Do We Really Need to Test EVERY Embroidery Design?
|
Anyone who has been into machine embroidery long enough has heard it over & over again..."Always pre-test your designs". But, really now, do even the "experts" test every design? Of course not. We live in the real world, too. Here is the criteria I use to determine whether a design should be tested before committing to the real thing:
- Does the design consist of mostly outline stitches or is it very dense with lots of fill types? The more complex the design, the more important it is to test first.
- Did the design come from a trusted source? Bernina & OESD digitizers are the best in the industry. Their designs are tested over & over again to work out any "bugs" before being released for sale. Remember that we usually get what we pay for; cheap designs may have problems due to the digitizers lack of expertise or insufficient testing prior to the design's release. I can frequently get away without testing designs from Bernina & OESD.
- Am I using a sturdy fabric such as quilting cotton or denim for the background, or am I using something more delicate and/or challenging? Sturdy, cotton fabrics are easier to hoop & will provide adequate background support for most finished designs, (along with proper stabilizer). Lofty, delicate, or specialty fabrics may not respond well to direct embroidery. I always test the design on the same or similar fabric when I want to embroider directly on to specialty fabrics.
- Am I significantly changing the color pallet of the design? Evaluating thread spool colors when they are all lined up in a row does not necessarily equate to a great color scheme in the finished design. In the past, I always tested a design when making big color changes. Fortunately, the new Color Wheel feature in Bernina Embroidery Software V6 makes evaluating new color schemes fun & easy & virtually eliminates the need to test the new colors first.
Design pictured in Bernina Embroidery Software V6 in original color scheme. (This design is included with your Bernina Embroidery Software V6. It is located in your My Designs Folder > Ornaments > Star.)
Previewing a new color scheme with the Color Wheel. This feature allows us to automatically adjust all of the colors in the design, relative to the original colors. The tool is located in the list of available colors near the bottom, center of your screen.
Previewing additional color schemes with the Color Wheel feature.
The final color scheme has been selected & is ready for embroidery. There is no need to test the design since the Bernina Embroidery Software V6 shows me exactly what the new colors are going to look like prior to embroidery.
Finally, I formulate a back-up plan if I choose not to test the design & the embroidery goes awry. Back-up plans may include having enough fabric to re-cut a pattern piece in the case of garment making, cutting another block if I am making a quilt, or replacing the entire project if I am embroidering ready-made items like table napkins or hand towels.
In a few weeks, How to Test Your Embroidery Designs - Fabrics & stabilizers that you'll always want to have on hand.
|
