Fun with Fan Fill in Thred (Part 1)

Fan Fill in Thred, is basically just satin stitch (equivalent to the 'A' Fill in the Pfaff PC-Designer).
However, the ease of changing it, changing density, changing direction, is wonderful. As you're about to find out.

Before creating the flower pictured in the corner, let's play with fan fill just to get the basics. Remember - you're not going to create a design on this page, this is a step by step for you to experiment with. If you get stuck, just exit Thred and start the Step by Step again.

PLAYING WITH FAN FILL STEP BY STEP

You can print this page or save it for work off-line.

1. Open Thred. If it is already open, left click 'File' (menu bar), left click 'New'.

2. Set your preferences to Default - left click 'View' (menu bar), left click 'Set', left click 'Default Preferences'.
   Remember that one, as it's a good one to use at the start of every design, so you know exactly what you are starting with.

   

3. Create a Pentagon - left click 'Form', left click 'Regular Polygon', enter '5' for the number of sides and press <enter>. A pentagon should now be attached to your mouse cursor. Take the cursor to the middle of the screen and left click.
   You should now be able to see the 5 form points of the pentagon.
   If this did not happen, press the 'Q' key to reset everything and do this step again.

4. Now to fill the form with fan stitches - Right click one of the form points to select the pentagon form. A box will appear around the form. Left click Fill (menu bar) / Fan Fill.
   The form will fill with stitches.
   Press 'I' to watch the fill stitch out.

5. Now - play! The best way I can describe how the fill works is for you to drag points around the screen (press 'Q' to reset, then drag points), and see how the form refills itself.
   Notice that the fill always starts from the Form Zero Point.
   (The Form Zero Point has a bigger box around the point.)

   

6. Create a new form (left click Form (menu bar) / Free Hand) with the points in approximately the same shape as the picture to the right. (It doesn't need to be exact.) Notice the first form point has the biggest box.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   

7. Fan fill the form (select form by right clicking a form point, left click 'Fill' (menu bar) / Fan). It should look like the one to the right.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. You can change the direction of this unattractive fill with 'D' (Direction) Lines.

   Right click the form to select it, and left click 'Fill' (menu bar) / Unfill. (This step is not necessary, but it helps to see what you are doing better.)
   Press 'Q' to unselect everything. Put your cursor over point '1' (in the picture), and press 'D'. You should now have a 'rubber band line' following your mouse cursor. Move the mouse cursor over point '2' and left click. You should get a dark solid line to indicate a 'non-stick' side. (This means that no stitches will attach to this side.) Do the same for points '3' to '4' and points '5' to '6'.
   
   
   
   

   

9. Now fill the form - right click near a form point to select the form, left click 'Fill' (menu bar) / Fan'.
   Hopefully your form should look like the one on the right. Do you see how the 'D' lines direct the direction of the fan?
   Also note the 'non-stick' line (from 1 to 2). The other end has no non-stick line, so stitches are attached to it.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. 'Play' again - moving the points, moving the 'D' lines etc. To delete a 'D' line, press 'Q' to unselect everything, put the mouse cursor over the form point, and press <delete>.
    Another thing to note is that when you create a 'non-stick' line along the edge, in a form that doesn't already have one, the Form Zero Point moves to the end of the new 'non-stick' line.

Go To Create Satin Flower Page

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