How to Personalize Blank In-the-Hoop Designs

This tutorial goes over how to personalize an in-the-hoop design without needing to edit and change the embroidery files. This makes personalization simple and easy to do even if you aren’t familiar with embroidery software.

When you download the design, you will find multiple files. Some are embroidery files and some are dielines files (marked with "DL") that are used to cut the fabric to the correct shape.

Open and print each dieline file using an embroidery software. If you do not have an embroidery software, take a look at our helpful video on using dielines

We also 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 with this link.)

Use the printed dieline for the fabric piece that you want to customize to find its size. This will be the area you can customize and will help you pick a design to customize it with. You can either read the size on the paperwork or measure it with a ruler.

Some customized pieces may have another applique piece or other embroidery details that sew on top of it, keep those in mind while measuring to find the area you can customize.

Select an embroidery design to customize the design with. The dimensions of the design should either be smaller than the dieline area or you can use a design bigger than the dieline area if you are okay with it going past the edges. Use the size information provided on the color change sheet as a guide.

Cut a piece of your fabric and medium cutaway stabilizer larger than the hoop. Spray the stabilizer with temporary adhesive and smooth it onto the back of the fabric piece.

Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together tightly.

Attach the hoop onto the machine, and load the embroidery file for the design you picked to customize the in-the-hoop object with (not the in-the-hoop object’s embroidery file). Follow the color change sheet and embroidery the entire design.

Once the design is done embroidering, unhoop it. If desired you can trim away the excess stabilizer on the back of the design, but you do not have to.

Use an iron to press the design with a pressing cloth on top to remove any wrinkles.

Completely cut out the printed dieline for the fabric piece you want to customize. This will make it easier to use.

Position the paper dieline over the finished embroidery until it is lined up as desired. Keep any applique or details sewing on top in mind for placement.

Trace the dieline shape onto the fabric and embroidery with a fabric marking tool. Then, remove the paper and make sure the placement looks good inside the drawn shape. If you don’t like the position of it, remove the lines and try again.

Once the placement looks good, cut out the drawn shape with scissors.

If the design has applique pieces, you can either cut them out of just fabric or you can repeat the steps above to also personalize them with embroidery. For this example, we are using un-embroidered fabric for the applique piece.

Follow your chosen in-the-hoop design’s instructions and hoop the appropriate material. For this mug rug, we are hooping a piece of tearaway stabilizer.

Load the in-the-hoop design onto the machine, and follow the color change sheet to embroider the file. Place the fabric pieces with spray adhesive before each tackdown sews, using the embroidered fabric piece when its time.

Follow the design’s instructions to embroider the entire design. Then unhoop it and remove the stabilizer as needed.

Use this method to personalize different projects with beautiful embroidery designs. Create thoughtful gifts and lovely items for everyone to enjoy.