Quick answer: To embroider on clothes, iron or stick a stabilizer to the inside of the garment behind your design area. Transfer the design with a water-soluble pen or stabilizer, and hoop the fabric without stretching it. Stitch with 2–3 strands of floss, keeping your tension relaxed. Finish by trimming the stabilizer and covering the back of the stitches with a soft fusible interfacing so they don't scratch or snag.
Adding embroidery to a T-shirt, sweatshirt, denim jacket or hat is one of the easiest ways to make your wardrobe unique. Clothing is a little trickier than flat cotton, though, because many fabrics stretch or are thick. Here's how to embroider on clothes so your stitches look neat and survive the laundry.
What You Need to Embroider on Clothing
- The garment, washed and dried first so it doesn't shrink later
- Stabilizer: cut-away for stretchy knits (T-shirts, sweatshirts), tear-away for woven fabrics (denim, button-downs)
- Water-soluble pen, or printable stick-on water-soluble stabilizer for dark or textured fabric
- Embroidery hoop sized to your design
- Embroidery floss and needle
- Soft fusible interfacing for the back (optional, but recommended)
How to Embroider on Clothes: Step by Step
- Pick your placement. Avoid seams, pockets and thick hems, which are hard to stitch through and hoop.
- Stabilize the fabric. Apply stabilizer to the inside of the garment behind the design area. This is the most important step for stretchy fabrics.
- Transfer the design. Trace it on light fabric, or stick a printed water-soluble stabilizer on top of dark or fuzzy fabric.
- Hoop gently. Hoop only one layer of the garment. Make sure you don't catch the back of the shirt. Keep the fabric smooth, but don't stretch it, or the design will pucker when you remove the hoop.
- Stitch your design. Use 2–3 strands of floss. Pull each stitch snug but not tight.
- Finish the back. Knot or weave in the tails, trim the excess stabilizer about ¼ inch from the stitches, and rinse away any water-soluble stabilizer.
- Cover the stitches. Iron a piece of soft fusible interfacing over the back of the design so the threads don't rub your skin or snag.
Tips for Different Types of Clothing
T-shirts and knits
Always use a cut-away stabilizer, since knits stretch and stitches will pucker without it. Use lighter designs with open stitches rather than heavy satin fills.
Sweatshirts and hoodies
Fleece is thick and fuzzy, so add a water-soluble topper on the front to keep stitches from sinking into the pile. Bolder stitches and more strands show up better.
Denim
Denim is sturdy and easy to embroider. Use a sharp needle and a tear-away stabilizer, and avoid stitching over the thick flat-felled seams.
Hats
Structured hats are hard to hoop, so stitch without a hoop using a curved or short needle. Or remove the inner sweatband area carefully for easier access.
How Do You Wash Embroidered Clothes?
- Turn the garment inside out.
- Wash on a cold, gentle cycle or hand-wash.
- Skip bleach and harsh stain removers.
- Air-dry or tumble on low heat.
- Iron from the back with a towel under the embroidery so you don't flatten the stitches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a stabilizer to embroider on a T-shirt?
Yes. Without a stabilizer, stretchy T-shirt fabric puckers and distorts. A cut-away stabilizer is the best choice for knits.
Can you embroider on clothes without a hoop?
You can for small designs or sturdy fabric like denim, but a hoop gives much more even stitches. For hats and awkward areas, stitching without a hoop is common.
How do you stop embroidery from itching on the inside?
Iron a soft fusible interfacing over the back of the stitches. It covers knots and thread ends.
What thread is best for embroidering clothes?
Cotton embroidery floss works well for hand embroidery. For garments that are washed often, colorfast polyester thread holds its color longer.
Make Your Wardrobe Your Own
With the right stabilizer and gentle hooping, you can embroider almost any piece of clothing. Start with a small design on a cotton tee or denim jacket, then move on to sweatshirts and hats.
Prefer ready-to-wear? Shop our embroidered hoodies and sweatshirts, embroidered T-shirts and embroidered hats.
