Inside Scoop on Placement Marks

Want to look like an embroidery rock star? Learn how to stitch continuous embroidery designs. Many embroiderers are afraid to stitch continuous embroidery although it’s not difficult; you just have to set yourself up for success.

There are several approaches you can take but my favorite is the addition of placement marks. Placement marks are stitched around the embroidery design to help in placement. They are removed after the project is complete.

Here’s how to add them in all of Inspiration’s software programs: Perfect Embroidery Pro and My Quilt Embellisher.

Open a design in PEP and select it. I’m using a strawberry design (53688) from January’s free designs.

Click on the Placement Marks icon.

Click on the mark in each corner. If you’re using a large design, you might find it helpful to add the center marks.  Click OK. 

Move the marks away from the design for increased visibility and easy removal after they are needed. Select the top two marks. 

Move them up and away from the design. It’s important that you do not move them left or right, just straight up. Use a keyboard shortcut to ensure the marks will not move to the right or left. Hold the Control key and click on the keyboard’s up arrow to move the design. Continue to click until they are about ¼” away from the design. 

Repeat the same process for the marks on the bottom.  

Now let’s take a look at the color sequence, the placement marks are now the first color – the software automatically moves them to the beginning of the color sequence. I like to tweak that a bit. 

Select the two marks at the right of the design (if you are stitching from left to right). 

In the Properties Box, select the command tab and type in the number 9 in the color field. Click Apply. 

Left mouse click on the number 9 in the color sequence. 

Move it to the end of the sequence.  

Now, let’s take a look at multiple repeats of the border design. 

Here’s how to make it happen on fabric. Stitch the first design of the border on hooped fabric. When stitching the second design, stitch only the first color (the placement marks at the left) on hooped adhesive stabilizer. 

Place the hoop under PAL (Perfect Alignment Laser), aligning the laser’s horizontal line with the stitched placement mark.  

Then simply slide the embroidered fabric under the beam, aligning the beam with the stitched placement mark on the design.

The designs will align perfectly!  Continue for the entire border. You’ll look like an embroidery rock star! 

If you attend an Inspiration’s Hooping Clinic, you’ll get to learn this technique hands-on! Our education consultants are embroidery wizards – experts all things embroidery – you’ll learn tons of new techniques, tips and tricks! Click here to see where a Hooping Clinic is scheduled near you.