Garment Cinch

These garment cinch designs come with two files. One file will be the embroidery design, while the other file is the strap.

Depending on your chosen garment, you may need to open a seam to allow for easier hooping. If so, take a seam ripper and carefully open the side of your garment. 

First, determine how much fabric you want to cinch up. The higher the embroidery of file A is placed, the more fabric will be cinched. A template, or printout, of a design is an excellent tool to help with placement. Print a template of the design using an embroidery software.

We recommend Wilcom's Hatch software which comes in different levels depending on what you'd like to use the software for. Hatch Organizer works well to view your designs, print dielines and templates, change design colors, and create basic design layouts. (This is an affiliate link. We may earn commission on purchases made through this link.)

After you’ve determined your placement, use your preferred temporary marking tool to lightly mark the horizontal and vertical axis or placement lines for the design.

Use a spray adhesive to attach a piece of the stabilizer of your choice to your garment behind where the embroidery will go. In this example we’re using soft and sheer stabilizer. After attaching to stabilizer, use a quilters ruler to extend the axis lines. Hoop garment and stabilizer.

Hoop the garment and stabilizer. Make sure everything is hooped tightly and there are no wrinkles or puckers in the fabric.

After attaching the hoop to the machine, center the needle over the placement crosshairs. 

Use a 75/11 sharp sewing needle. This type of needle has a finer point and will make smaller perforations in the stabilizer and fabric. Load file A and follow your color change sheet to embroider the design. The final stop is a placement guide for the button later on.

Remove the design from the hoop and follow the package directions to remove your placement markings for the design. Use your pressing cloth and iron to press the design.

Trim away the extra stabilizer from the back of your design. Set your garment with file A aside for now.

File B is specially digitized to sew on a hooped piece of tearaway stabilizer. After the pieces are embroidered, the stabilizer is removed and the leather is trimmed, creating a nice strap.

Cut out 2 squares in total (using either leather or faux leather), making sure that each piece is bigger than the finished embroidery area of file B. You can find the size of the individual embroidery files by opening them in embroidery software or on your machine.

We cut each fabric piece into a 5” x 4” rectangle. These squares will be used for the front and back of file B.

Once all the fabric pieces are cut out to the correct size, it is time to embroider the design. Hoop a piece of tearaway stabilizer. Madeira E-Zee 1.5 oz or Floriani Tearaway Medium are good choices. Those brands are more fibrous, less like paper, and will tear more cleanly.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load embroidery file B. Use a 75/11 sharp sewing needle instead of an embroidery needle. The sharp sewing needle has a finer point and it will make smaller perforations in the stabilizer. The first thing to embroider will be a "fabric dieline" (or outline stitch). This marks the area on the stabilizer where the fabric piece will be placed

After the fabric dieline has sewn, remove the hoop from the machine but do not unhoop the stabilizer. Spray the wrong side of the front fabric piece with temporary spray adhesive. Place the fabric on the stabilizer over the sewn fabric dieline.

Next, place the hoop back onto the machine and embroider the "front piece tackdown." A tackdown holds the fabric piece in place for the remainder of the design.

The next step to embroider will be the "cut line." This marks the area on the leather where the finished design will later be cut out.

Remove the hoop from the machine. Do not unhoop the stabilizer. Turn the hoop over so the back side is facing up. Spray the back fabric piece with temporary spray adhesive. Then, smooth the back fabric piece over the shape on the back side.

As all the bobbin stitching from here on out will be seen from both sides, wind a bobbin with the same thread that is being used in the top needle.

Reattach the hoop and embroider the "back piece tackdown." The buttonhole will also embroider at this point.

Once the embroidery is finished, carefully tear the excess stabilizer away from between the two leather pieces. 

Then, using scissors, carefully cut along the inner edge of the "cut line" from earlier. Cutting along the inside of the cut line will remove those stitches from the leather piece, leaving a clean and smooth edge.

Using a craft knife, slit the fabric in-between the sides of the buttonhole embroidery.

Thread your hand sewing needle with at least 12” of thread and tie a double knot at the end of the thread. We are using a color that contrasts slightly for visual clarity.

Poke the needle from front to back of the side of the strap that does not have the buttonhole stitched. Do not pull the needle through yet.

Take your garment and position the needle under the “button placement guide” on the wrong side of the fabric. Poke the needle through to make sure that it is aligned with the button guide.

Stitch within the button placement guide until the strap is securely attached. End the stitch with the needle on top of the garment but do not cut the thread yet.

Sew a ½” button over the placement marker until it is secure. Tie off and trim excess thread.

Your garment cinch is complete! Add these unique designs to sleeves, hemlines, and more to bring one-of-a-kind style to your wardrobe.