How to Embroider on Felt
Embroidering on felt is a satisfying pastime, and is suitable for those who are new to embroidery because it is a sturdy yet soft fabric through which a needle passes smoothly and cleanly. Felt won't fray when it's cut, so it is ideal for applique projects, and is suitable for cutting into intricate shapes without having to worry about finishing the edges. You can embroider on felt using both ordinary sewing cotton and embroidery floss.
Instructions
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Cut your felt to the desired size for your embroidery design.
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Transfer your design onto the felt. You can do this by drawing directly onto the felt with a disappearing ink marker, which is available from most fabric stores. Blocky, or bold, designs are the best designs to trace directly on felt.
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Use dress-makers carbon to transfer patterns drawn on paper. Place the carbon sheet between the paper pattern and the felt with the waxy, or colored, side touching the felt. Trace over the outline of the pattern with a tracing wheel. The wheel will leave small dots of ink on the felt. These dots are easier than solid lines to hide with embroidery stitches.
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Embroider over the design using whatever stitch combinations you like. Simple running stitch, or back stitch, is effective for outlining, or use more traditional embroidery stitches, such as chain stitch. Cross stitching is also an effective technique on felt.
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Tips & Warnings
If you prefer a more sturdy surface on which to embroider, you can use a tear-away stabilizer to print or draw your design on. Pin the stabilizer with your design onto the felt and embroider over the stabilizer, which you tear away when you have finished embroidering. Use tweezers to gently pull out any little pieces of stabilizer that are left after tearing.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
