Back to Basics useful tips and techniques

To copy a design onto fabric

method 1

Place your fabric over the design and, using a hard pencil, trace the outline onto your fabric. (It's a good idea to hold your fabric in place with masking tape to prevent it from wrinkling). If you can't see the image through the fabric, try going over the design with a black felt pen to make the outline stronger.

Alternatively, trace the design using tracing paper, and tape this onto a lightbox (or a window). Tape your fabric over the top so that the light shines through and you can trace the design onto your fabric.

On dark fabrics, use a quilters' white or silver pencil.

method 2

Dressmakers' carbon paper is available in a variety of colours; use one that will show on your fabric. Place dressmakers' carbon face down on top of your fabric and position fabric and carbon under the design to be traced. Using a hard pencil, carefully draw around the design, checking to see that it is coming out clearly.

method 3

Tacking through tissue paper
Tacking (basting) the outline of a design leaves no marks or lines on the fabric, so it is very useful for techniques that do not have a stitched outline around the whole design.

  1. Lay the tissue paper on top of the design to be copied and carefully trace the design onto the tissue.
  2. Position the tissue-paper tracing on top of your fabric and pin in place around the edge. Tack around the edge and remove the pins.
  3. With a sharp-pointed needle and using a thread in a colour that will show up well against the fabric, stitch carefully along all the design lines with small running stitches. Start the stitching with a small knot and finish with a couple of small stitches to make sure that the tacking is secure.
  4. When you have stitched along all the design lines, carefully tear away the tissue, leaving the tacked outline on the fabric. If you are working on light or delicate fabric, the tissue paper can be left in place to protect the fabric, and torn away gradually to reveal only the area being worked.
  5. The tacking-stitch outline can be removed as you embroider if your stitching will make it difficult to remove later, or you may prefer to complete all of the embroidery and then remove the tacked design lines.

Using an embroidery hoop
(also called a ring or tambour frame)

To prevent your fabric from slipping, bind the inner hoop with strips of fabric. Secure the end of the binding with a couple of stitches. If you are using a fine or delicate fabric, the outer hoop should also be bound in this way.

Place your fabric over the inner hoop. Using the screw on the outer ring, adjust so that the ring fits snugly over the inner hoop and fabric. With the tension screw at the top, ease the outer ring down over the inner ring, pulling the fabric taut as you go. When the fabric is taut and wrinkle-free, use a screwdriver to tighten the screw.

Mounting the fabric into an embroidery frame

mounting fabric diagram

Choose a 'slate' frame (made from wood, but with a rigid construction rather than the type with screw fastenings) for best results. The fabric to be framed should be no wider than the webbing, but the depth is not important as excess fabric can be wound onto the rollers when not in use.

  1. Mark the centre of the webbing on each bar in pencil or with a coloured tacking thread.
  2. To strengthen the edge of the fabric, turn over about 12 mm at the top edge of the fabric to be framed. Match the centre of the fabric edge exactly to the centre-mark of the webbing. Working from the centre outwards to the sides, pin the fabric to the webbing.
  3. With a strong thread and again working from the centre outwards, oversew the edge of the fabric to the webbing.
  4. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to join the other edge of the fabric to the opposite bar.
  5. Roll excess fabric around one of the bars, then insert the side arms into the slots at the ends of both bars. Once both arms are in place, the pegs are inserted into the most appropriate holes in the arms and should correspond on both sides. When the fabric is fully stretched, it should be drum-tight.
  6. Using a tacking stitch, sew strips of webbing along both sides of the stretched fabric. Then with a packing needle and strong string, lace through the webbing and around the arms on each side of the frame. Pull the string tight to give the tautest possible horizontal stretch to the fabric and then secure the ends of the string around the ends of the bar.

Lacing fabric over card

Lay the card on the wrong side of the cut fabric and fold the fabric firmly over the long sides of the card. Pin in place and, with strong thread, lace the fabric as shown. Mitre each of the corners as shown and then pin and lace firmly in this direction.

lacing diagram Lace the long sides together first.

lacing diagram lacing diagram Mitre and pin each corner before lacing the short sides together.

lacing diagram Finish lacing the remaining two sides.

Backing fabric

A backing fabric may be used to provide additional support for a fine surface fabric, such as silk, or when using heavier threads, such as goldwork threads. When using a backing fabric it is important that the straight grains of the fabrics are aligned. Mount the fabrics together into the embroidery frame or hoop, ensuring that both fabrics are smooth and wrinkle-free.