I've been looking for a way to transfer embroidery designs for a while now. I've tried graphite tracing paper and found it really hard to work with. Waste canvas is difficult to remove and really only works for charted cross stitch or needlework designs. I like to use the printer to create exact designs when I can. And if I do draw out designs, I want them to stay on the fabric and not wear away, like fabric pencils tend to. So, I found two different products and tested them.
Sulky Printable Water Soluble Stabilizer vs. generic printable T-shirt iron-on material
(*NOTE: There are many brands of iron-on transfer material on the market, and I've used several over the past year. They are perform the same. Sulky is the only brand available, to my knowledge, offering this type of product.)
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| generic iron-on material before sewing |
I drew out both designs by hand. Iron-on transfers are heat set with a very hot iron that is pressed down firmly against the back of the paper. I use a towel between my iron and transfer paper as not to burn the linen or cotton background fabric. It takes approximately 3 to 5 minutes per area to fully set the design. After the transfer paper is completely cooled, it is peeled away, leaving a thin plastic layer with the design.
The iron-on material to the right created a clean and clear copy of my drawing. It was easy to see and work with. One fact to note, however, is that any design will be the mirror image of what is printed on the paper. If you use words, be sure to set them to 'mirror image' on the computer program you use to create embroidery designs. Also, once the design is ironed-on, there is no moving or adjusting.
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| Sulky Water Soluble material before sewing |
The Sulky design is a little more difficult to see. But because it is like using stickers instead of a heat setting method, I could rearrange the pattern any way I wanted. I drew on the stabilizer and peeled the backing away. Then I pressed the stabilizer into place. This made using scrap pieces of the transfer paper easy. Also, less waste means I get more for my money. Both products cost approximately the same per sheet.
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| Iron-on transfer after sewing |
Above is the iron-on material after hand sewing had been completed. I used fine perle cotton embroidery thread in a variegated pink/purple on tan 20 count linen for both designs. I had no problems with the needle or the thread getting stuck in the iron-on or Sulky material. Some reviewers on Amazon.com reported issues with their needles being 'gummed up'. This was not an issue for me. My only concern was the iron-on material slightly discolored the linen. There is also a plastic feel to the piece. This wouldn't be a problem for a framed work, but for an item that would be worn or washed often, it could be an issue.
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Sulky test piece after sewing, before removing stabilizer
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Sulky test piece after removing stabilizer transfer paper
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I wanted to see if the stabilizer really dissolved, particularly between narrowly stitched areas, so I used a variety of stitches, including cross stitch, ladder stitch and back stitch. I am happy to report that with a little warm water, the paper dissolved completely way, leaving only the stitches. After rinsing away the transfer paper, I laid both test swatches out flat to dry. There is no sticky residue on the Sulky test piece and the stitches are just as I laid them. With tear-away transfer paper or waste canvas, the stitches become distorted when the transfer material is removed.
Conclusion: I liked both products and can think of ways to use both of them. The Sulky stabilizer will be my go-to transfer method, though. I like that I don't have to spend time heat setting the design and that I can move the design around on the fabric.
