Last month we looked at a few fills in an existing embroidery. This month, let's adjust and create our own fills.

Open 4D^TM Embroidery, 4D^TM Embroidery Extra or 3D^TM Studio. If you own 4D^TM or 3D^TM Stitch Editor or 4D^TM or 3D^TM Professional, QuickLink to 4D^TM or 3D^TM Stitch Editor . Search for "Fashion 1920". (The same embroidery you used last month.)

On the Design Tab, hide all the stitches except for the train of the dress. You can do this in several ways. Hide all the colors in the design but number 1 (4D^TM: take away the check from the boxes. 3D^TM: right click on the colors). Or use the Draw to End slider bar and take the number to 3590 for 4D^TM or 3890 for 3D^TM.

Tip: Use the Ghost Mode to see a "ghosted" image of the whole design. Only the colored stitches are active.

With only the train of the dress on the screen, go to the PatternMake Tab. Click Remove Needle Points in Fill . This takes away the penetration points that make the fill pattern. Now you have a clean slate to create a new pattern.

Choose the wave in row 1, column 2 of the Climate category.

Change the angle to 55. Now click Stamp Fill . This will "stamp" anything that is on the screen. An animation comes up and the train is now "stamped" with the wave stamp!

Look at how the pattern in the train has more interest.

You can also stamp a specific area like the hat. Use the Draw Range slider bars to hide everything except the hat. Your numbers in the Draw Range boxes may vary.

TIP: When using the slider bars, drag the slider to move in large stitch increments. Click inside the bar to move by 50 stitches at a time. Use the 4 small arrows to move one stitch at a time.

Zoom in on the hat. Go to the PatternMake Tab. Click Remove Needle Points in Fill. Choose the Plants category. Click on the stamp in column 1, row 3. Click on Single Stamp . Your cursor is now the stamp – in the proper size. Move your cursor over the hat stitches and left click on the right side of the hat. Adjust the angle as you move along the hat to make the pattern special.

So Stitch Editor can make a plain design special.

3D^TM Digitizing and 4D^TM Design Creator let you have complete control over your fills.

QuickLink to 4D^TM Design Creator or 3D^TM Digitizing. On the Picture Tab, use the MiniPics/Medium and choose the heart. Enlarge the heart and move it to the middle of the screen. (For 3D^TM Digitizing, keep the MiniPics Viewer open when you move and enlarge the heart.) Under Filters, use the Outline Finder. Then the Expander, three times to get a nice outline of the heart.

Go to the Create Tab. Use the Design Area and click and drag a box around the heart. Set the width to 100 mm.

QuickStitch Fill the heart. (Click OK on the color tolerance. Because we used the Expander, only the inside of the heart should be outlined with the Color Tolerance.)

Go to the Edit Tab. The Fill should be highlighted. If not, click on the outline of the fill. "Fill" should be in the lower right corner of your work area. Right click and the Fill Properties box comes up. Look through all the different fills that are available. Choose fill number 61 for 3D^TM and 116 for 4D^TM. Now go up to 3D^TM Create Stitches . Your fill is completely different than the default basic fill. Try a couple different fills. Click 3D^TM Create Stitches after each one to see how the heart would stitch. Go to the Options tab in Fill Properties. Change the angle and see what that does to your fill.

Simply changing the fill and angle makes a big difference in your embroidery.

Now let's see what else is available.

In 3D^TM Digitizing, go to the Edit Tab. Highlight the fill and then Delete Object . Go back to the Create Tab and use the QuickStitch Motif Fill and create a motif fill.

For 4D^TM Design Creator, go to the Edit Tab. Right-click with the fill highlighted to bring up the Fill Properties window. On the Options Tab, click Conversion and choose Motif Fill.

Adjust Motifs 1 and 2. Try different combinations to see what you get! This example uses Pattern 8 in General Motifs 1, with Pattern 2 from Hand Stitches 1. Also add a Satin QuickStitch Border to finish your Motif Fill.

In 4D^TM Design Creator, go back to the Edit Tab. Right-click with the Motif Fill highlighted. Go to the Options tab and click on Conversion. Change to Specialty Fill.

A new properties box comes up. This allows you to change to any of the specialty fills. Choose Radial Fill. Click 3D^TM Create Stitches . Notice how the Radial Fill goes to the center of the heart.

Now move the origin (by clicking and dragging the blue "O") to the top center of the heart. Notice how the Radial Fill changes when you click 3D^TM Create Stitches again.

Try other Specialty Fills like the QuiltStipple, Spiral and Shape Fills below. Adjust the Options and Have fun!

Tip: For questions about how to move an origin point or change a fill type, check out the help system, or watch the tutorials in the online Learning Center.

Best wishes from Husqvarna Viking