Fabrics for Embroidery

You can embroider on almost any fabric, even toilet paper and screening, but your choice of fabric will affect the quality of the embroidery. A finely-woven fabric with a high thread count will give your design better definition that a more loosely woven fabric. For everyday use, sturdy washable fabrics are practical. For a formal event, splurge on real silk or velvet. Also consider the color -- a white rabbit will show up well on a pastel or muted color, but will disappear against white and may experience color bleed-through if embroidered on a bright or dark fabric.

There are ways to compensate. If your fabric is unstable, use a fusible or sticky stabilizer to hold it in place. For a very lightweight fabric, choose a lightweight design that has few stitches and lots of open space, such as redwork. When embroidering white over a dark or bright fabric, use a topping that will hide the color of the fabric (Dry Cover Up). For spongy fabrics (polar fleece), use a layer of water-soluble stabilizer as a topping to keep the stitches from sinking into the fabric. For napped fabrics (terry towels or fake fur), use a layer of tulle as a topping, in a color to match the fabric, to keep the loops or fur from poking through the stitches.

Next issue: itchy designs

from Mary Jane Allen of Perfect Little Stitches

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