88 The Quilter Would you like to create beautiful quilts using your own original designs? With Art & Stitch digitizing software, you can! This product, invented by Loes and Theo van der Heijden of Oss, Netherlands, contains vector tools that allow you to trace images, or draw them from scratch, then turn them into quilt patterns for your longarm machine or embroidery designs for your embroidery machine. Using Art & Stitch, you can also edit existing designs and set up full quilt layouts. Art & Stitch is essentially five programs in one: vector-based drawing, digitizing, editing/customizing, conversion, and layout. Creative License Just think about how liberating it would be to create your own quilting designs, pantographs, and overall patterns! One of the most unique features of Art & Stitch is the ability it gives the user to fill shapes with motifs as an easy alter- native to stippling. You can design creative fills around appliqué or embroidery, as well as open, tweak, and save existing designs. In addition, there are a few innovative functionalities that you can play with: for example, you can use the Magic Circle tool to turn a selected design into a wreath, the Magic Square tool to turn a doodle into a block of four, or the Magic Rays tool to put straight radiating lines around a simple closed shape. Automatic filling with all sorts of hatches and crosshatches is just a matter of choos- ing the desired hatch type! The Power Copy function is another creative feature that allows you to quickly place a design element anywhere you want to. (This function also contains a special Meandering Anything Design plus tutorial.) Perhaps you'd like to turn a special image into artwork without having to re-draw it. No problem! There are three ways to auto trace an image and save it as a new design. Art & Stitch Plus Art & Stitch Plus includes the Embroidery Module that turns the Art & Stitch Base version into a full professional embroidery digitizing program. The Plus version has many additional features including Magic Cutwork, Magic Hardanger, and Magic Lace. Art & Stitch main window with design A curvy line becomes a complex design with the Magic Square feature. Creative software—see what you can design with the click of a mouse! A A r r t t & & S S t t i i t t c c h h by JENNIFER POND
Transcript
88 The Quilter
Would you like to create beautiful quilts using your ownoriginal designs? With Art & Stitch digitizing software, youcan! This product, invented by Loes and Theo van derHeijden of Oss, Netherlands, contains vector tools thatallow you to trace images, or draw them from scratch, thenturn them into quilt patterns for your longarm machine orembroidery designs for your embroidery machine. Using Art& Stitch, you can also edit existing designs and set up fullquilt layouts. Art & Stitch is essentially five programs in one:vector-based drawing, digitizing, editing/customizing,conversion, and layout.
CCrreeaattiivvee LLiicceennsseeJust think about how liberating it would be to create your
own quilting designs, pantographs, and overall patterns!One of the most unique features of Art & Stitch is the abilityit gives the user to fill shapes with motifs as an easy alter-native to stippling. You can design creative fills aroundappliqué or embroidery, as well as open, tweak, and saveexisting designs. In addition, there are a few innovativefunctionalities that you can play with: for example, you canuse the Magic Circle tool to turn a selected design into a
wreath, the Magic Square tool to turn a doodle into a blockof four, or the Magic Rays tool to put straight radiating linesaround a simple closed shape. Automatic filling with allsorts of hatches and crosshatches is just a matter of choos-ing the desired hatch type!The Power Copy function is another creative feature that
allows you to quickly place a design element anywhere youwant to. (This function also contains a special MeanderingAnything Design plus tutorial.) Perhaps you'd like to turn aspecial image into artwork without having to re-draw it. Noproblem! There are three ways to auto trace an image andsave it as a new design.
AArrtt && SSttiittcchh PPlluussArt & Stitch Plus includes the Embroidery Module that
turns the Art & Stitch Base version into a full professionalembroidery digitizing program. The Plus version has manyadditional features including Magic Cutwork, MagicHardanger, and Magic Lace.
Art & Stitch main window with designA curvy line becomes a complex design
with the Magic Square feature.
Creative software—see what you can design with the click of a mouse!
AArrtt && SSttiittcchhby JENNIFER POND
89The Quilter
Hardanger Embroidery and Richelieu cutwork made with the Art & Stitch Embroidery Module
Magic Cutwork is a digitizing tool for creating Richelieu-type cutwork designs without any special needles–just afew clicks of the mouse is all it takes. (Incidentally, thissame function can be used to create reverse appliqué.)Magic Hardanger is a tool for creating a type of cutworkdesign with satin finished edges and open corners. MagicLace is a functionality that allows you to select a closed
shape and turn it into several layers with a continuousunderlay that will form a netting, the base of the freestand-ing lace, which can be embellished using artwork from thesoftware's library of over 500 vector-based designs.Text/lettering (41 digitized fonts), text effects, text on a
Creative software—see what you can design with the click of a mouse!
90 The Quilter
(fill shapes or convert an image intocross-stitches), split wizard (dividelarge designs into multiple smallerones), and custom thread chart cre-ation are additional features of the Plusversion.
UUsseerr--FFrriieennddllyy SSooffttwwaarreeThe interface is a familiar Windows
interface. The toolbars are placed in alogical way, with sets of buttons thatbelong together. Simply hover your cur-sor over a button to read the name andfunction of the tool. The basic principleof Art & Stitch is to start with your art-work, re-shape it to perfection, andthen select and turn it into stitches.Three manuals can be opened at anytime via a Help menu. Art & Stitch is a Windows-based
program, and there is currently no Macversion. However, the company saysthat it is aware of customers using theirsoftware successfully on Mac systemswith Windows-emulating software.
Art & Stitch appliqués
Art & Stitch Hardanger made with Embroidery Module
91The Quilter
If you have a laptop and a regular PC, the softwarecan be loaded onto both. Art & Stitch Base can be reg-istered on two computers owned by the same person,and Art & Stitch Plus can be registered on three com-puters owned by the same person. Before purchasing the software, customers can
download a free trial from the Art & Stitch website atwww.artnstitch.com. The trial will workindefinitely with the limitation that youcannot save anything. However, it's agreat way to become familiar with thesoftware. To actually test stitch thedesigns, there is a set of patterns in allmajor quilt formats that can be down-loaded with the free trial.There are also many video tutorials
available, which are updated frequent-ly. The software includes three booksin PDF format on a CD: a user's guide,a special techniques book, and anembroidery manual. In addition,artnstitch.com offers free live webinarsthroughout the year, as well as training
Scan this QR code with your mobile device to obtain ten free embroi-dery designs fromwww.artnstitch.com.
Art & Stitch background fills applied in a quilt by Cindy Pack
Art & Stitch detail of stitching around appliqués by Marjorie Busby
through Stay @ Home classes on a variety of special techniques. (A registration fee is requiredfor the Stay @ Home classes.) Further informationis provided on the website, as is a helpful list offrequently asked questions.About every 18 months, new software versions
are released, and upgrades are free for regis-tered users. (Free upgrades of Art & Stitch Plusare only available to registered users of the Plusversion.)
For more information about Art & Stitch soft-ware and to download a free trial, visitwww.artnstitch.com. �
