Stitching Ornaments in a Group With Embrilliance

Typically, when we stitch Christmas ornaments, we stitch a bunch. I’ll show you how to combine several files into one hoop to save time and avoid pitfalls using Embrilliance.

Bonnie’s Christmas Cookies are one of my all-time favorites. We have shown you how to create freestanding applique ornaments or gift tags. Now I will show you how to stitch out a bunch at one time.

I’m using Embrilliance Essentials but most design editing software has the same capabilities. Start by looking at the color sequence of the design. Gingerbread Boy 1 has seven different color stops.

 

 

One is the placement stitching for the applique. Two is the tack-down of the applique. Three stitches the white accents on arms and legs. Four stitches the satin stitching around the outside edge. Five stitches the white accent over top of the satin stitching. Six stitches the eyes and mouth. Seven stitches the red buttons.

The Technique

Select hoop size (Edit/Preferences) and choose a larger hoop size.

Open the Gingerbread Boy 1 design file. 

 

Select it and drag it up to the top left corner of the hoop.

Copy and paste (Edit/Copy, Paste).
 

 
Drag the design beside the original design.

Edit/Select All.

Utility/Align & Distribute: Align, check bottom. That puts both gingerbread boys lined up on the same plane.

Move them up a bit.

Select all, copy and paste twice and move in place for three rows of gingerbread boys.

Each of these six designs has seven color stops. You don’t want to have 42 different color stops. Color Sort will eliminate duplicates.

Utility, Color Sort.

Thirty-five color stops were eliminated saving you from a "color stop" and fabric trimming nightmare! The whole point of adding multiples into one hooping is to save time not take up more of your time. Whew!

One more concern to be mindful of is that there are two whites and they must stitch in their exact sequence. The first white, the arm and leg accents, have their edges covered by the outside satin stitches. The second white stitches on top of that. For the most part, Embrilliance recognizes this, especially when you have an accomplished digitizer like Bonnie creating the files.

To check, click New View.

It shows the original seven color stops in the correct order. Save the new stitch and working file and you are good to go!

Debbie Henry
Sew Inspired by Bonnie