Underlayment and Fill Stitches

What is underlayment and why should you care? Underlayment refers to those stitches that are under a fill area. The underlayment helps to stabilize the fabric, to keep the fill stitches from pushing and pulling (distorting the fabric). Underlayment also increases the coverage without making the fill too dense. A proper underlayment will have stitches that run at a ninety degree angle to the fill stitches. Designs without underlayment often have gaps between fills and outlines that are off.

Neighboring fill areas should have stitches running at different angles, with a very slight overlap (when viewed in your embroidery software). Outlines should appear to slightly overlap the sides of the fill area where the stitches change direction, and should gap from the fill area where the fill stitches run parallel to the outline. This minor adjustment compensates for the natural push/pull effect of the fill area, so that the outline will stitch in just the right place.

Next issue: backing up designs

from Mary Jane Jane Allen of Perfect Little Stitches

The Patchwork Bear Quilt
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