Rope like border -- how to do it? Help!

[MJ]

Does anyone know how to easily do a "rope like" border -- for making a patch. (see attached sample) Is there a column tool or something that makes it? I really need to know -- hope someone can help.

I really appreciate this group and all the wisdom and experience they share!

[MJ]

I see that there's a "rope" in Custom Designs-Patterns -- but how do I get the pattern to repeat and form a rectangle shape?

[Wishes]

Making patches on a embroidery machine isn't always satisfactory in that you can't cut then stitch the edging. The edge on most patches are done with a merrowing machine that cuts and then stitches the edge. You can sew the patch, do a tight edge but when you go to cut out you can easily nick the stitches of the edge. You could try a tight satin on cutaway or heavy solvy but you will have flecks of cutaway that will be harder to get rid of. I am not finding a rope pattern in my design shop. The decorative stitches are meant to just be stitches.

[MJ]

Hi, thanks for the response. However, I was just asking if anyone knew how to make the rope border. I make tons of patches all the time -- I've worked out a system, and I don't make patches on fabric that frays, so I don't have to worry about threads sticking out. I also do have a merrowing machine, but I find my system of doing the border on the embroidery machine is just as good.
I really just need to know if anyone has any ideas on how to make the rope border.

[Mama Kass]

You can create a rope walk stitch that you can put around your patch. Your version of DS might be slightly different than mine because mine is ancient, but the basic idea should be the same. Digitize a satin column parallelogram that slopes to the left and is the size of one "twist" of the rope, for instance 3/8" long and 1/8" wide. Center this on the horizontal; place your entry point at the upper left and the exit at the lower right. Then add a walk stitch that starts at the lower right corner of the "twist" and slants slightly back to the left and up to the upper left of where the entry of the next "twist" will be. The space between each "twist" will be determined by how close the end point of the walk stitch is to the upper right corner of the "twist" you have digitized. Now copy the parallelogram and walk stitch; go to Create Decorative Stitches (mine is under Custom on the tool bar) and paste the twist/walk combo there. It should show you what it will look like as a continuous walk stitch. You can edit the size, spacing (by moving the end point of the walk), density etc. while still in Create Decorative Stitches. Once you have given it a name like Rope 1/8", you can edit it later in Edit Decorative Stitches or copy it to a new file in Create Decorative Stitches and give it another name, such as Rope 1/16". It won't change shape to go around tight rounded corners as in your example, but it works well on square corners and wide radius curves. If this doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll try to clarify it.

A handy tool for getting rid of fuzzy bits on the edges of things is called a stencil burner. It looks like one of those mini irons that quilters use but has a very tiny sharp tip that gets extremely hot. We use it for making appliqués from free-motion embroidered pieces.

[MJ]

OMG! Thanks for responding! I follow the parts about the DS functions, but you lost me with the walk stitch part.
Is there any way you could make a 4"x1" rectangle with the rope border and send the file to me?
[email protected]

[MJ]

With square corners, not rounded corners.

[sschroed2]

I've done numerous patches (although I hate doing them), the best way I have found is to use two layers of heavy tear away, put material on top. I've found canvas works best (from upholstery material suppliers) comes in numerous colors and edges don't ravel as bad as other materials, doesn't stretch either. I then stitch the inside design, then a walk stitch centered where I want the border edge. Then take hoop off machine & cut the material as close as possible to the walk stitch line. Then put back on the machine & sew the border using a tight column stitch. Then unhook & tear off the backing, I use adhesive to hold material on, that way you don't have to unhook to cutaway excess material. Use backing color black for dark borders , white for light border colors. Then if any of it still shows touch up edges with embroidery pens. It's a tedious process so I refuse to do large quantities. But have done up to 20 this way.

[MJ]

Thanks again for a response, but I'm not asking how to make patches. I need to make a "rope" like border around the patch -- not a regular column stitch. The border looks like a rope, not a solid column stitch border.
Anyone have any ideas?

[Iolanda G]

MJ
Select the satin line option and then under other stitch patterns select the rope style. When you digitize the satin line around your design, it will look as a rope.

Iolanda

[Greenwing]

I sent you a rope frame
see if that will work

very easy to do make one segment copy & paste till you get to the corner create a corner copy & paste the original segment rotate to need to the next corner copy corner then continue took about 6 min.
hope it works for you

[Greenwing]

rope border

here is a pic

[Mama Kass]

Perhaps you folks with more up-to-date version of DS have a feature mine does not have. I digitize a walk stitch (in your example, a 4x1 rectangle), then click on Properties and under Walk I choose Decorative Stitches and select the rope stitch that I created; it should show up on the list of Decorative Stitches. I would gladly send you a file if I knew how to do it.

[Mama Kass]

Jerome, I hadn't seen your response when I answered. Your rope is very nice and more rope-like than my quickie version. Have you ever tried creating a Decorative Stitch using this element? It might not go around corners very well, but a decorative walk could be used for the straight parts and then just the corner elements would have to pasted in. I think I'll try it next time I have a few spare minutes.

[MJ]

Thanks everybody for your input!
Jerome, your rope border is beautiful and perfect looking! The only drawback is that since it has so many elements, it really slows down my DS, which makes editing a pain. I'd like to be able to put a lot of the patches all in one file and stitch all at one time, but the more patches I add, the slower DS gets. I have a pretty good computer and 12 Gigs of RAM. I've even tried taking one of your elements that make up the rope border and saved it as a Decorative Stitch, but when I use it, the elements (pieces of rope) are too far apart to look like a rope. And I don't see any way to tell DS to put the decorative stitches closer together? Is there a way to do that? I've used the rope custom shape that came with DS, but that doesn't really look nice and like a real rope like Jerome's does. And it doesn't look too good around the corners.