DumbStitch Beta

What do you want to embroider?

1What do you want to stitch?

Example picture

This is an example so you can see how it works. Choose your own picture to replace it.

Or drag a picture file here. JPG and PNG files work.

Preview

Dashed line = your hoop
Size
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Time to stitch
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Thread colors
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Machine stops to change thread
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Stitches
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2Your machine and hoop

What will you stitch on?
Which hoop?

Design size –
Measure in

3Check the thread colors

6

4Save the file for your machine

Your machine

Mass production & costing

Every file is hardened for repeat runs: a firm tie-off on every color so nothing unravels in the wash, no break-prone short stitches, and capped stitch density — fewer machine stops across a big batch.

Settings for experienced users

You don't need these. The defaults suit most designs on medium-weight fabric.

3.0 mm
0.2 mm
Path report: every needle move

My threads

Tick the threads you have. DumbStitch picks the closest one you own for each color in your design.

This kit uses Brother's color numbers. Brother lists 61 standard colors and they're all here. If your kit card shows a color that isn't, add it under "Add a thread".

Add a thread

Your list is saved in this browser on this device. Screen colors are only a guide: the same thread can look different on different screens.

Help

What pictures work best?

Simple pictures with a few solid colors: logos, cartoons, clipart, bold drawings. Photographs of people or scenery don't turn into good embroidery.

How big should my design be?

Pick the hoop you'll use on the hoop step. The dashed line in the preview shows it. When you add a picture, it appears on the hoop first: drag a corner, or type the width and height, then press "Digitize at this size". "Fill my hoop" makes it as big as fits. To change the size later, press "Resize & re-digitize".

Why does my machine stop during stitching?

Home machines stop each time they need a new thread color. Thread the colors in the order shown on the colors step. The numbers match.

What are the little threads between letters?

When the needle moves across bare fabric, the file tells the machine to cut the thread. Machines with an automatic thread cutter do this by themselves; on others, snip the loose threads with small scissors when the stitching is done.

Getting the file onto your machine

  1. Press Save embroidery file. The file goes to your Downloads folder.
  2. Plug a USB stick into your computer and copy the embroidery file (.PES, .JEF, .EXP or .DST) onto it.
  3. Plug the USB stick into your embroidery machine and choose the design on its screen.
  4. Hoop your fabric with stabilizer, thread the first color, and start.

Some machines connect by cable or Wi-Fi instead of a USB stick. Your machine's manual explains how.

On a phone or tablet? These steps are easiest from a computer. To do it from a phone you'll need a USB stick that plugs into your phone (USB-C), or an adapter.

Which file type does my machine use?

On the save step, pick your machine's brand: Brother and Baby Lock read .PES, Janome reads .JEF, Bernina reads .EXP, and multi-needle machines (SmartStitch, Ricoma, Tajima and others) read .DST. Not sure? Choose "Something else, or not sure" to get all four, and use the one your machine's manual lists.

On a multi-needle machine

Each thread color goes on its own needle, and the machine switches colors and cuts thread by itself. The colors step shows which color goes on which needle, and the saved files include the same list. When you load the design, set its color order on the machine's screen to those needle numbers, or to the needles that already hold those colors.

For T-shirts, use cut-away stabilizer. Stretchy knits pull and pucker without it.

Always test first

Stitch a new design on scrap fabric before your real project, so you can see how it looks on your fabric.