How to Hand Embroider on Tulle Fabric -

Embroidery on tulle is so beautiful! However, it can be sort of a challenge due to the nature of this type of fabric, so I’ve put together some tips on how to successfully hand embroider on tulle fabric!

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Supplies You’ll Need to Embroider On Tulle

Tapestry Needle – a sharp embroidery needle can tear the tulle, and there’s no need to pierce the fabric
tulle
embroidery hoop
embroidery thread – I use DMC

Embroidery Stitches That Look Great on Tulle

Some embroidery stitches don’t work as well on tulle, due to the fact that it’s see through. These include stem stitch, chain stitch, running stitch, and lazy daisy stitch. These stitches look messier on the back when you’re working with fabric that is see through.

Embroidery stitches that I’ve found look great on tulle are: back stitch, french knots, satin stitches, and woven pinwheel roses. (I have linked the page each stitch is on if you’d like to give them a try!) Anything that is a filler stitch works better because you can hide the knots and stitches under an area that it filled in with embroidery stitches.

Tips on Working with Tulle

Tulle fabric is really thin, stretchy, and somewhat fragile. So naturally, it’s kind of tough to embroider on, but the end result is oh so rewarding! When you’re working with it, make sure you don’t over stretch it in the hoop. You want the fabric to be taught, but no distorting the natural weave of the fabric.

When embroidering on tulle, you should make sure to be gentle and not pull your stitches too tight because again, you will distort or warp the fabric.

Some stitches are a little bit harder to do on tulle because the stitches on the back may show through. You’ll have to take some extra time to plan out which stitches you want to use for your embroidery piece. Stitches like back stitch and stem stitch can be a bit tricky because the back of the stitches will show through, especially on curves.

When securing your stitches, it’s better to tuck the tail of the thread underneath the stitches on the back. If you do tie knots to secure the stitches, try to tie them more towards the center of an area covered with stitches so your knots are visible in the front. While a few stragglers here and there aren’t the end of the world, I’ve found that using a little bit of hot glue on the ends of your knots can help to secure them to the back and hide any little ends of thread from peaking through to the front.

An alternative to lazy daisy or detached chain stitch is to make two straight stitches in the shape of a lazy daisy stitch. I basically use the fabric as an anchor instead of making a stitch at the top to secure the loop of a detached chain stitch. (See photo above)

You may enjoy this DIY pressed flower tulle embroidery project

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Keep Reading:

Stitch Along: Lemon Citrus Embroidery Pattern

How To Read an Embroidery Pattern

How to Embroider On Clothes

Amanda

Amanda is a hand embroidery teacher and artist. With over 15 years of experience in the craft industry and embroidery, she owns and runs Crewel Ghoul, sharing accessible tutorials and patterns to help inspire fellow crafters to get creative. In addition to running this website, she teaches on Skillshare and Youtube.