Mastering Reef Photo Stitch + Appliqué in Hatch Embroidery 3

Video reference: “Hatch Embroidery 3 - Reef Photo Stitch and Appliqué” by Gentleman Crafter

What if you could turn a flat photo into textured “free-motion” style stitching—then float it over a shaped appliqué for instant dimension? That’s exactly what this project delivers. You’ll import art, generate a continuous Reef Photo Stitch, digitize a simple appliqué outline, refine the stitch order, export for cutting and embroidery, and stitch a clean, stylish finish.

What you’ll learn

• When a photo-derived, continuous stitch makes sense—and when to keep it simple

• How to outline a shape quickly for appliqué, including corner vs. curve clicks

• Which stitch layers to keep or remove after Convert to Appliqué

• How to export SVG for cutting and PES for your embroidery machine

• Why a quick run in Stitch Player can save you a rehoop later

Primer: What Reef Photo Stitch + Appliqué Achieve Reef Photo Stitch in Hatch Embroidery 3 converts a photograph into a stylized, random, continuous stitch pattern. The effect is reminiscent of free-motion embroidery, only it’s auto-generated and repeatable. When layered over appliqué, it delivers strong contrast, a defined silhouette, and a wonderfully tactile result.

When to use it

• You want an artistic, sketchy rendering of a photo.

• Your subject reads well as tonal masses (not fine text or tiny line art).

• You want to stitch in one continuous texture rather than multiple filled regions.

When to skip it

• Very small lettering or micro-details that won’t survive randomized texture.

• Projects where a clean satin border is the main focus rather than the interior.

Good to know

• The workflow isn’t tied to a single brand of software. A commenter noted they planned to adapt the idea in other programs, and the creator confirmed the concept is not software-limited. If your software can produce a photo-driven texture stitch and export appliqué outlines, you can follow the same logic. brother embroidery machine

Prep: Files, Tools, and Working Assumptions What you need

• Software: Hatch Embroidery 3

- Artwork: a photo or graphic (example: a flapper dancer).

• Hardware: cutting machine (e.g., ScanNCut), embroidery machine (the project was exported as a PES for a Brother model)

• Material: base fabric + appliqué fabric

Assumptions (based on the demo)

• You know how to install and open Hatch Embroidery 3.

• You can navigate toolboxes (Auto Digitize, Digitizing, Appliqué) and the Objects panel.

• You can export SVG for cutting and PES for stitching.

Pro tip Choose an appliqué fabric that complements the subject. A viewer admired how well the sample’s fabric matched the design; subtle contrast helps the Reef Photo Stitch read clearly without overpowering the silhouette.

Quick check

• Artwork file opens and displays at workable resolution.

- You can see hoop boundaries to scale the design appropriately.

Prep checklist

• Artwork imported

• Hoop area visible

• Cutting machine and embroidery machine ready

• Appliqué fabric chosen (supports design contrast)

Setup: Artwork, Reef Photo Stitch, and Visibility 1) Import and size your artwork - Bring in your image and resize to fit within the hoop area. Keep margins for the border and stitch flow.

2) Generate the Reef Photo Stitch - With the artwork selected, go to Auto Digitize > Reef Photo Stitch.

• Use Auto Adjust to balance tones. Toggle it if you prefer the original contrast.

• Increase density modestly and adjust minimum/maximum stitch lengths.

- Choose a style (the demo used Heavy) and Preview.

• Optional: Nudge Brightness down if the preview looks blown out.

• Click OK to commit.

Why this order Adjusting density and stitch length before committing lets you judge how much definition you retain in features and edges. Previewing keeps you from overcompacting the texture.

3) Work cleanly with Hide/Unhide Selected

• Hide the newly created Reef Photo Stitch so you can trace the appliqué outline without visual noise. Hatch 3 lets you hide/unhide just the selected item—no need to unhide everything first.

Setup checklist

• Artwork sized to hoop

• Reef Photo Stitch previewed and committed

• Reef Photo Stitch hidden, ready for outlining

Operation: Digitize, Convert to Appliqué, and Sequence Step 1 — Digitize the appliqué outline

• Zoom in on the artwork and choose Digitizing > Digitize Closed Shapes.

• Set the stitch to Outline > Single Run.

- Trace around the outside edge. Left-click for sharp corners; right-click for curves.

- If a segment isn’t right, backspace to remove the last nodes and try again.

• Press Enter to commit the outline.

• With the outline selected, Center All so it’s aligned on the design grid.

• Hide the original imported bitmap to clean up the view.

- Apply the Hand Stitch Effect to the outline (the demo liked Variant 2), which gives a slightly variegated, handcrafted appearance.

- Unhide the Reef Photo Stitch to see how the outline and interior will sit together.

Pro tip Don’t overchase exactness. The demo intentionally went “rough and stylized”—the texture stitch will carry most of the detail.

Watch out It’s easy to click a corner when you meant a curve (or vice versa). Get in the habit of tapping backspace immediately when a segment isn’t what you intended.

Expected result A clean, single-run outline that encompasses the design, with a hand-stitched look that suits the sketched vibe of the Reef Photo Stitch.

Step 2 — Convert outline to appliqué - Select the outline and choose Convert to Appliqué.

• Break Apart the generated appliqué object so you can edit components individually.

- Delete the satin stitch border if you don’t want one for this design.

• If an auto tack down isn’t needed yet, remove it now and plan your own placement; otherwise, keep the one you’ll use.

Refine with an offset - Create an offset inside the outline at -1/16 inch with rounded corners. This creates a slightly inset edge for neater overlay and coverage.

• Delete any superseded or random elements left over from experimentation.

Sequence for success

• Resequence so the tack down runs before the Reef Photo Stitch.

- Verify with Stitch Player: you should see tack down first, then the texture stitch over the appliqué fabric.

Quick check

• Only the components you intend to stitch remain.

• Tack down is first in the sequence.

• The offset looks even and inside the shape.

Operation checklist

• Outline digitized and centered

• Hand Stitch Effect applied

• Converted to Appliqué and components curated

• Offset created (−1/16 in, rounded)

• Sequence verified in Stitch Player

Quality Checks at Each Milestone After Reef Photo Stitch preview - Can you recognize key contours or directional flow (e.g., garment folds)? If yes, commit. If not, revisit density, stitch lengths, or brightness.

After tracing the outline

• Does the outline consistently sit just outside your subject’s silhouette? If you aimed for stylized, does it look intentionally loose rather than wobbly?

After Convert to Appliqué

• Confirm unwanted satin borders are removed if you’re going borderless.

- Confirm the offset sits evenly inside the original outline (rounded corners help smooth tight radii).

After Stitch Player - The sequence should show tack down, then Reef Photo Stitch—nothing crosses back to place fabric after the texture begins.

Results & Handoff: Export, Cut, Hoop, Stitch Export for cutting - Export the appliqué shape(s) as SVG: Embroidery Shapes > Export Selected Objects Only, SVG format. This is ideal for machines like ScanNCut.

Export for embroidery

• Export the full design (appliqué tack down + Reef Photo Stitch) as a PES file for a Brother embroidery model in the demo. brother embroidery sewing machine

Cutting & placement

• Cut the appliqué fabric with your cutting machine.

• Hoop your base fabric on the embroidery machine.

- Stitch the tack down. In the demo, the tack down was repeated twice for better hold—consider adding that to your plan if your fabric needs extra security.

• Place the pre-cut appliqué inside the tack down boundary.

- Stitch the Reef Photo Stitch over the appliqué.

Pro tip If your fabric tends to shift, repeating the tack down or slightly increasing tack down density can help. The creator noted they ran the tack down twice on the sample for a cleaner hold.

Quick check

• The appliqué piece fits comfortably within the boundary.

• Edges lie flat after tack down.

• The final stitch-out reveals the intended texture and contrast.

Troubleshooting & Recovery Symptom: The Reef Photo Stitch looks muddy or loses key features

• Likely cause: Density too high or excessive darkening.

• Fix: Reduce density or raise brightness slightly, Preview again, and re-commit.

Symptom: The appliqué edge peeks out where it shouldn’t

• Likely cause: No inset offset or offset too small.

• Fix: Create an inside offset of about 1/16 inch with rounded corners and delete the original outer line.

Symptom: Placement runs after the texture starts

• Likely cause: Stitch order not resequenced.

• Fix: In the Objects panel, move tack down/placement to the top; confirm in Stitch Player before exporting.

Symptom: Appliqué fabric lifts during stitching

• Likely cause: Tack down insufficient for fabric weight.

• Fix: Repeat tack down (as done in the demo) or adjust the tack down settings.

From the comments

• Can I do this if I don’t own Hatch? Yes. A community member planned to try the concept in another program, and the creator confirmed the workflow isn’t software-limited—any software that can produce a photo-derived continuous stitch and export appliqué outlines should work. embroidery machine for beginners

• Fabric choice matters. Another commenter praised how the fabric suited the subject—use this as a cue to choose appliqué textiles that support your motif rather than compete with it.

Additional notes for your setup

• This guide used an SVG export for cutting and a PES export for stitching. Many readers run similar workflows on a range of machines—plan your export formats accordingly. machine embroidery hoops

• If you rely on placement tools or fixtures, keep your workflow consistent: cut, hoop, tack down, place, then stitch. hooping station for embroidery

• Accessory choices vary. Some readers work with specialty frames; this project doesn’t require them, but your studio preferences may differ. magnetic embroidery hoops dime snap hoop brother 5x7 hoop