Digitizing Redwork in Hatch: Home Sweet Home Wreath (Step-by-Step)

Video reference: “Adventures in Machine Embroidery: Redwork Digitizing with Hatch” by Gentleman Crafter

A redwork wreath is the perfect balance of charming and efficient: minimal color changes, graceful lines, and a timeless look. This guide shows you exactly how to digitize a “Home Sweet Home” redwork wreath in Hatch Embroidery—clean sequencing, precise outlines, circular layout, and centered text—so your stitch-out is as polished as your concept.

What you’ll learn

• A reliable workflow for digitizing redwork outlines with Single Run

• How and why to apply Hatch’s Redwork tool to auto-sequence and densify

• Using Mirror Copy and Circular Layout to build a wreath from one segment

• Adding, aligning, and centering text cleanly inside the wreath

• Running Stitch Player checks and exporting for your embroidery machine

Introduction to Redwork Embroidery Digitizing What is Redwork? Redwork is a classic embroidery style that uses red thread to create outline-based designs with the look of hand stitching. In practice, the digitized version leans on straight, clean line work and deliberate sequencing to minimize jumps while preserving that hand-stitched aesthetic. It’s similar in feel to goldwork or blackwork—primarily differentiated by color—yet it remains delightfully simple to stitch and easy on thread management.

Why Digitizing Your Own Designs is Beneficial Designing in Hatch puts you in charge of every contour and connection. You’ll trace only the lines you want, convert them to an optimized redwork object, and let the software intelligently handle branching, backtracking, and stitch density. The result: a crisp, efficient stitch path that suits your machine and your fabric, with minimal editing afterward. If you hoop projects often, you’ll appreciate how a well-sequenced redwork file runs smoothly regardless of whether you use traditional hooping, float, or modern accessories like magnetic hoops.

Setting Up Your Workspace in Hatch Software Initial Embroidery Settings

• Manually set the design’s center point. This anchors layout tools and lettering alignment later.

• Turn off Apply Closest Join. For redwork, you’ll hand the sequencing to the dedicated Redwork feature in a controlled pass.

Importing Your Artwork for Reference

• Bring in the “Home Sweet Home” reference artwork. Lock the image so it can’t shift as you work.

- Zoom in. The creator digitized comfortably at 500–1000% to see and shape every curve with intention.

Quick check

• Is the center point set? Is the reference artwork locked? If yes, you’re ready to trace.

Pro tip Locking the artwork prevents accidental drags while you’re tracing at high zoom levels.

Setup checklist

• Center point manually set

• Apply Closest Join: off

• Artwork imported and locked

• Zoom set for detail work (500–1000%)

As you prepare to stitch later, remember that the same redwork file can be hooped in many ways, including with standard frames or newer accessories for a brother embroidery machine.

Step-by-Step Digitizing of Floral Elements Using Freehand Open Shape for Outlines

• Select Freehand Open Shape.

• Choose Single Run stitch and a red color.

- Trace short, manageable sections by clicking, holding, and gently dragging along the artwork lines. Small segments give cleaner curves and better control than one long outline.

Refining Stitches with the Reshape Tool

• After rough tracing, switch to Reshape. Adjust nodes to better match the artwork. This is where your outlines gain polish.

- Expect many separate objects at first; you’ll unify and optimize them shortly.

Watch out Continuous dragging along complex curves can drift off the line. Resist the urge to outline everything in one go—short segments are easier to refine later.

Quick check

• Edges follow the artwork convincingly.

• Node edits smooth out any wobbly curves.

Operation checklist (tracing phase)

• Freehand Open Shape active

• Single Run (red) selected

• Segments digitized in short runs

• Key nodes refined with Reshape

For hooping and stabilization later, many embroiderers use standard frames or accessories like embroidery machine hoops to secure fabric before stitching the exported file.

Mastering the Redwork and Layout Features Applying the Dedicated Redwork Tool

• Select all digitized linework from your segment.

• Open the Digitize toolbox and choose the Redwork tool.

• When prompted, you can click to set entry/exit points or press Enter to have the software choose automatically.

- After applying, confirm in the Objects/Sequence panel that everything is grouped into a single Redwork object; you’ll see that optimized branching, backtracking, and density are now handled.

Why this matters The Redwork tool simplifies a complex sequencing problem: it consolidates separate lines, sets a clean path, and adds a second pass for a denser, hand-stitched appearance—all at once. It’s the difference between a design that “just runs” and one that needs heavy manual editing.

Creating Circular Patterns with Ease

• With your polished segment selected, use Mirror Copy Horizontal to duplicate and merge where needed.

• Then open the Layouts toolbox and choose Circular Layout. Set repetitions to six.

- Click the center point to array the segment into a full circular wreath.

Outcome expectation You should now see a complete wreath—six evenly spaced segments—cleanly sequenced as a unified redwork border, ready for text.

Setup checklist (conversion and layout)

• Redwork applied to the digitized segment

• Segment mirrored horizontally (merged as needed)

• Circular Layout set to six repetitions

• Clean, closed wreath formed around the center point

If you typically rely on tools like a hooping station for embroidery for placement on fabric, the consistent circular symmetry you’ve built here makes centering on-hoop much simpler.

Adding Personalized Lettering to Your Design Choosing Fonts and Placement

• Open the lettering tools and type “HOME SWEET HOME.”

• Choose an embroidery lettering type and a font style suited to a quilt-inspired vibe (as in the reference). Size the text to sit comfortably inside the wreath.

Aligning Text for a Perfect Finish

• Group the wreath elements (Ctrl+G). Then select both the text and the grouped wreath.

- Use Align and Space from the right-click context menu to center the text precisely in the wreath.

Quick check

• The phrase is easy to read and optically centered.

• The circular border frames the text evenly.

Pro tip Group first, align second. Grouping ensures the border behaves as one object and prevents accidental misalignment.

If your shop workflow includes accessories such as magnetic frames for embroidery machine setups, a centered, unified composition like this helps reduce trial-and-error on fabric.

Finalizing and Stitching Out Your Redwork Creation Reviewing with the Stitch Player

• Unlock and delete the reference artwork image.

• Open the Stitch Player and preview the entire sequence. You should see the border stitch around the wreath and then the text finishing at the end.

- Turn off TrueView stitches to reveal jump stitches. In the reference design, jumps flowed cleanly around the border and presented no issues.

Exporting and Enjoying Your Handmade Piece

• Save your working file as EMB.

- Export to PES for a Brother machine and stitch out. The reference stitch-out shows a crisp wreath and clear text.

Quick check

• The Stitch Player preview matches your intent.

• No problematic jumps or awkward pathing appear.

Results handoff

• Deliver the EMB (editable) and the PES (machine-ready) to your stitching workflow. Whether you hoop traditionally or use modern aids such as embroidery hoops magnetic varieties, the redwork sequencing built here supports a smooth run.

If you often float fabric or change hooping styles, a clean redwork path will still stitch reliably—many users also employ magnetic embroidery hoops for repeatable placement on light to medium projects.

Troubleshooting & Recovery Symptom: Outlines look wobbly after tracing

• Likely cause: Long, continuous drags on complex curves.

• Fix: Break lines into shorter segments; refine with the Reshape tool.

Symptom: Too many separate objects clutter the sequence

• Likely cause: Segment-by-segment tracing without consolidation.

• Fix: Select all, apply the Redwork tool to unify and auto-sequence.

Symptom: Uneven spacing in the wreath

• Likely cause: Center point not set before applying Circular Layout.

• Fix: Set/confirm center point; re-apply Circular Layout at six repetitions.

Symptom: Jumps appear where you don’t expect them

• Likely cause: Entry/exit points placed suboptimally.

• Fix: Re-apply Redwork and let the software calculate entry/exit (press Enter), then preview in Stitch Player with TrueView off.

Symptom: Text isn’t centered inside the wreath

• Likely cause: Border objects not grouped prior to alignment.

• Fix: Group the wreath (Ctrl+G) and use Align and Space with both objects selected.

Quick isolation tests

• Toggle TrueView off to audit jumps visually.

• Temporarily hide text and preview only the wreath to confirm border sequencing.

• Re-Run Redwork on the selected segment to reset branching and entry/exit.

If your stitch-out workflow involves newer accessories (e.g., magnetic embroidery hoops used in many studios), ensure fabric is stabilized consistently; a well-sequenced file reduces stress on the hooping method itself.

From the comments

• Community feedback highlighted the charm of the finished redwork look—clean lines and simple beauty with machine efficiency.

Primer (What & When)

• Use this approach whenever you want a single-color, outline-driven embroidery that evokes hand stitching but runs efficiently by machine.

• Ideal for radial motifs: digitize one segment, then mirror and array to complete a wreath.

• The Redwork tool shines when you have many short line elements that need coherent sequencing and a denser, hand-crafted appearance.

Prep

• Workspace: Computer with Hatch Embroidery Digitizing Software installed

• Files: “Home Sweet Home” artwork image

• Familiarity: Basic comfort with Hatch tools (Digitize toolbox, Reshape, Layouts, Lettering)

Prep checklist

• Hatch open and responsive

• Artwork file ready to import

• Comfortable with zoom and node editing

Setup

• Manually set the center point (supports layout symmetry and text alignment).

• Turn off Apply Closest Join (Redwork will handle sequencing instead).

• Import and lock the artwork; zoom in for detail work.

Setup checklist

• Center point: set

• Closest Join: off

• Artwork: imported and locked

• Zoom: 500–1000%

Operation / Steps 1) Trace a single segment

• Tool: Freehand Open Shape with Single Run (red). Work in short sections and follow contours.

• Outcome: A set of clean line objects approximating your artwork.

2) Refine curves

• Tool: Reshape. Adjust nodes to smooth arcs and correct drift.

• Outcome: Lines that hug the artwork neatly and are ready for consolidation.

3) Convert to Redwork

• Select all segment lines; apply Redwork. Let Hatch set entry/exit automatically or click to set.

• Outcome: One Redwork object with optimized branching, backtracking, and density.

4) Mirror and array

• Mirror Copy Horizontal to duplicate the segment and merge overlaps.

• Circular Layout with six repetitions; click the center to build the wreath.

• Outcome: A complete, symmetrical floral border.

5) Add lettering

• Insert “HOME SWEET HOME.” Size appropriately; group the wreath; align text and wreath using Align and Space.

• Outcome: Balanced composition, text centered in the circle.

6) Review, save, export

• Delete the reference artwork. Use Stitch Player to confirm border-then-text sequencing and assess jumps with TrueView off.

• Save EMB and export PES for your machine.

• Outcome: A production-ready redwork file that stitches cleanly.

Operation checklist

• Segment traced and refined

• Redwork applied (single object)

• Wreath formed via Mirror + Circular Layout

• Text centered and aligned

• Stitch path validated; files exported

Decision points

• If your tracing drifts on tight curves → switch to shorter segments before reshaping.

• If you’re uncertain about pathing → press Enter when applying Redwork to let Hatch calculate entry/exit points.

• If spacing looks off after layout → confirm the center point, then re-apply Circular Layout.

Quality Checks

• Objects panel shows a unified Redwork object for the border.

• Stitch Player runs border first, then text, with smooth transitions.

• TrueView off reveals manageable jumps that flow around the design.

Quick check

• Do you see six evenly spaced segments forming a perfect circle? Is the text optically centered? If yes, you’re set to stitch.

Results & Handoff

• Deliver the EMB (source) and PES (machine-ready) to your stitching workflow.

• The wreath stitches in sequence around the border and finishes with the phrase.

• This file structure is flexible for different hooping methods and studio setups. If you experiment with aids like a hoop master embroidery hooping station, positioning the centered wreath becomes very repeatable.

Pro tip Keep both working and machine files. The EMB is your edit-friendly master; the PES is your stitchable output.

Recovery notes

• If jumps or density feel off, re-apply Redwork to refresh sequencing.

• For composition tweaks, ungroup only what you must; regroup before final alignment and export.

With consistent stabilization—whether in traditional frames or modern magnetic frames for embroidery machine setups—the optimized redwork path you created here should stitch crisply and predictably.