Trapunto Embroidery

Trapunto is a centuries-old style where fabric is raised with batting. Bring this technique to your embroidery projects with specially digitized designs and batting between the fabric and stabilizer.

Project Needs & Notes:

- Trapunto machine embroidery design
- Medium-weight (2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer
- 1/4" to 3/8" thick batting
- Temporary spray adhesive (such as Gunold KK100)
- Embroidery thread

Design featured in this tutorial is:
- X14851, Baroque Beauty Square 1 (Trapunto)

First, cut a piece of high-loft batting that is large enough to properly and securely hoop.

If the high-loft batting isn't fresh out of the bag, it has probably expanded. For best embroidery results, press the batting under something flat and heavy like a board or books for about 30 minutes to compress it again.

Using expanded batting can make the embroidery shift, causing separation between the lines of stitching.

Spray one side of the batting with temporary spray adhesive, and smooth it on top of a piece of cutaway stabilizer that is slightly larger than the batting.

Then cut a piece of the main fabric that is the same size as the batting, spray the wrong side with temporary spray adhesive, and smooth it into place on top of the batting.

Hoop all three layers together. Make sure that everything is hooped very tightly and that there are no wrinkles.

Embroider the trapunto design. The special stitches tamp down some areas of the batting, making other areas stand out beautifully.

When the design is finished being embroidered, remove the hoop from the machine and unhoop design.

Achieve this unique look in your embroidery with trapunto designs.

Fun examples for using this type of embroidery include quilt blocks, pot holders, pillows, bags, and even Christmas stockings.