#embird

Hello there~! You can change the end point of any object. Just edit it, select the node you want as the end point, right click and select place fill end point here.

I don’t know how well you can see it below, but there will be a line coming off the node you selected which shows the stitch fill direction. To avoid gaps in simple shapes you just want the end point to be at an edge parallel to the fill direction

For weirder shapes, you might need to experiment a bit. It’s a little tricky to explain, but with this shape for example, I have the end point at the bottom (you can see the line better in this pic too)

So when it fills, it’ll do this part first (please excuse my scribbles aha, I don’t have a tablet)

And then will go up to the other side and fill down that part before joining with the previous part and filling the rest (if that makes sense)

You basically want the end point to cause the fill to go from top to bottom/side to side etc, and not start from both to meet in the middle, since that’s when you’ll get gaps. Sometimes if you’ve got a really odd shape it can be unavoidable, but it’s not an issue I’ve had come up too often. Just play around with different nodes, and use the sim function to see how it’ll stitch out.

As for the other issue, I usually make the shape a bit wider like you mentioned, but it’s also a good idea to use a thicker stabiliser or double up on a thinner one. Another thing I do now that isn’t in my original tutorial is to do a big underlay beneath the whole shape (or in your case just the circle) which helps a lot with warping. Just make a copy of your circle beneath the proper one, and in the parameters for that one untick “make cover stitches” and set the underlay to 1.5mm or so.

DRAGON DRAGON DRAGON DRAGON. Ahem. Yes. First dragon of the Tahook region. I may be a bit excited here.

Fire/Flying Embird is a great start to the line, mixing red and purple with the flames coming from it’s head and wings. I especially like how it’s head has that flaming crest coming down to look like a beak. The lack of feet is a little strange, but as the next two stages have them I assume they’re hidden in the feathers.

Flambént is a great middle stage, taking the wings and making them bigger, along with making the crest of fire trail off the back of it’s head. It’s even got a rather long tail now, which Embird had, but was less impressive. Like many Fire types the tail is on fire, but unlike other Fire types Flambént has the whole thing ablaze.

Phenusc becomes a Fire/Dragon, and for the first Dragon type is kind of disappointing. It tones down the flaming tail and the crest, it’s body looks oddly smooth, and the Dragon typing itself doesn’t really fit. There’s no reason a phoenix should be a Dragon type, at least not this one. There’s nothing linking a phoenix with a dragon here, and it doesn’t even have any draconic characteristics. Something like Altaria gets a pass because it’s based on a mythical bird with a dragon’s head, while Phenusc just has the Dragon type because.