“Paws” was created by Quality Punch, a Torrance, California-based embroidery-digitizing and vector-art supplier. Created in-house, the cushion-cover piece was designed to show the company’s customers that embroidered patches are compatible with more than just T-shirts.
“Each paw has about 22,000 stitches and five colors,” says Karen Habe, co-owner, Quality Punch. “Most are fill stitches and highlighted with running stitches. Files are then sewn on the cushion with a zig-zag appliqué. The rough appliqué stitches fit in nicely with the overall theme.”
Although the design is simple, Habe explains the most challenging aspect was culminating the idea.
“We wanted to do something fun,” she says. “The challenge was to come up with the concept, which would be simple yet impactful. Complex logos are a routine for us. However, sometimes simplicity — if done correctly — gives the most beautiful result.”
To achieve the realistic animal silhouettes within each paw, color blending was crucial. Densities were kept very light, producing a soft effect for the fur and skin tone, and helping to emphasize the eyes in each image.
“We made many paws — dog, bear, feline, panda,” Habe says. “We made about eight to 10 embroideries, threw them together and saw which combo looks best. The cat, tiger and lion are a family, and then we threw in an elephant.” — Dustin Shrader
Design Details
Dimensions: 5″ x 5″
Embroidery Machine: Tajima
Software: Wilcom
Thread Type(s): Madeira 40-Weight
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