Walk and Manual Stitches

Walk stitches can be digitized with straight and curved points. Straight points are input using a left mouse click. Curved points are input using a right mouse click.

To digitize a walk stitch using curved and straight points:

Insert a graphic (example, melco_tutor.tif). Zoom in on the area that you would like to digitize first. Keep in mind that the stitch list order is the same order the machine will sew the design. Select the walk stitch element .

This exercise goes through digitizing an outline around the letter "e". This exercise will take two steps.

1. First, digitize the outline inside of the letter "e". The first input point is a straight point (left click) on the bottom left side of the outline.

2. Now input a straight point on the right side on the bottom.

3. Input a curved point (right click) on the top of the curve.

4. Input the final point in the same place as the first point. Press the Enter key to complete the outline.

The outline is illustrated below with the steps labeled in red.

Now digitize the outline around the outside of the letter "e".

To digitize a manual stitch:

You can only use straight points for digitizing a manual stitch. This type of element is usually used for items where you want to be able to determine where your needle penetrations are. Maybe you would like to have the look of a long stitch without changing the stitch length on you walk stitch. An example of when to use a manual stitch element would be when digitizing grass. When representing blades of grass with thread, you may not necessarily want needle penetrations throughout the blades of grass.

1. Left click to input first needle point (penetration).

2. Left click again to input second needle point. Press the Enter key to end the manual stitch element.

Another use for manual stitch is to aid in manual trimming for peripherals that do not have trimmers.