How to Create and Customize Applique Stitches in Your Embroidery Software

The Applique stitch type is a specialized embroidery method that requires physical interaction, as it involves attaching a separate piece of fabric onto the hoop during the sewing process. Rather than the machine applying the design entirely on its own, eXPerience 8 automates the necessary machine stops and holding stitches, allowing you to accurately place and trim your fabric throughout the production cycle.

The Four Stages of Applique Embroidery

When you assign an applique fill to a selected object, the software automatically generates a complete sequence of necessary stitches and machine movements.

1. Placement Stitch: The machine sews a single outline directly onto the background material. This outline serves as your physical guide, indicating the exact placement area for your applique fabric.
2. Tack-Down Stitch: Once the fabric is placed, this secondary stitch securely sews the applique material to the background.
3. Trimming: The operator must manually trim the excess applique fabric as closely to the tack-down line as possible.
4. Finishing Stitches: Finally, the machine covers the raw, trimmed edges with a dense border of finishing stitches.

Technical Tip: Before sending the design to your machine, you can preview this exact sequence—including machine stops and frame-out movements—by utilizing the Slow Redraw feature.

Configuring Trimming Preferences

eXPerience 8 provides multiple trimming options to accommodate different production workflows, dictated primarily by when the fabric is cut.

Option 1: During Embroidery (Default)

This is the standard operational method where trimming occurs mid-production.

1. The machine sews the placement outline, then stops and moves the needle away to provide adequate space for you to position the fabric.
2. After you resume the machine, it executes a series of holding stitches.
3. The machine frames out again and stops. You must now use scissors to carefully trim the excess fabric around the holding stitches.

Option 2: After Embroidery

If you prefer to clean up the edges post-production, this option alters the machine’s stopping behavior.

1. The initial placement outline and framing out behave identically to the default setting.
2. However, the machine will not stop for you to trim the excess material midway through. You must complete the trimming manually only after the entire production cycle has finished.

Option 3: Pre-Cut Applique Pieces

If you prepare your fabric shapes beforehand—such as by using a digital cutter—you can bypass the trimming stops entirely to speed up production.

• Pre-cut with Glue: The machine stops only once after the placement stitch. You place your pre-cut, glue-stabilized fabric, and the machine proceeds directly to the finishing stitches and the remainder of the design without further stops.
• Pre-cut with Zig-zag or E-stitch: The machine stops once for fabric placement. Upon resuming, it secures the fabric using your chosen holding stitch (Zig-zag or E-stitch) and continues seamlessly into the finishing stitches.

Fine-Tuning Applique Properties

Adjusting the Tack-down Offset

The Tack-down Offset parameter provides precise control by moving the tack-down stitch slightly inward or outward from the original shape boundary.

• If left at a default offset of 0, the tack-down stitch falls exactly on the edge of your shape, which may allow fabric threads to peek out after finishing.
• By adding a negative offset, you move the tack-down stitch inside the shape’s boundary. This ensures the raw edges are pulled inward and remain completely hidden beneath the final finishing stitches.

Selecting Decoration and Finishing Stitches

You have full control over the structural and aesthetic appearance of the final edge.

• Zigzag fix: Applies a Satin serial outline engineered with an increased stitch density.
• E-stitch fix: Applies a running outline customized with an Applique style. You can further modify this edge by selecting alternative styles or multi-frame styles within the properties panel.
• Satin fix: Applies a standard density Satin serial outline. You can customize its properties deeply, including adjusting the overall density, adding supportive underlay, or enabling a random stitches effect for texture.

Advanced Applique Workflow Adjustments

Using the Auto-Sequence Tool

For complex designs requiring distinct colorways or specialized layering, you may need to separate the applique fabric process from the final decorative stitching. Running the Auto-sequence tool completely detaches the applique setup part from the finishing stitches. Once separated, you can independently re-sequence when the finishing stitches occur or apply a different thread color strictly to the border.

Adjusting the Frame-Out Distance

To ensure you have adequate physical space to work when the hoop pushes out for fabric placement or manual trimming, you can specify the exact frame-out distance. Navigate to the Optimizer options to set your desired travel distance; for example, entering 50mm will result in exactly a 5 cm frame-out movement from the needle.