How To Embroider Clothes - Easy DIY - Crewel Ghoul

Transferring The Design

If you plan on freehand drawing a design onto your clothes, a water soluble marker will do.

Using Stick and Stitch

It can be near impossible to trace through clothing. If there is a pattern you’d like to transfer, I highly recommend using Stick N Washaway Stabilizer. The sheets come in a standard printer paper size, so you can easily print off your pattern and stick it directly onto the fabric!

Simply download the pattern you’d like to use, place the stabilizer face-down in the printer, and print it out.

If you’ve never used stick and stitch before, check out my tips for using it before you get started.

Important Tip: Before you get started, test out a piece of the printed stabilizer on the clothing. Stick it somewhere discreet, preferably on the inside of the clothing, then soak and rinse it off to make sure that the ink on the stabilizer doesn’t bleed and stain the fabric.

Tracing Paper Method

Another budget friendly option is to use tracing paper.

1. Trace the design onto the paper.
2. Cut around the design leaving a margin of about 1 inch.
3. Secure it on top of the clothing with a loose basting stitch.
4. Tear it away when you’re finished.

1. Print the pattern onto the stabilizer sheet. Cut out the design, leaving about 1/2″ around it. Peel off the backing of the stabilizer and place it on the area you want to embroider.
2. Place your embroidery hoop around the design and pull the fabric tight.
3. Depending on the clothing, the stabilizer may move when you first start stitching. It helps to do a basting stitch (a loose running stitch you can take out after) to keep the stabilizer extra secure.
4. Now, you’re ready to stitch!