Embird Cross Stitch - Creating a Simple Design

Embird Embroidery Software Tutorial

This tutorial explains how to create a simple cross stitch design on a blank background in the Embird Cross Stitch plug-in. The design is digitized by placing pixels into a grid on the Work Area. When finished, each pixel is compiled into a cross, and the design is launched into the Embird Editor for final adjustment and saving in the desired embroidery format. Although it is not shown in the following tutorial, it is possible to import an image or chart into the background of the Work Area - these topics are explained in the Embird Cross Stitch - Set Size of Image and Embird Cross Stitch - Importing Chart tutorials.

1 - Run Embird and click the "Editor" menu to switch to the Editor window.

2 - Select the "Insert > Cross Stitch Design" menu to open the Embird Cross Stitch window.

3 - The Cross Stitch plug-in will be launched, and its "Preferences" box will appear on the screen (Picture No. 1). Specify the cross size and the size of the Work Area. In this example, the cross size is 2.0 mm (i.e., there will be 5 crosses per centimeter), and the size of the Work Area is 30 x 30 crosses - this means that the design we will create will fit a 60 x 60 mm hoop size. Confirm these settings by clicking the "OK" button.

1. Set size of Work Area

4 - Embird will adjust the size of the Work Area to 30 x 30 crosses (Picture No. 2). Now we can start using Cross Stitch tools for drawing our simple design - "two cherries". Select the red color from the palette at the right side of the screen: Move the mouse pointer to the box containing the red color and click the left mouse button to set this color as the default "cross color 1". This means that the left mouse button will draw crosses on the Work Area having this color. If you select a color in the palette with a right mouse button click, this will set the color as the default "cross color 2" for drawing with the right mouse button on the Work Area.

2. Select red color as default Cross Color 1

5 - Move the mouse pointer to the icon of the "Filled Ellipse" tool at the left side of the screen and click the left mouse button to select this tool. Move the mouse pointer to the Work Area, depress the left mouse button, and drag the mouse to draw an ellipse (circle). Release the left mouse button when you have the desired shape and size (Picture No. 3).

Note: More information about tools is available in the Embird Cross Stitch - Design Toolbar tutorial. Before you start drawing crosses on the Work Area, you might want to change the cross type - normal, upright, mini, horizontal, or vertical. Find more information in the Embird Cross Stitch - Color Palette Bar tutorial.

3. Draw two red filled circles

6 - Select the green color from the palette at the right side of the screen. For drawing the leaves, select the "Pencil" tool

at the left side of the screen. Move the mouse pointer to the Work Area and draw the leaves (Picture No. 4).

Tip: If you make a mistake, you can delete the unwanted cross with the "Eraser" tool . Another way, which does not require changing the active tool, is to depress the ALT key on the keyboard and click the unwanted cross while holding this key down.

4. Draw green leaves using Pen tool

7 - Add outlines to the design automatically by selecting the "Insert > Insert Outline Around Each Color (Multi-Color)" command from the main menu (Picture No. 5).

Tip: It is possible to create outlines or backstitch lines manually. Find more information about the tools allowing these operations in the Embird Cross Stitch - Design Toolbar tutorial.

5. Add outlines to both colors

8 - Check the designs with outlines (Picture No. 6). Now we would like to fill the background of the design with a pattern. Click the "Choose fill pattern" (...) button at the right side of the screen.

6. Click "Choose fill pattern" button

9 - A dialog box will appear on the screen, allowing you to choose the fill pattern. Scroll the window down and choose a pattern (Picture No. 7). Click the "OK" button to confirm the selection.

Tip: You can create your own fill patterns - find more details in the Embird Cross Stitch - Creating New Fill Pattern tutorial.

7. Choose fill pattern

10 - Select the light blue color in the color palette (1 in Picture No. 8). Select the "Fill contiguous area" tool

at the left side of the screen (2).

11 - Move the mouse pointer to the Work Area and position the cursor anywhere over the blank space (3). Click the left mouse button to fill this area with the selected pattern and color (Picture No. 8).

Note: If you don't select any pattern, the area will be filled with crosses of the currently chosen type (normal, upright, mini, horizontal, or vertical).

Tip: You can fill in areas by applying a gradient and filter to the fill pattern - click the "Fill Properties" button

at the right side of the screen to access these options.

8. Fill background with chosen pattern

12 - Check the 3D preview of the design by clicking the "3D" tab below the Work Area (Picture No. 9).

9. Check design in 3D view mode

Tip: Select the "View > Sew Simulator" command from the main menu to check the simulation of the sewing of the design.

13 - Click the "File > Save As" menu to save this cross stitch project into a file on your hard disk. Specify the file name and location in the dialog box that appears on the screen.

14 - Click the "File > Compile and Put into Embird Editor" menu to compile the cross stitch project into stitches and return to the Editor window.

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