Embroidery Library
Inspiration Studio Lookbooks Stitchers Showcase Christmas Inspiration
Videos Fabrics 101 Helpful How-To's Search Projects Projects by Category ▾
Free Designs Gift Certificates Thread Exchange Happy Hour & VIP

Fabrics 101: Embroidering on T-shirts

Fabrics 101:
Embroidering on T-Shirts

Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.

 Free project instructions to embroider a towel border with an animal design.

Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.

T-shirts are the most popular garments to embroider on. Get our best tips and tricks regarding design choice, positioning, stabilizers, and hooping to guarantee excellent results while embroidering on T-shirts.
 
Project Needs & Notes:

- T-shirt
- Medium-weight (2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer
- Air-erase pen for marking
- Temporary spray adhesive (Gunold KK100)


This project was featured in the following:
 Embroidering on T-Shirts Lookbook
 

Free video with instructions on how to embroider on t-shirts
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
T-shirts are made of cotton, or a cotton and polyester blend.

Wash and dry the shirt before embroidering on it to get all the shrinkage out of the way.
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
Choose designs that are light with open areas.

Avoid designs that are heavy or blocky. Heavy fills will drape poorly, and may result in the fabric puckering, too.

Light and open designs will drape the best on T-shirts.
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
A template, or printout of a design, is an excellent tool to help with placement.

Print a template of the design from your embroidery software.
If you do not have embroidery software, Wilcom's TrueSizer is
a free program to use.
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
Design placement is largely up to your personal preference.

Use the template to arrange on the shirt to find the placement that looks good to you.

Traditional placement has the top of the design about 3" down from the neck, centered between the sides.

That measurement may vary when working with very large or very small shirts.
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
After the template is in the right spot, mark the center point and the vertical and horizontal axis lines. Those marks will be used to hoop the shirt straight.
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
Turn the shirt inside out.
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
Spray a piece of medium-weight cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive.

As a general rule, avoid using tear-away stabilizer on t-shirts, as that can lead to shifting, gapping, and misalignment of the stitches.

 Smooth the cutaway stabilizer on the inside of the shirt, on the back of the area that will be embroidered.
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
Turn the shirt right side out again.

Slide the outer hoop inside the shirt.

 Press the inner hoop in place, lining up the marks in the shirt with the marks on the hoop.
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
Roll the excess shirt up and out of the way so it doesn't get caught while embroidering.

Use clips to keep the excess shirt secure.
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
Attach the hoop to the machine and load the design.

Move the hoop so the needle is right over the center point, and embroider the design.

A size 11 or 75/11 embroidery needle will work well.
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
After embroidering, trim the excess stabilizer away from the back. Leave about 1/2" around the design.

A good-quality cutaway stabilizer softens after a wash or two.

If you're concerned about the stabilizer or the thread feeling rough against the skin, use an interfacing (like Cloud Cover Stitch) on the back of the embroidery.
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
The Love to Sew design shown here is light and open, so the fabric is draping very well.
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
Here, the Crafty Diva design is shown on a V-neck T-shirt. When embroidering on this style, place the design about 2" down from the point of the V.
Free project instructions on how to create a shirt with embroidered wings.
Usually, designs are embroidered on the front of a T-shirt. In this example, the Angel Wings were embroidered on the back instead.
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
Experimenting with various color combinations will add a whole new look to your apparel. Here three Victorian Butterfly designs were embroidered in several colors on a deep blue shirt.
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
On this shirt, the Fabric Lover Swirls and Curls design was embroidered in a color that was just brighter than the blue of the shirt. Even more color contrast was used in the words "Fabric Lover".
Free project instructions to embroider on t-shirts.
T-shirts are also an extremely popular embroidery project for guys. Stitch the Knight Helmet with Shield or Wild Side Guitar for your husband, brother, son, or nephew.
Embroidering on T-Shirts



This project is featured on the Embroidery Library Pinterest page.

Pin it yourself using the "Pin It" button on this page.

Stitching tips for T-shirts:

Needle
75/11 or size 11 embroidery needle.

Stabilizer
One piece of medium-weight (2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer is the best choice.

Tear-away stabilizer may be used with the lightest of designs, such as toile or vintage.

Topping is not necessary.

Design Choice
Choose light and open designs that will drape well on the shirt.


Questions or comments? Let us know! Send an email to us; the address is stitch@emblibrary.com.
 

Products used in this Project:
Love to Sew $2.99 - $4.99

Available in 3 Sizes:

9.40" x 5.77" | 6.84" x 4.22" | 3.85" x 2.37"
Crafty Diva $2.99 - $3.99

Available in 3 Sizes:

9.40" x 4.98" | 6.83" x 3.61" | 3.85" x 2.03"
Angel Wings - Left $2.99 - $4.99

Available in 4 Sizes:

4.37" x 9.38" | 4.37" x 5.94" | 3.20" x 6.87" | 1.80" x 3.84"
Angel Wings - Right $2.99 - $4.99

Available in 4 Sizes:

4.37" x 9.36" | 4.37" x 5.95" | 3.20" x 6.84" | 1.80" x 3.82"
Victorian Butterfly $2.99 - $3.99

Available in 2 Sizes:

4.45" x 4.45" | 2.96" x 2.96"
Fabric Lover Swirls and Curls $2.49 - $3.99

Available in 3 Sizes:

9.37" x 2.35" | 6.00" x 1.66" | 3.86" x 0.98"
Graceful Swallows $3.99 - $4.99

Available in 3 Sizes:

6.86" x 9.21" | 5.82" x 7.81" | 4.86" x 6.53"
Wild Side Guitar $4.99 - $5.99

Available in 2 Sizes:

9.40" x 4.65" | 6.85" x 3.41"
Prickly Pretty Cacti $4.49 - $5.99

Available in 4 Sizes:

11.00" x 5.11" | 9.40" x 4.37" | 7.80" x 3.62" | 6.90" x 3.21"
Feathered Frenzy $4.49 - $5.99

Available in 4 Sizes:

11.00" x 5.06" | 9.40" x 4.32" | 7.80" x 3.59" | 6.85" x 3.15"
Flutterby Flowers $4.49 - $5.99

Available in 4 Sizes:

11.01" x 4.75" | 9.41" x 4.06" | 7.80" x 3.37" | 6.86" x 2.96"