Step by step, entering custom stitch patterns on the NQ900

Yesterday on QUILTsocial I showed you how to set up the NQ900 sewing machine to use the My Custom Stitch feature. We put on the monogramming foot, set the My Custom Stitch screen on the LCD display and drew out a stitch diagram on the grid sheets that came with the machine.

Today we’re going to input the design coordinates into the machine. To be honest with you, I thought this process would be VERY tedious but I was very pleasantly surprised by how fast and easy it was!

The beginning of our design is stitch 1 and as you can see on the diagram above, the coordinates of the point is ‘7’ high and ‘0’ along the bottom edge of the graph. So I simply used the up and down arrows below the display to change the first number to 7. When I was sure that the numbers were correct, I pressed the “OK” button.

Next you have to tell the machine if you want one line of stitching or three lines of stitching. I only want one for this design, so I kept that selection highlighted. If I had wanted a heavier stitching line, I would have used the +/- keys to select the area that has three lines of stitching. Next, you press “OK”.

Now you have to tell the machine if this is the end of the design or if you still want to keep editing the pattern. The icon on the left is “keep editing” the icon on the left is “finished editing”. Since I’m only just getting started, I select the left icon and then press “OK”.

To enter the next point on my design I use the arrow buttons to set it at “14” and “0”. As you’re pushing the button, you can see the point moving on the screen so you can definitely see if you’re pressing the correct button. Once the numbers are correct, press “OK” and then follow the same steps above.

I kept following my diagram, entering subsequent numbers into the machine and I can see my design taking shape on the LCD display!

After entering in 25 coordinates, my design is complete. I select “finish editing” at the correct screen and press “OK”.

Now, I know it seams like a lot of steps, but once you get the hang of it, it goes quite quickly. Now that I’ve got the design entered into the machine I want to save it so that I can use it again and again. To do this, I press the button with the picture of the pocket on it.

Up to 15 designs can be saved on the machine – each in its own pocket. When I pressed the pocket button, my other saved designs showed up on the screen, so I scrolled down until I found an empty pocket (8) and then pressed “OK”.

If I didn’t have any empty pockets available, I could’ve selected a pocket that contained a design that I no longer wanted and that design would’ve been overwritten with the new design.

Now that my design is saved in the machine, I can turn the NQ900 off for the night and tomorrow we’ll see what my design looks like when it’s actually stitched with thread – see you then!