Wildcard Week - Patch Embroidery

This week was free to explore a digital design process and its production. I decided to explore the patch embroidery process. I used Inkscape to design the patch, then exported it as a .pes file and embroidered it using the Brother NS1850L machine.

Patch Design

To start the patch design, I needed to install the Ink/Stitch embroidery extension for Inkscape, which added the tools needed to create embroidery designs.

Ink/Stitchbr

For the patch, I decided to download the monochromatic Autobot symbol to start the design.

Vectorize with Trace Bitmap

For the embroidery extension to work with the design, I needed to vectorize the image using the Trace Bitmap function in Inkscape. This converted the image into a format that could be interpreted by the embroidery software.

Break Apart the Design

To be able to modify the design in individual parts, I needed to break it apart using the Break Apart function in Inkscape. This separated the design into different sections that could be edited individually.

Difference

Once I assigned a color to each section, it was important to cut the overlapping sections. Ink/Stitch embroiders each section separately, so if sections overlapped, the embroidery would also overlap and could cause the needle to break or the colors to mix. To fix this I used the Difference tool, which cut the top section from the bottom section, leaving only the visible part of the design. This ensured the embroidery was done cleanly and without issues.

Jump Stitch to Trim Command

This command was very important to avoid frequent thread color changes. Without it, the embroidery would stop every time a color change was needed after finishing a section, which was tedious and time-consuming. Using this command, the sewing machine automatically cut the thread and started embroidering the next section of the same color without stopping, which saved time and made the embroidery process more efficient. When I applied this command, scissors appeared linked to each section, representing the thread cut.

Embroidery Parameters

In the Param window of Ink/Stitch I was able to adjust several key parameters. The Fill method defined the fill algorithm. The Angle of lines of stitches controlled the direction of the stitches in degrees, which was useful for giving different visual textures to each section. The Maximum fill stitch length defined how long the individual stitches were. The Spacing between rows controlled how close or far apart the thread rows were, affecting the embroidery density. The Pull compensation corrected the deformation caused by thread tension on the fabric. In the simulation on the right I could see the result in real time with 13,640 total stitch points in the design.

I used the default parameters and changed the fill to a circular fill on the outer circumference and the white space around the design because it looks better.

Design Result

Once all the previous steps were completed, the design was ready to be exported as a .pes file, which is the format used by the Brother NS1850L embroidery machine. Exporting the design generated a file that contained all the necessary information for the machine to embroider the patch precisely and efficiently.

Using the Embroidery Machine

The first step was to place the fabric on the hoop and make sure it was well tensioned. I used a thick fabric and to reinforce the back of the patch I used pellon. Then I placed the hoop on the machine.

To load the file into the machine, I selected the pocket icon in the lower right corner of the home screen, then chose the USB memory option, selected the .pes file from the USB drive and loaded it into the machine.

The file modification options opened, where I could change the size, embroidery position, rotation and other settings. I did not change anything and simply selected Edit End. Then a preview of the design was shown with arrows to move the needle and set the origin, and I did not move anything either.

Finally, the machine showed the stitch count, thread colors and estimated time. To start the embroidery I pressed the start button, and the machine began embroidering the patch following the loaded design.

Production Process

During the production process I noticed the machine was not cutting the threads, so I had to do it manually before the next stitch passed over the residual thread. Outside of that situation, the result was as expected.