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The EPIC embroidery features of the HV Designer EPIC

The EPIC embroidery features of the HV Designer EPIC

by Elaine Theriault

Today’s the day! We’re going to do some stitch-outs on the Husqvarna Viking Designer EPIC. And I’ll only be scratching the surface of what amazing embroidery techniques are available. More on those another day.

Let’s get started.

Designer EPIC with embroidery unit attached

Designer EPIC with embroidery unit attached

Here’s a quick tip about those stabilizers. Once you remove the plastic, that label is going to get misplaced and you want to keep it with the stabilizer. Simply tuck the label inside the center of the tube and you’ll always know what kind of stabilizers you have.

Insert the stabilizer label inside the roll of stabilizer

Insert the stabilizer label inside the roll of stabilizer

Remember, if you’ve never done machine embroidery before, all the steps are built into the Embroidery Section of the JoyOS advisor. Just follow the step by step instructions. Simple!

Built in step by step instructions for machine embroidery

Built in step by step instructions for machine embroidery

Here’s the design I chose. I’m doing a very simple embroidery, but there are a lot of color changes.

Design to stitch out

Design to stitch out

How to hoop your fabric

You want to start by cutting a piece of stabilizer that is slightly larger than your hoop. Layer your fabric (right side up) on top of the stabilizer. I don’t bother to cut my fabric down to smaller sizes, but you don’t want the piece to be too big either as it’ll be moving around as the hoop moves.

Layer the fabric over the stabilizer

Layer the fabric over the stabilizer

Next up, you’re going to open the quick release (the spring) on the outer part of the hoop and place it underneath the fabric/stabilizer combination.

Place the outer hoop underneath the fabric/stabilizer combination

Place the outer hoop underneath the fabric/stabilizer combination

Place the inner hoop on top of the fabric, making sure that the arrow at the bottom of the outer hoop is matching up with the arrow at the bottom of the inner hoop. Essentially, you don’t want that inner hoop to be upside down.

Press the inner hoop inside the outer hoop. I start at the bottom left and work my way around the hoop until I end up at the bottom right corner which is where the quick release and the screw are located.

Place the inner hoop over the outer hoop with the fabric and stabilizer sandwiched in between

Place the inner hoop over the outer hoop with the fabric and stabilizer sandwiched in between

Once the inner hoop is secured inside the outer hoop, close the quick release and tighten up the screw. There’s no need to go crazy on tightening that screw – you want it secure, not break it!

The inner hoop is secured inside the outer hoop

The inner hoop is secured inside the outer hoop

The outer hoop has a tendency to move around and if that is causing you problems, you can purchase a hoop grip that you can slide the hoop connector into, in order to stabilize the outer hoop. I must get one of these as I think it would solve a lot of my hooping issues.

If you’re going to do your embroidery on a garment or need the design in a specific location, then find the center of the desired design position and mark two intersecting lines across it. Those two lines will be used to line up with the guide markings on the hoop. I pointed those out yesterday.

In the sample below, I just drew those lines on with a chalk pencil, while it was already hooped. I know – a big cheat, but you get the idea. And note that the center of the design is NOT the center of the hoop. There’s a reason why the top half is bigger than the bottom half. That doesn’t matter, the centering lines are what matters. Don’t eyeball it – you’ll be disappointed.

Centering lines for hooping

Centering lines for hooping

If I’m using a larger hoop, then I can further stabilize the hoop by using clips at various points around the perimeter of the hoop. They’re easy to put on and easy to take off and I’ve never had one pop out during the stitch out process.

Clips to help stabilize the larger hoops

Clips to help stabilize the larger hoops

I’ve changed the foot to one that is appropriate for machine embroidery.

Sensor Q-Foot for machine embroidery

Sensor Q-Foot for machine embroidery

My design is ready to be stitched out. I can now proceed to the Embroidery Stitch Out mode. I get a screen reminding me how I need to set up the Designer EPIC for the stitching. Easy to follow instructions, easy to select the options and now I’m ready!

Reminder of settings for machine embroidery

Reminder of settings for machine embroidery

Remember I told you that the Designer EPIC wouldn’t let you stitch if you didn’t have the correct hoop? The design I’m stitching out recommends a 200 x 200 hoop. That’s the minimum size required to stitch the design. I don’t have a 200 x 200 hoop, so I choose the next largest one that I had. That was the 200 x 260. I can always go larger, but never smaller. However, I didn’t advise the Designer EPIC that I was using a different hoop and so I got a gentle reminder.

Gentle reminder to attach the correct hoop

Gentle reminder to attach the correct hoop

Notice that it wasn’t just reminding me to attach the hoop, but it was looking for the 200 x 200 hoop. AHA – now I understand. Once I changed the settings in the Embroidery Edit Mode to the 200 x 260 hoop, which matched the physical hoop I was using, I was good to go.

The list of thread colors now appears on the screen. The size of the color block is relative to the number of stitches in the design. In the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, you can see the total number of stitches in the design and beneath that number is the number of stitches for that color.

And notice on the bottom left, the hoop size is now 200 x 260.

The thread color changes are represented on the right

The thread color changes are represented on the right

Starting the stitch out

Starting the stitch out

I started the stitch out and went upstairs to edit some pictures while the Designer EPIC was stitching. WAIT! I forgot a very very important step to this embroidery stitch out process.

I grabbed my smart phone and downloaded an app – mySewMonitor App. I very quickly created an account with mySewnet. No machine on-line.

Shoot – I’ve already started the embroidery. Can I connect the Designer EPIC while it’s stitching? The answer is YES. I brought the sewing machine online and connected to my account on mySewnet.

Setting up mySewnet account while the Designer EPIC is stitching out a design

Setting up mySewnet account while the Designer EPIC is stitching out a design

There’s my account on mySewnet. Since I’ve just opened the account, there are no files to sync. BUT – look what happened next.

mySewnet account is synced

mySewnet account is synced

YES – the app on my cell phone now shows me the status of the stitch out. Isn’t that just the most awesome feature? I see the status of the entire design, I see the status of that particular thread color. Basically, the same information that is on the screen.

It means that I don’t have to be in the same room as the Designer EPIC, nor do I have to periodically hang my head over the staircase to hear if the machine is still stitching. I got a nice gentle reminder on the phone every time the thread needed to be changed. I think at one point, the thread broke and I was reminded of that as well.

Even when I took a run to the local coffee shop and my phone was temporarily off my home network, the moment I arrived in my driveway, I got a reminder to change the thread. I LOVE this feature!!!

Status update on the phone app

Status update on the phone app

Notification to change the thread

Notification to change the thread

I love that the “thread” on the spool in the forefront “emptied” to show the progress of that color in the stitch out. You have to remember that it doesn’t take much to amuse me.

The color on the thread spool shows the progress of that color

The color on the thread spool shows the progress of that color

Close to finishing the stitch out

Close to finishing the stitch out

The stitch out is complete!

Complete!

Complete!

The finished stitch out. He’s pretty cute. Notice that I didn’t follow the colors suggested in the thread color chart. Since it’s my stitch out, I can do what I want!

Pretty cute design!

Pretty cute design!

The plan now is to make something with those coorindating fabrics. I more or less chose the colors from those two fabrics. My plan is to make a zippered tote. There’s no time to finish that off today, so you’ll have to wait to see the finished bag.

Fabric to make a zippered tote with my embroidery design

Fabric to make a zippered tote with my embroidery design

Is the week over already? I barely scratched the surface of what I want to show you with the Husqvarna Viking Designer EPIC. There are many more exciting things we can do with this sewing/embroidery machine.

I hope you enjoyed this little adventure and that you learned some tips along the way. The capabilities of the Designer EPIC and the attention to detail has my head spinning.

If you’re into serious machine embroidery, the Designer EPIC is your machine. I don’t think there’s anything that this machine can’t do.

I’ll be back with more great ideas and more great designs. Stay tuned for that. Have a great day!
Ciao!

This is part 5 of 5 in this series.
Go back to part 4:  Inspira stabilizers save your machine embroidery work

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4 comments

dorie December 29, 2017 - 9:49 pm

I am so glad I found you and your page ..i got the epic for christmas..and to be honest I am not a techi kind of girl…I battled all day trying to figure all the key functions out…and want you to know your pages on the epic have been so helpful….thank you….if I have any questions would it be o.k if I bother you for further help….thanks so much you have been a blessing……sincerely Dorie

Reply
Barbara Wood July 28, 2017 - 9:49 am

Elaine, so glad I discovered your site! Better late than never. I currently have a Viking Sapphire 875 (great machine) and a Viking Diamond Royale. I’ve been thinking of trading for the new Epic, but to be honest, I’ve never felt I had truly mastered the Diamond so certainly didn’t deserve the Epic! I want to complement you on what a great job you have done with your posts. You made it so easy to understand the Epic that I may break down and treat myself to one. I look forward to checking out all your other posts. I am a fan!

Reply
Tricia August 8, 2016 - 11:59 pm

I dream about this machine! It is definately drool worthy!

Reply
Shirley Jobson August 6, 2016 - 10:24 pm

A phone app? That is ingenious!!!

Reply

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