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Video reference: “BROTHER PR680W CUTWORK FEATURE - How to create Cutwork Embroidery Brother PR680W - Gur Sewing Machines” by GUR Sewing Machines.
A lace-like finish without lace-making? That’s the magic of machine cutwork. On the Brother PR680W, you’ll stitch a design’s outlines, lift and trim fabric away, then secure the open edges with satin stitches for a crisp, airy look. This guide takes you through the full process—feature activation to final rinse and machine clean-up—so your results are confident, repeatable, and neat.
What you’ll learn
- How to enable Cutwork mode on the Brother PR680W and apply the setting correctly
- Smart hooping with tear-away stabilizer for clean outlines
- A safe, precise workflow for lifting and trimming fabric after the first pass
- Why and how to use water-soluble stabilizer before satin finishing stitches
- Final rinse and essential bobbin-area cleaning for smooth performance
Understanding Cutwork Embroidery
What is cutwork embroidery? Cutwork is an embroidery technique that creates decorative open areas by stitching outlines, removing fabric within those lines, and finishing edges with dense, protective stitches. On the Brother PR680W, the process is structured into two stitching passes with a manual cut-out step in between.
Benefits of using a machine for cutwork
- Precision outlines create clear, easy-to-follow cut lines
- Consistent satin stitches secure edges and elevate the finish
- Repeatable results with digitized designs and on-screen checks
Pro tip: The PR680W displays design dimensions and placement before you stitch. Confirm they fit your project area before you hoop—it’s faster to adjust now than after outlining. brother embroidery machine
Setting Up Your Brother PR680W for Cutwork
Activating Cutwork Mode The cutwork workflow begins in the machine settings. Use the touchscreen to locate and turn Cutwork mode ON. This prepares the machine’s logic for the dedicated outline-then-finish sequence used in cutwork designs.
Quick check: After toggling Cutwork to ON, verify the setting is shown as ON on-screen.
Power Cycle and Initial Checks Once Cutwork mode is ON, power OFF and then power ON the machine so the setting fully takes effect. On reboot, the screen will remind you to insert cutwork needles and to clean the machine plate, hook, and bobbin case after finishing.
Watch out: Skipping the power cycle can leave Cutwork mode inactive, leading to incorrect stitching in the first pass. brother pr 680w
Loading Your Cutwork Design Insert a USB flash drive with your cutwork design. Use the USB icon on-screen to browse and select your pattern—in this walkthrough, a clover design is chosen and displayed with its details.
Quick check: Ensure the correct design loads and appears on the preview screen before hooping.
Setup checklist
- Cutwork mode set to ON (confirmed on-screen)
- Machine power cycled (OFF then ON)
- Cutwork needles inserted (per on-screen reminder)
- Design loaded from USB and previewed correctly
Preparing Your Fabric and Hoop
Selecting the Right Fabric and Stabilizer This workflow uses a piece of fabric supported by tear-away stabilizer. The tear-away provides support during stitching and is easy to clear once your embroidery is complete.
Hooping Techniques for Cutwork Place the fabric over tear-away stabilizer and hoop both layers firmly. Aim for smooth, taut tension without stretching the fabric. Secure the hoop evenly to avoid registration issues during the two-pass stitch sequence.
Watch out: Loose hooping can cause puckering during satin stitching and misalignment when you reattach the hoop for the second pass.
Prep checklist
- Fabric layered over tear-away stabilizer
- Hooped flat and taut—no ripples or sagging
- Hoop clamped evenly and ready to attach
Executing the Cutwork Embroidery Process
First Pass: Outlines and Perforations Attach the hooped fabric to the embroidery unit until it locks securely. Start the first pass: the machine stitches outlines to create perforations that define areas to remove. In this example, green thread outlines a clover shape.
Outcome to expect: Clean, continuous outlines that fully enclose the regions you’ll cut away.
Manual Cutting and Trimming Remove the hoop from the machine (do not unhoop the fabric). With tweezers, lift and remove the small pieces of fabric inside the perforated areas. Follow with careful trimming using small scissors to refine any leftover fibers so the cutouts are clean and shaped exactly like the design.
Pro tip: Work slowly with sharp, pointed scissors. Trim right up to the stitched outline without nicking it, so satin stitches can cover the edge smoothly. embroidery magnetic hoops
Second Pass: Finishing Stitches with Stabilizer Place a sheet of water-soluble stabilizer (WSS) on top of the fabric, fully covering the cutouts. Reattach the hoop to the machine, ensuring it is seated correctly to maintain alignment. Start the second pass to stitch satin edges and fill details.
Quick check: As satin stitching begins, confirm the WSS covers all open areas—this keeps stitches from collapsing into the cutouts.
Operation checklist
- First-pass outlines stitched cleanly
- Cutouts removed and edges trimmed smooth
- Water-soluble stabilizer placed over all open areas
- Hoop reattached securely before starting the second pass
Finishing Your Cutwork Design
Removing Stabilizer and Rinsing After the second pass completes, remove the hoop from the machine. Trim away excess WSS around the design, then rinse the piece in water to dissolve the remaining stabilizer.
Outcome to expect: A crisp design with open areas where cutwork was removed, edges neatly secured with satin stitching.
Achieving a Professional Finish Let the piece dry flat to preserve the crisp edges. Inspect the cutouts; they should be clean, with no stabilizer residue. If residue remains, rinse a bit longer.
Quick check: The final clover shows defined open shapes and smooth satin borders with consistent sheen.
Pro tip: Trim WSS close to the stitching before rinsing—this reduces rinsing time and helps reveal edges immediately.
Essential Machine Maintenance After Cutwork
Cleaning the Bobbin Case Area Power the machine OFF. Open the bobbin case cover, remove the bobbin case, and use a small brush to remove lint and debris from the compartment. Reinsert the bobbin case and close the cover. Power ON to confirm normal readiness.
Why this matters: Cutting and trimming can release extra fibers that migrate into the hook area. A quick clean helps prevent skipped stitches and keeps the machine running smoothly during your next project.
Post-Project Care for Longevity The on-screen reminder to clean after finishing is there for a reason—keep this habit after detailed projects, and you’ll reduce downtime and improve stitch consistency.
Maintenance checklist
- Machine OFF before opening the bobbin area
- Bobbin case removed and compartment brushed clean
- Bobbin case reinserted correctly and cover closed
- Machine powered ON to verify readiness
Quality Checks at Every Milestone
- After enabling Cutwork: The screen shows Cutwork ON; machine reboots cleanly
- After first pass: Outlines are continuous; perforations are visible for easy lifting
- After cutting/trimming: Open areas are smooth and match the design shapes
- During second pass: Satin stitches track the outlines precisely; no gaps where fabric was removed
- After rinsing: No WSS residue; open areas are clear; edges are neat
Quick diagnostic: If satin stitches look loose over openings, ensure the WSS fully covered the cutouts and that the hoop was reattached securely.
Troubleshooting & Recovery
- Problem: Cutwork mode doesn’t seem active
Likely cause: Power cycle not performed after enabling Fix: Turn the machine OFF and ON; confirm Cutwork ON appears on-screen
- Problem: Outlines don’t align with the second pass
Likely cause: Hoop not reattached securely after cutting Fix: Re-seat the hoop until it clicks; confirm the design is still selected
- Problem: Ragged cut edges show under satin stitches
Likely cause: Incomplete trimming inside outlines Fix: Remove hoop from machine and carefully trim up to the outline; restart second pass
- Problem: Satin stitches fall into the openings
Likely cause: Water-soluble stabilizer didn’t cover every cutout Fix: Place WSS to fully span open sections before the second pass
- Problem: Residue around openings after finishing
Likely cause: Insufficient rinsing of WSS Fix: Rinse longer in water until residue dissolves completely
Watch out: Rushing the trimming step can force rework. Clean, accurate trimming now pays off in perfect satin edges later. magnetic hoops for brother
Primer: What & When Use this method whenever your design intentionally includes open areas—florals, lattice, and decorative motifs that benefit from negative space. The PR680W’s guided passes make it ideal for neat, repeatable cutwork.
If you’re evaluating accessories, focus first on the workflow above; it’s the core sequence. Other hooping aids and frame formats exist, but the essential cutwork steps remain unchanged on the PR680W. hoop master embroidery hooping station
Results & Handoff Your end product is a fully stitched cutwork design: outlines and perforations completed, fabric removed in select areas, satin edges securing the openings, and stabilizer fully dissolved for a clean finish. The piece is ready for its destination—garments, linens, or framed textiles.
Pro tip: Before moving the hoop out of the machine after the second pass, note the result on-screen and the physical finish—this helps you document what “good” looks like for future projects. dime snap hoop
Why Order Matters
- Enabling Cutwork and power cycling sets the machine to the correct logic for outline-perforate, then satin-finish
- Hooping before stitching keeps outlines true; reattaching correctly preserves registration between passes
- Cutting and trimming before WSS ensures satin stitches grip clean edges
- WSS supports satin over openings; rinsing reveals the final look
Quick check: At each transition—enable → reboot; hoop → outline; cut → WSS; reattach → satin; trim → rinse—verify the expected intermediate result before moving on.
Decision Points (At a Glance)
- If outlines look incomplete → stop and restitch before cutting
- If any cutout isn’t fully cleaned → trim again before adding WSS
- If the hoop doesn’t lock back in → reseat until it clicks, then proceed
- If residue remains after rinsing → rinse longer until the piece feels clean
Fast Reference: Complete Workflow 1) Enable Cutwork ON → Power cycle 2) Load design via USB and preview 3) Hoop fabric + tear-away stabilizer 4) Stitch first pass (outlines) 5) Remove hoop; lift/trim fabric within outlines 6) Place water-soluble stabilizer over cutouts; reattach hoop 7) Stitch second pass (satin/finishing) 8) Trim WSS; rinse to dissolve remainder 9) Clean bobbin area; power ON to confirm readiness
Pro tip: Keep tweezers and small scissors at hand—switch between lifting and trimming for the cleanest edges. brother magnetic embroidery hoop
Related Gear Landscape (Context Only) While the steps above are all you need for PR680W cutwork, you may encounter a range of hooping systems in the broader embroidery world. Focus first on mastering the core sequence. mighty hoops for brother pr680w
If you’re exploring alternative frame types for other projects, you’ll see terms like these in the market—always verify compatibility with your specific machine series. dime snap hoop
Note: The process in this guide remains the same on the PR680W regardless of frame format used for hooping preparation. magnetic hoops
Wrap-Up Cutwork on the PR680W is methodical, forgiving, and beautifully consistent when you follow the sequence: enable → outline → cut → stabilize → satin → rinse → clean. Keep your hooping firm, your trimming precise, and your bobbin area clean. Do that, and your cutwork will look refined every time. mighty hoops for brother