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How To Embroider Details Onto Felt

November 18, 2018 By Lauren at Molly and Mama 5 Comments

Accurately adding special details and beautiful embroidery to wool felt can make all the difference in the look of your finished project.  The best part is, it’s not even difficult to do. And you can use materials you have at home.

There are a few different ways of transferring embroidery details and designs to wool felt. Like me, you may have made projects that needed just a small little detail added. So sometimes the easiest way to add those details is to draw them on with an erasable marker, complete the stitchery and then erase your marker lines. This method is easy and straightforward. It can work for small details too. But what if you want to stitch an intricate design? Or you’re looking for accuracy?

Tiny details call for accuracy! The Tissue Paper Technique was used for the Bitty Bunnies pattern.

I’m happy to share what I call the Tissue Paper Technique!

All you need is your project, and some thin tracing paper or tissue paper. I actually use paper lunch wrap (the non-waxy kind). It’s sturdier than tissue paper and usually finer than tracing paper. If you’re not sure if your paper is suitable, try tearing it. If it tears easily, it should be ideal.

I’ve outlined the technique below and borrowed some images from my Cinnamon Kitty Felt Cat tutorial. You can check out the entire project HERE.

  1. Trace the embroidery design and individual details onto a small piece of thin tracing or tissue paper. If the project has an outline or edge to the shape, trace that too. Then cut out the paper on the edge of the design or on the shape outline. Be sure you don’t trace your design with lead pencil as the lead can ‘muddy’ up the floss as you stitch through it.

  1. Pin the paper over the felt shape, making sure all the details line up. For really small felt pieces, stick the template in place with low-adhesive cello or sticky tape, so you can easily remove the template after stitching. You can also small clips designed for quilting. These are ideal as they don’t bend the felt.
  2. Sew the embroidery details onto the felt by stitching directly through the paper.

  1. When you’ve finished the embroidery, hold the stitches with one hand as you gently tear away the paper with the other. Use your needle or a pin to help tease any stray bits of paper out from under the stitches (if necessary).

Here’s the finished kitty, so you can see the full effect!

And that’s it! Wasn’t it easy? There are some innovative products on the market that you can buy to also achieve the same results. Sulky sells light weight stabilisers that tear away. They also have adhesive stabilisers that are soluble. Some makers swear by their Sulky Solvy. You can even buy it in sheets that fit your printer. How practical is that?

However, I prefer not to get wool felt wet if I can avoid it. So I am just as happy using my tissue paper method. It’s the technique I use in all my sewing patterns and some tutorials too. It’s quick, easy and practical.

This method is used to sew the facial details onto Miss Molly. You can find her pattern in my store.

Candice from My Felt Lady also used this method to sew my Flora Fiesta embroidery pattern onto wool felt. Aren’t the results lovely? Incidentally, Candice is my main felt supplier and she sells 100% wool felt, glitter felt and metallic felt in the most amazing range of colours!

If you check the tutorials tab, you’ll find some of my other projects use this method too. You might like to try the Felt Elf.

Do you have a favourite technique that you like to use and are happy to share? Feel free to leave a comment, your suggestions, or ask any questions.

If you’d like to know more about working with wool felt, you’ll enjoy this tutorial! There’s also some tips for Transferring Templates to Wool Felt for Cutting.

Happy stitching, Lauren.

This post was written by Lauren Wright and appeared first on Molly and Mama https://www.mollyandmama.com.au

Filed Under: Felt Fun, Tutorials Tagged With: embroidery on felt, felt embroidery, Molly and Mama, sewing on felt, transferring embroidery to felt, wool felt

Trackbacks

  1. Sew a Felt Christmas Mouse - Molly and Mama says:
    December 6, 2018 at 1:55 pm

    […] light brown embroidery floss, embroider the mouse’s eyes on. Use the template as a guide or follow this simple tutorial for adding embroidered details using tracing paper. Secure your stitching well on the […]

    Reply
  2. Stitch a Felt Angel Christmas Ornament - Molly and Mama says:
    December 7, 2018 at 6:59 am

    […] design using a water soluble marker, or by sewing through the design copied onto tracing paper. This tutorial outlines different methods to embroider details onto felt, in more […]

    Reply
  3. Tilda Plum Garden Fabric Showcase - Molly and Mama says:
    June 22, 2019 at 10:31 am

    […] Mostly machine stitched, Milly Mouse does feature hand sewn eyes and whiskers. I feel like they add a sweet little touch. I will share some tips in the pattern for achieving great results when embroidering on felt. But I have also shared some of my favourite techniques in this blog post – How to Embroider Details Onto Felt. […]

    Reply
  4. 'Night Before Christmas Stocking' Sew Along - Molly and Mama says:
    November 5, 2019 at 6:22 pm

    […] for Working with Felt. You might also like to know how I cut out wool felt and how I transfer my embroidery details to felt. In fact, let’s make it easy. Here’s the whole FELT […]

    Reply
  5. Week 4 - Stocking Sew Along - Molly and Mama says:
    December 11, 2019 at 7:22 am

    […] needs to be fine and easy to rip apart without damaging your stitching. I’ve written a whole tutorial about this process here. Even though this method is a little more time consuming, I find it gives you the most accurate […]

    Reply

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Studio For Pretty Stitches
I’m so thrilled to be kicking off the #seworderl I’m so thrilled to be kicking off the #seworderly challenge I’m co-hosting with @arabesquescissors during February. Over the next four weeks Ali and I are planning to reorganise our sewing spaces and sort our supplies. If you’re in need of a tidy out, we’d love you to join in! Because it’s more fun if we encourage each other (and there’s some wonderful prizes up for grabs too)!

To start things off this week, we’re asking you to introduce yourself and the areas in your sewing space you need help with. It could be a photo of your room, or just a little view of some supplies you need to clean, reorganize or sort. Post the photo on your public instagram profile using the hashtag #seworderly. 

Join us each week as we tackle different areas and share different tips! Tag friends here who might like to join in. Read all the details on the blog (there’s a link in my profile). 

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For the month of February, Ali and I are going to co-host an instagram challenge that helps us sort out what's working in the studio, what's not, and what we can do about it. We'd be really thrilled if you joined us on the journey! We’ll be using the hashtag #seworderly to help bring you tips and tricks that are organised into weekly themes. We’d love to hear your tips too. Between all of us, we’re sure this amazing community can share some wonderful ideas! 

To celebrate the lead up to our challenge, we’re asking you to post a photo on your public profile using the #seworderly hashtag, and sharing where you’d like some organisational help. Who’ll share a ‘before’ shot of their sewing space 🙋🏼‍♀️? 

We’ll be sharing more in the coming week about how to join in and as a little incentive there’ll even be some prizes up for grabs! Follow @mollyandmama and @arabesquescissors to stay in the loop. I’m really looking forward to getting #seworderly! Are you? 

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You can find this pattern in my shop and stores can order wholesale from @creative_abundance 🐰🌸 

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