Hand embroidery: how to draw on fabric before embroidering?

When you're a beginner in hand embroidery, you want to embroider all sorts of things! But the crucial step before hand embroidering is drawing on the fabric. I know that for beginners, the techniques remain a mystery!

So today Studio Francosse gives you all the necessary advice for drawing on your textile support before hand embroidering, because it's a crucial step to ensure the best possible embroidery!
Before reading this article to learn how to draw on fabric before embroidering, we recommend you find out about the materials you'll need. You can check out our blog post titled "What materials do I need to start hand embroidery?", where everything is explained in detail.

What materials will I need to draw on fabric?

There are several possible techniques for drawing on a textile surface before embroidery, but generally you will need:

• A textile support: a square of fabric such as cotton canvas, a garment, a sheet, a dish towel… anything that can be embroidered!
• Drawing materials: A Frixion pen OR a water-soluble marker OR carbon paper + a pencil OR a light box / computer screen
• Water, or heat (iron, hair dryer)

The different methods for drawing on textiles before embroidering

Draw it freehand with an erasable pen!

If you know how to draw and are able to sketch your design freehand on your fabric, you will simply need a suitable pen, namely:

• A water-soluble marker (brand: Prym). You will then only need to apply a little water to your embroidery to make the marker disappear underneath the embroidery.
  

• A Frixion pen (brand: Pilot). At the end of your embroidery, iron your fabric or use a hairdryer; the Frixion pen will disappear with heat!
  

Some simple freehand drawing ideas:
– A small motif: a heart, a flower, a cloud, a lightning bolt
– A piece of writing: a word, a first name, initials, a sentence
– Lines: lines, squares, circles and waves for a graphic style

The "Carton Paper" method for transferring a design onto textiles

When you can't draw, there aren't many options: you have to trace! And tracing paper for textiles does exist, it's called carbon paper! But be careful, you have to choose a good quality one that's water-soluble!

• Print or draw on paper the design you wish to transfer from paper to fabric
• Cut out a square of carbon paper the size of your printed drawing
• Place the colored side of the carbon paper face down on the fabric where you want the embroidery.
• Place the printed drawing onto the carbon paper (the white side).
• Without moving them, trace over the lines of the drawing with a pencil, pressing firmly.
• Remove everything, and your drawing will appear! You can trace over the drawing with a water-soluble marker to make it nice and clear.
• Once the embroidery is finished, rinse it with a little water so that the traces of the design disappear completely.

The "bright screen" method for when you don't have any equipment

Do you want to draw on fabric to embroider it by hand, but you don't have any supplies at home? Time to try the good old-fashioned method of using light…

• Print or draw on paper the design you wish to transfer from paper to fabric
• Place your textile support on something bright: a window, a computer screen, a light box…
• Place your printed design between the light source and your fabric, where you want your embroidery to be.
• The drawing appears transparently on your surface, and all you have to do is trace over it with a water-soluble marker or a heat-erasable Frixion pen.
• Once the embroidery is finished, apply a little water or heat to it so that the traces of the design disappear completely.

And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this article from Studio Francosse! And now that you know how to transfer a design onto fabric, if you're not sure what to draw, you can check out our embroidery patterns from Studio Francosse for inspiration!

Don't hesitate to read our other articles, and check out our Instagram to learn more about embroidery and about Francosse!