The new Weld Tool

The new Weld Tool

Creating a pin cushion with Sue O’Very

Lesson eight demonstrates how to:
  • Use the Ellipse and Wreath tool
  • Weld several shapes into one
  • Insert a basic shape
  • Reshape corners to curves
  • Remove overlaps

The new Weld Tool: Creating a Pin Cushion with Sue O’Very

Hello my Sewing Bees, in today's lesson I'm going to show you just how to create a pin cushion with the Weld tool, a new feature of the BERNINA Embroidery Software 9.

Let's have some fun!

Red highlighted words 
They mark a function which is shown in the picture with a red circle.
The circle is sometimes very small, so keep looking for it! 
 

Tear Drop Reference

Tear Drop Reference

In this exercise, you will be digitizing a pin cushion without an image in the background. Use your imagination as you create your own unique pin cushion!

You can download Sue's original design as a BERNINA Embroidery Software 9 art-file. The art-file can't be used on your embroidery machine. You need to export it on a USB-stick or via the WiFi-Device as a machine file in order to stitch it out. Check Lesson one if you need a reminder how to export a design to your machine.

Download Original
From the beginning

From the beginning

Open BERNINA Embroidery Software 9 and switch to "Embroidery Canvas". Change the hoop size to the BERNINA Medium Hoop, 130 x100. I demonstrated how to change the hoop size in lessons 1-4 if you need a reminder of the detailed process.

The Ellipse Tool

The Ellipse Tool

Select the Ellipse tool in the Digitize Toolbox. Select Color # 10.
A Step Fill is selected by default.

Left click in the center of the hoop and pull mouse away from the center to the width you want for your pin cushion.

Left click to set the width.

Then pull the mouse upward to the desired height of your pin cushion.

Left click to set the height.

Press the key "Enter" on your keyboard to Set the final shape of the pin cushion.

Create the Flower Head Pin

Create the Flower Head Pin

Make a small circle with the Ellipse tool by left clicking on the screen at the upper left of the pin cushion and dragging to the size you want. 

Left click once and press "Enter" to set the circle.

REMARK
If you only set the widht with the first left click and then press "Enter"
- without setting the hight -
you will create a circle with an even radius.
 

​Press "Esc" to deactivate the Ellipse tool.
Select the little circle shape with a left click.

> Open the Mirror-Merge toolbox and select Wreath.

In the pop-up toolbar, change the number of copies to 5.

Move the mouse until there are 5 equally spaced overlapping circles to form a flower.  

Left click to set the shape. Choose YES to merging the overlapped objects.

Activate Show Objects icon in Color Film to see how the flower is all one piece and separate from the pin cushion oval.

Open the Digitizing Toolbox and select the Rectangle tool. Draw a thin tall rectangle to be the pin portion of the flower head pin. Click at the upper left and drag to the lower right.

> Click again to set the rectangle.
> Press "Esc" to deactivate the Rectangle tool.

Select the rectangle with a left click. There are black handles around the outside. Left click again on the rectangle to activate the Clear Rotating handles (hollow square handles).

Click and drag on one of the handles to rotate and move the rectangle until it lines up with the flower head portion.

Rotate and move the flower until it lines up to your liking in the same way you rotated the rectangle.

Hold the "Ctrl" key and click on the flower and the rectangle to select both. Open the Edit Toolbox and select Weld. 

Notice in Color Film, the flower and pin are one piece and separate from the pin cushion oval.

You have welded the first two shapes!

Create the Heart

Create the Heart

Select Insert Embroidery in the top toolbar.

Navigate to find the heart embroidery design. Follow the path:

C:\Users\Public\Public Embroidery\BERNINA 9 Embroidery\01_Basic Shapes >Shape 50.

Select the shape and select Open.

Resize the heart by clicking and dragging on the upper right control point (black square) until it is closer to the size of the flower.

Move the heart to the upper right of the pin cushion and change to Color # 10 and select the Step Fill in the Stitch Toolbar.

To create the pin portion, repeat the same steps as for the flower head pin base. After creating the rectangle, press the key "Esc", select the Rectangle, and select Copy.

Rotate the pin and pin head as needed using the rotate handles as outlined previously. Select both elements and weld the pin head with the pin. 

Create the Ball head pin

Create the Ball head pin

Create one circle following the previous directions for the creating a circle with the Ellipse tool.

Select the "Paste" icon to paste the previously copied rectangle. The rectangle will be pasted in the original position.

Move the pin under the circle pin head.
Rotate and move the pin and pin head as needed. Weld the two objects as outlined previously.

Make a quick clone of the welded ball head pin by right clicking and dragging the pin to a new location.

Move and rotate the cloned pin as desired. 

Create the needle

Create the needle

Open Digitizing Toolbox and select the Rectangle tool. Draw a thin tall rectangle in the center of the pin cushion. Press the key "Esc".

Zoom in to the top of the Rectangle and select Reshape Object in the top toolbar. Right click at the center top horizontal line of the rectangle to add a curved control point.

Control points (also called "nodes")
Yellow square control points are corners, and teal circle control points are curves.
You can add a square control point with a left click and a circle control point with a right click on a line or the outline of a shape.
A blue control points indicates the currently active point. You can select a different control point to edit by left clicking on another point.
You can left click and drag a point to transform the shape.
You can transform a square control point into a circle control point by selecting it and pressing the "Space bar" on your keyboard, and vice versa.
You can delete a control point by activating it and pressing the key "Delete".

 

Select the circle control point and click & drag by moving the mouse up to make it taller.

Adjust the two square nodes (control points) on the sides outwards making the top portion of the needle wider.

Using the

Using the "Remove Overlap" tool to create a hole

In the Digitizing Toolbox select the Ellipse tool. Choose a contrast color and create a tall skinny oval following the previous directions for creating an oval for the pin cushion. This will represent the eye of the needle.

Press "Esc"

Select the Oval. Open the Edit Toolbox and select Remove Overlaps.

Select the oval and drag it to the side to make sure it cut a hole in the needle portion of the design and then delete the oval. If a hole was not created, select Undo and Reshape the oval. Make the oval larger by clicking and dragging on control points. Re-center the oval in the needle and repeat the steps to remove the overlaps. 

Select the needle and Reshape Object and move the square control points to make the eye of the needle larger. Change the square control points to curves by pressing the "Space bar" on your keyboard. Repeat as needed to create the eye of the needle.

Press "Esc" to deactivate the Reshape Object tool.

Select All. Open Edit Toolbox and select Weld. Notice how all shapes have combined into a single object in the Color Film.

Open the Menu "File"
> Save as "Pin cushion".
> Send the design to your machine by exporting to a USB stick with Card/Machine Write or via WiFi with Send to BERNINA WiFi Device.

End of Lesson Eight

End of Lesson Eight

Are you ready for the next lesson?
I will show you how to create a design with a 3D effect, using the Trapunto/Quilting Background tool of the BERNINA Embroidery Software 9!

Next Lesson