Stick and Stitch Guide

1. STICK AND STITCH INTRODUCTION

Stick and Stitch is a special adhesive-backed fabric paper that makes it a quick and easy way to add a beautiful embroidered embellishment onto any fabric – including any clothing, canvas shoes, hats, or bags.

2. HOW TO USE STICK AND STITCH

Sep 1: Stick

Lay your fabric flat.
Peel the stabiliser off the backing paper.
Stick the stabiliser adhesive side down onto the front/right side of your fabric in the spot where you want to stitch. Smooth it down.

Tip: Basting Stitch

If the stabiliser is not sticking in place, you can do a light basting stitch all around the edge of the design (eg. a loose running stitch with 1 or 2 thread strands, which you will remove when you are done)

Tip: Wrinkly Fabric

The paper can become wrinkly after a white so it is advised to finish your stitching within 2-4 days, storing the fabric flat in between sessions.

Sep 2: Stitch

Now you can start your stitching right through the stabiliser AND the fabric.

Optional: Use a hoop

It is completely up to you to use a hoop.

Sep 3: Rince Off

Immerse the entire area in a bowl of room-temperature water (not cold, not hot).

Leave it for a few minutes to soak and most of the sticky paper has dissolved. Gently rub away the remaining adhesive bits right beside the stitches to get them off.

Do a final rinse under soft running water.

Gently squeeze out the dripping water (or pat dry between towels) until it feels ready to line dry.

TIP: Once washed out and dried, if the thread looks dull or not laying flat (specifically on the satin stitches) then repeat the soak, and rinse process as it means the adhesive is not yet fully dissolved.

3. TIPS FOR STICK AND STITCH

What kind of fabric can you stitch on?

Essentially, all of them! But some fabrics might be more enjoyable or successful.

Non-stretch: It is so much easier to stitch onto fabric that is not stretchy or only have a little bit of stretch.
Fabric weight: Medium weight fabrics are lovely to stitch on (eg. t-shirts, tops or table cloths).

Cotton, Linen and Denim are ideal

What type of needle should you use?

The standard embroidery needles work well, I use sizes 6-8.

If there is a lot of resistance when stitching and you are struggling to get the needle through, using a larger needle could help.

What type of thread should you stitch with?

Quality & Colourfast: It is important to use good quality thread when stitching so that your embroidery lasts for a long time.

Our Threaded Threads have been tested as colourfast. DMC and Maxi Mouline threads are also marketed as colourfast.

Gentle wash: It is still recommended that you take care with washing your embroidery pieces. Wash on a gentle cycle with colder temperatures.

PREPPING AND SEPARATING YOUR THREAD

Unwrapping Your Floss
Start by gently removing the labels from your embroidery floss. Most floss comes with two labels—one with a color number and one blank. Keep the numbered label safe if you want to keep track of your colours for future projects.
Measuring Your Thread
Cut your floss to a manageable length, around 45–50 cm. Using thread that’s too long can cause tangling, and thread that’s too short may result in frequent stops to rethread your needle.
Separating the Strands
Embroidery floss typically comes with 6 strands twisted together. Depending on your project and desired stitch thickness, you’ll need to separate the strands. For finer details, use fewer strands, and for bolder stitches, use more.
How to Separate:
Gently pull one strand away from the bunch at a time. Hold the main floss lightly between your thumb and finger while pulling the strand. This prevents tangling and keeps your floss smooth.
Avoiding Tangles
To reduce the risk of knots and tangles, run your fingers along the thread before you start stitching. This smooths it out and gets rid of any twists that may have formed during the separation process.
Getting Ready to Stitch
Once your thread is ready, tie a small knot at one end to keep the strands together. Thread the other end through the eye of your needle, leaving a short tail of about 5 cm to avoid the thread slipping out as you stitch.