The big thread of transfer questions (pens, pencils, paper, other)

[kittykill]

What did you use to transfer? Did you use a transfer pen or pencil?

[instantphoebe]

No, it was the Dritz tracing paper, which is supposed to, from my understanding, work like carbon paper.

http://www.dritz.com/brands/showcase/details.php?ITEM_NUM=632-66

Or was I totally misled?

[AlwaysInspired]

Sometimes with that tracing paper you need one of those little wheels with spikes on them. I don't have a clue as to what they are called. Dressmakers tracers? I have one and have used it with that type of transfer paper. You run it along the lines and it pokes little holes like perferations and the color of the transfer paper goes onto the fabric.

[instantphoebe]

I didn't get one of those wheels, though, b/c the package said specifically to use a ballpoint pen for embroidery transfers.

[kittykill]

Hmmmm,,,I'm gonna investigate some more. This has me stumped.

[shookup]

Hi everyone!

I have some question about transfering images...

In May I'll attend my sister's first marriage anniversary. I discovered that the first anniversary is "cotton". So i would like to give her something embroidered, you know like some towels with an embroidery that has a special meaning for the couple. I'm a total newbie, but i can do some classic stitches, some silk ribbon and absolutely no cross-stitching.

anyway the greatest problem is that i really really can't draw anything. so i would like to transfer some pre-done images on the fabric, but i don't know how...can you please help with tips?

Thanks a lot!!!

[Airsucker]

yeah, being that I work at a school, I have used the crayola washable markers.  They are good for use with fabric and wash out completely.  I have also used the "wet-erase" markers with great success.  But you have to be planning to actually wash the item: neither one is very easy to just rinse out of part of the item without washing.

That's brilliant! I have a bunch of wet-erase I use for drawing on vinyl maps for D&D. I'm so glad i won't have to go out and buy something special.

[Airsucker]

Also, If you're looking for an inexpensive laptop lightbox, check out the toy section and the Crayola stuff. I have one that was made for kids to trace pictures of racecars to color. (They are annoyingly gender packaged, the other is in pink for fashion tracing.)

[KitsuneKrafter]

I just thought I'd mention a product called Transfer Eze on this thread--I've used it to print out my own images as well as PDF files I have bought from Urban Threads and Sublime Stitiching, on my inkjet printer. (You can also use a photocopier for this.)

http://www.createforless.com/MJP+Designs+Transfer+Eze+Design+Transfer+Sheet+10pc/pid178627.aspx?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cse

So you put the 8 1/2" X 11" sheet in your printer or copier, transfer side down and print out your image, praying that your printer behaves itself and does not attempt to eat the page.

Then, the freezer paper backing is peeled off and the image can be stuck onto your fabric. Then, you hoop and stitch as usual.

When you are done, soak it in cold water to remove the transfer.

There are a few issues, however. One is inkjet ink will stain your thread unless you soak the item and then toss it in the washer. Thus, you can only use Transfer Eze on something you don't mind throwing in the washer.

Two is the stuff is beastly expensive. (The cheapest place I have found the stuff is Create For Less and there it is $13.24 for 10 sheets.)

Three is related to drawback number two--sometimes the printer will jam up with the transfer eze and you will lose a page of it to being eaten by the machine. This is a problem when you are talking about something that costs more than $1.00 per page.

On the other hand--when the printer doesn't eat it--it works really well, especially on dark fabrics like denim.

It's another option for transferring embroidery designs onto fabric, but like every other method, it has its problems.

[TenToes]

Wow. Well, I feel pretty stupid! I may be new to cross-stitching, but I had no idea that there were transfer aids!
I guess I can stop holding the fabric up to my computer screen and tracing...?

And certainly stop using this method:

http://themightysprout.blogspot.com/2011/01/part-one-fail.html

(Transfer FAIL!)