The pieces of this design have been specially digitized for tear-away stabilizer. After the stabilizer is removed, beautiful fabric and embroidery remains.

Please note: For the in-the-hoop X and O design we've added a layer of cutaway stabilizer as well, precut to the size of the fabric, to add more stability to the finished pieces.

When you download the in-the-hoop X & O design, you will find multiple files. Some are embroidery files, and others are dieline files marked with the letters "DL". Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the correct shape and size. Open and print each dieline file using embroidery software. If you do not have embroidery software, take a look at our helpful video on using dielines.

First spray one side of a piece of cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive. Smooth the stabilizer onto the wrong side of the chosen front fabric.

Then spray the backside of the printed dieline with temporary adhesive, and smooth it onto the right side of the fabric. For this design, every front fabric piece of every X and O needs to have cutaway stabilizer on them.

For the O, use a craft knife and cutting mat to cut out the center opening.

Then cut the dieline shape out of the adhered fabric and cutaway stabilizer. Remove the paper dieline.

For the back fabric pieces of every X and O, use the dieline to cut the shape out of felt. Using felt will help prevent the pieces from being too floppy.

Next, hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer firmly. Make sure it is nice and tight with no wrinkles.

Attach the hoop onto the machine, and load the first embroidery file (not the dieline files). 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. Then embroider the design. The first thing to embroider will be the "front piece dieline" (or outline stitch). This marks the area on the stabilizer where the fabric piece will be placed.

After the dieline has sewn, remove the hoop from the machine but do not unhoop the stabilizer. Spray the stabilizer side of the front fabric piece with temporary adhesive. Smooth the front fabric piece onto the hooped stabilizer inside of the sewn dieline.

Then place the hoop back onto the machine and embroider the tackdown for the front fabric piece. The tackdown will hold the fabric piece in place for the remainder of the design.

Before sewing the "back piece tackdown" step, remove the hoop from the machine and turn it over so the back side of the embroidery is facing up. Spray the wrong side of the back fabric piece with temporary adhesive and smooth it into place on the back side of the embroidery.

As both sides of the design will be seen, wind a bobbin to match the remaining thread color. Place it into the machine before embroidering the final two steps.

Then place the hoop back onto the machine and embroider the rest of the design using a matching bobbin.

After embroidering, tear away the excess stabilizer from around the piece. Also remove the extra stabilizer from inside opening of the O piece.

Repeat the above steps to embroider a whole set of X's and O's for the tic tac toe game. You will need to embroider a total of 5 X's and 5 O's to make a whole set. If desired, sew out an extra of each piece in case you lose one.

To make the game board, cut out two cotton squares that measure 17.5" x 17.5". Also cut out a square of cotton batting that measures 17.5" x 17.5".

On the right side of one of the cotton squares, draw a line 6in away from any side using a temporary fabric marking tool. Make sure to draw it all the way from one edge of the fabric to the other.

Then repeat to draw a line 6" away from the other 3 sides. This will be a guide to help place the final lines on the board.

Once the lines are drawn, stack the two cotton squares and the batting with the batting in the middle. Make sure the right side of the cotton is facing out on both sides.

Then cut three 17.5" long pieces of 3/8" wide ribbon. Take two of those pieces and line them up over two of the drawn lines so that the drawn line matches up with the center of the ribbon. Pin the two ribbons in place and make sure to pin through all 3 layers of batting and fabric.

Then carefully sew along each side of the two ribbons to hold them in place. Make sure all three layers of fabric and batting stay smooth while sewing.

Repeat to line up, pin, and sew down the remaining two ribbons over the last two lines. They will overlap the first two, creating the tic tac toe board pattern.

Then finish the edges of the board using bias tape or another method. There is a 3/8" - 1/2" of seam allowance planned into the size of the square. We used 1/2" double fold bias tape to finish all four edges.