Fabrics 101: Embroidering on Minkee
(aka Microfiber Plush)
 

FABRIC: Microfiber plushes come in lots of different varieties, with long or short "fur" in various textures. You should be able to embroider on all of them - even the one with the raised dots shown here. (If the texture is REALLY wild and wooly, you might want to refer to the faux fur tips too.)

DESIGN: Choose designs with solid areas of embroidery; light stitching such as redwork can sink into the fabric and disappear. Designs with open spaces, rather than one solid chunk of stitching, will allow the fabric to be more flexible. Embossed embroidery, which we've previously stitched on polar fleece and terrycloth, will look great on microfiber plush, too! The fabric will get along just fine with applique, and it's a fun pick as applique fabric for furry animals and more.

NEEDLE: A 75/11 sharp sewing needle (which we recommend for most uses) will help you create a crisp, clear stitchout.

STABILIZER: Microfiber plush is a knit fabric, so it's a little stretchy. Choose a medium-weight cutaway stabilizer to give the embroidery the stable base it needs.

TOPPING: Use a water-soluble stabilizer on top of the embroidery to hold down the pile of the microfiber plush and keep it from poking through the stitching. See below for an example of the difference this can make.

STABILIZER: Spray a piece of medium-weight cutaway stabilizer with temporary spray adhesive, and smooth it onto the backside of the fabric.

TOPPING: Lay a piece of water-soluble stabilizer on top of the area to be embroidered.

HOOPING: Hoop all three layers taut together.

Embroider the design. The stitches should flatten any irregular texture in the fabric.

FINISHING: Tear away the water-soluble topping...

...and trim away the excess cutaway stabilizer from the back of the embroidery.

Your embroidery is done! Cutaway stabilizer and water-soluble topping are the keys to embroidery that looks wonderful on this cozy fabric.

This letter "B" design was stitched using the same steps as above, except without the water-soluble topping. It looks fine from a distance...

But if you look at it up close you can see little blue fibers poking through the stitching.

In contrast, here's a close-up of the first design. You can't see any blue through the stitching at all. It's the little things that make a difference!

Embossed embroidery is another fun way to dress up microfiber plush fabric. Choose a thread color that's very similar to the fabric to maximize the embossed effect.

Mary crafted this baby block out of soft Minkee and flannel. The embroidered plush animals are just adorable, and ribbon tags give little ones something to hold onto. So cute and creative!

Stitching tips for Minkee/microfiber plush: