Hatch Dog Portrait Digitizing (Part 2): Closed Shapes, Digitize Holes, and Digitize Blocks That Actually Stitch Clean

If you’ve ever stared at a sketchy pet photo and thought, “This is adorable… but how on earth do I turn it into stitches?”, you’re in the right place.

Part 2 of Sue’s dog portrait series in Hatch is a perfect example of real-world digitizing: not a pristine vector logo, but a “crappy picture” (her words) that still becomes something charming when you choose the right tools and keep your expectations tied to stitch physics.

A lot of viewers said they’ll be rewatching this a few times—and I get it. These are the exact techniques that separate “it looks fine on screen” from “it stitched clean on fabric.” Machine embroidery is an experience-based science; what you see on a monitor is light, but what you get on a shirt is tension, friction, and fiber displacement.

The Calm-Down Primer: Why Your Hatch TrueView Can Look Great and Still Fail on Fabric

Digitizing is half art, half structural engineering. Hatch TrueView is a fantastic preview, but it cannot simulate “Push and Pull”—the physical distortion that happens when 1,000 stitches are driven into fabric.

So here’s the mindset I want you to adopt before you touch a tool. We call this the “Physical Reality Check”:

• Big designs forgive more. Sue repeatedly notes that some of these methods don’t look good when scaled down too small.
  • Beginner Sweet Spot: Keep detailed pet portraits at least 4x4 inches (100mm) or larger. Below this, thread buildup creates a "bulletproof" patch that feels stiff and breaks needles.
• Sketch-style work rewards “not perfect.” With this dog, you’re not chasing crisp edges—you’re chasing believable texture. The slight misalignment adds organic character.
• Every “cute” file still needs a test stitch. Especially when you start cutting holes or tapering satin.
  • The "Thumb Test": If you can't push your thumbnail into the stitched area without it feeling like hard plastic, your density is too high.

And yes—people in the comments joked “easy for you to say!” That’s normal. Digitizing speed comes from repeatable checkpoints, not talent.

The “Hidden” Prep Pros Do First: Set Yourself Up for Clean Closed Shapes and Predictable Holes

Before you digitize a single hair section, do a quick prep pass. It prevents 80% of the “why did that happen?” moments later. Beginner failure often happens here, not in the software.

Prep Checklist (Complete this BEFORE Method 1):

• Clean Your Machine: Open the bobbin case area. If you see lint, brush it out. Lint changes tension, which ruins fine detail.
• Fresh Needle: Install a new 75/11 needle. Dull needles push fabric down into the bobbin plate, causing birdnesting on dense fills.
• Identify Structures: Mentally tag areas as Fills (Tatami/Texture) or Columns (Satin/Detail). Do not mix them randomly.
• Plan "Mess Tolerance": Sketch styles allow loose edges; eyes and noses demand precision.
• The "Hoop Burn" Check: If you are stitching on delicate garments, standard plastic hoops can leave permanent rings (hoop burn).

One more practical note from a production standpoint: if you’re going to stitch test-outs repeatedly (which you must), hooping time becomes the silent cost. When you’re doing frequent sampling, magnetic embroidery hoops can be a meaningful workflow upgrade. Unlike screw-tightened hoops, magnetic frames snap on and off instantly without un-hooping your stabilizer, saving your wrists and your fabric texture.

Make Hair Readable with Hatch “Digitize Closed Shape” + Tatami (and Don’t Overthink Precision)

Sue’s first method in this video uses Digitize Closed Shape with a Tatami fill to block in larger hair areas.

What you’re building

A series of irregular closed shapes that sit over the sketch and create “chunks” of fur/hair. The look is painterly—especially when you break it into pieces.

How Sue traces the shape (The Muscle Memory Rhythm)

• Left click for sharper corners (Squares).
• Right click for curves (Circles).
• If you mis-click, she backs up (Backspace) and continues.

Sensory Tip: Listen to your mental rhythm. It should act like a waltz: Right-click (curve), right-click (curve), Left-click (turn). This left/right rhythm controls the node type without you having to stop and edit.

The key settings Sue calls out (and the safety boundaries)

• Stitch type: Tatami
• Underlay: She manually removes underlay to reduce bulk.
• Pull Compensation: She turns it off for a specific artistic effect.

Essential Consumable Alert: If you remove underlay (which provides stability), your stabilizer must do the heavy lifting.

• For Wovens: Use two layers of medium Tearaway.
• For Knits/Stretchy: You must use a fusible Cutaway stabilizer (like Polymesh). Without underlay or cutaway, the hair will distort deeply into the fabric.

Warning: Disabling underlay and pull compensation removes the "safety net." It may stitch beautifully on stable denim but gap horribly on a t-shirt. Always test on the exact fabric type you intend to use.

Checkpoints (what “good” looks like)

• You see a filled Tatami area appear over the sketch.
• The shape reads as a hair section even if the outline isn’t perfect.
• Visual Check: Zoom out to 100% scale on your screen. Does it look like hair, or a blob? If it's a blob, simplify the shape.
  

Build a Paw That Looks Like a Paw: “Digitize Holes” for Pads (Plus the Fix When Holes Don’t Show)

This is the section that answers a ton of silent questions. People often know how to make a fill, but they panic when cutouts don’t appear.

Step 1 — Digitize the full paw shape first

Sue starts by outlining the entire paw as a closed shape (Tatami fill is fine here). She uses the same left/right clicking approach to follow the outside curve.

Step 2 — Switch to “Digitize Holes”

Now she selects Digitize Holes to cut out the pads.

Here’s the practical trick: she turns TrueView off so she can see the background image through the stitch object.

• With TrueView off, you’ll see a wireframe-like view.
• She traces each pad area using left/right clicks.
• She hits Enter to commit the hole, and Enter again to finalize.
  

Step 3 — The Physics of the "Invisible Hole"

Once TrueView is back on, you should see the pads as clean negative space. If you don't, you aren't doing it wrong—you are fighting physics.

The "Pull" Factor: When thread is stitched, it pulls the fabric inward. A hole that is 2mm wide on your screen might pull completely shut on the machine.

The classic failure: “My holes are invisible”

Sue demonstrates the exact problem: the hole exists, but it’s not showing clearly.

What causes it:

• The cutouts were drawn too small.
• Pull Compensation settings are adding width to the stitches, effectively bridging the gap.

The fix (Sue’s method):

• Go into Reshape.
• Grab the hole boundaries and widen them until the background shows through significantly.
• Rule of Thumb: Make the hole roughly 20% larger than you think it needs to be.
  

Pro tip from the comments (translated into real workflow)

Several viewers said they need to revisit tutorials often. That’s not “remedial digitizing”—that’s how you build a personal library of repeatable solutions. Save a version of your file before you cut holes, and another version after you reshape them. Next time, you’ll know exactly where things went sideways.

Optional refinement Sue shows: adjust stitch angle

She also changes the stitch angle to make the pad area feel less “flat.” Even small angle changes (e.g., 45 degrees vs 90 degrees) catch light differently, making the paw look 3D.

Setup Checklist (after you finish the paw object):

• Toggle TrueView: Ensure holes are visibly open on screen.
• The "Gap Check": In Reshape mode, ensure the gap is at least 1.5mm - 2mm wide on screen to guarantee a visual gap on fabric.
• Stitch Angle: Check the angle line; does it follow the natural curve of the paw?
• Zoom Out: Does the paw read clearly at 100% scale?
  

Stop Using Skinny Satin Outlines for Fur: Hatch “Digitize Blocks” Makes Columns That Feel Alive

Sue compares two approaches:

• A thin satin line created from an open shape (flat, lifeless).
• A Digitize Blocks satin column that flows thick-to-thin (dynamic, organic).

That comparison is gold, because it explains why “I changed it to satin” isn’t the same as “I digitized a column.”

The Digitize Blocks click motion (this is the whole game)

Sue uses an alternating side-to-side motion that defines both width and direction:

• Action: Click Left (Bank 1) -> Click Right (Bank 2).
• Visual: Watch the "ladder rungs" (Angle Lines) form between your clicks.

As you place points, Hatch creates angle lines. Those angle lines are not decoration—they are the instructions telling the needle, "Enter here, Exit there."

The scary problem: satin split / artifacting

Sue intentionally shows what happens when angle lines get messy.

Cause (from the video):

• Angle lines are crossing over each other (like an X). The machine gets confused about which direction to stitch.

Fix (from the video):

• Turn TrueView off so you can see the wireframe.
• Use Reshape to move angle points so the lines flow parallel like a river, never crossing.
  

Checkpoints (what “good” looks like)

• The column transitions smoothly from thick to thin.
• Tactile Check: On screen, verify there are no "jumps" or "splits" in the satin.
• Length Safety: Ensure your satin stitches are not wider than 7mm. If they are wider, set your "Auto Split" logic to ON, otherwise, the long threads will snag on buttons and zippers.
  

Tapered Ends and Feathered Edge: The Finishing Moves That Make Fur Look Intentional

Once you have a clean block column, Sue demonstrates two finishing ideas: tapering and edge effects.

Tapering the end (Sue’s node trick)

To create a tapered point, she places the final two nodes close together so the column narrows down to a fine point.

Feathered Edge effect (texture without redigitizing)

Sue selects the satin block object and applies Feathered Edge from the effects menu. She likes it on one side and encourages experimenting.

A key artistic note she makes: up close at 400% zoom, effects can look weird or jagged—but when you zoom out to real life size, they emulate the uneven texture of fur.

Operation Checklist (Pre-Flight for Stitching):

• Crossed Line Check: Inspect every Digitize Blocks object for crossed angle lines (Fix using Reshape).
• Stabilizer Selection: Are you using Cutaway for knits / Tearaway for caps?
• Consumables: Have you sprayed your stabilizer with temporary adhesive (like 505 spray) to prevent the fabric from shifting under dense fur stitches?
• Speed Control: For complex layers like this, lower your machine speed to 600 SPM (Stitches Per Minute). Speed kills detail.

The “Why” Behind These Tools: Density, Pull, and Why Small Details Disappear

Sue shows a perfect example with the paw pads: you can digitize a hole correctly and still not see it.

In general, stitch-based artwork behaves differently than vector art because of three physical forces:

1. Density Clutter: If a hole is tiny, the surrounding thread blooms and expands, visually closing the gap.
2. Pull Distortion: Horizontal satin stitches pull the fabric in, making the object narrower than it looks on screen.
3. Underlay Bulk: Sue removes underlay in the hair sections to reduce bulk (the "lumpiness" of the embroidery).

Pro Tip: Treat negative space (holes, gaps, separations) as something you must defend. Make it structurally larger than your eye thinks it needs to be.

Troubleshooting the Two Most Common “Why Is Hatch Doing This?” Moments

Here is a structured diagnostic guide for the issues Sue explicitly demonstrates.

1) Paw pad holes don’t show up in stitch view

• Symptom: You digitized holes, hit Enter, but the pads look filled or are barely visible lines.
• Likely Cause: The holes are too small for the thread to register, or Pull Compensation settings are adding width to the surrounding tatami.
• Quick Fix: Use Reshape. Drag the hole boundaries outward until the gap is visible.
• Prevention: Always draw holes 20% larger than the desired final visual result.

2) Satin columns split or look corrupted

• Symptom: Your fur column has jagged breaks, weird gaps, or looks like "static" on the screen.
• Likely Cause: Angle lines are crossing (creating an X shape). This confuses the stitch generation engine.
• Quick Fix: Turn TrueView off. Use Reshape to untangle the angle points so all lines are parallel.
• Prevention: When digitizing blocks, use fewer clicks. More clicks = more chances for crossed lines.

Warning: Needle Safety. When test stitching dense designs, stay alert. If a satin column generates a "birdnest" (a knot of thread under the plate), STOP immediately. Do not yank the hoop. Cut the thread carefully. Yanking can bend the needle bar or damage the rotary hook.

A Practical Decision Tree: Which Method Should You Use?

Use this logic flow to choose the right tool for the specific texture you need.

Start here: What specific part of the pet are you digitizing?

• A. Large Body Mass / Main Fur
  • Design Size: Is it > 100mm?
    • YES: Use Digitize Closed Shape + Tatami (Sue's Method).
    • NO: Simplify the shape; too many Tatami chunks will create a muddy mess.
• B. Pads, Eyes, Inner Ear
  • Goal: Clean Negative Space.
    • Action: Use Digitize Holes inside a base fill.
    • Check: If holes vanish -> Reshape and widen immediately.
• C. Whiskers, Tail Swirls, Ear Tuft
  • Goal: Directional Flow & Texture.
    • Action: Use Digitize Blocks (Satin Columns).
    • Refinement: Add Feathered Edge on one side for realism.

“Can I Do This in PE-Design 10 or Sew What Pro?”—A Straight Answer Without the Hype

A commenter asked if they can do this in PE-Design 10. The honest answer: Concepts transfer; buttons don't.

If you understand the physics (columns vs. fills, angles vs. density), you can do this in Wilcom, PE-Design, or Hatch. However, Hatch (powered by Wilcom) excels at Digitize Blocks and Feathered Edges. Other software might require manual adjustments to get that same organic "furry" edge.

If you’re in another program, look for the equivalent tools:

• Hatch: Digitize Blocks -> Other: Satin Column / Input A.
• Hatch: Reshape -> Other: Edit Nodes / Select Points.

The Upgrade Path That Actually Matters: Faster Sampling, Cleaner Test-Outs

Most people watch a pet portrait tutorial for fun—but the hidden win is building a repeatable workflow.

Here’s the hard truth: Digitizing is only 50% of the job. The other 50% is sampling (test stitching). This is where beginners quit because the physical process is exhausting.

If you find yourself dreading the test stitch because hooping is a struggle, you are facing a hardware bottleneck, not a skill issue.

1. The "Wrists & Time" Bottleneck: If you are constantly re-hooping stabilizer for 10 different test versions, a hooping station for machine embroidery can ensure your placement is consistent every single time.
2. The "Hoop Burn" Bottleneck: Traditional plastic hoops require force. If you are struggling to hoop thick towels or delicate knits without marking them, embroidery hoops magnetic act as a gentle yet firm clamp. They allow you to slide fabric in and out for rapid sampling without unscrewing the outer ring.
3. The Production Bottleneck: If your pet portraits become popular and you need to stitch 50 of them, a single-needle machine will slow you down (due to thread changes). This is the criteria for upgrading to a multi-needle platform like SEWTECH, which handles color swaps automatically.

Warning: Magnet Safety. Magnetic frames contain high-power industrial magnets.
* Pinch Hazard: Keep fingers clear of the snapping zone; they snap shut instantly.
* Medical Devices: Maintain a safe distance (usually 6+ inches) if you have a pacemaker or ICD.

One Last “Old Hand” Tip: Save Versions Like a Pro

When you’re experimenting (Sue encourages “play around with it”), save versions intentionally. Do not save over your only file.

Create a specific naming convention:

• Dog_Portrait_v1_BaseFill
• Dog_Portrait_v2_HolesCut
• Dog_Portrait_v3_SatinFix

This gives you a "Time Machine." If Version 4 ruins the fur texture, you can reload Version 3 instantly.

For anyone building a sampling workflow, remember: the goal isn’t to digitize faster on day one. The goal is to reduce friction. Whether that's using better software tools like Hatch or hardware upgrades like a magnetic embroidery hoop, every removed obstacle allows you to focus more on the art and less on the struggle.

FAQ

• Q: In Hatch Embroidery, why do Digitize Holes paw pads disappear after turning TrueView back on?
  A: Enlarge the hole boundaries because stitch pull and surrounding thread coverage can visually close small gaps.
  • Turn TrueView off to confirm the hole objects exist in wireframe view.
  • Open Reshape and drag the hole boundaries outward until the background shows through clearly.
  • Apply the “20% larger than you think” rule when drawing holes for small pads and details.
  • Success check: With TrueView on, the pad areas read as clean negative space, and in Reshape the on-screen gap is roughly 1.5–2 mm.
  • If it still fails: Reduce or review Pull Compensation on the surrounding fill, because added width can bridge the gap.
• Q: In Hatch Embroidery Digitize Blocks satin columns, what causes split satin or corrupted “static” stitches, and how do I fix it?
  A: Uncross the angle lines because crossed angle lines (X-shapes) confuse the stitch direction.
  • Turn TrueView off to see the wireframe and angle lines clearly.
  • Enter Reshape and move angle points so angle lines run parallel “like a river,” not crossing.
  • Use fewer clicks when digitizing blocks to reduce the chance of creating tangled angle lines.
  • Success check: The satin column transitions thick-to-thin smoothly with no visible jumps, breaks, or jagged artifacts in stitch view.
  • If it still fails: Check column width; if satin exceeds about 7 mm, enable auto-splitting to avoid long snag-prone stitches.
• Q: When using Hatch Digitize Closed Shape + Tatami for pet fur, why does the embroidery turn stiff and “bulletproof,” and what is the safe size rule?
  A: Increase design size and/or reduce density choices because very small, detailed portraits build excessive thread bulk.
  • Keep detailed pet portraits at or above about 4x4 in (100 mm) as a safer starting point for this texture-heavy approach.
  • Remove unnecessary detail chunks when scaling down; simplify shapes so the fur reads as texture, not clutter.
  • Run the “Thumbnail Test” on a sample stitch-out to catch over-density early.
  • Success check: You can press a thumbnail into the stitched area and it does not feel like hard plastic.
  • If it still fails: Reintroduce supportive structure (often underlay) and adjust stabilizer choice, because unsupported tatami can force you to over-densify to “hide” instability.
• Q: If Hatch Embroidery settings remove underlay and pull compensation for Tatami fur, what stabilizer setup prevents distortion on knits versus wovens?
  A: Let stabilizer provide the stability when underlay is removed, and match stabilizer type to fabric stretch.
  • Use two layers of medium tearaway for stable wovens as a practical starting point.
  • Use a fusible cutaway (such as Polymesh-style) for knits/stretch fabrics to prevent deep distortion.
  • Add temporary adhesive spray to reduce fabric shifting under dense fur layers.
  • Success check: The fur shapes stay aligned after stitching, with no severe rippling, tunneling, or pulled-in distortion around fills.
  • If it still fails: Re-test on the exact garment fabric and consider restoring underlay, because removing the “safety net” is fabric-sensitive.
• Q: Before repeated pet portrait test stitch-outs, what machine prep steps prevent birdnesting and tension-related detail loss (bobbin area lint, needle choice)?
  A: Do a quick consumables-and-cleanliness reset because lint and dull needles can trigger nesting on dense designs.
  • Clean the bobbin case area; brush out any lint before sampling fine detail.
  • Install a fresh 75/11 needle to avoid fabric being pushed into the needle plate on dense fills.
  • Slow machine speed for complex layered portraits to about 600 SPM to protect detail.
  • Success check: The underside shows controlled bobbin thread with no growing knot, and stitching sounds steady (no sudden thumping or thread snapping).
  • If it still fails: Stop and inspect for an active birdnest under the plate; continuing can quickly escalate into a jam and needle issues.
• Q: What is the needle safety procedure if a machine embroidery design creates a birdnest under the needle plate during dense satin or fills?
  A: Stop immediately and cut threads carefully—do not yank the hoop.
  • Stop the machine as soon as the birdnest starts; do not let it keep packing thread underneath.
  • Cut the top thread and remove tension gently; avoid pulling the hoop hard against the needle.
  • Clear the tangled thread methodically before resuming the test.
  • Success check: The needle area turns freely again, and the next stitches form normally without dragging fabric downward.
  • If it still fails: Inspect for possible mechanical harm (commonly needle issues) and re-test more slowly, because dense layers amplify small problems.
• Q: What magnetic embroidery hoop safety precautions prevent finger pinches and pacemaker/ICD risks when using high-power magnetic frames?
  A: Treat magnetic hoops as high-clamp tools: keep fingers clear and keep medical devices at a safe distance.
  • Keep fingertips out of the “snap zone” when closing the frame; magnets can clamp instantly.
  • Maintain separation if the operator has a pacemaker or ICD (a commonly cited minimum is about 6+ inches).
  • Practice opening/closing on scrap fabric first to learn the snap behavior before production sampling.
  • Success check: The frame closes without finger contact and holds fabric evenly without excessive force marks.
  • If it still fails: Pause and change handling technique (two-hand control, slower placement) before continuing, because pinch injuries happen during rushed hooping.
• Q: For frequent pet portrait sampling runs, how do I choose between technique tweaks, magnetic hoops, and upgrading to a multi-needle SEWTECH embroidery machine?
  A: Diagnose the real bottleneck first: quality issues usually need technique, repeated hooping pain needs faster framing, and high-volume color changes need multi-needle automation.
  • Level 1 (Technique): Adjust hole sizing, angle lines, stabilizer, speed (about 600 SPM), and always test stitch on the exact fabric.
  • Level 2 (Tool): Switch to magnetic hoops when hooping time, wrist fatigue, or hoop burn marks on delicate fabric are the limiting factor.
  • Level 3 (Capacity): Move to a multi-needle platform like SEWTECH when single-needle thread changes become the main time sink at higher order volume.
  • Success check: Test-out cycles become faster with fewer rejected samples, and the limiting step (hooping vs. stitching vs. color swaps) is measurably reduced.
  • If it still fails: Track where time is actually lost (re-hooping, re-digitizing, thread changes) before buying equipment, because the wrong upgrade does not fix the pain point.