Design Easy Needle Felting in mySewnet Digitizing

Creativate Platinum includes several specialty thread effects that give you a realistic 3D preview of how your embroidery will stitch out. Most of these are purely visual — they don't change the stitches themselves. But one stands apart: the Felting Needle thread effect actually transforms your embroidery stitches into a design ready for needle felting, turning a standard .edo file into a textured, felted embroidery.

Here's everything you need to know to get started.

How the Felting Needle Effect Works

The Felting Needle effect is available exclusively in the Digitizing module when an .edo file is open. It can be applied to any stitch area within that file.

To apply it:

1. Abra o Color Selection dialog box
   
   
2. Select o Felting Needle option
   

   

   
   
3. If you're working with multiple colors, choose a Felting Needle thread color to serve as a visual guide for which fiber color to use in each section
   

   

   
   
4. Close the Color Selection box
   
   

Once applied, the stitch length is automatically set to 0.03mm — the ideal length for needle felting. The Felting Needle symbol will appear next to the relevant thread colors in both the Color Select box and the Film Strip, and will also display on compatible embroidery machines as a prompt to switch to the felting kit.

When you Exportar the design, the software will automatically check "Flip Design for felting or reverse embroidery" for any threads set to the Felting Needle effect. This flip is essential — because the underside of your hooped fabric is actually the finished right side in needle felting.

Designing for Felting — Fill Settings

Different fill settings produce different felting densities. Here are three approaches to experiment with:

Light, open felting (background fabric visible through the design) Use a Crosshatch Fill with a Gap of 1.7, Diamond shape, and Running Stitch.

Dense, solid felting Use a Pattern Fill 3 with a Density of 5 or 6 and Underlay: Low. The underlay stitches at a right angle to the top fill, distributing the felting evenly and preventing heavier ridges from forming.

Dense with added texture and definition Layer a Crosshatch Fill on top of the Pattern Fill using the settings above. The layering creates a slightly more defined, dimensional surface.

Fiber Tips

• Use natural fiber fabrics for the most durable results. Natural fibers have surface texture that allows the felting needles to pull and interlock the fibers permanently.
• Any fiber can be felted to some degree, but slick or very smooth synthetic fibers tend to come unfelted over time — avoid these where durability matters.
• Denim and twill fabrics — which have different colored threads in the lengthwise and crosswise weave — create a distinctive natural pattern when hooped upside down and felted without any additional fibers added.

Embroidery Machine Tips

• Always test first. Run a test with similar fabrics and fibers before working on your actual project to confirm they will felt well together.
• Hoop the base fabric upside down. The felting needles pull fibers from the top of the hoop downward — so the underside of the hoop becomes the finished felted surface.
• Add fibers to the top of the hoop so they are pulled through to the underside during stitching.
• Layer wash-away stabilizer over the top of the hoop to prevent the base fabric from stretching and to stop loose fibers from catching as the needle moves across the design.
• Use the floating foot rather than the Spring Action foot. This keeps the foot hovering above the fiber surface rather than catching in it.

Ask your sewing machine dealer about the Felting Embroidery Set for compatible embroidery and sewing machines.