Digitizing Animals with Hatch Embroidery – FREE King Parrot design

April 7th, 2024 4 minute read

Listen to this interesting Hatch Blog

Audio generated by DropInBlog's Blog Voice AI™ may have slight pronunciation nuances. Learn more

Learn about the various ways you can achieve the look of fur and feathers

Once you have mastered the basics of digitizing, you can easily find yourself looking for the next challenge. Digitizing animals with embroidery that imitates fur or feathers is definitely taking it to the next level, and it is also something that many people seem to be very interested these days.

I collated the various techniques you can use to achieve fur and feather like effect with Hatch Embroidery; some are quick and easy and some take a bit of time and effort.

Satin Shading

Satin shading is very similar to old school hand embroidery where you interweave long stitches along the surface. Most traditional fur is done in narrow patches of satin-style stitches with feathered sides.

When you use this method, you are likely to end up with quite a lot of color changes, but the end result is well worth putting in the time required to stitch out your design.

You need to switch off all underlays and make sure you set your start and end points correctly to avoid lines behind your objects.

In the example below, I first digitized a global underlay with tatami fill and increased the stitch spacing to 0.80 mm, so it’s quite light. This forms the base of the design. I then digitized long narrow objects layered on top of each other to achieve the shaggy fur effect on the mammoth. I applied ‘Feather edges’ effect on both sides of the objects. I gradually blended lighter colors as I worked my way upward on the body.

Fill Shading

In a previous blog article I explained in great detail how I digitized this seahorse. I blended open layers of Tatami filled objects on the body up to a density. I used Ripple stitch on the fins.

Read the article here.

Same way as above, you need to switch off all underlays and make sure you set your start and end points correctly to avoid lines behind your objects. You can use this method with wider objects.

Combination of Tatami, Run Stitches and Satin

In this example the digitizer used Tatami fill and adjusted the stitch angles so the stitches imitate fur. A lot of the detail was created using the ‘Freehand Open Shape’ digitizing tool and single run stitch.

This cute jumping mouse was created by professional digitizer, Erich Campbell using a similar method. He used Tatami fills, but he built his design up with multiple layers and finished it with freehand digitizing.

Another example of using Tatami fills to give the design more texture is this King Parrot design. I used Tatami 38 for the body to make it fuzzier and imitate the look of layers of fine feathers. There are 44 different types of Tatami fills in Hatch Embroidery Digitizer, so it is easy to find one to suit your design. I also applied the ‘Florentine’ effect so the stitches follow the curve of the body.

Embossed Fills

Rather than individually digitizing feathers on the wing of the king parrot, I used Embossed Oval3 fill, clicked the ‘Turn Pattern based on stitch angle(s)’ box and adjusted the stitch angles so the pattern suits the angle of the wing.

Hatch Embroidery software products are in popular use in over 120 countries. It is time to join the global trend and give Hatch a try! The 30-day Free Trial grants you unlimited use of all the amazing features and the 30-day Money Back Guarantee ensures that there is absolutely no risk involved.


Hatch Academy over 200 FREE Lessons	30 Day FREE Trial all the tools & features	Money Back Guarantee ease of mind	FlexPay monthly instalments

The definite choice when selecting embroidery software

Hatch Embroidery software is a comprehensive embroidery design solution that offers a range of tools and features for both beginners and seasoned embroiderers.

Here’s why it's a great choice:

User-Friendly Interface: The software is designed with a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for anyone to start creating beautiful embroidery designs, regardless of their experience level.
Powerful Editing Tools: It provides powerful editing tools that allow users to resize, edit, and adjust embroidery designs with precision. This is essential for businesses that need to customize designs according to specific customer requirements.
Wide Range of Formats Supported: Hatch Embroidery supports a wide range of machine file formats, making it versatile for use with different embroidery machines. This flexibility is crucial for businesses operating with multiple machine types.
Professional Quality: The software generates professional-quality stitches, ensuring that the end products are of high quality, which is vital for maintaining customer satisfaction and business reputation.
Extensive Design Features: With features like auto-digitizing, lettering, monogramming, and even special effects, businesses can offer a wide range of embroidery services, increasing their market appeal and potential revenue streams.
Regular Updates and Support: Hatch provides regular software updates and robust customer support, ensuring that businesses can always access the latest features and get help when needed.

Overall, Hatch Embroidery software equips you with the tools necessary to create stunning, high-quality embroidery designs efficiently and effectively, enhancing productivity and customer satisfaction.