How to Use a Transfer Pencil

So, you have a design or a drawing you want to embroider... but how do you get it from a piece of paper onto your fabric? What's a transfer pencil? I remember how confused I was when I started embroidering, too - so I hope this helps!

1. Find a transfer pencil and tracing paper - I bought my pencils online at Colonial Patterns, but they're also available at most big craft stores... The tracing paper is just regular old tracing paper!

2. Put your tracing paper over the drawing or pattern, and trace with the transfer pencil. Important: see how the letters in "Sew" are not facing the right way? This is the right way to do it! When you flip it over it will be facing the right way!


3. Flip the tracing paper over (image side down), pin into place and iron the tracing paper with a dry iron:


4. Presto! Your image has now been transferred to your fabric! Stick it in a hoop, and stitch away:


See the completed shirt

A few free pattern sources:

• Needlecrafter.com (click on Library, then Designs)
• Patternbee.com (where I found the cat pattern above)
• Vintage Transfer Finds freebies from my stash of vintage transfers.

Buy embroidery transfers (skip the pencil method):

• Sublime Stitching the one, the original - Jenny Hart's designs truly rock!
• Patternbee.com wonderful reproductions of vintage embroidery transfers

How do I work that embroidery transfer, you may be asking? That's the easiest! Just iron it right on your fabric and you're ready to go - your pattern should come with ironing instructions...

So whip out that pencil and happy stitching, guys! (And I mean that in a totally gender-neutral way, too) :)