How to Do Embroidery Digitizing for Foam
Digital embroidery can be used for both commercial and non-commercial applications.
It is a process of converting designs into a code, which is read by the embroidery machine to make the embroidery. Puff embroidery or 3-D embroidery using foam is popular for use under letters or numbers to give them a raise look. Foam embroidery applications can be used on baseball cap brims and heavy fabrics.
Supplies:
- Digitizing software
- Font software
- Fabric or item
- Embroidery hoop
- 75/11 needle
- Embroidery thread
- Scissors
- Tearaway foam
- Fabric tape
- Fabric brush
- Open your embroidery software and choose letters or numbers which have ends which are rounded.
- Start by keying the letter.
- Set the following parameters for your project. Stitch length of one millimeter and a thread density of seven.
- Outline the letter with a running stitch. Always sew the running stitch first. The entire design should be at least one inch or larger.
- Apply a satin stitch setting for your second stitch. These stitches should extend just beyond the running stitches.
- Use your fabric hoop and put it on the machine.
- Put in a 75/11 needle into the embroidery machine for a foam project.
- Finish stitching out the running stitching with your embroidery thread. Trim a piece of the tearaway foam. It should be larger than your design.
- Tape the foam with the fabric tape to the top of the unfinished design.
- Set the machine to repeat the running stitch. This will punch the foam into the design. When the running stitches are complete stop stitching.
- Tear away the excess foam from the outside of the stitches.
- Repeat the satin stitch.
- Use a fabric brush to remove any pieces of foam from the fabric or project