Transferring an Embroidery Pattern using Tracing Paper
There are several different ways to go about transferring your hand embroidery design to your fabric so that you can stitch it up accurately. I've written about some of them already, which you can find indexed under Tips and Tricks for Hand Embroidery (under Editor's Floss, always at the top of the right column on each page of Needle 'n Thread!). I've never actually written about this particular method of design transfer because I don't use it often. That may change - thought it takes slightly more time than tracing, it's accurate, lasting, and easily visible.
I think most embroiderers have their favorite way of transferring designs, which they probably stick to pretty regularly. Of course, the manner of transferring a pattern is going to change with choices of fabric and thread.
If you're stitching, for example, on dark fabric, it isn't likely that a regular pencil is going to help much for tracing the design onto the fabric. Neither would a water-soluble fabric marker, really. If you're stitching on white fabric with white threads, you can run the risk of discoloring your threads if you use too soft a pencil and too heavy a hand when tracing your design! Prick and pounce takes a long time - and it's a multi-step process: first you have to prick the design carefully, then you have to pounce the powder on (and sometimes that includes making a felt roll to do so - or even making your own pounce!), and finally, you have to use a tiny paintbrush and paint in all your lines. Oh, then there's the dressmaker's carbon method - which works ok, but what if you end up with a super messy line that you can't cover with your stitches, and you hadn't intended to wash the piece? Or you can't wash the piece easily because you're using non-color-fast overdyed specialty floss? Oh, the options go on and on... and there are many of them.... but they don't all work in all circumstances (except for maybe prick and pounce, but golly - it can be a tedious job to pounce a whole pattern!).
Transferring your embroidery design using tissue paper actually does work in most circumstances. I can't think of any circumstance in which it wouldn't work, really. This is how you go about doing it.
First, you need some supplies: tissue paper, a fine tipped pen, thread, a sharp needle (crewel needles or sharps are fine), and some other miscellaneous things that are nice to have on hand but not necessarily essential.
When deciding what thread to use, I suggest a regular sewing thread that's the same color as the embroidery floss you're using, more or less.
The first thing I did was trace the design I'm using onto the tissue paper. Now, this paper is a bit weird, and I don't exactly know what it is. It was lying around the office - a big roll of it - forever, and my boss finally told me I could take it home if I wanted it. It's a very lightweight yellowish-brown paper, a bit like pattern paper but slightly crisper and very sheer. It's used in our school maintenance and building department to do overlays on building projects, apparently. I use it for everything that requires pattern tracing - mainly because it was really cheap (as in, free)... You can use regular wrapping paper tissue for this part - one thin sheet.
Using my magnetic needleminder and a few refrigerator magnets, I positioned the tissue paper on my embroidery frame.
Now, keep in mind I made a pretty big mistake in this whole process, but it doesn't really change the process - hopefully, it will just serve as a deterrent to you, so you don't make the same mistake!
As you can see, I'm using a green thread to transfer the design. This is the mistake I made! I could have very easily used white thread, and it would not have been as noticeable in this piece (which will be stitched in white). Using green thread requires me to do some very serious (and tedious) thread picking as I go. If I had used the same color that I would be stitching in, then any residue would not be noticeable - but green has an uncanny way of making itself visible on white! That was one of those forehead slapping moments. I used the green because I thought it would look better in photos! I didn't even think about the ease of stitching! Rats!
Using small regular running stitches, stitch over the entire design. The stitches can be fairly widely spaced on open, longer lines, but as you work into detailed and curvy areas, keep your stitches a little smaller and close, to make sure the details can be seen when the tissue paper is removed.
Don't use knots in your sewing thread! Just anchor it as you would if you were basting. You want to be able to pick the design threads out easily.
Make sure that you cover every line in the design, unless there are parts that you know you can "eye-ball" as you stitch. Those little hairy dashes in between the elements of the design are where I anchored my basting thread, by just taking two or three small straight stitches into the paper and the fabric.
Once you've finished stitching, it's time to remove the tissue paper. Gently, pull the paper up and back, away from the stitching. Don't pull it too high in the "up" direction - I find it better just to kind of pull it back low on itself. This keeps the stitches from pulling up out of the fabric.
You'll notice that some bits of tissue still stick in the fabric - that's ok, you can deal with them after you've gotten the majority of the paper off.
The tissue paper will be easier to remove in the larger, open spaces of the design. Still, don't just tear and yank off! Take it easy as you remove the paper.
Once the paper's more or less gone, take your tweezers from your tool box and pick out any remaining little shreds. Once you're finished, you'll have a good representation of your design on your fabric, and it won't smudge, it won't rub off, it won't disappear - you can work with confidence at any pace you wish, without worrying about your embroidery design!
I can't help reiterating a word of warning here, now that the green is so visible! You can imagine how easy it would be, if this were stitched in a fine white sewing thread, to stitch right over that sewing thread with my white embroidery cotton (coton a broder), covering it up for the most part, but not worrying if I don't quite get it. I would, of course, still remove as much as the white sewing thread as possible as I stitched - but if I didn't get it all, I wouldn't have much to worry about as far as visibility is concerned.
I used one strand of green floss. This is a huge mistake! Not only can I not leave a shred of it - it would be too obvious - but because it's floss and not sewing thread, it fuzzes more when being picked out.
So - don't make my mistake! It served well for the pictures - the white sewing thread would not have shown up as well - but it won't be as easy to stitch as it would have been if I had used the white sewing thread!
Give tissue transferring a try, if you're inclined! It's perfect for transfering a pattern especially to dark fabric. There are plenty of ways - tracing being the easiest - to transfer a design to light fabric, but with dark fabric, we often get stuck. This method works great for dark fabrics!
What method do you use to transfer your embroidery designs? Do you see any pros and cons of trying tissue paper? Would you personally bother with this method of transfer, or not? Beginners would especially benefit from input from other embroiderers, so if you have time, drop a comment about the way you transfer your designs! Thanks!
I think most embroiderers have their favorite way of transferring designs, which they probably stick to pretty regularly. Of course, the manner of transferring a pattern is going to change with choices of fabric and thread.
If you're stitching, for example, on dark fabric, it isn't likely that a regular pencil is going to help much for tracing the design onto the fabric. Neither would a water-soluble fabric marker, really. If you're stitching on white fabric with white threads, you can run the risk of discoloring your threads if you use too soft a pencil and too heavy a hand when tracing your design! Prick and pounce takes a long time - and it's a multi-step process: first you have to prick the design carefully, then you have to pounce the powder on (and sometimes that includes making a felt roll to do so - or even making your own pounce!), and finally, you have to use a tiny paintbrush and paint in all your lines. Oh, then there's the dressmaker's carbon method - which works ok, but what if you end up with a super messy line that you can't cover with your stitches, and you hadn't intended to wash the piece? Or you can't wash the piece easily because you're using non-color-fast overdyed specialty floss? Oh, the options go on and on... and there are many of them.... but they don't all work in all circumstances (except for maybe prick and pounce, but golly - it can be a tedious job to pounce a whole pattern!).
Transferring your embroidery design using tissue paper actually does work in most circumstances. I can't think of any circumstance in which it wouldn't work, really. This is how you go about doing it.
First, you need some supplies: tissue paper, a fine tipped pen, thread, a sharp needle (crewel needles or sharps are fine), and some other miscellaneous things that are nice to have on hand but not necessarily essential.
When deciding what thread to use, I suggest a regular sewing thread that's the same color as the embroidery floss you're using, more or less.
The first thing I did was trace the design I'm using onto the tissue paper. Now, this paper is a bit weird, and I don't exactly know what it is. It was lying around the office - a big roll of it - forever, and my boss finally told me I could take it home if I wanted it. It's a very lightweight yellowish-brown paper, a bit like pattern paper but slightly crisper and very sheer. It's used in our school maintenance and building department to do overlays on building projects, apparently. I use it for everything that requires pattern tracing - mainly because it was really cheap (as in, free)... You can use regular wrapping paper tissue for this part - one thin sheet.
Using my magnetic needleminder and a few refrigerator magnets, I positioned the tissue paper on my embroidery frame.
Now, keep in mind I made a pretty big mistake in this whole process, but it doesn't really change the process - hopefully, it will just serve as a deterrent to you, so you don't make the same mistake!
As you can see, I'm using a green thread to transfer the design. This is the mistake I made! I could have very easily used white thread, and it would not have been as noticeable in this piece (which will be stitched in white). Using green thread requires me to do some very serious (and tedious) thread picking as I go. If I had used the same color that I would be stitching in, then any residue would not be noticeable - but green has an uncanny way of making itself visible on white! That was one of those forehead slapping moments. I used the green because I thought it would look better in photos! I didn't even think about the ease of stitching! Rats!
Using small regular running stitches, stitch over the entire design. The stitches can be fairly widely spaced on open, longer lines, but as you work into detailed and curvy areas, keep your stitches a little smaller and close, to make sure the details can be seen when the tissue paper is removed.
Don't use knots in your sewing thread! Just anchor it as you would if you were basting. You want to be able to pick the design threads out easily.
Make sure that you cover every line in the design, unless there are parts that you know you can "eye-ball" as you stitch. Those little hairy dashes in between the elements of the design are where I anchored my basting thread, by just taking two or three small straight stitches into the paper and the fabric.
Once you've finished stitching, it's time to remove the tissue paper. Gently, pull the paper up and back, away from the stitching. Don't pull it too high in the "up" direction - I find it better just to kind of pull it back low on itself. This keeps the stitches from pulling up out of the fabric.
You'll notice that some bits of tissue still stick in the fabric - that's ok, you can deal with them after you've gotten the majority of the paper off.
The tissue paper will be easier to remove in the larger, open spaces of the design. Still, don't just tear and yank off! Take it easy as you remove the paper.
Once the paper's more or less gone, take your tweezers from your tool box and pick out any remaining little shreds. Once you're finished, you'll have a good representation of your design on your fabric, and it won't smudge, it won't rub off, it won't disappear - you can work with confidence at any pace you wish, without worrying about your embroidery design!
I can't help reiterating a word of warning here, now that the green is so visible! You can imagine how easy it would be, if this were stitched in a fine white sewing thread, to stitch right over that sewing thread with my white embroidery cotton (coton a broder), covering it up for the most part, but not worrying if I don't quite get it. I would, of course, still remove as much as the white sewing thread as possible as I stitched - but if I didn't get it all, I wouldn't have much to worry about as far as visibility is concerned.
I used one strand of green floss. This is a huge mistake! Not only can I not leave a shred of it - it would be too obvious - but because it's floss and not sewing thread, it fuzzes more when being picked out.
So - don't make my mistake! It served well for the pictures - the white sewing thread would not have shown up as well - but it won't be as easy to stitch as it would have been if I had used the white sewing thread!
Give tissue transferring a try, if you're inclined! It's perfect for transfering a pattern especially to dark fabric. There are plenty of ways - tracing being the easiest - to transfer a design to light fabric, but with dark fabric, we often get stuck. This method works great for dark fabrics!
What method do you use to transfer your embroidery designs? Do you see any pros and cons of trying tissue paper? Would you personally bother with this method of transfer, or not? Beginners would especially benefit from input from other embroiderers, so if you have time, drop a comment about the way you transfer your designs! Thanks!
Labels: beginner embroidery, embroidery design, embroidery tips and tricks, pictures
Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, February 12, 2009
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14 Comments:
Wonderful guidance, as always, Mary! I just published a link to this post on my blog. My readers are going to love this info! Thanks for all you do.
Denise
http://needlework.craftgossip.com
Thank you for this help. I've been waffling on a project I wanted to start because I didn't know how to get the pattern on to the fabric. Now I know, and I will probably use this method this weekend!
Jane
Mary,
I can't tell you how much I love you for this post. I am a relative newbie and so far have done counted work with charts or surface embroidery on white muslin or linen for which I have used a pencil or washable pen to transfer. I have been contemplating moving onto colored backgrounds and musing on how to do the design transfer. You evaluation of all the methods and your clear demo of this method has saved me lots of time, error and effort. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thank you for posting this. It's a very good tip. I find that using standard, cheap, printer paper works very well also. And it has the benefit that if you need to do multiples, such as slips for applique, that you can print them all off on one sheet.
(I use something like photoshop to make the duplicates, and line them up so they'll fit in my frame/hoop)
As another tip, I baste the paper in place before doing the stitched outline. And I find that reversed chainstitch (like double chain, but just single) works beautifully through the paper.
May I suggest the good old tough upholstery nylon thread? Comes out clean as a whistle and is sturdy enough to easily tear the paper from. Might be a problem on very lightweight or extremely fine fabric, but otherwise, that's what I plan to use.
You can also 'perforate' your paper prior to pulling by pricking in the intricate areas (ah, gotta love those alliterations!).
Thanks, Mary! Great illustration! :)
This is the best transfer technique to use if there is a chance that you are going to change the design as you go along. Permenent outlines make this impossible.
I've found that tracing paper works well; it is easier to trace or draw the design onto, but slightly tougher to remove. I always use Coats & Clark's fine polyester thread for tacking as it is tough and doesn't ever fray.
What a pretty design, Mary!
-Christiana
My favourite method of transferring a design (if possible) is to print it on the fabric with an inkjet printer. There are limitations of size and the inability to print on really dark fabrics. However, if the fabric/design isn't limited by these things it's a wonderful and easy way to put a design on fabric!
I think the tissue paper method is quite good and definitely a really clean way to transfer. I was taught it in a class. If I remember correctly (it's been a while) we lightly basted the tissue paper down first. Then we traced each motif in its actual floss or covered the tracing lines with split stitch (where appropriate) in the real floss so there was no need to remove the traced 'lines'. Also, we didn't trace the entire piece all at once which was interesting. We traced a section, removed the tissue paper, worked the embroidery, and then moved on to the next area. I don't know if we did it in pieces because of time limitations, but it certainly worked.
Hi Mary,
I usually follow this prodecure. I haven't learnt it from somewhere, but somehow this idea caught-up my mind. I do it with one difference. When I have to remove the tissue, I make the paper little bit wet, using a wet cloth or so. By doing this, the paper loses its strength little bit, and it tears off easily without distorting the threads. This method gives a very good outline especially for satin stich. And I hope it works well even for other stitches.
Hi Mary,
I happen to use the tissue transfer method often in japanese embroidery and now it's my favorite method for motif transfer on crazy quilting as well.
I use a very fine couching thread and have found, through much trial and error, that I prefer a line of held thread stitch -- I seem to get a smoother line. I find tracing paper too thick but I have found a higher grade tissue paper that comes away the cleanest. I loved Dhivya's idea of slightly dampening the cloth. That wouldn't work on silk but it sure would on cotton.
For designs that I have digitized, I will print out the design directly on the tissue paper by running it through my inkjet printer. I tape a piece of tissue paper to another sheet of paper and they both go through the printer with no problems. This saves the time of tracing the design and you may be grateful on something more intricate.
Thanks for the "LOVE" pdf !! and happy heart day to you! Susan
I basically use this same technique, most recently on a jacket back. I, however, used the same thread I used for the satin stitch, running it around once like you did, but then I came back and made it into an outline/running stitch. When using heavier paper, run a needle around the design to tear between stitches and the paper comes off easily without wetting it. Marjo
What a wonderful tutorial on how to do this, Mary! Thanks so much. However, I'm wondering how hard it would be to see the white thread on white fabric???
I've never done the tissue paper transfer, but I use a lot of paper for designs. I order from a medical supply house -- the type of paper used on the examining tables. It is wonderful for tracing designs and patterns.
Also, when transferring designs onto white fabric for whitework, I usually use a fine blue pencil. The blue seems to enhance the brilliance of the white thread.
Cissie
Hey, Mary, Great post. I use this method all the time. It works great for really fine detail as well as the larger design elements. Great tip on dampening the paper. You can also score along the lines lightly with a tekobari or other laying tool. I use quilt pattern transfer paper. It comes in a beige/yellow color, is crinkly like tissue, but pulls away very cleanly instead of leaving shreddy things like tissue does. Also, after transferring you can lightly roll one of those adhesive lint rollers over to take all the tissue shreds away. For straight lines or borders, it really helps to couch the outline thread about every 3 - 5 mm which is better than a running stitch. AnneG in NC
thanks for the post. i am a beginner and have been stitching freehand. for my first pattern project i traced a simple pattern onto tracing paper. i pinned the paper to the (dark) fabric. i then split stitched the entire pattern over the paper. i removed the paper when i was done. i think this was a good beginner tool. it looks like my next step will be to set the pattern in fewer stitches as instructed. oh, and also maybe learn some new stitches!
I like this technique of transferring design. I recently bought a "silk paper" which is thinner than tracing paper or japanese paper. It would easily tear. The tracing paper I bought was thick, and expensive. I don´t feel like destroying the pattern, I will use the tracing paper now to preserve designs.
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