letsgosew.com
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up for Sewing News, Freebies, & Updates
  • Order Just Jackets Embroidery Collection
  • Just Jackets FAQ
  • Order Wrapped in Embroidery Book by Joanne Banko
  • Joanne Banko's Blog
  • Machine Embroidery Survey
  • FREE Tutorials and Tip Sheets
    • NEW! Serger Sample Sheet
    • NEW! 2-Thread Serger Techniques-Pt.1
    • NEW! Basic Serger Stitches
    • New! Sew with Your Feet_Resources
    • New Project! Chic Triangle Scarf
    • New! Embroidered Sachet Envelope Project
    • Denim Re-design Hanging Organizer
    • Sewing a Cargo Pocket
    • NEW! Interfacings for Embroidery Tip Sheet
    • Making Kitchen Towels & FREE Cornucopia Applique Design
    • NEW! Embroidery Placement Positioning Tips
    • Tip sheet - 5 Reasons Quilters Need A Serger
    • Free In-the-Hoop Patch Pocket Design
    • Serging versus Sewing
    • FREE Project-Embroidered Gift Tag with Gift Bag
    • Tip Sheet - Pillow Pointers
    • Tip sheet_Sew Straight Laser for Seams
    • Embelishment Tips from dime V.111
    • Tip sheet - Shannon Embrace Double Gauze
    • Tip sheet - Fun with Fonts
    • Fabric Tip Sheet- Sewing Faux Suede
    • Tip sheet for Sewing & Embroidering with Metallic Thread
    • Fleece Ruana Pattern: As seen on PBS It's Sew Easy TV
    • Fabric Tip Sheet - Crepe Back Satin
    • Fabric Tip Sheet-Sewing Slinky Type Knit
    • Fabric Tip Sheet - Fleece
    • Fancy Footwork Tipsheet - About the Walking Foot
    • Fancy Footwork Tip Sheet_Basic Appliqué
    • Fancy Footwork Tip sheet - Ruffler Attachment
    • Fancy Footwork Tip Sheet - Narrow Hems with a Standard Foot
    • Fancy Footwork Tip Sheet - Non Stick Foot
    • Tip sheet - Machine Embroidery Pattern Connection Resources
    • Tutorial_Embroidered Greeting Card Project
    • Tip Sheet - Machine Set up for Shirring
    • Tip sheet - Snowman and Target Markers
    • Tip Sheet for Printing on Fabric
    • Tip sheet-Five Ways to Finish Fleece Blankets
    • T-Shirt Transformation Tutorial
    • Project- Serge a Little Girl's Sweet Summer Dress
    • Tip Sheet for Fleece Frame Shape Appliqué
    • Tip Sheet - Bobbin Work Sewing & Embroidery
    • Tip Sheet - Custom Covered Buttons
    • Tip Sheet - Liquid Stabilizers
    • Tip sheet - Appliqué with Brother XV8500D & ScanNCut
    • Project - Sheer Chiffon Wrap
    • Project - Pearl Trimmed Candle Ring
    • Tip Sheet -Mitered Satin Blanket Binding
    • Fabric Tip Sheet_Knit Know How
    • Tool School Tip Sheets
    • ITH Project Planner
  • As seen in DiME Magazine - Photo Gallery
  • Sewing and Embroidery Events
  • My Sewing Story
  • It's Sew Easy TV Online Blog
  • IT'S SEW EASY TV Videos & Bonus Files
    • NEW! It's Sew Easy TV Series 2100
    • It's Sew Easy TV_Series 2000
    • It's Sew Easy TV_Series 1500
    • It's Sew Easy TV - Series 1600
    • It's Sew Easy TV_Series 1700
    • It's Sew Easy TV Series 1800
    • It's Sew Easy TV Series 1900
    • NEW! Superstar Sewing Stitches
    • NEW! Classy Textured Cape
    • NEW! Baby Bath Wrap
    • NEW! Detachable Collar
    • Sew a Swimsuit
    • Machine Embroidered Garments
    • Kimono Blouses
    • Custom Covered Hangers
    • Sewing Beautiful Belts
    • Felted Flower Hat Trim
    • Sew a Waffle Weave Robe
    • Learn about Couching accessories!
    • Turn a Pashmina into a Trendy Topper
    • Machine Embroidered Reverse Applique
    • Machine Embroidered Knit Dress
    • Use Non-Stick Foot to sew a Custom Luggage Tag
    • Serge & Sew Broomstick Skirt
    • Machine Embroidered Western Jacket
    • Machine Embroidered Bobbin Work Pashmina
    • Embroidered Pajamas
    • Sewing Pearls and Sequins
    • Learn how to use the Fringe Foot
    • Quilted Pinwheel Patchwork Tote
    • Machine Embroidered Lace for Lingerie
    • Sewing Circles with a Circular Attachment
    • Sew with the Edge Joining Foot
    • Re-style Tops for Little Girls
    • Short Style Tip- Blouse Embellishment
    • Learn how to make pretty piping using the Piping Foot
    • Embellish with the Three Slot Cording Foot
    • Facebook Live Interview 12-4-2018
    • Machine Embroidery - Starter Tips

Tips & Tricks for Embroidery Placement and Embroidery on Ready-To-Wear

6/18/2022

3 Comments

 
Picture
Blouse created for Stitching Sewcial, the official Brother blog. Click image for more.
Design for blouse shown above is from iBroidery, the official Brother design download site. CLICK HERE for design info. If you have access to iBroidery designs, you may want to check out some pretty hibiscus flowers HERE on Embroidery Library.
Today I'd like to share some information about embroidering garments sewn from scratch or store bought. Embellishing garments with machine embroidery is one of my favorite this to doin my own sewing space. How about you? Are you interested more about this topic? Recently, I covered this very topic as a guest educator on the 2022 Sewing Machines Plus Hoop Fest. This online, five day festival celebrated the love of machine embroidery with tons of product demonstrations, detailed machine features outlined and described by industry experts, plus dedicated educational segments twice a day every day! Broadcast on both Facebook and YouTube, you can find videos for all five days HERE on the Sewing Machines Plus YouTube channel. My segments aired on Tuesday and Thursday.

Tuesday's topic was "Pretty" Perfect Placement, with a show and tell of multiple sample garments, fashion ideas to illustrate flattering placement on garments, and methods to target the placement and prep for quality results. If you'd like to watch this particular segment, you'll find it on this YouTube video, with the 30 minute presentation starting at time stamp 4:34:00 HERE.

Thursday's topic was Tips & Tricks for embroidering on Ready-to-Wear, with the 30 minute presentation starting at time stamp 2:03:00 HERE. I followed up with a few more ideas for placement, tips for using templates, then showed some detailed ways to position and hoop garments. I also shared a special offer for a placement chart with some really specific guidelines for placement on garments and more! You'll find this in a downloadable PDF form HERE on my website.

By the way, if you're looking for a free software program you can use for printing templates plus a whole lot more, look no further than the website of my friends at Designs in Machine Embroidery. They offer a free software program called Embroidery Tool Shed. CLICK HERE to download this program from the Designs in Machine Embroidery website. There's even more to love about this software! It works on both Windows based and Mac computers! I love having embroidery software compatible with my Mac.

To compliment these two segments, you'll find a summary of tips for embroidering on ready mades below. For even more information, I encourage you to watch my It's Sew Easy TV segment from show 1402, with more on this same topic. You'll find it on my YouTube channel HERE!
Tips for adding machine embroidery to readymades:
  • “It’s best to test!” I dig into my stash or purchase a small amount of fabric yardage that’s as close as possible to my ready-made and test the design and stabilizer combination before embellishing my actual garment. Of course, if you have a similar garment you can use for a test, that works too.
  • Denim is ideal for many embroidery designs, usually needing only a layer or two of light to medium tear-away, or a layer of wash-away stabilizer on the back to achieve good results. Jean jacket backs are a great canvas for added embroidery. Steer clear of bulky seams and consider adding trim to compliment the design.
  • Light weight fabrics and fabrics that stretch benefit from a stabilizer bonded to the fabric. My “go to” stabilizer for knits or fabric with a stretch factor is fusible no-show (cut-away) mesh. If you're using non-fusible no-show (cut-away) mesh, you’ll need to adhere stabilizer with temporary adhesive spray such as Sulky KK2000. 
  • If possible, pre-wash garments before embroidering. This takes care of any shrinkage issues and eliminates excess dye.
  • Stock up on stabilizers. This subject is too big to cover in one short show but keep these general rules in mind: Knits and thin fabrics benefit from a stabilizer that is temporarily or permanently bonded to the fabric. Tear-away or wash-away generally works well for stable woven fabrics. Avoid hooping stiff tear-away with your garment. Use a medium weight stabilizer instead, or consider “floating” the tear-away under the hoop. Any fabric with nap or texture requires a water-soluble or iron-away topper to keep stitches from sinking into the nap or texture and getting lost in the fabric.
  • Use the smallest hoop possible, whenever possible, and you will have better registration with your designs.
  • For ease in embroidering, choose garments that can open up perfectly flat. However, don’t let lined garments stop you from adding embroidery. Carefully open up lining as much as needed to establish a generous flat area, and then either hoop traditionally or use wash-away or tear-away sticky stabilizer to temporarily hold fabric in place. Clip or tape excess fabric to keep it out of the way while stitching.
  • If you have a piece that is impossible to hoop, embroider on a sheer or complimentary fabric, and then trim, treat with seam sealant if necessary, and use hand or machine stitches to apply to your piece as an appliqué. If sewing is not at all possible, select suitable fabric glue and glue in place.
  • Design templates make embroidery easy and very accurate. Learn to use a software program to print templates and your embroidery life will be so much easier. Your design placement will be more accurate too!
I'd love to hear your comments and answer any questions you much have right here on this post. Please leave your comments below.
3 Comments
Clovis
6/20/2022 11:17:16

Thanks for the tips. I did an embroidery design. On some parts of the design looked good, but some of the stitches didn't look good.
Thanks.

Reply
Betty Coe
7/16/2022 16:30:09

I learned some very important things about the setting up a hoop and the size of hoop to use. Thank you!

Reply
James Walter link
2/26/2024 08:37:36

Wow, thank you so much for sharing all these great tips and resources for <a href="https://sewingbecomeasy.com/">embroidering on ready-made garments</a> and fabrics! I love that you emphasize testing first to figure out the right stabilization method - that will save so much frustration. And the idea of embroidering on a complimentary fabric and then sewing it on is genius. I can see how templates would be so helpful too for precise placement.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author:

    Joanne Banko
    Freelance Sewing Educator

    I'd love to stay in touch with you!

    Click Here
    and Sign up for
    ​Sewing News, plus tips, tricks, and notifications about new blog posts.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    December 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    September 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014

    *As a believer in full disclosure, I'd like you to know that Blog posts may contain affiliate links for products and services I know and trust. Purchasing items through a link marked * results in a small commission for me, with no extra charges for you.

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

© Copyright 2025 by Joanne Banko. All rights Reserved