Hand embroidery on t shirt : Ideas and all the tips I know

T-shirts are clothing everyone has in their wardrobe and there is no fun in a plain T-shirt. You may want it embellished to make it more personal or to make it look a little bit unique than the one your friend is wearing. Printing on Tshirts is nothing special. Everyone has a printed T-shirt. But when embroidery is done, that simple T-shirt turns into a classier, an expensive looking version which is long-lasting as well.

Customization or simply embellishing, whatever your purpose, embroidery gives you many choices.  You have 2 methods of doing T-shirt embroidery

1. Direct embroidery
2. Embroidery Patch

In direct embroidery, you will be sewing the embroidery directly onto the t-shirt fabric. If you are using an embroidered patch the patch is placed on top of the fabric and then the patch is sewn to the t-shirt, by hand or by machine.

Check out this post on different methods of making patches, How to make an embroidered patch and how to attach the patches

How to embroider your T-shirt at home

You can do either Hand embroidery or Machine Embroidery.

Machine embroidery is a very easy option and in less time you get wonderfully made embroidery designs on the t-shirt. You may think that you need an embroidery machine for doing this work, though with the simple zig-zag stitch available in most modern sewing machines you can create beautiful embroidery work. Freestyle embroidery is an option as are applique works.

Step 1. Gather your supplies for the embroidery

First and foremost, the tshirt : Choose a thick fabric one, rather than a thin t-shirt – thin fabrics get holes fast.

Most of the t-shirts you get are 100% cotton or a cotton-synthetic blend. There will be a lot of sizing added to the fabric in the manufacturing process and then the cotton fibers shrink in the wash. So do not forget to prewash the t-shirt before you start embroidering on it.

You can put the t-shirt in a bucket of water and soak it there and then even without adding any detergent, rinse it out. Line dry and then when it is dry (or slightly damp) iron all the wrinkles out.

Other things you need for the embroidery:

A thin embroidery needle
Embroidery thread in your chosen colors
An embroidery hoop
Wash-away stabilizer ( Like Sulky Fabri-Solvy) or Iron-On Stabilizer
Scissors
A design

Step 2. Choose a design for the t-shit embroidery

Small designs are best to work on a t-shirt  – this is because of the material it is made of. The thin knits of most t-shirts would not be able to carry large densely done full front or back embroidery designs. The fabric will start to sag, develop holes, pucker unattractively and generally not last long. If you really want an open design choose one with lots of open areas.

If the t-shirt is made of polar fleece or thicker pique knits larger designs can be tried out than on thin knits.

Step 3. Start your hand embroidery

You can draw the design directly or trace or print your chosen design onto the wash-away stabilizer and use this on top of the t-shirt and then embroider on it. Another option is to buy those “Peel Stick and Stitch patterns”

To trace the design, take a printout of the design you mean to embroider. Keep it on the t-shirt and see the position you desire or want. Try out every single position. Look at this post on embroidery logo placement guide for some ideas.

The emblibrary article here recommends a position 3 inches down from the neck. Make small tailor tacks to delineate the outline – this will give you a boundary for the design so that you can accurately place the stabilizer on the back.

Keep the stabilizer you have chosen to the inside of the t-shirt in the exact position you have marked for the design. Place the fabric on the hoop and start embroidering. Ensure that it is not overly stretched to maintain its shape and avoid distortion.

My favorite embroidery on a t-shirt is a monogram; then I also like to do Personalized Letter Stitching

Here are articles that are helpful for hand embroidery: Hand embroidery stitches – glossary; Types of Hand embroidery; DIY: How to Embroider Your Own Clothes; Best hand embroidery thread to use from the 12 types; Learn embroidery – FAQ.

My favourite method is to make satin stitches.

To give the satin stitch some added depth, make small stitches inside the design and then do the satin stitch over this.

You can give an outline stitch and your design will stand out.

After the embroidery is done the stabilizer can be trimmed around the design leaving just 1/2 inch extra all around.

You can further embellish the design with pearls, sequins, beads, or even rhinestones.

After the embroidery is done, if you have used the wash away stabiliser, gently wash out the stabilizer with warm water.

Optional step: To protect the back of the embroidery (and prevent irritation) you can add iron on stabilizer. Cut a piece of Iron-on stabilizer to size, ensuring it extends about 1/2 inch beyond the design on all sides. Turn your t-shirt inside out and iron it onto the back of the embroidery for 10-15 seconds.

Related posts : Name of t shirts. ; Techniques for Embroidering letters on fabric