Stitching out an embroidery design with the DESIGNER EPIC 3

I love how quick and easy it was to get perfect in-the-ditch quilting using the Husqvarna VIKING DESIGNER EPIC 3. The right tools (presser feet and a great machine) make a huge difference in the quality of the finished project. OK – so it takes a bit of skill, but the tools help a lot!

Today, I’ll use quilt block designs created in the mySewnet Embroidery Software to embroider a motif on each of the 30 blocks in the quilt.

We’ve got a lot of work to do, so let’s dive in!

I’ve done loads of machine embroidery over the years (can you believe I’ve been embroidering for over 25 years?), but I’m relatively new to quilting with my embroidery machine. Let’s say that I learned many things during this process. There’s too much to share today, so I’ll explain what I learned in tomorrow’s post! I want to thoroughly explain what happened and, more importantly, what I learned!

The first step is to open mySewnet Embroidery Software and find the Quilt Block Wizard (CREATE tab). This tool is available in the Gold and Platinum levels of the software. What I love about the wizards is that they’re so easy to use. In this case, I enter the shape and size, then go to the quilting style page, pick a style, select the options, and before you know it, you can send the files to the DESIGNER EPIC 3 to quilt! It’s so easy!

When I open the Quilt Block Wizard, I have five quilt block style options, and a handy picture on the right-hand side gives you a visual.

The Select Quilt Block Style menu

I chose the option Filled Quilt Block, No Inner Shape, and once I touched Next, I got a screen with selections. It was easy to select the shape (square) and the design size (190mm by 190mm). I could also change the angle, but that was unnecessary. Like I said, I’m not having to do any ‘work’. I simply tell the software what I want.

An option screen for the Quilt Block Wizard

When we get to the Select Fill Pattern screen, there are many options for the quilting style. Within each of those categories, there are additional options – how far apart you want the lines of quilting to be, the length of stitch, angles of the stitch, the type of stitch, etc. It’s all menu-driven, so you can simply select your choices! You get to preview the design on the screen, as shown below, before you commit to a design. I played with these quilt designs in the past and learned a few things, which you’ll see tomorrow.

A preview of the fill pattern for the quilt block

Within mere minutes, I chose my design and sent it via Wi-Fi to DESIGNER EPIC  3. Remember to log into your mySewnet account on all your devices (DESIGNER EPIC 3 and computer) to transfer files. In the beginning, I found this a bit challenging, but now? It’s so easy! Occasionally, you get disconnected from your account, so if something isn’t working, check whether your account login is connected.

Sending the design file directly to the DESIGNER EPIC 3

As easy as that, the design for the quilt block is on the Embroidery Edit Screen on the DESIGNER EPIC  3.

The embroidery design is on the Embroidery Edit screen.

I’m using the Husqvarna VIKING Quilters Metal Hoop 200 mm by 200mm, so it’ll be easy to hoop the quilt. I could use a traditional hoop, but it can be challenging to hoop the three layers in the two-part hoop. I love my metal hoops.

The Quilters Metal Hoop and eight magnets

There are centering notches on the metal hoop, so once you have registration lines on the quilt, it’s easy to match (by touch) the registration marks with the notches. My design is almost as large as the hoop, so there’s little room to play with the design in Embroidery Edit.

Note that some pictures are not necessarily in order, or I might switch from one color to the next. I put them in the order that best illustrated my process.

I used a quilter’s ruler and a white chaco liner (my favorite marking tool) and marked one block at a time.

Registration lines on the quilt block

Place the basted quilt on top of the hoop. Ensure you’re hooping on a flat surface. I recently watched a dealer who’s been in the machine embroidery business for longer than I have, and he went to a flat surface to hoop. Don’t cheat on this process.

I’m using my finger to feel for the notches on the metal hoop.

Using my fingers to feel for the notches on the metal hoop

Once the quilt is positioned more or less in the correct spot, add the magnets, and you’re ready to stitch. I could only use seven magnets as the top of the block doesn’t reach the top of the hoop. That’s OK. It’s securely attached, and I’ll watch it as it stitches.

The magnets secure the quilt to the metal hoop.

As you move from Embroidery Edit to Embroidery Stitch-out, a menu will appear on the screen confirming embroidery stitch-out settings. You can turn off this screen, but I think it’s crucial; you should look at all the options before moving into Embroidery Stitch-Out. I removed the Deluxe Stitch System, which I always do when working on a two-side embroidery design (such as quilting a quilt). I also shut off all the thread cut options, so I’ll manually trim all the threads, which keeps the back looking much tidier.

The Embroidery Stitch-Out Settings screen

I moved into Embroidery Stitch-out mode and connected my hoop to the embroidery arm.

Ready to stitch in Stitch Out mode

There are several ways to check the position of the design within the stitching area. I explained Scan Hoop before, and this is easy to do if you check out the Hoop Options (Embroidery Edit mode) tab at the bottom of the screen.

The Scan Hoop option under the Hoop Options tab

I’m using the Hoop Position to check my hooping skills. This tab is in Embroidery Stitch Out.

The Hoop Position options

Then, if I’m off a bit on the placement of the quilt, I can easily reposition it by removing a magnet and shifting the quilt.

Using the needle to check for the Center Position with my registration lines

Then I touched Start. The hoop went to the starting position, stitched a couple of stitches, and then stopped for me to cut the thread tails.

Cutting the thread tails

And things were going great. I did have some difficulty with this, but it was so operator error that I’m almost embarrassed to tell you. But I’ll go into more detail tomorrow when I can give it the proper space it needs. Let it be a lesson to us all!

Stitching out the embroidery design

Here’s the completed design. One block is complete; there are only 29 more to stitch!

The embroidery design

Obviously, I had to embroider the blocks along the edge of the quilt, where the edges are loose when in the embroidery hoop. I babysat the embroidery to ensure the edges didn’t go wonky and everything was fine. However, we all know the rule of machine embroidery – it’s OK when you sit and watch it, but if you walk away, those edges mess up! I would never leave this to stitch without watching it unless the edges were more secure.

The corner block is in the metal hoop.

And how was the tension on the back? Considering that I didn’t change anything, and I was using 30-weight cotton on the top and 40-weight rayon on the bobbin, I think the tension was pretty impressive, although the top was a tad loose.

The tension on the back

I played with the tension a bit, resulting in another operator error issue. More about this tomorrow. Giving us so much flexibility is fantastic, and even though it leads to some frustration, the best way to learn is by trying!

Changing the tension

The 30-weight cotton was quite ‘linty’, and that’s a whole story to tell you tomorrow.

A lot of lint buildup with the cotton thread

The colored blocks in the quilt run on the diagonal, and I chose an all-over block design for each color, but I used the same variegated thread for each. In total, I chose six different patterns. I’m halfway through, and here’s what the quilt looks like. I love the effect of the various patterns and the variegated thread.

The quilt top with half of the blocks embroidered

I had a few ‘design challenges’ to deal with, and I was thrilled each time something came up. It was a puzzle to solve because my choices caused every issue. However, I’m super thrilled with the quilt. The first one is always the hardest, but now that I’ve worked out those issues, the next one will be a piece of cake!

I must say that the larger embroidery space on the Husqvarna VIKING DESIGNER EPIC  3 was a dream to quilt on, and all the tools within the embroidery machine were excellent. And I loved how easy it was to create the patterns in the mySewnet software.

Husqvarna VIKING DESIGNER EPIC 3 with the embroidery unit attached

Be sure to come back tomorrow because you want to see what went wrong and, more importantly, how I was able to fix it. Again, it was all operator choices, and now I’m smarter!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!

This is part 2 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 1: Stitch in the ditch quilting with the Husqvarna VIKING DESIGNER EPIC 3

Go to part 3: 10 TIPS: Using embroidery mode on the HV DESIGNER EPIC 3

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