Here’s a new Digitizing Practice! Moving into February, it’s time to practice some digitizing Love!
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!
Kitten face
- trace face shape with the Fill stitch tool
kitten arms
- trace each arm shape with the Fill stitch tool
- use a single run travel stitch along the outside edge of the cup from one shape to the next
- make sure there is at least a 2mm overlap on the face
inside cup
- trace each inside shape of the cup using the Fill stitch tool
- edit the angle lines on each segment to create shadows and dimension
- make sure there is at least a 2mm overlap on the arms
hearts
- use a fill stitch
- trace all of the white hearts after tracing the face and the cup to minimize color changes
- trace all of the red hearts at the same time to minimize color changes
- trace all of the pink hearts after tracing the cup to minimize color changes
pink cup
- trace the pink cup using a fill stitch
- trace the cup handle as a separate segment
- trace the cup base as a separate segment
cheeks
- trace the pink cheeks after tracing the cup and pink hearts to minimize color changes
- use a fill stitch
eyes and whiskers
- trace using a Bean stitch
outlines
- use a black thread color and trace the outlines using a Bean stitch
- note: you will not be able to use the Outline Tool for most of the shapes – as it will create double outlines in adjoining shapes – it will be easier to just manually trace each outline!
Digitizing Steps
Follow these 4 digitizing steps for each shape, as a guide, to get you started.
editing suggestion
- delete the overlapping fill stitches
- manually trace black outline around the kitten, hearts and cup
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!