Transferring embroidery pattern onto colored fabric

by Charleen McElroy
(Arizona)

I am going to embroider a design on to black fabric.

Someone told me to use a fusible paper to draw my pattern, and then to iron it to the fabric, and do the embroidery on the paper. But I am not sure what kind of fusible paper, and how to get rid of the paper once I have finished the work.

I cannot find this person to ask her. What would you do to get your design on the black fabric, or any other fabric color?

Thanks, any help would be appreciated.


Carol responds...

Many commercial patterns for embroidery are sold for transferring onto white or pale colored fabrics, and do not show up on a darker tone. You can get transfers that are silver colored which would do the job quite nicely, however.

If you are wanting to create your own pattern there are various ways of doing this. The one you choose would depend on the texture of the fabric, and the complexity of your design, Charleen.

You could use a white tailor's chalk to sketch a simple outline design. This would brush off when required.

You could use a light, fusible interfacing, similar to what was suggested to you. This would normally be ironed onto the back of the fabric, so the design would have to be created in reverse, especially if any lettering was included. You could then tack around the design lines with a pale colored thread so that the picture was visible on the right side. The interfacing would then be left in place once the work was completed.

You could use a similar tacking method by using tissue paper, which you would lay on the front of the work. Once you have outlined the pattern in tacking (basting) thread you could then tear away the paper before starting to stitch.

Another method of getting the pattern onto a dark fabric ready to embroider would be Prick and Pounce. I give more information about this, and other methods of transferring patterns here...

transferring patterns onto fabric

You may find that one of those fits your requirements.

Regards,

Carol