Creative icon 2 Stitch Creator | Designing your own stitches

Yesterday, we played with adapting existing stitches in Stitch Creator – wasn’t it fun!

Today, I am thrilled to show you how easy it is to create your own stitch using Stitch Creator. So, if after perusing through the available stitches on your PFAFF creative icon 2, you still can’t find the perfect stitch you want – well, you make it yourself.

Sample of stitches created in Stitch Creator

Creating a decorative stitch using Stitch Creator

When you want to create your own stitch, open Stitch Creator from the bottom toolbar.

Remember all the tools we can use in Stitch Creator – add stitch points, delete stitch points, select only some stitch points, triple stitch all or part of the stitch, mirror image the selected stitch points, move stitch points, and even add another decorative stitch to your altered stitch.

Let’s get started!

When I open Stitch Creator from the bottom toolbar I have a blank screen. The width of the grid is 9mm, each grid is 1mm and the center of the 9mm grid is shown. This helps me with the placement of my stitch points. Every time I select Insert stitch point I get a new stitch which I can change the length of and move to the position I want. Once you create a few stitch points you can simply duplicate them, mirror image them and move them into position. Don’t forget you can touch and drag on the screen or use the arrows to move your stitch point.

Here’s a stitch I created that is 4.5mm wide as I only used half of the 9mm width. You can see where I moved the stitch points to create my stitch. The preview on the left side shows how many stitch points it took to make my stitch and what it will stitch out like. I really like this feature – I can see what my stitch looks like without having to close Stitch Creator.

New stitch created in Stitch Creator by inserting stitch points and moving each stitch point to a position on the grid

Before I do anything else I want to Save my newly created stitch to mySewnet cloud or a USB drive.

I then selected all the stitch points, duplicated them and mirror-imaged them and I have a new stitch without having to insert and move all the stitch points again. Love the tools my creative icon 2 gives me in Stitch Creator especially the preview of what my stitch looks like.

Original set of stitch points duplicated and mirror imaged in Stitch Creator

I then chose Select Multiple to deselect all the stitch points. I selected the middle stitch and deleted it. Selected All and touched the 3x icon to triple-stitch the new stitch. Wow – this stitch looks amazing in the Preview. Wait until you see it on the fabric! Don’t forget to save it!

Center stitch deleted and all stitch points selected and the 3x tripled stitch icon used

I touched the 3x icon to deactivate it and then I selected the last half of the stitch points and mirror-imaged them. This put them back on the top half of the grid and I love the overlapped effect I achieved. I think this will be an excellent stitch to use on my Mug Rug. Don’t forget to save the stitches as you create them.

A variation of the same stitch points with all of them on the top half of the grid and no triple stitch

By selecting all of the stitch points and duplicating them I can mirror image the duplicated portion and create another new stitch.

All stitch points are selected, duplicated and mirror imaged for another new stitch in Stitch Creator.

If I move the selected stitches to just below the original ones I have another new stitch. Don’t forget to save each variation and check the preview window to see what they will stitch out like.

Same group of selected stitch points moved to below the first group of stitch points to create another stitch.

Finally, I added a candlewicking stitch #9.1.1 and moved it up to the center of the stitch for a very unique look. I love the effect of the candlewicking stitch and I know this will look great on my Mug Rug.

Candlewicking Stitch #9.1.1 added to the end of my stitch points and moved to the center of the stitch points for another new stitch combination.

And here’s a stitch out of all the stitches I created.

Have you noticed that I really haven’t added any more stitch points to my original set of stitch points? I used the original set and applied the tools in Stitch Creator to make more stitches – duplicate, 3x, moving stitch points, deleting a stitch point, and adding an existing stitch to my new stitch. Lots of creative tools are found in Stitch Creator!!

Stitchout of stitches created in Stitch Creator on my PFAFF creative icon 2

Here are some other stitches I created using a very simple set of stitches. Here’s the starting stitch – a very simple edge stitch – looks like half a heart.

12 stitch points to create a new stitch – half a heart

Select them all, duplicate the stitch points and mirror the image end to end for a new stitch.

The original 12 stitch points duplicated and mirror-imaged to create a nice border stitch

Select All and duplicate the stitches again. Mirror image side to side and now I have a 9mm wide stitch.

All the stitches were selected and duplicated. Mirror image them for another new stitch.

Pretty cool, isn’t it? But I think it’ll look better as a triple stitch – so all I have to do is Select All and touch the 3x icon. Voila – a much more defined stitch!

All stitch points were selected and a 3x triple stitch icon applied

What a great border stitch! And so easy to create! What other stitches can I create from the original one?

I’ll deselect the 3x triple stitch and the stitch points. I’ll delete some stitch points until I’m back to the original 12 stitch points. What if I select them all, duplicate, mirror image side to side and end to end? Add a few more stitches around the inside of the heart and I have another new stitch. If we don’t add a connecting stitch, your new stitch will simply stitch over itself, over and over and over again. To avoid this, add a connecting stitch (or two) and you can see in the preview we have a nice stitch that can be a great border stitch – great for quilting labels!

Another new stitch created by duplicating the original 12 stitch points, mirror imaging them and adding some more stitch points.

And add a few more stitches or a built-in stitch and we just keep coming up with more and more stitch possibilities – the sky is the limit!

New heart shape with stitch points added and the new stitch points 3x triple stitched

Delete the highlighted stitches and add a built-in stitch such as a candlewicking stitch #9.1.1 or other decorative stitches.

Heart stitch with built-in Stitch #9.1.1 inserted in the center of the heart

Here’s a stitch out of all the stitches I came up with using these stitch points.

Stitchout of all the stitches created in Stitch Creator using the original 12 stitch points of the left-hand stitch

That’s a lot of new stitches built off of the original stitch on the lefthand side of the fabric.

Sewing our Stitch Creator stitches on our Mug Rug

Let’s add some of these stitches to our Mug Rug.

Thread your PFAFF creative icon 2 with metallic thread on top and bobbin thread in the bobbin.

Decide which stitches you want to use next. I really like the overlapped narrow 4.5mm stitch I made in the first group of stitches.

I’ll make sure I turn on the projector feature on my PFAFF creative icon 2.

Place the grid to the left of your stitch on the center of your first row of stitches. Sew the stitch on both sides of the center stitch. Make sure the straight edge of the stitch is parallel to the center row – mirror image the stitch if needed. If you don’t have projector capabilities, use the edge of your foot and keep it on the center-drawn line.

Using the projector to position where I want to sew my first row of stitches

Let’s sew another row of this stitch two grids over from the row you just stitched and make sure the straight edge of the stitch is facing away from the second row – Mirror Image side to side if needed.

Keep the grid lined up with the previously stitched row. The third grid to the left of your foot should be riding over the center of the first row of stitching. Repeat on both sides of your Mug Rug. Don’t you just love how the projector shows us where the stitch will be?

Second row of decorative stitch using the projector to position and sew the stitch on my Mug rug

After I stitched the four rows of my created stitch, I decided I wanted to give it a bit more punch so I chose a triple straight stitch and stitched it right on top of the straight edge of my metallic thread.

Triple Straight Stitch #1.1.2 stitched on top of my created stitch to give a bit more punch to the stitch

Change your thread to the 40wt rayon thread.

I’ll use the stitch I added the candlewicking stitch to and sew it between the two rows I just stitched. Again, use the grid to keep your stitch centered between the two rows. Notice the edge of your sewing foot is also riding over the stitch between the two grids.

Using the projector to sew one of the new Stitch Creator stitches between the two rows

And the last stitch I’ll use from my newly created stitches is the heart stitch with the little bauble in the center. Again, use the grid to sew the stitch just outside the last row.

Using the projector to position and sew my last new stitch on my Mug Rug

And here’s my Mug Rug with all of my Stitch Creator creations!

All the decorative stitches created and/or altered in Stitch Creator stitched on my Mug Rug

When I’m looking at combining stitches in a project, I usually try to keep them balanced by choosing a more open stitch then a heavier denser stitch and then back to a more open stitch. The metallic stitches between the rows enhance the other decorative stitches and form a frame effect for them.

That was a lot of creating and stitching today! It’s so much fun to see what I can create in Stitch Creator – you have to agree, with Stitch Creator, there’s no limit to how many stitches our PFAFF creative icon 2 has!

Join me tomorrow as we take a look at another creative Sewing Program on our PFAFF creative icon 2 – Sequence Creator. I’m thinking I need some text between the tapered stitches.

Until tomorrow!

This is part 3 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 2: Stitch Creator on the PFAFF creative icon 2 – Altering Built-in Stitches

Go to part 4: Combine stitches and text with the creative icon 2 Sequence Creator

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