Embroidery Library - Machine Embroidery Designs Inspired Project Page

Embroidering Sleeves

Learn how to make fun and fabulous Embroidered Sleeves! Any ordinary long sleeved T-shirt, hoodie, or sweatshirt can be artfully transformed! Make it your own with embroidery designs.

See the instructions below and learn the hooping techniques that will give you the know-how to try this sleeve project.

From tribal designs to floral sprays and borders, you'll find many designs that will turn heads and compliment your sense of style.

Supplies needed:

** Shirt
** Masking tape
** Cut-away stabilizer
** Temporary spray adhesive
** Seam ripper

Designs used:

** Phoenix and Flames Diamond - Med; also available in Sm and Lrg
** Dream Border - Med; also available in Sm and Lrg

We began by embroidering the Tribal Phoenix Diamond design in the front center of the sweatshirt.

Create a paper template of the design by printing it at full size using embroidery software. Trim around the design for easy placement. Position the template on the front of the sweatshirt about 6 to 6 1/2 inches from the neckline of the sweatshirt to the top of the template.

Measure equal distances between the center of the template and the sleeve seams. Secure the template in place with a couple of small pieces of masking tape.

Because we are embroidering on a black sweatshirt (and normal marking from an air-erase pen won't show up), we are using masking tape to help mark the placement. Lay the strips of masking tape under the horizontal and vertical axis lines of the template. Poke a hole in the center of the template and mark the tape. Also, mark the horizontal and vertical axis points on the tape.

Remove the template and draw lines connecting the horizontal and vertical axis points.

Hoop the sweatshirt with cut-away stabilizer that has been sprayed with adhesive. Sweatshirts are stretchy, so cutaway stabilizer is the best choice to make sure that there is no shifting or gapping in the embroidery.

Align the marks on the hoop with the lines on the tape.

Tip: Turn the shirt inside out, and spray a piece of cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive. Smooth the stabilizer on the area where the embroidery will be. Then, turn the shirt right side out, and hoop the shirt.

Attach the hoop to the machine, load the design, align the needle over the center point on the tape, remove the tape, and embroider the design. After the design has finished embroidering, unhoop the shirt and trim away the excess stabilizer.

To prepare the sleeves for embroidery, turn the shirt inside out and, using a seam ripper, open the seams from the end of the sleeve up to the armhole.

Fold the sleeve so the two open edges are back together and press the folded side with an iron.

Open the sleeve and lay it flat. Lay a piece of masking tape over the fold. Draw a line along the tape right over the fold.

Print paper templates of the designs and trim around them for easy placement. We are placing the designs in the vertical center of the sleeve. Measure the length of the sleeve between the inside edge of the cuff and the shoulder seam, divide by two, and mark the tape at this point.

Align the horizontal axis lines of the template along the line on the tape. Position the edges of the designs about 1/8 inch from the center point of the tape. Also, lay strips of tape under the vertical axis lines.

Poke a hole in the center of each template and mark the tape. Be sure to mark the horizontal and axis points.

Remove the templates and draw lines on the tape, connecting the vertical axis points.

Hoop the sleeve with cut-away stabilizer that has been sprayed with adhesive. Hoop over the center point of the first design by aligning the marks on the hoop with the lines on the tape.

Attach the hoop to the machine, load the design, align the needle over the center point, pull back the tape (do not remove it completely), and embroider the design.

After the design has been embroidered, unhoop the sleeve and smooth the tape back on the fabric.

Rehoop the sleeve over the second center point of the next design.

Attach the hoop to the machine, load the design, align the needle over the center point, remove the tape, and embroider the design.

After the design has finished embroidering, turn the shirt inside out and trim away the excess stabilizer.

Repeat the process for the other sleeve.

Bring the unfinished edges together and pin in place.

Finish the sleeves by sewing a 1/2 inch seam along the pinned edge.

Can you believe this sleeve?So much fun to sew and even more fun to wear!

Click here for a printable version of these project instructions.

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