Stick and stitch embroidery involves adhering a water-soluble stabilizer with a pre-printed design to your fabric, embroidering the design, and then dissolving the stabilizer.
Here’s a general guide on how to use stick and stitch embroidery, based on common practices:
-
Prepare Your Fabric: Choose your fabric and ensure it's clean and wrinkle-free.
-
Apply the Stick and Stitch Stabilizer: Peel off the backing of the stick and stitch stabilizer (it's like a sticker). Carefully adhere the sticky side of the stabilizer, with the printed design facing up, to your fabric. Make sure it is firmly stuck onto the fabric to prevent shifting during stitching.
-
Embroider the Design: Place your fabric in an embroidery hoop. Following the design on the stabilizer, embroider using your chosen stitches and embroidery floss. You can use any embroidery stitches you like, such as back stitch, satin stitch, or French knots.
-
Remove Excess Stabilizer (Optional): If there's a large amount of stabilizer around your design, you can carefully trim it away before dissolving. This helps speed up the dissolving process.
-
Dissolve the Stabilizer: Once you've completed the embroidery, it's time to dissolve the stabilizer. Rinse the embroidered fabric under lukewarm running water. Gently rub the embroidered area to help the stabilizer dissolve completely. You may need to repeat this process several times.
-
Dry and Finish: Once all the stabilizer is gone, gently pat the embroidered area dry with a clean towel. Allow the fabric to air dry completely. After drying, you can iron your embroidery on the reverse side to remove any wrinkles.
