The Most Effective Ways to Transfer Embroidery Patterns To Fabric
You’ve probably landed here because you want to stitch an embroidery design and are wondering how to transfer an embroidery pattern to the fabric.
If that’s the case, get comfy because you’re in the right place! I’ll share some of the easiest and most effective methods in this article. I’ll also teach you how to choose the most suitable one for your unique project, making it even easier for you to follow and stitch whatever design you’re working on.
This post is a part of a series about how to embroider for beginners.
Disclaimer: This post has some affiliate links. I receive a small commission from purchases at no additional cost to the buyer. I only recommend products I would use and love and that are of good quality. All opinions are my own!
How To Transfer Embroidery Patterns Onto Fabric
Choosing the proper method for your specific embroidery project is essential for producing a high-quality design that you can easily follow while embroidering.
While you can technically choose any method, some techniques work better than others for different materials, designs, and embroidery styles.
The transfer method you choose depends on a variety of factors:
- What type of fabric you plan to use
- The color of the fabric
- If you prefer the markings to be permanent or temporary
- What size the finished design will be
- The level of detail in the design
For all these transfer methods, you’ll need basic embroidery supplies (an embroidery hoop, a design, fabric, and scissors). Some of these tutorials require special products, which I note in each section!
Want A Quick Overview? Watch The Video
How To Trace Onto Fabric With A Light Source
Tracing is by far the simplest way to transfer embroidery patterns. Most people, including myself, start out using this method because it doesn’t require anything fancy. You may already have all of the supplies available to you at home!
The easiest fabrics to use are lighter-weight ones, like linen or cotton. A quick way to see how easy a piece of fabric will be to trace on is to hold the fabric up to the light. If you can slightly see through it, it will be easy to trace through.
Supplies
- A fabric marker or pen (suggestions below)
- A lightbox, sunny window, or iPad screen
Recommended Markers and Pens
The best markers and pens for embroidery stay well on the fabric while you’re stitching but are easily removable, either with heat or water, when you’re finished.
- Water soluble markers – used for simpler designs on light fabric or with larger designs that require a lot of handling
- Frixion heat erasable pens—These pens have a fine ballpoint tip and are great for more detailed designs. The marks don’t fade with handling, which is also great for larger projects. Just a note: they can sometimes leave marks on darker fabrics, so do a test first!
How To Transfer The Pattern
- Print the design onto a sheet of paper.
- Place the fabric in the hoop. (This step is optional, but it helps keep the fabric still, and it’s easier to see through it this way.)
- Tape the pattern to whatever light source you’re using.
- Place the hoop/fabric against the pattern. Then start tracing!
Extra Tips
- If you’re having trouble seeing the design, make the design lines darker and thicker.
- For dark fabrics, try inverting the image or design.
- If you’re using an iPad, you can turn on guided access to freeze the screen.
Iron On Transfer With Heat Transfer Pencil
Iron-on embroidery transfers are an older method that is still used today. They used to be a popular way to purchase pattern transfers; just look at all of these cute designs!
- They’re useful to use with thicker fabrics that would otherwise be harder to trace onto.
- It’s best to use heat transfer with simpler designs. In my experience, small details don’t show up well and sometimes blur together.
- You can usually get away with using the same transfer two or three times, so it’s excellent for designs you plan to use more than once.
Supplies Needed
- Iron on transfer pencil – I like Aunt Martha’s
- Tracing paper
- An iron
- Tape to hold the layers in place
How to Make An Iron-On Transfer
- Place the tracing paper on top of the design, then secure both layers to a flat surface.
- Using the iron-on pencil, trace firmly over the design.
- Once you are finished tracing, shake and wipe away any leftover pencil shavings. If they are left there, they will be transferred to the fabric.
- Place the tracing paper face down on the piece of fabric. Secure it with tape so nothing moves while you’re ironing it.
- Apply a hot iron (cotton/wool setting) to the top of the tracing paper, pressing firmly and moving it across the entire paper a few times.
- Peel part of the paper back to check the design. Go back over any faded areas with the iron.
Extra Tips
- Use heat transfer when you’re confident that your stitches will cover up all the marks because this method cannot be removed.
- Heat transfer produces a mirror image of the design, so you may want to invert your design before starting!
Carbon or Chalk Transfer Paper
Carbon and chalk transfer paper can be used on any color of fabric.
- Stick with smaller projects that are simple in design. You’ll want to avoid handling the fabric too much because the marks can easily come off.
- It’s really helpful when you’re using thicker fabrics or with a design you want to reuse.
- And, for the most part, it’s easily removable (with the exception of graphite paper).
Note: The black transfer paper contains graphite, which may not be able to be removed entirely, so this option is best to use when you know the stitches will completely cover up the design. Always test transfer paper on scrap fabric before you commit to using it.
Supplies Needed
- fine tip pen or pencil
- transfer paper – I recommend Saral
- tape to hold layers in place
How To Use Transfer Paper
- Place the carbon paper on top of the fabric on a flat, hard surface so the back of the paper (white side) faces you, and the carbon side touches the fabric.
- Place the paper pattern on top and tape everything down so it doesn’t shift around.
- Trace the lines of the design with a pencil.
- Don’t remove anything just yet: take a peek at the fabric to see how the transfer looks. You may need to go back over it a few more times.
Extra Tips
- Avoid overhandling the fabric.
- You may need to trace over the design’s lines more than once to produce a dark transfer.
Water Soluble Stabilizer
Water-soluble stabilizers are my first choice when transferring a design with many small details, like my thread painting patterns.
- Use for more complex designs that have small details
- It can also be used on darker fabrics and clothing that is harder to trace through.
- It even works well with textured fabrics, such as felt.
Supplies Needed
- Embroidery design (if you plan to print, the best format to use is a PDF)
- water-soluble stabilizer
- a permanent marker with a fine tip (such as a micron)
Trace By Hand
For this option, I like to use Sulky Solvy.
- Cut a piece of the stabilizer to the same size as your fabric.
- Place the stabilizer in the embroidery hoop. Then, place the hoop face down on top of the design and trace it using the permanent marker.
- Remove the stabilizer from the embroidery hoop.
- Layer the stabilizer and the fabric together and place in an embroidery hoop. Then, you’re ready to stitch.
- When you finish the embroidery, soak and rinse with warm water to remove.
Tip: It’s always a good idea to test out whatever marker you plan to use with this stabilizer on a fabric swatch first.
Printable Sheets Of Embroidery Stabilizer
Sulky Stitch N Stitch Stabilizer makes it so easy to print out PDF patterns. It’s my favorite way to transfer designs for embroidering on clothing. It also acts as a lightweight stabilizer for thin or fragile fabrics.
The sheets fit perfectly in your home printer. Here’s how to use them:
- Place a sheet of the Stick n’ Stitch in your printer tray. (For most printers, the textured side of the paper should be face-down.)
- Print out your design.
- Cut out the design. Leave at least 1/2 inch around the design.
- Peel off the backing and stick the stabilizer onto the fabric. Then you can embroider like normal!
- Soak the fabric in warm water for a few minutes to remove the stabilizer, then rub off any remaining little bits under running water.
Extra Tips
- Use A4 or Letter size printable embroidery designs.
- The ink can sometimes stain the fabric after you wash the stabilizer off. If this happens, try printing the design at a lower opacity.
- Make a basting stitch around the edge if the design isn’t sticking.
Recommended products
How To Transfer Embroidery Patterns onto Dark Fabrics
Transferring embroidery patterns onto dark fabrics can be a tricky process. Water soluble markers don’t usually show up, and tracing through the fabric isn’t always possible. But don’t worry, there are several reliable ways to get your design transferred.
Water Soluble Pens and Pencils
These pencils work well for tracing or for drawing freehand.
Tip: Avoid over-handling the project: the marks can come out easily.
Products To Try
- Bohin mechanical chalk pencil – a fine tip that leaves the most visible marks out of all the chalk pencils I have tried.
- Clover white marking pen – has an extra fine tip that leaves marks that stay well even with handling.
Saral White Transfer Paper
Saral white transfer paper contains chalk instead of carbon, making it easy to remove and ideal for dark fabrics.
- You’ll want to stick with small or medium designs.
- Use this transfer paper when you prefer a method that leaves temporary marks.
Tip: The marks from this transfer paper sometimes wear off easily. To keep them better, go back over the transfer marks with a Clover white pen.
Stick n’ Stitch
Stick n’ Stitch will save you a lot of time, and it shows up well on darker backgrounds. It feels like I’m cheating whenever I use it. Ha!
- I frequently use this product anytime I’m stitching on clothing.
- It works well on felt, denim, and knit fabrics and is relatively easy to remove.
Conclusion
Whatever project you plan to undertake, there is likely a tool that will make the transfer easy.
If you ask anyone in the embroidery community, you will quickly find that everyone has their particular preferences. Some people swear by one way, while others exclaim that they can’t stand it! Some stitchers, like myself, use a few different products and methods, while others stick to their one way that’s tried and true.
In the end, there isn’t a right or wrong method to choose. The most important thing is to find practices that work well for you!
Phew! This was a long one, but if you’d like to keep learning, I think you might also like my tutorial about creating embroidery designs from a photo.
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.
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