Combining HTV and Embroidery with Rip Away Applique

Combining HTV and embroidery is a great way for Silhouette crafters who also have an embroidery machine to use their HTV scraps!

The great thing about using heat transfer vinyl with embroidery is it's rip away applique. That means means NO cutting fabric applique which can take time and patience - even with a Silhouette rotary blade!

I actually think this technique with HTV is great for beginners as their first machine applique embroidery project!
Start by finding your applique embroidery design.  I am using the adorable Surfboards Against a Fence from the Machine Embroidery and Applique Design and Font Bundle on So Fontsy.

Load the appropriate size and file type onto a thumb drive then insert into your embroidery machine.  If you need help with how to open embroidery files directly on your embroidery machine check out this tutorial.

Hoop your fabric and thread the machine. 

Once everything is ready you can start the stitching. This design starts with the placement stitch for the middle surfboard.

After the placement stitch is completed, you can unsnap the hoop from the embroidery machine. Do not unhoop the fabric.

Take a piece of scrap HTV and remove the carrier sheet. Then lightly spray it with adhesive.

I am using a piece of patterned glitter HTV.  Lay the heat transfer vinyl piece directly on the fabric over the placement stitch.  The adhesive helps it stay in place while you sew the tackdown stitch.

Snap the hoop back on the embroidery machine and move forward with the tackdown stitch.

Take the hoop back off the embroidery machine and carefully rip away the excess HTV.

TIP: If your design allows, you can wait to tear away the excess HTV until after the satin stitch. It's not possible in this design because I am using multiple colors of HTV and the excess would overlap.

Now repeat the same process with the rest of the areas of HTV applique: placement stitch > HTV > Tackdown > Rip away.

Here's how my design looks with all of the HTV placed.

Before putting the hoop back into the sewing machine you should apply heat and pressure to the HTV so it adheres to the fabric. Since you've ripped away the excess, nothing is really holding these pieces in place.

Do NOT unhoop your fabric!

If your iron won't fit in your hoop, the Cricut Easypress Mini works great.

Once the HTV is applied you can move forward with embroidering the rest of your design. Just snap the hoop back in and continue stitching.

Combining HTV and embroidery allows you to easily add colors, dimension, and pattern to your embroidery designs without cutting fabric applique.

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