How to Make Iron-On Embroidery Designs

Embroidery adds dimension and color to home décor and clothing. The craft goes back centuries as a pastime for women and has spanned across many cultures and social classes. Today embroidery is enjoyed not just for making wall art or decorating pillows but also to adorn otherwise plain clothing. While embroidering directly onto pant legs or shirt collars can be difficult, iron-on embroidery designs are a good way to get into those tricky areas.

Things You'll Need

• Embroidery design pattern
• Embroidery thread
• Embroidery needle
• Cotton fabric
• Tear-away stabilizer
• Embroidery hoop
• Washable fabric marker
• Pencil
• Iron-on fusible webbing
• Electric iron
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Lay the stabilizer over the embroidery pattern. Trace the pattern onto the stabilizer using the washable fabric marker.

2. Place the stabilizer in the embroidery hoop. Tighten the hoop while gently adjusting the stabilizer until it no longer shifts in the hoop. Your design should be centered in the hoop with the stabilizer flat and smooth.

3. Follow the embroidery pattern’s stitching instructions to embroider your design using the embroidery thread and needle. Satin stitch a solid edge around the design, using a complimentary thread color.

4. Remove the stabilizer from the hoop. Cut away the excess and gently tear away the leftover until your embroidery design is all that remains.

5. Place the embroidery design, right side down, on the paper side of the iron-on fusible webbing. Trace around the design with a pencil and cut the traced outline from the webbing.

6. Set the iron on the silk setting and iron the webbing to the back side of the embroidery for two seconds. Do not over heat the webbing, or it may not adhere to fabric promptly.

7. Peel off the paper backing from the webbing and iron your embroidery design to the fabric item of your choice, again with the iron set for silk. Leave the iron on the patch for two to three seconds or until thoroughly heated.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have an embroidery machine, you can do these same steps without the need to hand embroider.

• There are several types of interfacing and fabric stabilizers on the market. Choose thicker, tear-away type. Some are wash-away or made to be sewn in, which will not suit your needs.

• If you want to use a design without a solid, filled-in shape, embroider over a layer of fabric and stabilizer. Trace a shape, such as a circle or square, around the design. Satin stitch around the traced shape after you have embroidered your design. Cut away the fabric and stabilizer outside the shape to create a patch with open areas of the design filled in by the fabric.

Resources

• Mary Corbet’s Needle 'N Thread