Western Shirt Set Placement

Kick up your heels in this fancy western-themed shirt. We gave this regular-cut, button-down shirt a country flavor using the Square Dancing and Western designs at Embroidery Library.

Turn up the country music in your sewing room and have a toe-tappin' good time while you embroider up your own shirts for an upcoming dance, horse show, or rodeo. Yee Haw!

Supplies & Materials:

Project Materials

- Button-down shirt

- Printed templates of each embroidery design

- Disappearing marking pen

The designs used in this tutorial include:

- X2381, Desert Rose Shirt Set Design Pack

Gather Materials:

Laying out the templates

Print and cut out each template around the outside of the design. Make sure that you can see the horizontal and vertical axis lines for each design on the templates.

Lay out the templates on the shirt. Now is the time to play; try out different placements, and see what pleases you.

On the front of the shirt we decided to place the front yoke designs so that they arch over the pocket. We placed the placket designs on either side of the button placket, so that they meet up with the bottom of the front yoke designs.

Red western shirt laid flat on a wooden surface with white fabric patches embroidered with black and gray floral designs on shoulders, chest, and cuff.

We placed the back yoke design in the center of the back yoke.

Red western-style shirt laid flat on a wood surface, featuring white yoke with gray and black floral embroidery on the upper back.

Using an old machine needle, punch a hole at the center point of each paper template piece (where the axis lines cross). Push the needle all the way through to create a hole that is just the right size for the tip of your marking pen.

Hand holding a small white fabric piece with black embroidery outlines of a flower and a spiral shape on a wooden surface background.

Marking the shirt

With the shirt buttoned up, mark the placement for each embroidery design by using the center point and axis lines. You will make a center mark through the hole in the template, and at the edge of the template, you will make marks at each axis line.

Now lift the template off the shirt and make lines that correspond with the horizontal and vertical axis of the template. Extend the lines several inches so that they will meet the edge of the hoop.

Red button-up shirt with two white embroidered patches placed on it. The patches have floral and star designs in black thread. Shirt is on a wooden surface.

Extend the horizontal axis lines across the button placket and onto the other side of the shirt. This will make your embroidery straight across the front of the shirt.

Red western shirt laid flat on a wooden surface, showing a white yoke panel with gray floral embroidery featuring three flowers and scrolling vines.

Mark the back yoke and the cuffs using the same marking method.

Red fabric pieces laid flat, one with an embroidered white oval featuring gray and brown floral design; two white buttons sewn on one edge.

Start Embroidering:

Hooping and sewing

Front Yoke designs: Line up the axis lines of the design with the center marks on each side of your hoop. Hoop the fabric and stabilizer in the hoop together.

Sew out the embroidery.

Red fabric piece, possibly a shirt section, laid flat on a wooden surface with a white embroidery hoop/frame holding a rectangular area in place. Black guideline markings on fabric inside hoop.

Front placket designs: Use a small amount of spray adhesive to affix the shirt front to the stabilizer. Extend the horizontal axis line onto the stabilizer, and hoop the combination together, lining up the axis lines with the center markings on each side of the hoop.

Sew out the embroidery.

Rectangular embroidery hoop holding red fabric with vertical and horizontal black grid lines. Hoop placed on a red shirt with a white towel underneath on a wooden surface.

Here's a look at the finished shirt front.

Red western shirt on a mannequin with yellow rose and green leaf embroidery along the chest and shoulder yoke, pearl snap buttons, and a gray undershirt.

For the cuff design, hoop the stabilizer and mark the stabilizer with axis lines between the center markings on the sides of the hoop. Spray the stabilizer with spray adhesive and match up the marked lines on the cuff with the lines that you marked on the stabilizer.

Sew out the embroidery.

Repeat the steps on the other cuff.