Embroidery is a hugely versatile craft that allows you to stitch on pretty much any type of fabric and turn it into something uniquely personal! Back when embroidery was popular (we see you, Bridgerton!), women would embroider onto tablecloths, handkerchiefs and other decorative items. However, in our day and age, ‘modern hoop embroidery’ is far more popular.
In fact, I’d place a bet that you first learned to embroider with this ‘modern’ approach to embroidery – by keeping your finished embroidered project in the hoop!
If you’ve been thinking of transferring your embroidery skills to the realm of embroidered clothes and décor like Violet and Daphne Bridgerton, then you’re going to want to keep reading!
Embroidering clothing and other décor items is a little different to regular hoop embroidery, and here’s some things you should know before making the leap.
Understanding Hoop Embroidery
As I just said, modern hoop embroidery is often where many crafters begin their embroidery journey, because it’s the ‘modern’ form of the craft.
Typically in more ‘traditional’ embroidery, the embroidery hoop would only be used for the process of embroidering to keep the fabric taut whilst stitching, and then the hoop would be removed and reused for another project.
Related Post: What is ‘drum tight’ embroidery fabric?
The ‘modern’ twist on the craft is to in fact leave your embroidered project perfectly drum tight in the hoop forevermore!
It serves as a piece of home décor, a lovely gift to hang on the wall or prop on a shelf, or a beautiful birth announcement or wedding present.
Take our Floral Numbers PDF Patterns, for example. We've had sooo many of our customers use this pattern to make their own Wedding Table Numbers, and they're beyond stunning. It’s certainly a modern twist on an old craft, and I’m totally here for it.
That being said, it’s still super lovely to make things from time to time that don’t stay in the embroidery hoop.
Like clothing!
So whether you’re a total newbie, a beginner to the craft or a seasoned stitcher, there’s some particular challenges and key tips for embroidering garments that you should probably know.
Challenges of Embroidering Clothing
Embroidering on clothing isn’t quite the same as working on a flat piece of fabric that’s perfectly drum tight.
Embroidering clothing therefore presents a bunch of different challenges to regular modern hoop embroidery, including different tools and materials, and different techniques.
(By the way, if you're struggling to find the perfect materials for stitching on clothing, check out our Upcycle Your Clothing Embroidery Kit!)
The challenges primarily stem from the garment’s construction and the variety of fabrics you might encounter, as well as the translation from modern stitches to clothing!
Let’s dive into them in more detail.
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Fabric Stability and Tension
Modern Hoop Embroidery: When working with an embroidery hoop, fabric stability is relatively straightforward. The hoop holds your fabric taut, ensuring even tension across your whole design. This stability is crucial for achieving neat, consistent stitches.
Related Post: What is ‘drum tight’ fabric in embroidery?
Embroidering Clothing: Clothing, on the other hand, presents a challenge. The fabric is not uniformly flat or taut, and pulling it too tight can damage certain fabric types. As a result of this, it may stretch, bunch, or move as you stitch! Achieving the right balance of tension between taut fabric and over-stretched fabric is key!!
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Design Placement and Transfer
Modern Hoop Embroidery: Design placement on a hoop is generally simple! You can freely position your pattern within the hoop and can ensure that it’s place centrally and symmetrically. Transferring patterns is also straightforward with methods like tracing from a light source
Related Post: How to transfer an embroidery pattern with heat erasable ink
Related Post: 4 tips for transferring embroidery patterns
Embroidering Clothing: Positioning a design on clothing, however, involves slightly more careful planning. We need to consider the garment's shape, any thick or bulky seams, and of course, wearability! It’s no use if we’re stitching on an area that won’t be visible when worn, or will be too thick and awkward to stitch through. Position your design carefully to be in the place that makes the most sense!
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Type of Stitches
Modern Hoop Embroidery: In modern hoop embroidery, you can experiment with a wide range of stitches, from something simple like the back stitch and satin stitch, all the way up to more intricate ones like bullion knots and the turkey stitch. Having our fabric pulled nice and taut in an embroidery hoop allows for more freedom and ease when stitching.
Embroidering Clothing: But, when embroidering clothing, practicality will always outweigh design! This is because, of course, we need to wash our clothes😉 We need to opt for stitches that will survive through cycles in the wash, and I’m afraid stitches like the bullion knot and turkey stitch just aren’t gonna cut it, friend!
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Finishing Techniques
Modern Hoop Embroidery: Finishing a modern hoop embroidery project is super straightforward, because we just leave it in the hoop for display! There’s lots of methods for backing embroidery hoops, but my favourite way is to use a hot glue gun. It leaves a really professional finish and covers all of the stitching at the back!
Related Post: How to back your embroidery hoop with a glue gun.
Embroidering Clothing: You’ve probably guessed it by now, but finishing embroidery on clothing requires a few extra steps to ensure longevity through the wash and wear and tear! We need to make sure that we secure the threads at the back of the garment to prevent unravelling. The last thing we want is to spend a few hours stitching some beautiful florals on your jeans, for them to start unravelling after a few wash cycles!!
Encouragement and Final Thoughts
Embroidering clothing may seem daunting at first, especially if you’re used to hoop embroidery, or have only tried modern hoop embroidery before. However, with practice and knowing the right techniques, you’ll find that it’s such a fun way to use your embroidery skills! Trust me, friend, there’s nothing better than being complimented by strangers for the beautiful flowers you’ve stitched on your jumper!!
Just remember, every expert was once a beginner, and it’s totally normal to encounter some trial and error along the way!
I’ve had my fair share of mishaps, including my stitches going all loose and floppy after washing, my stitches coming undone in the wash, and my thread dye running into my white t-shirts!!
Each mistake is a learning opportunity, and with the right techniques and a bit of practice, you’ll soon be able to create beautiful embroidered clothes that reflect your personal style!
If you’re ready to dive into clothing embroidery and want to get started with a comprehensive guide, then I’d love to invite you to join the Waitlist for my new Embroidered Clothing Course launching next week.
This course is designed specifically for crafters like you, with in-depth tutorials, tips, and three exclusive projects on different staple garments, jeans, a t-shirt and a woolly jumper!
Sign up now to be among the first to access this valuable resource!
Join the Waitlist for My Embroidered Clothing Course!
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further assistance. Happy stitching!
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