Ripple stitch

What it is

Ripple stitch is part running stitch and part filling: it behaves like a running stitch (it can be done in triple stitch for example), it is defined from a stroke, but the embroidery result stretches over a surface. Used loosely, the result looks like ripples, hence the name.

 

How to Create

From a stroke (stroke color is set and no fill color) that may be either a simple path (decomposition applied to it has no effect) or a composed path with exactly two subpaths, just like the rails of a satin column.

Le stroke may be dashed or not, here it does not matter.

• Create a stroke (stroke color is set and no fill color) that may be either a simple path (decomposition applied to it has no effect) or a composed path with exactly two subpaths.
• Select this stroke
• Open params dialog (Extensions > Ink/Stitch > Params) and select Ripple stitch as method.

If the stroke is closed, any hole will be ignored and the shape will be filled with a spiral. Open shapes will be stitched back and forth.

Once the path has been created, it becomes possible to guide the way the ripples replicate to fill a shape.

There are many ways to exploit all the possibilities:

Download

Params

Params		Description
Running stitch along paths	☑	Must be enabled for these settings to take effect.
Methode		Chose Ripple stitch
Repeats		◦ Defines how many times to run down and back along the final embroidery path ◦ Default: 1 (traveling once from the start to the end of the path) ◦ Odd number: stitches will end at the end of the path ◦ Even number: stitching will return to the start of the path
Bean stitch number of repeats		◦ Enable Bean Stitch Mode ◦ Backtrack each stitch this many times. ◦ A value of 1 would triple each stitch (forward, back, forward). ◦ A value of 2 would quintuple each stitch, etc. ◦ Only applies to running stitch.
Running stitch length		Length of stitches in Running Stitch Mode
Number of line		Chose how many times the ripple replicates. Default value is 10.
◦Skip first lines ◦Skip last lines		Skip (do not embroider) that number of replications at start and/or end of the embroidery.
Line distance exponent		◦ With default value of 1 space between replications is constant ◦ With a value greater than 1, the space between two consecutive replications increases as one moves away from the original ripple ◦ With a value smaller than 1, the space between two consecutive replications decreases as one moves away from the original ripple.
Flip exponent	☑ or ▢	exchange role of first and last line in the computation of line distance
Reverse	☑ or ▢	Reverse the final embroidery path. Has no effect on the other parameters.
Grid max distance		If the distance is strictly positive a grid effect is added. The distance controls how far apart the new lines are.
Scale axes	XY or X or Y or None	for guided ripple only
Starting scale	for guided ripple only	How big the first copy of the line should be, in percent.
Ending scale	for guided ripple only	How big the last copy of the line should be, in percent.
Rotate	☑ or ▢	for guided ripple only
Enables lock stitches in only desired positions	☑ ou ▢	Enables lock stitches in only desired positions
Force lock stitches	☑ or ▢	Sew lock stitches after sewing this element, even if the distance to the next object is shorter than defined by the collapse length value in the Ink/Stitch preferences.

Guiding

For any ripple : guide line

It is always possible to add a guide line to a ripple:

• Create a ripple
• Create a stroke
• Turn the stroke into guide line :Extensions > Ink/Stitch > Edit > Selection to Guide
• Group the ripple and the guide

The centers of the replications follow the guide.

If the guide has two sub-paths, distance between the sub-paths determine replications sizes

For ripple defined from a simple path : target

It is possible to define a ripple stitch target position using [visual command] (/docs/commands/). If no guiding information is provided, the center of the path is the target.

For satin ripple (two subpaths) : rungs

Works similarly to Satin Columns rungs

Samples Files Including Ripple Stitches