Stitches and fills

Every object on the hoop has two stitch jobs: a Border along the path, and a Fill inside a closed shape. They are independent. You can sew a border only, a fill only, or both, each with its own thread.

Place a shape first (Shapes), then open Border stitch and Fill type in the right panel. If the path is a line vs a closed shape, see Centerline and outline.

Border and fill

Border follows the path. On a Centerline object (Draw, Line, Curve) that path is the spine. On an Outline object (Oval, Polygon, Star, letters) that path is the closed border.

Fill covers the inside of a closed shape. It has three chips: Off, Thread, and Appliqué. Thread fills with stitches. Appliqué fills with a piece of fabric; see Appliqué. Line and Curve cannot fill until you use Convert to Outline.

On a line, Border stitch Satin is a column on the spine. Satin width is how wide that column is.

On a closed shape, Fill Thread covers the inside. Fill type sets the texture. Border can stay on as a Fine line around the same shape.

A new shape starts with Border on (Fine line) and Fill off.

Border stitches to start with

Open Border stitch in the right panel. Satin is first in the list.

Name	What it sews
Satin	Smooth column across a narrow path. Use Satin width.
Fine line	A single running stitch. Use Stitch size, 1.5 to 7 mm. The long end is for basting.
Bean	Forward, back, forward on each stitch. A heavier line. Bean stitches 3, 5, or 7. Stitch size 0.2 to 4.5 mm.

Very small centerline satin sews as Bean so the stitches do not pile up.

Other border stitches

These sit further down the same picker. Decorative styles add Stitch passes (1, 3, 5, 7, or 9), Border stitch length, and often Border width, Repeat spacing or Pattern gap, and Placement (Centered on path, Left of path, Right of path).

Lines

Name	What it sews
Double run	Sews the line, then retraces it back to the start.
Backstitch	Overlapping backward stitches. A defined line.
Stemstitch	Slanted overlapping stitches. A rope-like line.
Sculpture run	Alternating single and triple stitches. A quilting texture.

Zigzag and teeth

Name	What it sews
Zigzag	Open zigzag across the line.
Double zigzag	A running line, then a zigzag return.
Triple zigzag	Each zigzag stitch is sewn forward, back, forward.
Blanket (E stitch)	A line with straight teeth.
Double blanket	Blanket teeth on both sides of the line.
V stitch	V-shaped teeth along the path.

Texture and pattern

Name	What it sews
Chain	Linked loops. Looks like a chain.
Candlewicking	Small clusters. Knot-like dots.
Feather	Alternating branches along a center line.
Herringbone	Crossing diagonals. A braided border.
Cross stitch	A row of X-shaped stitches.
Scallop	Rounded arches along the line.
Pattern / Motif	Repeats a built-in pattern or one from My patterns.

Fill types to start with

Under Fill, click Thread, then open Fill type. Satin is first in the list. Tatami (Parallel) is the usual solid coverage.

Name	What it sews
Tatami (Parallel)	Staggered rows. Solid coverage for larger areas. Density is the space between rows.
Cross-hatch	Two sets of straight rows crossing at right angles.
Contour	Nested stitching following the shape from its center.
Satin	Smooth stitches across the shape. Add Inclinations to set direction.
Raised satin	Padding layers under satin. Also uses inclinations.

Coverage can be Solid or Open fill on some types, such as Stipple, Cross stitch, Net, Spiral, and Wave. Open fill skips auto underlay.

Other fill types

Flow

Name	What it sews
Concentric circles	Circular rings clipped to the shape.
Spiral	A continuous line winding outward.
Radial	Stitching radiating around a center opening.
Curved (Florentine)	Solid rows along a curved guide. Set Bend.
Wave	Flowing rows. Set wave height and wavelength.
Curved crosshatch	Two sets of curved lines. A dimensional grid.

Texture

Name	What it sews
Stipple	A wandering, rounded path.
Stipple — Backstitch	Wandering path with overlapping backstitches.
Stipple — Stemstitch	Wandering path with a rope-like texture.
Cross stitch	X-shaped stitches on a grid.
Net	An open mesh, or a mesh texture in a solid fill.
Embossed	A repeating pattern worked into a solid fill.
Pattern / Motif	Repeats Diamond, Heart, Leaf, Wave, Chevron, an SVG, or a drawing from this project.
Gradient	Fade density or blend two thread colors.
Tartan	Crossing bands of color.

Shared settings

• Density (fills): Open is more space between rows. Tight uses more thread.
• Exact values: Stitch size and Density have a box beside the slider. Type a value in mm and press Return, or click away. It stays inside the slider's range.
• Underlay: Auto follows the fabric in Settings. On lets you pick Center, Edge, or Zigzag for the pass under satin. Off skips the holding pass. See Underlay.
• Thread: Fill and border each have their own color.
• Play Simulator after you change a type. Some detailed fills show a quality note if they are too dense.

If the path is a line vs a closed shape, see Centerline and outline.