What are Your Favorite Embroidery Software Features?

Janomes new Artistic Sewing Suite is a cutwork embroidery software package for designing appliqué, cutwork, embroidery, decorative stitching, and heat transfers. This flower brooch combines the softwares cutwork and embroidery features.

This cutwork-edged skirt will be a free project on the Janome America website for the Artistic Sewing Suite software.

You can use one of the Artistic Sewing Suites 3,000 pre-programmed designs or turn personal artwork, clip art, photographs or other design sources into embroidery, cutwork, or applique designs.

The new Artistic Sewing Suite from Janome America combines personal design features and a precision cutting feature. What features do you most look for in embroidery software?

Janome's new Artistic Sewing Suite is a cutwork embroidery software package for designing appliqué, cutwork, embroidery, decorative stitching, and heat transfers. This flower brooch combines the software's cutwork and embroidery features.

Photo: Janome America

Janome America has recently released new embroidery design software, the Artistic Sewing Suite. Like some traditional embroidery digitizing programs, the suite can create embroidery motifs based on images the user selects - from drawings, photos, fabric print motifs and much more. The creative possibilities are wide open.

But one way in which the Artistic Sewing Suite is designed to take machine embroidery a step further is a new cutting feature. With special bladed needles, your embroidery machine - programmed by the suite - can cut out intricate applique or cutwork designs. The needles can cut through up to 16 fabric layers; paper, even balsa wood.

Janome America has a new website for the Artistic Sewing Suite, with lessons, projects and a detailed FAQ about the software.

What are your favorite embroidery software features? Is it the capability to use your own designs? Or perhaps the speed and convenience of using pre-programmed motifs?

Have you done cutwork by machine? Does the possibility of turning your machine into a precision cutting tool stir your creativity? Share your thoughts about what features you'd most appreciate in embroidery software!

Sarah McFarland, contributor
Posted on Feb 24th, 2011 in sewing, tools & supplies, embellishments, embroidery, notions

Comments (5)

BonniePT writes: I had VIP embroidery software, but need something newer as my new computer doesn't like the outdated software even though I was happy with what I had. Any words of wisdom without paying a fortune for software for a hobby?
Posted: 8:56 pm on December 11th

sewquilter writes: I use Elna Xpressive II software. I like it very much. I have been taken webinars on how to use this software from a lady in Ohio. I like that you can do a whole with this software. It was more advanced at the time it was done. I can do manual punching, or autodigitizing with a drawing or photo by scanning it in the machine and the software picks it up and digitizes for me with a little help from me.
Posted: 8:49 pm on March 6th

copperwoman writes: Whoops! I meant to post that on April Mohr's article, and I couldn't figure out how to delete it from here.
Posted: 1:49 am on March 2nd

copperwoman writes: My mother taught me to sew, but it was grandmothers Ida and Georgia who were in charge of embroidery. As my cousin commented about grandma Georgia, “Grandma’s embroidery is reversible.” It was true. Her standards seemed impossible. I loved to read from an early age, and spent a lot of time at the library, where I often would look at art books where beautiful tapestries were described as being embroidered with “polychrome thread.” I would think, “Gee, if only I could get some of that polychrome thread, maybe I’d be able to embroider as well as Grandma.” It wasn’t until I was about eleven that I realized I already had some – it just meant multi-colored. Polychrome embroidery(I’m afraid mine is not reversible)challenges and delights me to this day.
Posted: 1:38 am on March 2nd

You must be logged in to post comments. Log in.