Straight'N'Square Embroidery Tool

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Straight'N'Square Machine Embroidery Squaring Tool

Straight'N'Square

Our Price: $18.00

sewing level: intermediate beginner with some machine embroidery knowledge

Availability: Usually Ships in 24 to 48 Hours
Product Code: 64

Description

How to Use the Straight'n'Square

If your embroidery machine has a flat back, you can use my Straight'n'Square machine embroidery squaring tool to help square the project with the hoop before attaching it. This tool is like a see-through carpenter's "L" shaped square.

Straight'n'Square Embroidery Squaring Tool

My digitized embroidery designs are set up for the process described here. Each comes with a template to print with the grid and starting point included. The digitized basting rectangle is already included with each digitized design. Follow these easy steps to get perfect placements without hooping your project. These instructions can also be used when placing a design onto a finished piece of clothing.

If you like this process, you can easily use it with the designs you already own. Just add a basting rectangle to any digitized design in your embroidery library. Click here to get the free download of two sizes of machine embroidery basting rectangles (5"X7" and 100mmX100mm). The download includes these file formats: HUS, DST, EMD, JEF, PEC, PES, VIP, and XXX. Follow the instructions at the bottom of this page after you download the file. Delete the file formats that you do not want.

1. Use your digitizing software to add a basting rectangle around your embroidery design. Begin the basting stitching at the top left corner. Print a template. Make sure it prints true to size.
2. Mark the basting starting corner on the paper template and draw a few horizontal and vertical squaring lines. Cut the paper template out along the basting rectangle line.
3. Place the template onto the pattern exactly where you want the embroidery design to stitch out and tape in place with blue painter�s tape along the top edge of the template. Pin the pattern to your fabric.
4. Fold a portion of the pattern to the back so that the lower part of the template is against the fabric. Tape the template to the fabric along the bottom edge. .
5. Keep the pattern pinned to the project along one edge. Remover the tape that holds the template to the pattern. Roll the pattern up towards the pinned edge and tape or pin to secure the roll. Tape the template along the top and right side edge and remove the tape along the lower edge.
6. Hoop your stabilizer only.
7. Attach the hoop with the stabilizer to the embroidery unit. Load the digitized design into your machine. Verify that the image exactly matches the orientation of the template image.
7. Prepare to machine baste the project to the hooped stabilizer around the template: Step the stitching sequence forward so that it is at the first stitch of the basting rectangle (top left corner). Position the project so that the corresponding corner of the template is at the needle. Manually lower the needle into the project so that it is holding the project securely. The needle will act as a pivot point and the project can still be squared up so that the basting rectangle will stitch along the edges of the paper template. Put the Straight'n'Square into position so that the tool's arm is touching the back of the flat motor housing and the grid viewing area is over the paper template. Look down through the tool's grid and view the drawn lines on the paper template. Rotate the project until the template's lines are parallel with the tool's lines.
8. When you are satisfied that the template is square with the lines on the Straight'n'Square, hold firmly with your hand and place a single straight pin through the template, project, and hooped stabilizer to secure.
9. Make sure that no pins are where the embroidery machine�s needle might hit them. Some machines require that the needle be in the UP position before starting to embroider. Put the machine needle in the UP position if necessary. Start the machine and stitch the first two sides of the basting rectangle. Stop
10. Remove all of the pins, tape, and the template and finish stitching the basting rectangle.
11. Stitch the embroidery design.
12. Remove the hoop. Remove the stabilizer. Press your project from the back side so it is flat. Roll the attached pattern back into position. Press the pattern with a warm iron. Pin. Cut out and assemble your sewing project.