start digitizing, right!?!

If you want to – sure! Why do you want to create your own designs? I’ll start with the only one that makes any sense to me. Do you enjoy working on the computer and learning new software, you have time to dedicate to reading manuals, watching tutorials and a lot of experimenting – and you have ideas just begging to be made? If so, digitizing might be right for you!

This design was at least 2 years in the making. I knew I wanted to made a design that changed from one thing to another and it took years to figure out how to do it.

Are you trying to save money on buying designs? Considering the cost of designs these days, it would take you a very long time to create enough designs to offset the cost of buying them vs the cost of software and the other costs involved in digitizing and testing. Even if you are paying someone to custom digitize logos, etc, carefully consider how long it would take you to learn to design and whether that time would be more profitable spent stitching for your customers. That is a cost/benefit only you can know.

You want to make designs to sell and get rich? It could happen. Reality is, as a field, digitizing is flooded. The cost (and with that profit) of designs is at an all time low and the competition is fierce. Back to my first point – if you love doing it and have brilliant and unique ideas, and you are pretty good at marketing – you might be able to break through. It is most definitely not a get rich quick stream of income for most people and requires many skills beyond digitizing. I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, there are many successful digitizers selling their designs. It is just not as quick or easy as making a few designs and putting them on Etsy.

I wish!

With modern software, creating a design is actually quite simple. Consistently creating designs that stitch out well and achieve the look you are going for takes a lot of study, practice and testing.

You tried to talk me out of it, but I still want to do it!

Great! After all that, you really want to make cool stuff and understand what you are getting into – lets do it! I love digitizing and what it lets me do. There are quite a few very good digitizing programs on the market and each has its benefits and drawbacks. It is important to understand some basics first. On one end of the spectrum, you have auto-digitizing. This is when you import a picture and click Convert (or something like it) and voila! you have a design. Some autoditizers will give you a small amount of control in choosing what kind of fill you want or outline style, but it is generally a very automated, quick process with very little input. This sounds fantastic! I’ll have my entire clipart folder converted and ready to stitch by dinner tonight! If only it were that easy… This requires very “clean” artwork, meaning just a few colors, high resolution and little to no shading or shadows. Even given that, the results are quite unpredictable. Check out my post about autodigitizing here.

cheap digitizing software

Auto-digitizing creates designs that range from awful to kind of ok

On the other end of the spectrum is manual digitizing. You can either work from scratch or import an image to use as your background. With manual digitizing, you create objects by setting “nodes”. Once you have those shapes, you choose what kind of object it will be – a run or a fill and what properties it will have. Do you want it a very thin line? A thicker line, a satin column? The control is all yours. On the one hand it is more challenging because you have to make those decisions for every part of your design, but on the other hand, you can get the outcome you were imagining because you have the control. It definitely takes longer, but in the end you have a design worth stitching.

All those options can be overwhelming, but they are the building blocks of a quality design.

Some digitizing programs include an autodigitizing function. Go ahead and play with it – for some extremely simple things, it might be a shortcut worth taking. I would never spend the money for a program that is only auto-digitizing. It just isn’t worth it.

Stay tuned for my Digitizing software roundup, but I’ll give you a sneak preview – My favorite software for beginners is Embrilliance. I love that you can purchase only the modules that you need and expand as you need it. Stitch Artist is the digitizing module that I am using these days.

 

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5 Stabilizers to have on hand

You do not need to own every embroidery stabilizer on the market. Some have a very specific job and if you are not doing that job, you just don’t need it. I went through my Amazon order history to see which stabilizers I have ordered in the past. These are my favorites.

I use Tearaway stabilizer, Cutaway Stabilizer, Water Soluble Topper, Water Soluble Stabilizer and Polymesh on a regular basis

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Tearaway Stabilizer

I love this tearaway stabilizer by Exquisite. I have to laugh a little at the name because it truly is exquisite.  Felties are where I started digitizing and I have stitched literally thousands of them. These are designs stitched onto felt and then cut out. They have a million uses.

I tried so many different brands and weights of tearaway stabilizer and I always come back to this. I hate seeing stabilizer peeking out between the layers of a feltie, it just looks unfinished to me. This stabilizer pulls away nice and clean, leaving no shreds or “pokies” sticking out of the edges. It is equally clean on the back of towels and other project where the excess is torn away.

Cutaway Stabilizer

There are many different kinds of cutaway that may be useful for you, but I always keep a soft light weight cutaway on hand. It doesn’t create that stiff ugly outline on shirts and it is great for softies that have filled objects, like eyes or noses that would be too much for a tearaway to support. For super dense designs I can add another layer, but I rarely need to. Once again, Exquisite is my go to brand. It gives me consistently beautiful results and the price is right. I have found that I can use this on all but the lightest t-shirts without getting show-through, so I tend to use it more often than polymesh because (shhhh….) I’m cheap!

use cutaway stabilizer for knits and other fabrics that will need support even after the stitching is done

Exquisite brand stabilizer is my favorite for shirts like this cute bear applique.

Polymesh Stabilizer

Technically this is a cutaway, but it deserves its own point. Polymesh is perfect for t-shirts and other lightweight fabrics where you do not want the stabilizer to show through. It drapes nicely with the fabric so that it won’t stand out or make your project stiff. I also use it on the back of towels when a tearaway won’t cut it, but I don’t want it to show any more than necessary.

One important thing to note is that polymesh is notorious for shrinking under heat. I have not had a problem with this particular brand, but I highly recommend testing a sample with your particular iron to see if you will need to pre-shrink it before using it.

Use polymesh to avoid stabilizer showing through shirts

Polymesh is extremely light, yet strong enough to support your stitches

Water soluble TOPPER

This is the one that you want when you are stitching projects that have a lot of texture, like a towel or minky. I use it on just about every single Peekaboo or other stuffed toy that I make. Depending on your machine, some people use this on t-shirts as well, to help lettering and appliques stand up nice and thick on top of your fabric. I have found that I need to use it on my single machine, but not on my multi-needle. Try it and if it makes a big difference, you will know and if it doesn’t, then you know that too! You just place this on top of your project and stitch, after you are finished pull off what you can and the rest can be removed with a dab of water. This is not technically a stabilizer, but is sold in the same section and I consider it part of my stabilizer collection. I go through a ton, so I buy it by the bolt.

You can see the water soluble stabilizer on Peekaboo Panda. It helps keep his nose and mouth nice and dark rather than having bits of fuzzy fabric poking through.

Water soluble STABILIZER

This is different than the topper, this is an actual stabilizer. There are lots of great brands out there, I have always used Vilene and it worked for me so I stuck with it. This is what you want to use to make Freestanding Lace. I don’t use it often, but it is great to have it on hand when the mood strikes. I also use it on the back of towels from time to time. That one is more of a judgement call – there are times when I want the back clean, but a tearaway just will not give the results I am looking for. It is important to remember that this will wash away, so while the back is clean, it is also no longer supporting the design. If you are using it in this way, do a test run and wash and dry a few times to make sure that your design stays beautiful. I have this Stitch and Rinse stabilizer on my list to try next time I make towels.

I am stitching this freestanding lace ornament on Vilene washaway stabilizer.

Each of these come in a variety of widths, so if the one I linked does not fit your hoop, just select the one that does. Remember that your stitch field is not the size of your hoop, so a 5 inch wide piece will not fit a 5×7 hoop. When in doubt, measure the outside of your hoop and add a bit to account for the fact that it gets pushed down between the two pieces of the hoop. It is far better to have it too big than too small. You can always cut it down, but if it is too small it is totally unusable. I go through a lot of stabilizer, so I tend to buy the biggest roll I can to save money. If you are more of an occasional hobbyist, you may prefer a smaller roll.

Options, options and more options

There are many many more stabilizers available – heat away, sticky tearaway, water activated sticky, pressure activated cutaway and many more. They each have a job and do it well.

But this should not be one of the options!

You’ll notice that I do not have Glad Press n Seal or dryer sheets on my list. I actually keep a box of Press N Seal in my sewing room but it is NOT as an embroidery stabilizer. I will admit, I used to. We still have a burp cloth that I made 12 years ago that has been used as a rag for many many years. It still crinkles when I pull it out of the dryer because that plastic wrap is still there. I got lucky, I never damaged my machine – although I’ll never know how much I shortened its lifespan.

In the meantime, I learned much more about what that plastic could be doing inside my machine and I cringe at that crinkly burp cloth. I know that embroidery is not a cheap hobby and I love to save money wherever I can, but stabilizers that are made for embroidery machines cost pennies per hooping and are engineered to support stitches and not harm our expensive machines. Buying in bulk or buying wide rolls and cutting them down to fit your hoop are great money savers that won’t risk your machine or your warranty. You can also add your favorites to your Amazon cart so that you will be notified when the price drops.

For more tricks and tips, sign up for our Newsletter. Check out my shop A Creative Medley for fun projects to create with your perfect stabilizer.

Intro to Embrilliance embroidery software

We are so used to software that has sequential levels where you have to have to have a base level software and then upgrade to other levels. Embrilliance is different. Each piece is a fully functioning software on its own so you can purchase one or all of them. Best of all, it works on […]