A STEM Project: Coding in TurtleStitch - Tracing An Image in TurtleStitch Using A Design Created in Silhouette and Then Appliquéing the Design

Tracing an image in TurtleStitch is a simple operation.  An image is added to the stage area by the Import command as a background and then traced point by point along the edge of the image. 

In this blog posting, I will describe how I created an image using the Silhouette program and imported it  into TurtleStitch to be traced and then embroidered with an appliqué stitch. You can follow along as I have included my SVG design of a ballerina and my TurtleStitch program for tracing.

I created my design using the Silhouette software and centered it on an 8 1/2 in. x 11 in. media page. 

I recommend a dark fill so that the image is easier to trace in TurtleStitch.

I determined that the maximum image size for the Turtlestitch stage area is approximately 3 1/2 inches in height x 4 1/2 inches in width. I resized the image in the Silhouette software to accommodate this TurtleStitch constraint. The image cannot be resized once it has been added to the stage area in Turtlestitch. (Once the design is traced, it can be resized using my TurtleStitch program.)  I then saved the image as an SVG using the Silhouette software.  (Please note that Designer Edition or higher is required to export SVG's in Silhouette.)   The image could be exported as a PNG or a JPEG file. However, the image was too small and blurry in TurtleStitch with the default parameters from the Silhouette program.

Here is my ballerina SVG image. Download it to your computer.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BPcl6ooMLqCwXUwPsEMsHKEPsMA0ZyYh/view?usp=sharing

My tracing program is a SNAP! program whereby simple keyboard commands are typed and the movement of the mouse is recorded in a graphic table of X and Y coordinates. These series of X and Y coordinates create the path that will be embroidered.

Open My TurtleStitch Program

https://www.turtlestitch.org/run#cloud:Username=Elaine&ProjectName=Ballerina

Import the downloaded ballerina SVG as background to the stage area with the Import command in TurtleStitch.

I recommend tracing the image in an enlarged stage area. To enlarge the stage area, in the ribbon area above the stage, there is a box with two arrows pointing outwards.  Toggle this button to enlarge the stage area or to return to the original size with the palette and scripting pane.

Begin Tracing the Image

Press the "0" (zero) key to clear the "graphic" table. Move the cursor to where you want to start. Press the "u" key to make a jump stitch to this location (I say the word "up" in my head as I do this to remember that the turtle(pen) should be in the "up" position as to not record the movement).  Press the space bar.  Make sure that there is a red line from the center of the design to where you are starting. The red line is a jump stitch. 

Press the letter "u" to move the mouse without drawing. To move multiple times without drawing. Press the letter "u" multiple times. The letter "u" must be pressed twice for a jump stitch to be created. Once at the place where the stitch ends and the next "u" at the place where the next stitch begins. Press the space bar to continue creating stitches.  I placed the stitch points about an 1/8 inch apart. Continue pressing the space bar to trace the design.  If you do not like the last point that was traced, it can be removed with the "r" key. 

The "e" key MUST be pressed when the design is completed. Make sure you do this before exporting the design to be embroidered for your machine.  I did not do this and my Brother PE 800 machine would not load the exported design.

Press the letter "a" to appliqué the design.  (You will notice that the design is repeated twice.  The first time a running stitch is sewn and the second time a satin stitch is sewn.)  Export the design to your embroidery machine.

Appliquéing the Design on Your Embroidery Machine

1). Place the backing material with stabilizer onto your hoop.

2). Float the fabric to be appliquéd on top of this backing material. The appliqué fabric should be an inch or so larger than your appliquéd design so that the entire design will be covered.

3). Run the embroidery program. This will create a running stitch which tacks down the appliqué fabric. (When the program was coded,  the "set color" block stops the embroidery machine.) 

4). When the machine stops, remove the hoop from the embroidery machine. Do NOT remove the embroidery from the hoop.

5). Cut the excess appliqué fabric away from the backing fabric as close to the outer edge as possible. (A satin stitch to be sewn will cover the raw edge of the appliquéd fabric.)

6). Return the hoop to the embroidery machine.

7). Run the embroidery program. The second layer creates a satin stitch to complete the appliquéd design.

Completed Appliquéd ballerina