Shape Fill

Shape fill areas use one of 120 different shapes. Vary the stitch density, use motif lines for the fill and add holes.


Shape Fill Area using Shape 11 and Density 18	Shape Fill Area using Shape 23 and Motif 1 from Hand Stitches 1

Use the Shape Fill properties dialog to set all the properties on a shape fill area.

To show the Shape Fill dialog

Click a shape fill area so that the points defining its shape are shown, then Control–click and choose Properties.
Select Shape Fill in the pop-up menu in the stitch type area of the Create toolbar, then click Options and choose Fill Area and Line from the pop-up menu.

Density

Create a uniform fill at the chosen density. The lower the number, the closer together the stitches and the more stitches are produced. You can set Density from 2 to 40.

Use the slider or the numbers box to set the Density.

Shapes

Select one of 120 shapes for the fill.

Click the Shape button, and choose a Shape from the pop-up menu.

Use Motifs

Use a motif line instead of a plain line to follow the shape selected for the fill.

Note: The displayed motif is only used by Shape Fill if this option is selected.

Select the Use Motifs checkbox, then click the Motif button to choose a motif. See Motif Selection.

Minimum Gap

This is the minimum amount of extra stitching that is placed between the motifs along the line. Minimum Gap is in addition to any spacing that is part of the selected motif.

Fit To Line

Select how the motifs follow the curves of the line.


When Fit To Line is off, the ends of each motif are placed on the line.	When Fit To Line is on, each whole motif is adjusted to fit along the line.

Kern

Kern automatically increases the space between adjacent motifs, so that the motifs fit along the line without overlapping.

Stitch

Select between Running and Triple stitch for stitching out the motif line.

Set the maximum stitch Length from 1 to 12mm in steps of 0.1mm.

Note: Length is initially set to the recommended value for each motif.

Change a Shape Fill

Set the hoop size to 100mm x 100mm - Universal Square Hoop 1. See Hoop Selection.
Ensure that the Control Panel is available.
For stitch type choose Shape Fill and ensure that Line Type is not selected (highlighted). See Select a Stitch Type.
Click Load Background in the toolbar and browse to /mySewnet/Samples/Embroidery/Pics.
Select 1CHo005.png (a shamrock) and click Open. The shamrock is displayed as your background picture.
Click Quick Create , and in the Quick Create toolbar click the QuickStitch™ button.
Click on the darker green part of the shamrock.
The Color Tolerance dialog appears, and some of the shamrock is filled with a checkered pattern. See Use Color Tolerance to Select an Area or Line.
Drag the slider until all of the shamrock including the base of the stalk, but none of the background, is filled with the checkered pattern. (This is likely to be at just over 70%.)
Click OK to confirm.
An embroidered shamrock using Shape Fill with no border appears in the work area.
In the toolbar click Background Visibility and choose Background Off. You can now see the shape clearly.
Control–click and select Finish QuickStitch to close the QuickStitch tool.
Control–click the shamrock and choose Properties to open the Shape Fill window of the Area Properties dialog.
Change the Shape to 1 (a circle) and click OK.
The straight lines in the background are now curved.
Drag the Origin marker to the base of the shamrock stem. The center of the circular pattern is now in the stem.
Drag the origin back to the center of the design (where the grid lines cross).
Control–click the shamrock and choose Properties to change the Shape Fill properties.
Change the Shape from 1 (a circle) to 65 (a cross) and click OK. The background shows the cross pattern clearly.
Use Area Properties to change the Shape back to 1 (a circle).
In the Area Properties dialog, set Density to 2 and click OK to view the changes. The circular lines of stitching form a dense cover.
In the Area Properties dialog, set Density to 40 and click OK to view the changes. The fill lines are widely spaced.
In the Area Properties dialog, set Density to 8.
Select Use Motifs. The motif options become available.
Click OK. The shape is now filled with concentric lines of stars (the default motif).
Open the Area Properties dialog.
Set the Minimum Gap to 2mm and click OK. There are now gaps between the motifs in the lines.
Open the Area Properties dialog and try out the effect of using Kern and Fit To Line.
Open the Area Properties dialog and set the Minimum Gap back to 0mm.
Click the Motif button.
In the Motif selection dialog, choose Hand Stitches 1 from the Category pop-up menu.
Select motif number 11.
Click OK twice to close the Motif selection and Area Properties dialogs. The shamrock shows the new motif.