How to transfer designs to fabric | DMC Embroidery Transfer Paper

Yesterday on QUILTsocial I showed you how to add glamour to your quilted project with Odif OdiShine Glitter Gel in 6 easy steps to add beautiful polka dots to a piece of wool fabric. Today I’ll show you a simple way to transfer an embroidery design to fabric using DMC Embroidery Transfer Paper.

Here’s a Valentine’s Day embroidery design and wool applique templates you can download and print.

The DMC Embroidery Transfer Paper includes four 8½” x 11″ sheets of wax-free tracing paper in each package—two yellow and two blue. These sheets are designed for tracing any design onto fabric, allowing you to stitch over the traced lines. Both colors produce high-definition lines for easy visibility, and the markings can be removed with a soft pencil eraser or a damp cloth. The blue paper is suitable for transferring to light-colored fabrics, while the yellow paper is ideal for darker ones.

For my stitching project, I’ll be using cream-colored weaver’s cloth, so I’ll use the blue transfer paper for my design. You can also use cream or white cotton or linen for your fabric. Start by placing your fabric on a hard surface, then lay the transfer paper (colored side down) followed by your embroidery design on top. Align the printing with the fabric’s weave – this will be important for tomorrow. Use a ballpoint pen to trace over the design, applying firm pressure to ensure proper transfer. I recommend checking periodically by lifting the paper corner to see if the design is transferring well. If needed, press harder until you achieve a visible transfer.

I’ve left about 2 inches between each line of words because I’m going to cut them apart after I’ve done the stitching.

As you can see, the embroidery design is very visible on the fabric!

I’ll also prepare my wool applique shapes today using HeatnBond EZ Print Feather Lite iron-on adhesive. I find this product ideal for wool applique. It’s a paper-backed, double-sided adhesive designed for bonding fabric without adding extra weight or stiffness. Plus, it’s easy to stitch through! It’s a great alternative to pinning or basting when working on applique shapes for quilts, wall hangings, or attire.

HeatnBond EZ Print Feather Lite is suitable for use in an inkjet printer, allowing you to print directly on the paper backing. However, as I have a laser printer, I’ll be tracing my shapes by hand using a sharp pencil. The template includes two sizes of heart designs, and you’ll need to trace two of each shape.

Now that I’ve transferred the embroidery design to my weaver’s cloth using the DMC Embroidery Transfer Paper and the applique designs are on the HeatnBond EZ Print Feather Lite iron-on adhesive, tomorrow I’ll guide you through the remaining steps for wool applique with fusible adhesive, and I’ll be ready to start stitching. See you then!

This is part 3 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 2: 6 easy steps to add glamour to your wall quilt with OdiShine Glitter Gel

Go to part 4: 7 simple steps to lovely wool applique | A Valentine’s Day banner