Today’s sewing artist needs to be able to complete a multitude of tasks quickly and carefully, and sometimes the process can be overwhelming. They may want a helping hand, or just more flexibility in their design choices. Luckily, there is software available to help make embroidery projects easier, more fun, and completely customizable! I wanted to evaluate one software program that is particularly popular for embroidery editing, Sew What Pro. I wondered if this program was worth purchasing, and how much exactly it costs in the long run. Keep reading to see what I found out.

1. Sew Write Pro
2. Sew What Pro Easy Tutorial

Sew Write Pro

SewWhat-Pro Embroidery Editing Software Download the FREE 30 Day Trial for Sew What - Pro. Easily merge, resize, and edit. .We recommend you download/update your Sew What-Pro software using Internet Explorer, Edge or Mozilla Firefox. Please email me at rosemarygulledge@appliquecafe.com with any questions. You can also find several blog posts on my blog, Applique Cafe Blog TAG or SEARCH Sew What Pro. Embrilliance Essentials Embroidery Software. (Best Embroidery Software For Beginners & Brother).

Published by S&S Computing (established in Knoxville, Tennessee in 2004), Sew What Pro is embroidery editing software. It allows users to take already existing embroidery files, such as those from a sewing manufacturer, and view, edit, and convert them. Even if files are combined in archives, SWP can extract them so the users can add the fonts, colors, and other features to their personal directory. You will also be able to see thumbnail versions of these files for your convenience.

This software is useful for any sewing or quilting artist who is looking to embroider or monogram something special for a gift or even just for home use. You can resize, reshape, and arch lettering so it is the perfect size and fit for the key fob, backpack, pencil case, or blanket you are sewing. You can also use any TrueType font to create monogram lettering to fit any personal taste. This is an exciting feature, but it is just one of many offered with this software.

Users are able to do just about anything they may desire for a sewing project using the Sew What Pro software. They can change individual thread colors and background fabrics, hide or view a stitch histogram of the thread length distribution for each pattern, and hide or view jump stitches for convenience (the user can choose whether the stitches appear as thickened or dashed lines on the screen). All of these features make for a more flexible and fun sewing experience, and they are just the beginning of what Sew What Pro offers.

There is so much more an artist can do with this software. You can print out the design and design summary, graphically separate patterns at specific stitches using the cutting toolbar, resize a pattern at constant density with the density adjustment dialog, and write Smart Media or Compact Flash cards for most sewing machines, including those made by Brother, Janome, Singer, and Bernina. The software supports 30 different file types, made by manufacturers such as Pfaff, Tajima, Baby Lock, and Viking Designer SE.

For users who do not feel they are computer-savvy, or for anyone who is struggling when deciding how to begin their utilization of the Sew What Pro software, the S&S Computing website offers several video tutorials on different capabilities of the software. These videos cover just about everything the sewing or quilting artist would need to know, starting from how to actually install the software on a PC or a MAC. The software is an application originally designed for Windows computers, so to run it on a MAC computer, you will need to install a software that emulates Windows, such as Wineskin or PlayOnMac. The S&S site offers a MAC installation guide for users looking for more information.

Also on the site is a tutorial showing the basics of Sew What Pro for new users. This video gives step by step audio and visual instructions, and it covers how to print a template for users looking to place designs specifically, how to save an image file rather than a stitch file, how to merge multiple designs and save them separately or together, and how to use the stitch simulator tool.

Other available video tutorials show users how to delete a stitch, split a stitch, use the pull compensation feature to widen satin stitches, edit a pattern, pre-cut your applique fabric, remove design elements from an embroidery piece, join colors, add TrueType font lettering, create a custom border, remove applique overlap, edit text, adjust density, and change thread order.

The capabilities of Sew What Pro are vast, and it could be overwhelming to figure them all out on your own. The tutorials are very easy to follow and will be helpful to novice and veteran users alike. The only drawback is some of the videos were created using older versions of the software, so they may not look exactly like the update you have. However, it should still be simple enough to follow the tutorials by clicking on the tabs and features corresponding to those in older versions of the software.

After reading about everything this software can do, I am sure you are ready to try it for yourself. You are in luck! There is a free 30-day demo available for installation from the publisher’s website. Users may not update the software during this thirty-day period, however, or the trial will immediately expire. The update is not very likely to significantly alter your experience with the software, anyway, as the last update was released in December of 2017. This update should be adequate for all your embroidery software needs.

If you are interested in the program, but you are worried about navigating a program made for English speakers, this is not a problem. Sew What Pro offers support for languages other than English. The S&S Computing website provides links to language files that can be saved right into the Sew What Pro folder on your computer. These language files include Spanish, Dutch, German, French, and Danish. Once you have downloaded and saved the file, open Sew What Pro, click the Options menu, click Language Support, and choose your preferred language.

Once you have used your 30-day free trial, or you are convinced even before the thirty days are up that you absolutely need this software for the long term, you are able to purchase the program right from the publisher’s website, where you downloaded the free trial. Just make sure you purchase your serial number one day before your demo expires, so you never lose the program or all the embroidery and design work you have done using it. When you do go make your purchase, you will be pleased to find the software is available for instant download for $65.00.

If you are concerned that the software will only be available on the computer you originally downloaded it on, don’t worry! There is an option for the user to purchase a CD of the program along with their download for a combined $82.00. The CD will be mailed to you within 10 business days, but the download will be available instantly, so you do not have to wait to start using the software. In fact, the website states users should receive their unique serial number for the program via email within minutes, and it guarantees the email will never take more than 12 hours to arrive.

One important note when purchasing the software after already having installed the demo version is that the user must not install the software again. They will use the same version they originally installed, but they will now copy and paste their new user name and serial number into the program. Now that they have the paid version of the software, they will be able to update it whenever they please, without the software expiring. However, the makers of the software do not offer refunds for any reason, so make sure you are pleased with the demo version before committing to the purchase.

Sew What Pro has generally favorable reviews from its users. Customers were please with the value for their money, and they found the software very user friendly. Even those new to embroidery were able to navigate the software with ease and create products they were proud of. Those who had been embroidering a long time were pleased to be able to add their own touch to their work by reshaping and resizing designs in the program.

Users also compared it to the software that their sewing machine manufacturers sell, and preferred Sew What Pro. After the 30-day trial, most users realized they did not want to part with the software, and they were happy to pay the $65.00 to keep using it for their sewing and quilting projects and monogramming needs. Several reviews even mentioned the customers would have been willing to pay more than the asking price, because they were so happy with the software. You probably will not even need the whole 30-day demo before you make the decision to purchase Sew What Pro. Now that you know exactly what the software does and how much it costs, you should be able to feel confident in your decision to purchase it for your embroidery needs.

SewWhat-Pro (SWP) is software for viewing, editing and converting embroidery files for various different sewing manufacturers. It includes various Integrated Project Management features (see the description of SewWhat-Pro features below). A plugin is available from myriaCross (see features list below) for converting Cross-Stitch files to embroidery files.

Use the Download button below to install both the free 30-day Demo (no purchase necessary) and the retail version, as well as to update the software. Do not update during the DEMO period, as this will cause immediate expiration of the trial. Download the manual for more details about the many features available in SewWhat-Pro. MAC users should use the MAC Download button below and can refer to installation instructions for details.

SewWhat-Pro offers support for some languages other than English as shown here:

To use this language support, open SewWhat-Pro and click the Options menu item Languages and choose the desired language there.

• View embroidery files, even if they are included in zip or rar archives
• View thumbnails (in Album View) of files in your working directory
• Write Designer-1© floppy disks and USB drives
• Use TrueType fonts [TTF©] to create monogram lettering (with varying degrees of quality)
• Resize, reposition, delete, rotate, and merge sewing patterns
• Convert from, and save to, various file formats (see chart below) either individually or in batch mode
• Simulate the real-time stitch out of a pattern
• Change individual thread colors and background fabrics
• Print out the design and design summary
• View (or hide) a stitch histogram of the thread length distribution for each pattern
• Hide or view (as thickened or dashed lines) jump stitches
• ICON toolbar button to toggle between thread pane information and alphabet mode for easy entering of pre-digitized lettering
• Applique cutter tool for creating SVG and JPG files for outline of applique, used to cut applique fabric in Cameo© and Cricut© software
• Cutting toolbar allows graphical separation of patterns at specific stitches
• Density adjustment dialog to resize a pattern at constant density
• Graphical or text-based reordering of thread color stops is available
• Capability to write Smart Media or Compact Flash cards for Singer, Brother, Janome, and new Bernina machines
• Converts Cross Stitch patterns to embroidery files using a “plugin” from myriaCross (MC). You may download the DEMO, or purchase the MC plugin for SewWhat-Pro, here. Once the plugin is installed, it becomes seamlessly integrated into the SewWhat-Pro workspace and can be used to preview and convert a variety of different Cross-stitch formats. if the plugin stops working after updating to a newer version of Windows, simply uninstall and reinstall it.
• Supports a command-line interface for file conversion which has the form:
  • SewWhat-Pro.exe file1.ext1 file2.ext2 /c

Integrated Project Management Features of SewWhat-Pro

• Includes an editable table for entering project information
• Easily editable list of thread colors and manufacturer brands
• Capability to read/write thread color “txt” files for single/multiple projects
• Thread palettes from a large number of manufacturers are available
• Customizable user-defined thread palettes can be easily added

File Types Supported by SewWhat-Pro

Click on an icon below to begin playing the associated video. You may pause the selection carousel by moving your mouse over it. Some videos require associated embroidery files so you can work-alone with the presentation. You may download them from here and unzip them. Note that the videos have been created over a span of several years, so the SewWhat-Pro workspace appearance in the tutorial may be different from the current version of the software.

Download Selected Video:
(Right-click the link above and choose 'Save Target As...')

Sew What Pro Easy Tutorial