How to Embroider Cutout Work

Re-create a web-like cutout design with embroidery.

Restyle your fabric by making original cutout pattern designs. This technique creates a pattern or motif within the body of the fabric by cutting out specific sections of negative space along designated lines. The pattern emerges from a series of connecting fabric lines within the positive space, holding the fabric parts together. Reinforce the connected lines with embroidery to accent the design. For example, add the cutout feature to the back of T-shirts or attach the detailing to sleeve cuffs for a decorative finish.

Things You'll Need

• Embroidery design or pattern
• Embroidery software program
• Reader/writer box
• Reusable embroidery card
• Embroidery machine
• Heavyweight water-soluble stabilizer sheet
• Fabric
• Fabric scissors
• Temporary fabric adhesive
• Lightweight water-soluble stabilizer sheet
• Self-healing cutting mat
• Rotary cutter

Instructions

Preparing the Cutout Embroidery Pattern

1. Draw the embroidery design or pattern on your embroidery software program’s image pad. Use the linear or curve tool to define the cutting lines for the cutout work. Save the designs on a separate computer file.

2. Measure the width and length of the embroidery design using the program’s sizing tool for the selected area on the garment or home decor item.

3. Connect a reader/writer box to your personal computer and insert a reusable embroidery card, which allows you to copy over previous designs. Retail embroidery designs generally have a brand compatible flash drive or nonerasable cards.

4. Write the embroidery design on the card. If your program connects directly to the machine, skip Steps 3 and 4.

5. Insert the card into the embroidery machine’s slot.

Creating the Embroidered Cutout Work

1. Place a piece of heavyweight water-soluble stabilizer sheet on your work table. Use the design dimensions from the previous section as a guide prior to cutting the sheet. If your design has high stitch counts in specific areas, use a stabilizer sheet several inches larger than the design. This ensures you have sufficient stabilizer, which has a tendency to shrink with heavy stitching.

2. Cut the project fabric with sharp fabric scissors in the desired width and length for the cutout embroidery design.

3. Spray the back of the project material with temporary fabric adhesive. Position the fabric on top of the heavyweight stabilizer.

4. Spray temporary adhesive onto the backside of a separate lightweight water-soluble stabilizer sheet. Place the sheet on top of the project material sandwiching the fabric between the top and bottom sheets.

5. Position the “fabric sandwich” into the machine’s stitching area. Lower the machine’s top hoop frame attachment over the design. If the center of the pattern is the stitching start point, adjust and center the design using the machine’s grid as a guide. If your machine model does not include this feature, use the markings along the stabilizer sheet's protective cover as the guide.

6. Stitch out the embroidery design using the top hoop frame as your guide, referred to as floating the design. Remove the cutout pattern from the machine and cut away all loose threads.

7. Rinse embroidered fabric in cold water several times until the stabilizer sheet dissolves, revealing the cutout pattern. Flat dry. If you have leftover stabilizer sheet around the embroidered edges, place the cutout on a self-healing cutting mat and cut away the excess with a rotary cutter.