For all those who are still struggling to install 3D with Windows 7 – here’s what worked for me. I have the Professional full version of 3D and recently upgraded to Windows 7. Initially, I couldn’t find the “patch file” for the dongle. What I discovered is that the link to the patch file is incorrect. You need to go to the address bar and change www.emnetsoftware.com to www.vsmsoftware.net to find the patch. For full details of the installation process and the drivers etc. you need, go to www.joeldare.com

Wanda White

I have had to reinstall Embird quite a few times and each time I had to reinstall all of my thread colors. Do you by any chance know how I can find the file of my thread colors so I can save it and reinstall it when I reinstall Embird?

Thanks, in advance, for any help you can provide.
Gina

Hi Gina – This is what you need to do in order to save and reinstall your marked threads.

When you mark threads in a catalogue, your changes are recorded in a config file in the Embird32/Embird64 folder. This file is nitfy.ini and it stores your marked threads.

If you want to transfer your marked threads to a new version of Embird then you should copy the nitfy.ini file from your Embird32/Embird64 folder onto a removable media such as a USB drive or save it on your hard drive. Then paste this file into the same folder in Embird32/Embird64 folder on your computer after re-installing and you will have the the marked threads back in Embird when you re-open the program.

Always keep a copy of this file in a safe place.

Carolyn Keber
Tutorials for Embird and PE Design

I have PE-Design Plus and have scanned a logo for my organization and wanted to embroider the logo on an item I am making. I used the photo section and the logo comes out awful. I wanted to have it come out in a zigzag stich and instead it is more of a mess of stiches. What would you suggest? Is this the wrong software to use? I got the software with my brother machine and am now researching if this was the best program for me.

Hi there – I don’t have PE Design Plus but I have used all the PEDS programs up to and including PE Design Version 8.
PEDS Plus is a lighter version of PE Design Next. Unfortunately for you if you wish to create logos and such you will need to upgrade to PE Design Next as it has full digitizing capabilities. As far as I can see PE Design Plus is very limited in what it can do and it’s major attraction is the Photostitch option but as you’ve found Photostitch only creates scribble type designs where the stitches are all over the show. If you wish to create satin stitches then you’ll need to upgrade to the PEDS Next. Alternatively you could look at another digitizing program such as Embird which I highly recommend.
However you should do a costing first as it may not cost a lot to upgrade to PEDS Next. I am not sure what arrangement Brother have re upgrading the software type. But if it’s more than $300 I would advise you to seriously consider Embird as not only does it have a great editing module but it also had a wonderful digitizing module. Secrets of Embroidery have all the prices for Embird on their web-site. You would need Embird Basic and Digitizing Tools ( Embird Studio) in order to
do what you wish to do.

Carolyn Keber
Tutorials for Embird and PE Design

I have recently purchased a Brother LB-6800PRW and was unaware that I needed a digital converter to convert my photo’s to .pes or .dst which are the two formats that my machine takes. I was told that I need to purchase either PE design plus or PE design next. After looking into these programs, I realized how expensive they are! I have seen and heard several people talking about Embird and how it is very similar if not better than the other two. I am trying to figure out if I can use Embird to convert my formats of my photos and use with my machine? I really look forward to your response!

You can definitely use Embird to convert your photos to PES files. You would need the basic Embird program, along with the plug-in Sfumato Stitch.

You can download the latest version of Embird (and any of the plug-ins) and use the program free of charge in trial version for up to 30 days to test the features prior to purchasing registration.

To download, or for more information, please go to this page of the Secrets website.

Margaret Hardwick-Smith

Customer Support
at Secrets of Embroidery

I have just purchased a Pfaff Creative 2140 that has been upgraded to a 2170. I have been sewing all my life but this is my first time working with embroidery and I feel like I am entering a DIFFERENT world! I have the Pfaff Creative Customizing, Creative Digitizing and Creative Stitch editor. I would like to know which of your tutorials you feel would be most beneficial to me. I will be using my embroidery skills mainly for my quilting but would also like to expand to other fields also. I would appreciate any advise you may have.

Betty Gurganus

Hi Betty,

I have the same wonderful machine and also the Grand Hoop. The one warning about the Pfaff 2100 series hoops is that you need to be very careful NOT to over tighten the hoop screw as it can strip the threads. Make sure that you use a hoop grip made from non slip shelf liner fabric. Cut a rectangle of rubber shelf liner at least one (1) inch larger on each side than the hoop to be used. Hoop the liner alone and cut out a window, leaving about half-inch margins all around the inside. When stabilizer alone or lightweight fabrics are hooped, this window sits on top of the fabric, just under the inner hoop, for a better hold. This prevents you from needing to tighten the hoop excessively and is an absolute must for your machine.

The Pfaff Creative software is identical to the Husqvarna viking software of the same version. Feel free to ask me any questions you like as I base my tutorials around the problems that people have in the real world. I used to work for a Husqvarna Viking/ Pfaff dealer teaching customers to use the machines and software.

The most important aspect of embroidery is the stabilizer. There are several free tutorials on the Secrets site here. There is a section on stabilizers there that is essential reading. Not using the correct stabilizer is the most common issue that new embroiders experience.

Next is the needle. When I am embroidering I prefer to use a titanium embroidery needle now days and have very few issues. There is excellent advice on needles here.

Digitizing is a big step and can be fun and frustrating at the same time. If you are new to it I would suggest that you look at what you can do with the customizing first before going into digitizing.

If you are fairly new to computers and software I would recommend that you start with the Creative Customizing Tutorials to learn how to use the software with designs and text before you tackle digitizing. You can find these here.

When you are confident with the Customizing software then I have a series of tutorials on the Digitizing Software that take you step by step through the entire process. These tutorials are the foundation of good digitizing and they are still just as relevant to the 5D Embroidery software now available as they were to the Creative Version. You can find them here.

If you have the Grand hoop I have a series of tutorials.

My Grand Hoop Quilt project, featured in Australian Machine Embroidery, comes with full instructions and is a great way to learn to use the Grand hoop.

Enjoy your machine,

Carolyn Duncan

Author of Pfaff, Husqvarna and Sewing Tutorials

Hi Laurie

PE Design Basic does not have a digitising function at all. It’s really just for minor editing – although I would think that you would be able to purchase lettering that has been digitised already and open and arrange them in PEDS Basic. But if you wished to use True Type Fonts and convert them into ready designs or lettering then you would either have to purchase the full PE Design Next or perhaps PEDS Lite. But to be honest Embird represents much better value for money. The full price of the program is less than PE Design Next or Lite to begin with and then any upgrades are only dollars as opposed to hundreds of dollars for Embird upgrades. I teach both programs – PE Design and Embird – so I have nothing to gain in recommending one over the other but the last upgrade to Embird was $20 whereas I generally pay approx $600 per upgrade for any upgrade to the Brother programs. I’ve had PE Design since Version 2 and have now stopped upgrading at Version 8. I have also had Embird since 1998 and their upgrades have cost me in total over 14 years no more than $80 total (for 14 years).

In Embird Editor you can use the Embird lettering (purchasable at approx $13.50 per lettering style) or you can purchase Font Engine as an add on to Embird at $132.00. Embird itself is $150 and with Font Engine as an add-on or perhaps some of the pre-digitised fonts (which are excellent BTW) you will still be paying far less than the Brother programs plus you’ll have a great amount more of editing capabilities than you’ll ever have with PE Design.

If you wish to make designs from scratch – digitising – then you’ll also need to purchase Embird Studio (Digitising Tools $135.00) This will enable you to create any number of designs, save them and then stitch them on your machine.

But if you’re just looking to create some lettering – such as your daughters name – then my advice would be to get Embird Basic ($132) and some of the Embird lettering at $13.50 each. The lettering is fabulous and resizeable perfectly. And the editing capabilities of Embird are just fantastic. This is really the best value for money program around. Embird will write to any format other than ART

Try the Embird program for 30 days free of charge and see what you think of it . And its a fully functioning version of the program and can be used on any computer you own – without a security device (no dongles).

I think you’re best to start with Embird Basic and a couple f alphabets and get used to them before you buy extra add-ons such as Font Engine or Digitising Tools (Embird Studio) But be assured that Embird will do as you wish to do…

I hope that helps but if you need more info then just email me again.

Kind regards

Carolyn Keber
Step by step lessons for Embird and PE Design

I own a Husqvarna Viking Iris 600 and a VIP Customizing Embroidery System. BUT my computer runs on Windows Vista. What is the best option for me? I considered switching my operating system to XP, but my laptop doesn’t have a port for the dongle. Additionally, I’d prefer to keep the VIP Customizing because I have Crown Plus Collection CD-ROM (part #756 200100) that I’d like to be able to use with it. (I’m not sure it would be compatible with other embroidery systems.)

Another question: the ready-to-go embroidery cards, which I plug directly into my machine, seem to work fine, at least electronically. But today when I tried out one of the designs, the stitching started out fine but then started to get sloppy and the needle seemed to get stuck in one section of the fabric and wouldn’t move on. The tension and stitch length were all set to normal. When I took it off the machine, I noticed the fabric wasn’t taut on the hoop. It seems it had loosened the fabric as it stitched. How do you combat this?

Thanks,

Janie

Hi Janie,

If you want to keep the VIP software you are going to need to run XP. What some people do is to divide the drive and have both operating systems running on it. But this does take up a lot of space. I would suggest you get a cheap laptop and have XP installed on that. Dongel ports are an issue as the old ones do not exist anymore. I would suggest that you get an Ultimate Box and use this instead of the reader writer. This comes with it’s own software that is compatible with any designs.

It sounds like either the fabric moved in the hoop or the stitch density or needle caused the fabric to move. I would try a new needle preferably a topstitch or titanium embroidery needle and redo the design with a good stabilizer and making sure that the hoop is nice and tight. If the design is very dense it can cause problems and may need added stabilizer to help it to stitch out correctly.

You can purchase a product called “Hoop ease” to give added grip but I just make one out of the non slip fabric to go under rugs.

Kind regards,

Carolyn Duncan
Author of Husqvarna, Pfaff and Sewing Tutorials

At one time on Manager you could view all designs and at the bottom of designs was a place that you could tick that told you how many pages there were of designs and you could print them. You had the option of printing either odd pages or even so that you could print both sides of a page. You also had the option of going to any page. Now I can’t find it.

I think that you may have your Process Panel command in Manager turned off.

In Embird Manager go to Options on the Menu Bar and move down to Show Process Panel and left mouse click on it. The Process Panel will then appear and you’ll have the option to Print and you’ll also be able to see how many pages of designs are open etc.

I hope that helps.  Best of luck.

Carolyn Keber
Step by Step Tutorials for all Embird programs and for PE Design

Hello. I am upgrading from a Bernina Deco 600 to a Bernina 630. Yippee. However, I do have several PES files that I have purchased. I do have Embird v8 (ok… I took a break from embroidery stuff while raising 3 sons and now baby is off to college and I have time to sew again) Anyway, I plan to upgrade to newest Embird and was wondering if I can use Embird to convert PES files to EXP or DST to use with the 630.

Thank you so much!

Mary Alice

You can certainly use Embird to convert your PES files to EXP or DST. The only format Embird can’t convert to is ART, as Bernina holds the rights to this format.

You can purchase your upgrade to the latest version of Embird from here.  Once you receive your new password, uninstall your old Embird, then download Embird 2012 from here  and enter your password to register the program according to the instructions that come with your password email.

If you have any problems, just send us an email and we will be happy to assist.

The Team @ Secrets of Embroidery