Clearly amazing! Transparent vinyl applique makes specially created embroidery dazzle on pillows, totes, and more. Follow along as we give this bunny a shiny new pair of glasses!
Supplies
Project Needs & Notes:
- 6 inch square of clear vinyl
- Medium-weight cutaway stabilizer
- Temporary spray adhesive
- Air-erase pen for marking
- Printed dieline
- Scissors
- Masking tape
- Thread for embroidery
Designs featured in this tutorial include:
- Y5336, Bespectacled Bunny (Vinyl Applique)
Special notes:
Spray adhesive will show on clear vinyl. For best results, avoid spraying any adhesive onto the actual applique piece to keep it clean.
Trim all unwanted threads from the embroidery before placing and sewing the vinyl applique piece. Otherwise all unwanted threads will be trapped and seen in the final product.
Hand wash and air dry your item embroidered with vinyl applique to preserve its sleek, smooth look.
Designs Used
When you download the vinyl applique design, you'll find two files. One of the files is an embroidery file and the other is a dieline. The dieline file is marked with the letters DL. Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the right shape and size.
Open each dieline file with an embroidery software, and print it. If you do not have embroidery software, Wilcom TrueSizer is a free program to use.
Cut around the paper shape, leaving a good amount of space around the dieline circle.
Tape the paper dieline onto the vinyl fabric, making sure it is completely flat.
Now that the applique piece is ready, it is time to prepare the fabric for embroidery.
Cut a piece of cutaway stabilizer a bit larger than the hoop. Spray the stabilizer with a temporary adhesive, and smooth it onto the back of the fabric.
Print out a template of the design from the embroidery program you used to print the dieline. A template, or printout of a design, is an excellent tool to help with placement.
Position the template where you want the embroidery to stitch out on the fabric. Mark the center point, as well as the horizontal and vertical axis lines with an air erase pen.
Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together, aligning the marks on the hoop with the marks on the fabric.
Use a size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle. A sharp sewing needle has a smaller, finer point than an embroidery needle. That means it will make smaller holes in the vinyl.
Attach the hoop to the machine and load the design. Move the hoop so the needle is directly aligned with the center point on the fabric.
Begin embroidering the design. The inner detail of the bunny will embroider first.
Follow your color change sheet. After embroidering the "dieline" step, remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the fabric or stabilizer.
Trim away all unwanted threads.
Place the vinyl shapes inside of the dieline.
Hold the vinyl pieces in place by sticking small pieces of tape around the sides of the circle to adhere it to the fabric.
Place the hoop back onto the machine, and continue with the design. Follow the color change sheet to embroider the "preliminary tack down" step. Here two small stitches will sew along the top and bottom edge of the vinyl dieline, adhering it to the fabric.
Once the preliminary tackdown has sewn, carefully remove the tape.
Follow the color change sheet to embroider the remaining steps of the design. A tack down will sew first, followed by the finished satin edge of the glasses.
Once the embroidery is completed, trim away the excess stabilizer from the back of the design, leaving about a 1/2" around the embroidery to finish.
To illuminate this vinyl applique mason jar design, we added a short string of battery-powered fairy lights after the embroidery was finished.
To insert the lights into the jar, turn the embroidered fabric over so that the back is facing you. Use a small pair of scissors to cut a 1/4" slit through the stabilizer and fabric, just inside the top of the jar. Be careful not to cut through the vinyl or any stitching.
Slip the lights through the opening to fill the jar.
Turn on the lights to create a uniquely beautiful effect!
Lighted vinyl embroidery is perfect for a throw pillow cover -- you can hide the battery pack inside the back of the pillow.
This mason jar bouquet design features two pieces of crafty cut applique layered on top of the vinyl. Cut out the pieces using paper dieline templates as described above -- a burlap rectangle, and a quilter's cotton bow.
After the first of these placement dielines stitches, spray the back of the fabric piece lightly with temporary spray adhesive, and place it over the dieline. A tackdown will stitch next, followed by the placement dieline for the bow.
Spray the back of the bow piece lightly with temporary spray adhesive, and lay it on top of the dieline. A tackdown will stitch to complete the design.