floral hand embroidery stick and stitch patches

The Ultimate Stick and Stitch Troubleshooting Guide

I absolutely love using stick and stitch embroidery designs, they are so quick and easy to use, they can be stitched onto nearly anything and are a fun way to expand your embroidery horizons. Click here for an introductory guide on how to use stick and stitch embroidery patterns.

flower hand sewing designs for clothes embroidery
As with any embroidery beginner there may be some learning curves and teething problems. This is why I am unleashing this ultimate guide containing common stick and stitch problems alongside advice, tips or things to be aware of so you don't have to make the same mistakes I did, and so you can enjoy your stick and stitch embroidery projects to the full!

Stitching flowers onto bag using stick and stitch patch

Problem 1: Sticky needle

Using an adhesive embroidery paper will inevitably create some gummy, stickiness on your needle, this is to be expected and cannot be totally eliminated, usually this is not too problematic. There are times however, where this builds and can interfere with your project such as leaving smudges of glue on your fabric or it can make it very hard to stitch, not to mention it can just generally be a bit irritating.

Solutions:

  1. Avoid pulling your needle back out through the fabric the way you went in or unpicking stitches, this will pull the glue from the underside of the patch up to the top of the project.
  2. Experiment with the size if your needle, a thinner needle is likely to glide through more smoothly creating less tension.
  3. Handling the project a lot so that the adhesive gets warm can loosen up the glue making it more problematic to work with. Avoid unnecessary handling.
  4. Use different wash away stabiliser or buy different patches, lightweight interfacing should be used and some papers are better quality than others.
  5. Wipe your needle regularly, you can use rubbing alcohol to wipe away the glue if this has really built up.

sticking water soluble embroidery patches to fabric

Problem 2: Patches not sticking

You may have found when using some patches that they can come unstuck, particularly around the edges and often annoyingly mid stitch or they don't even stick at all!

Solutions:

  1. Store your patches correctly; it is important to note that after a while your patches will lose their stick as they are exposed to the air, I recommend storing in an air tight pouch or container.
  2. Avoid multiple repositioning if possible. They will lose their stickiness if you remove them from the fabric and try to re-stick.
  3. Take your time to press down firmly on all parts of your patch before you get started. Massage it onto the fabric briefly.
  4. Consider the fabric you are using, there are some fabrics that are more challenging to stick your patches to, many of these will also not be suitable for stitching on such as satin or stretchy jersey fabric.
  5. Add a few running stitches around the edge of the patch to ensure it stays down while you stitch, then you can remove when you are done.

washing away embroidery stick and stitch sticker

Problem 3: washing the embroidery paper away

You may be wondering how to remove the embroidery paper from the fabric. This step can raise a number of questions and challenges. Some common ones are having stiff fabric and still being able to see remnants of paper or ink on your design. This is most likely because there is some sticky residue left on your fabric. You may also experience colour bleeds which is a trickier problem.

Solutions:

  1. Try washing the paper away under a running tap rather soaking in a bowl of water, this will allow you to properly eliminate the glue and avoid remnants drying on your work.
  2. Be willing to wash the paper off very thoroughly for several minutes and try repeat washes too. If you can see some remaining paper, gently tease the stitches aside and rinse any paper you can see underneath being very careful not to ruin or dislodge your stitches.
  3. Make sure your water is not too hot or cold, a lukewarm temperature is best to reduce colour running and residue.
  4. If you experience any colour running, consider the type of thread you are using, use the highest quality you can find. You may also need to consider the colours you are using; black and red have stronger dyes that are more likely to run. Think about the fabric you are using too and always test first!

Thank you for reading and I hope this has helped you with any stick and stitch problems you are having. Let me know in the comments how you get on and which tip you have found most helpful.

Click here to get started with stick and stitch embroidery patches today.

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