Create stumpwork

Cutwork becomes stumpwork when you combine multiple cutwork elements into a layered design. In essence stumpwork is the finished layered embroidery made up of cutwork components. Thus the process of creating a stumpwork design involves digitizing cutwork elements and then creating stumpwork pieces from them. These are then visualized in a single stumpwork design.

Digitizing with wire and fabric is probably the most common scenario for creating stumpwork. It involves digitizing a simple stumpwork border. This is then sewn onto a separate piece of fabric, usually patterned, with the inclusion of a wire, and then cut out and attached to a base design. Another simple scenario involves creating design elements within a closed border without the inclusion of a wire. The software also allows you to digitize stumpwork after the fact. You can generate cutting elements from existing embroidery shapes with or without a wireline.

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Create stumpwork from existing embroidery

Probably the simplest way to create stumpwork is to take an existing design and adapt it. This scenario involves selecting embroidery shapes from which to generate the mandatory cutting element. This usually includes a wireline but doesn’t have to. The resulting stumpwork is sewn separately with wire and border. It is then cut out and sewn or attached to the base design.

• To create a stumpwork design from existing embroidery, open a suitable design. You may have to adapt or re-digitize embroidery objects as necessary.
  

• Right-click the Digitize Cutwork tool to open the Cutwork Border docker. Preset your preferences. For example, choose 'Piece-3' and select 'Wireline' as your embroidery.

• Click the associated < arrow button and preset your wireline preferences. The wire gauge numbers correspond to the American Wire Gauge (AWG) codes. This is a standardized wire gauge system for the diameters of round, solid, nonferrous, electrically conducting wire. The larger the AWG number or wire guage, the smaller the physical size of the wire. 

• The thickness of the wire, in turn, determines the minimum width of cover stitch required. This does not update dynamically according to the selected wire gauge. Adjust the cover stitch width as preferred.
    

• Select the object or objects you want to turn into stumpwork. In this case, we are using a single object.
  

• Click Add Cutwork Border to create the cutting element. The Add Cutwork Border dialog opens. The settings are predefined by the Cutwork Border docker but this dialog allows you to choose border type. If your selected object contains holes, you can also set a border type or simple cutting line for those as well. In this case, the object does not contain holes so the option is unticked.

  

• Use the offset settings to adjust border offset from the source object/s. You can also adjust smoothing to determine how closely the border follows the source object/s.

• You are prompted to mark a cutting point where the wire ends will protrude. All selected objects are automatically grouped.
  
• You can adjust cutwork settings after the fact by double-clicking the border. Click the associated < arrow button and adjust embroidery or other preferences in the Object Properties dialog. 
  
  

• Optionally, use the Digitize Wireline tool to insert additional wirelines for extra support.
• Select the stumpwork border and any other embroidery within that you want to include, and click Create Stumpwork Sub-design.
  Selected objects are bundled into a sub-design which is embedded in the base design. The stumpwork sub-design appears at the bottom of the Resequence docker because it is a separate design.
• Continue to generate other stumpwork objects as desired. Or copy the same one as desired.
  

Create stumpwork with a wireline

Digitizing with wire and fabric is probably the commonest scenario for creating stumpwork. It involves digitizing a simple stumpwork border. This is then sewn onto a separate piece of fabric, usually patterned, with the inclusion of a wire, and then cut out and attached to the base design. The Piece-3 border involves embroidery, a stabilizing run, and a cutting line.

• Right-click the Digitize Cutwork tool to open the Cutwork docker. Preset your preferences - e.g. choose 'Piece-3' and select 'Wireline' as your embroidery.
• Digitize the border as you would any other object.
  

• Press <Enter> to complete. A closed cutwork object is generated based on presets. Zoom in for a closer look.
  

• Use the Cut Closed Cutwork Border tool to cut an opening in the border for your wireline.
  

Select the border and any other embroidery you want to include and click Create Stumpwork Sub-design.

• Optionally, edit your stumpwork object by selecting and clicking Open Stumpwork Sub-design.
  The stumpwork object opens in a separate window where you can edit properties such as wire gauge, satin cover width and offsets, etc.
• Optionally, add a background indicative of the fabric you will be using. 
  

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Create stumpwork with a closed border

Another simple stumpwork scenario involves creating design elements within a closed border. Like open-border stumpwork, these elements, or ‘sub-designs’, are sewn onto a separate piece of fabric, usually patterned, but without the inclusion of a wire. They are then cut out and attached to the base design.

The steps for creating closed stumpwork are essentially the same as for open stumpwork. The difference lies in the selection of embroidery.

• Use your normal embroidery tools to create a design, or take an existing design you want to modify. 
• Open the Cutwork docker and preset your preferences – for example, a satin border.

• Digitize the border or add one to existing objects.
• Select the resulting border and everything else you want included in the stumpwork sub-design, and click Create Stumpwork Sub-design. Selected objects are bundled into a composite object which resides on a separate ‘layer’ to the base design.
  
• Optionally, edit your stumpwork object by clicking Open Stumpwork Sub-design. The stumpwork object opens in a separate window where you can edit its properties.
• Close the sub-design to return to the base design. You will be prompted to save.

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