Here’s a new Digitizing Practice! Celebrate Spring and practice your Floriani FTCU digitizing with this hummingbird design!
Fill out the form below and the image and a PDF guide will be sent to your email inbox.
Download the image from your email and use your creativity to trace and digitize the image, however you would like.
The PDF guide will include a numbered digitizing plan and suggestions and tips for tracing the image.
Create A Digitizing Plan
Decide which shapes to trace first – look at the image and think of it as layers. Trace the layers in back first. Trace the shapes that should stitch first and leave the details for last.
Digitizing suggestions
The following notes are a few suggestions to help you follow a digitizing plan for this image.
These notes include the order in which I suggest you trace the shapes and the stitch tools that would be the most appropriate for the that shape.
Of course, I encourage you to use your creativity and use whatever stitch and thread colors that you would prefer! That is the benefit of digitizing our own designs. No two will ever be the same!
digitizing plan:
Here is a suggested digitizing plan for you to follow:
bird
- trace the bird using the Fill stitch tool
- you can trace in one entire shape or break it up into 3 shapes – 2 wings and one body
- choose a fill pattern to look like feathers
Body
- trace the body using the Fill stitch tool
- you can trace the body and the head in one entire shape or break it up into two shapes
- choose a fill pattern
wings – head
- trace each of the black wing details using the Satin tool
- tip: reduce the width of the satin stitch as needed
- trace the black head in TWO shapes using the Satin tool
flower stem
- trace the flower stem using the Classic satin tool – to vary the width
leaves
- trace the leaves using the Fill stitch tool
- tip: for more texture and interest – trace each leaf in two sections
- adjust the angle lines so that the leaf shape meets in the middle – like a V
- add a dark green accent to the center of the leaf using the satin tool – if you prefer
tulip leaves
- trace the tulip leaf farthest in the back first (6) using the Fill stitch tool
- trace the next two leaves (7) in a different thread color for definition and contrast
- trace the front tulip leaf (8) in a third thread color
text
- use the Text tool and choose a font of your choice for the spring text
Digitizing Steps
Follow these 4 digitizing steps for each shape, as a guide, to get you started.
editing suggestion
- after you have finished digitizing your design, select ALL ITEMS in the sequence view and click on the Auto Lock icon to set the tie-ins and tie-offs for the design
- remove any overlapping fill stitch areas
- tip: you cannot remove overlaps between satin stitches and fill stitches (they must be the same type of stitch for this to work)
Embroidery Gatherings Club Members
For those of you who belong to the Embroidery Gatherings Membership Club, here is a link to the Lesson Directory to find coordinating lessons to help you trace and edit this practice design.
need help?
Here are two ways to get the help you need to digitize your own designs.
1. Have a digitizing question?
Join the Embroidery Gatherings Facebook group and ask your questions, anytime.
2. To receive lots of extra TLC with FTCU digitizing….
You can get one-to-one digitizing help by joining our Embroidery Gatherings Membership Club. There are over 75 step-by-step written lessons and videos to help you learn to digitize your own embroidery designs using the FTCU software. We can create a personalized “journey” for you to learn to digitize!
Click HERE to find out more information.
share your design!
After you have finished, you are welcome to share your design image with our Embroidery Gatherings Facebook group. We would love to see your creativity!
Fill out the email form below and a PDF copy of this digitizing practice and the image, will be emailed to you!
Lookin for the Hummingbird !
Hi John,
To receive the Digitizing Challenges, just fill out the “Subscribe to receive tutorials” form at the end of each practice lesson and the lesson and the image will be emailed to you.
~ Paula