Stick and Stitch Instructions
Hello there! Here you’ll find everything you need to know about using my Stick and Stitch patterns. Let’s jump right in!
Below you’ll find a short video with everything you’ll need to know, but if you’d prefer written instructions, you can find them further down.
Step 1
Remove the paper backing of the Stick and Stitch Pattern.
Step 2
Stick the pattern onto the thing you’re embroidery-ing! You can pop it onto a t-shirt, a hat, a bag, anything you like! Keep in mind that you will need to wash the Stick and Stitch pattern off later on, so whatever you’re stitching onto needs to be okay to get wet.
Step 3 - Back Stitch
Use back stitch to stitch over the lines of the pattern, add beads wherever you please! The sticky interfacing stabilises the fabric, so no hoop is necessary. You’ll find a tutorial below on how to do back stitch. Make sure not to pull your stitches too tight here, a gentle touch will stop the your fabric item from puckering.
The first step is to cut a length of floss. The length you choose depends on your preference and what you’re stitching. Try with about 30cm first!
Embroidery floss comes with 6 strands, and all 6 are rarely used at once. I like to use 3, but you can use anywhere between 1 and all 6. The more strands, the thicker the stitched line. Once your length of floss is cut, you can gently separate however many strands you need. Tease the strands apart at one end, and gently pull them apart by keeping tension on the floss.
Next you’ll need to thread the needle. To help thread the needle, moisten the end of the floss and flatten it between your fingers. This will help it go through the oblong eye of the needle.
Once your needle is threaded, tie an overhand knot at the other end of the floss. This is just a basic knot that stops the floss from pulling all the way through the fabric on your first stitch.
Now it’s time to actually get into the stitching! Here’s how back stitch works:
Image 1: Bring your needle up through point A, which is the beginning of a line that you’re stitching.
Image 2: Bring your needle down through Point B, which is a point along the line that you’re stitching, about 5-10mm ahead of where you brought your floss up.
Image 3: Pull this through so that you have a little stitch that runs over the top of the pattern line.
Image 4: Bring your needle up through the fabric again, along the pattern line and about 5-10mm ahead of the end of your first stitch. Pull all the way through, but not too tightly. Pulling your stitches too tight may cause your fabric item to crinkle and pucker.
Image 5: Bring your needle down through the fabric, right at the very end of the first stitch you made. Your needle should be going down through (or very close to) the same hole that your first stitch made in the fabric.
Image 6: Pull this stitch through (not to tight!) and there you have back stitch! Now you can just repeat the steps from Image 4 to 6. Continue on like this until you’ve stitched the whole pattern line.
The length of the stitches is really up to you, however I wouldn’t make them any longer than 10mm, especially for items that might get a bit of wear. The smaller the stitches, the more anchor point they have to your item, making your work nice and sturdy.
To get around tight curves, you will need to make your stitches nice and small. The smaller your stitches, the smoother a curved line will look!
You can also use back stitch to add beads to your creation. Just thread the needle with one or a few beads before you make your next stitch! If you like sparkly things as much as I do, you’ll love stitching beads onto things!
Once your line is all stitched, you’ll need to secure your stitches so that your lovely work doesn’t come undone. Here’s how you do it:
Flip your item over so you’re working at the back.
Image 1: Take your needle and thread it underneath the back of a close by stitch. You needle doesn’t go through the fabric here, just underneath a stitch. Pull the floss through here, making sure to leave a little loop.
Image 2: Put your needle through the little loop that you left, and pull the floss through it.
Image 3: You’ve now created a knot that you can pull tight!
I like to do two of these securing knots, just to be safe! You can now snip off your floss, or use the needle to weave the tail end through the backs of more stitches if you’d like to be extra secure.
Step 4
Wash away the Stick & Stitch pattern with water. Soaking your item in water for 10 minutes before hand can help speed up the process. Gently rub the interfacing away as you rinse your item under running water. Spend a bit of time getting all of the interfacing off. It can take a little while but you don’t want any scrappy bits left behind!
Step 5
Lay your embroidered item flat and press between two layers of a towel. This will remove excess water without disturbing your stitching.
Step 6
Let your item air dry and there you have it! A snazzy customized piece by you!
If you’ve customized something that will be getting washed frequently, I’d recommend washing the item in a delicates bag to keep your stitching in tip top shape.
I’d love to see your customized pieces, to please tag me on Instagram or send me a piccy of your work!
I appreciate your support oh so much, happy creating!
