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.
Thank you,
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