Embroidery 101: Transferring Your Pattern

There are so many different ways to transfer a pattern. And, of course, everyone seems to have their favorite. Below I am listing a few techniques that I have used, plus a few that I haven’t tried yet.

LIGHT BOX:

This is by far my favorite way to transfer a pattern and the one that I most commonly use.

You simply place your printed pattern on a light box (I have linked to mine HERE), position your fabric on top of it. Then with the light box turned on, you trace the pattern using either an air erasable pen, heat/water erasable pen or a pencil.

Pros:

• Easy
• Fast
• Works well on light colored fabric

Cons:

• Must have a light box
• Hard to do with dark fabrics.
• Air Erasable Pen: The pattern can fade before you are done stitching. It is strongly recommended that you hand wash your fabric when embroidery is complete and before you back it.
• Heat/Water Erasable Pen: You have to handwash your fabric before you back it.
• Pencil: You must be careful to embroider over all of your pencil marks.

WINDOW METHOD:

If you are not quite ready to invest in a light box, the window method is an alternative solution. You simply tape your printed pattern on a bright window, position your fabric on top of it. Then you trace the pattern using either an air erasable pen, heat/water erasable pen or a pencil.

Pros:

• Easy
• Fast
• Works well on light colored fabric

Cons:

• Tracing the pattern off the window can be awkward.
• Can only be done on bright sunny days.
• Hard to do with dark fabrics.
• Air Erasable Pen: The pattern can fade before your done stitching. It is strongly recommended that you hand wash your fabric when embroidery is complete and before you back it.
• Heat/Water Erasable Pen: You have to handwash your fabric before you back it.
• Pencil: You must be careful to embroider over all of your pencil marks.

DRESSMAKER'S METHOD:

This method uses carbon paper that can often be found at your local fabric store. It comes in different colors to best suit your project. First, you place your fabric down on a hard surface and then lay the carbon paper on top of it and then lay the printed pattern on the very top. Trace the pattern using a sharp pencil. When done, the image will then be transferred to your fabric.

Pros:

• Easy
• Fast
• Works well on dark or light colored fabrics

Cons:

• Can sometimes be tricky to capture any fine details and lines; but a sharp pencil helps with that.

STICK-AND-STITCH METHOD:

This method uses water soluble paper that can often be found at your local fabric store or Amazon. Basically, you print the embroidery design you want to embroider with on to this special paper, stick it on to your fabric, embroider on it, and then soak it in water when you are done with the project. I have a much more detailed tutorial on how to use that HERE.

Pros:

• Easy
• Fast
• Works well on dark or light colored fabrics

Cons:

• Can get gummy, especially when it is humid outside.
• Does not work with all fabric types.  It is important to test it on your fabric first.
• It can sometimes shift position while you are stitching.

Other transfer methods, that I have not tried, include using Stabilizer Fabric Method and the Iron-On Pencil Method.

So now that you know how to transfer a pattern, are you ready to get started?!  Here's where you can find all of my digital embroidery patterns.