The desired seams are formed while adding a hand-sewn taste to the sewing pattern without changing the tendency of the hand-sewn taste for the same pattern. A coordinate data storage unit for storing coordinate data which indicates a needle location of a pattern to be sewn, an addition value storage unit for storing an addition value which is added to each of the coordinate data, and an adjustment unit for adjusting the coordinate data or the addition value; and an added coordinate data creating unit for creating a new coordinate data where the pattern is deformed by adding the addition value adjusted by the adjustment unit to the coordinate data or by adding the addition value to the coordinate data adjusted by the adjustment unit or by adding the addition value adjusted by adjustment unit to the coordinate data adjusted by the adjustment unit are provided.

Disclosed is a guiding apparatus for use with a machine to facilitate performing an action along a self-guided path on a substrate. The guiding apparatus may include a support member configured to be attached to at least a portion of the machine. Further, the guiding apparatus may include one or more of lighting units, optical sensors, controllers, and user interface components, mounted on the support member, configured to identify an object, obtain position of the object on a substrate and perform an action along a self-guided path in association with that object on the substrate.

A method and apparatus for stitching a workpiece, such as a quilt, is disclosed. The method comprises displaying a predetermined pattern on a display and manipulating the predetermined pattern on the display. The display includes an indicator corresponding to a position of a sewing head relative to the workpiece. The method further includes moving a control handle operably connected to the sewing head to move the indicator relative to the pattern on the display and move the sewing head relative to the workpiece. Devices to practice the method include sewing machines having a sewing head moveable relative to a workpiece and a control handle operably connected to the sewing head to move the sewing head relative to the workpiece, wherein the display showing a pattern to be sewn is mounted relative to the control handle for movement with the control handle.

A method and apparatus for stitching a workpiece, such as a quilt, is disclosed. The method comprises displaying a predetermined pattern on a display and manipulating the predetermined pattern on the display. The display includes an indicator corresponding to a position of a sewing head relative to the workpiece. The method further includes moving a control handle operably connected to the sewing head to move the indicator relative to the pattern on the display and move the sewing head relative to the workpiece. Devices to practice the method include sewing machines having a sewing head moveable relative to a workpiece and a control handle operably connected to the sewing head to move the sewing head relative to the workpiece, wherein the display showing a pattern to be sewn is mounted relative to the control handle for movement with the control handle.

A sewing machine includes a bed portion, a conveyance portion, a sewing portion, an image capture portion, a projector, a processor, and a memory. The conveyance portion is configured to convey a sewing object placed on the bed portion. The memory is configured to store marker information and computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, instruct the processor to perform processes. The processes include causing the image capture portion to perform the image capture at a predetermined timing, during a conveyance period, identifying the marker in a captured image, using the marker information stored in the memory, identifying a projection position corresponding to the identified marker, when the marker is identified, and causing the projector to project the projection image indicating the identified projection position, while following a movement of the marker on the sewing object being conveyed.

A sewing machine includes a bed portion, a conveyance portion, a sewing portion, an image capture portion, a projector, a processor, and a memory. The conveyance portion is configured to convey a sewing object placed on the bed portion. The memory is configured to store marker information and computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, instruct the processor to perform processes. The processes include causing the image capture portion to perform the image capture at a predetermined timing, during a conveyance period, identifying the marker in a captured image, using the marker information stored in the memory, identifying a projection position corresponding to the identified marker, when the marker is identified, and causing the projector to project the projection image indicating the identified projection position, while following a movement of the marker on the sewing object being conveyed.

When marks all align with a mark alignment region in an image, an image is acquired for an embroidery frame and embroidery design sewn to a portion of a cloth mounted on the frame. Image analysis is performed based on correspondence between acquired information for the embroidery frame and for the marks. The embroidery region of the embroidery frame is determined based on analysis results. Acquired images of the cloth having the embroidery design portion and an embroidery design to be sewn to it are displayed. The embroidery design image to be sewn is edited to connect it to the image of the embroidery design already sewn to the portion in the displayed image. This prevents the occurrence of overlapping or gaps between embroidery design units even if accumulated shrinkage occurs in sewing, or slight alignment errors occur in position or rotation when cloth is mounted on the embroidery frame.

When producing a piece of three-dimensional (3D) clothing through a computer simulation, a 3D clothing draping simulation method includes inputting a two-dimensional (2D) clothing pattern, inputting a pattern block, matching the input 2D clothing pattern to the input pattern block, converting the matched 2D clothing pattern and pattern block into a database (DB), selecting a pattern block which is matched with 2D clothing pattern from the pattern block database, and automatically sewing 2D clothing patterns matched with selected pattern blocks together according to sewing information of the pattern blocks.

When producing a piece of three-dimensional (3D) clothing through a computer simulation, a 3D clothing draping simulation method includes inputting a two-dimensional (2D) clothing pattern, inputting a pattern block, matching the input 2D clothing pattern to the input pattern block, converting the matched 2D clothing pattern and pattern block into a database (DB), selecting a pattern block which is matched with 2D clothing pattern from the pattern block database, and automatically sewing 2D clothing patterns matched with selected pattern blocks together according to sewing information of the pattern blocks.

Systems and methods for superimposing an image of a quilt pattern over an image of a quilt to preview what a completed quilt will look like before the quilt pattern is sewn onto the quilt. One method may include selecting an image of a quilt, inputting a first and a second quilt dimension into a controller, selecting a quilt pattern including a thread color to be used over at least a portion of the quilt, selecting the thread color, superimposing the quilt pattern over the at least a portion of the quilt, selectively altering the quilt pattern, and outputting a completed image displaying a final quilt pattern superimposed over the quilt and parameters for a quilting machine to sew the final quilt pattern onto the quilt.