Hand embroidery guide
Where to place embroidery on clothes and linens
The usual left chest spot is 7 to 9 inches (18 to 23 cm) down from the left shoulder seam and 3 to 5 inches (7.5 to 13 cm) over from the center front. That figure, and the others in the chart below, come from placement charts that embroidery suppliers publish. The charts agree on most items and differ by an inch or two (2.5 to 5 cm) on a few. One supplier calls its own figures approximate and tells readers to modify them, so treat every number here as a starting point and adjust it to the garment and the person.
Placement chart
Measure to the center of the design unless the row says otherwise.
| Item | Where the design goes |
|---|---|
| Left chest: T-shirt, polo, button-up shirt, sweater, sweatshirt | 7 to 9 in (18 to 23 cm) down from the left shoulder seam. 3 to 5 in (7.5 to 13 cm) over from the center front, or midway between the placket and the side seam. One chart gives 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) over |
| Left chest: jacket | 6 to 8 in (15 to 20 cm) down from the left shoulder seam, 3 1/2 to 4 in (9 to 10 cm) over from the center front |
| Left chest: blouse or robe | 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) down from the left shoulder seam, 3 to 5 in (7.5 to 13 cm) over from the center |
| Shirt pocket | On the pocket, 1/4 to 1/2 in (0.6 to 1.3 cm) below its top edge, centered between its sides. Or on the shirt, about 1/2 in (1.3 cm) above the pocket and centered over it |
| Shirt cuff | Start 1 to 1 1/2 in (2.5 to 4 cm) from the center of the cuff, toward the buttonhole. Bottom of the letters 1/4 in (0.6 cm) above the stitching at the cuff's edge |
| Front of a shirt or sweatshirt, centered | 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) below the neckline on adult sizes, 1 1/2 to 3 in (4 to 7.5 cm) on small sizes. Other charts start higher, 2 to 4 in (5 to 10 cm) down |
| Back of a shirt | About 5 in (13 cm) below the collar, 3 in (7.5 cm) on small sizes |
| Back of a jacket | 6 to 10 in (15 to 25 cm) down from the collar seam. The charts differ here |
| Apron | 4 in (10 cm) down from the top edge, centered |
| Tote bag | 4 in (10 cm) down from the top edge, centered. One guide says 2 to 4 in (5 to 10 cm) |
| Baby bib | Centered |
| Bath towel | Bottom of the design 4 in (10 cm) above the hem, or 1 1/2 to 2 in (4 to 5 cm) above a woven border |
| Hand towel | Bottom of the design 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) above the hem, or 1 to 1 1/2 in (2.5 to 4 cm) above a woven border |
| Washcloth | 1 1/2 in (4 cm) above the hem, centered, or 1 in (2.5 cm) above a border. Or set on the diagonal, 1 in (2.5 cm) above one corner |
| Napkin | One corner, set on the diagonal, 3 in (7.5 cm) in from the corner |
| Handkerchief | One corner, set on the diagonal, 1 1/2 in (4 cm) from the corner |
| Tablecloth | A corner, about 5 in (13 cm) up from the corner's edge |
| Pillowcase | Centered on the hem band at the open end, both across and up and down |
| Top sheet | Centered on the hem band, or centered with the bottom of the design about 2 in (5 cm) above the wide hem |
| Blanket | One corner, set on the diagonal, 9 to 10 in (23 to 25 cm) from the corner |
A few things the chart cannot show:
- Towels. Put the design at the end away from the maker's label.
- Kitchen towels have no chart figure of their own. One long-time teacher of hand embroidery works her flour sack towels in a corner or along an edge.
- Top sheets. One guide stitches the design upside down on the back of the sheet, so it reads the right way up when the top of the sheet is folded down over the blanket.
- Napkins. The corner placement is an old one. A 1922 etiquette book describes a lunch napkin folded and laid so its monogrammed corner points down toward the edge of the table.
Left chest placement, step by step
Left chest means the wearer's left. With the shirt lying face up and the collar away from you, that is the side on your right.
- Find the point where the left shoulder seam meets the collar.
- Measure straight down 7 to 9 inches (18 to 23 cm). One guide gives 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm) for children's sizes.
- Measure across. The center of the design should sit 3 to 5 inches (7.5 to 13 cm) from the center front. On a buttoned shirt, halfway between the placket and the side seam comes to about the same place.
- On a shirt with a pocket, use the pocket row of the chart instead.
Left chest designs are small. One supplier puts the average between 3 and 4 1/2 inches (7.5 to 11 cm) wide.
How to mark the spot
- Wash and press first. Wash and iron the item the way it will be washed later, before you mark anything. Towels in particular can shrink.
- Find the center line. Fold a towel or other flat piece in half lengthwise and crease the fold lightly. On a garment, measure from side seam to side seam, or from the placket to the side seam, and mark the halfway point.
- Measure and mark a cross. Mark a short up-and-down line at the center, or at the chart's distance from the center for a left chest design. Then measure down from the top seam or edge by the amount in the chart and mark a short line across. Where the two lines cross is the center of the design.
- Make the lines last. If your marks will rub off before you finish, sew a line of loose running stitches along each one and pull them out at the end.
- Put the design on the cross. Center the pattern on your mark when you transfer it. See how to transfer a pattern.
Fitting a hoop to the spot
- Pick the hoop by the design. A hoop should be at least half an inch (about 1.3 cm) larger than the design all around. A 3 inch (7.5 cm) design needs at least a 4 inch (10 cm) hoop, and a 4 1/2 inch (11 cm) design needs a 6 inch (15 cm) hoop. The hoop sizes guide has the full chart.
- Hoop one layer of a garment. The back of the hoop ends up inside the shirt, and you reach it through the neck or the hem. On a small garment that opening is tight, so check that you can get a hand in before you start.
- A pocket is two layers. A hoop clamps the pocket and the shirt behind it together. Stitch through the pocket layer alone, or you will sew the pocket shut. Ordinary surface stitches on linens and similar pieces can also be worked in the hand, without a hoop.
- Hems and borders can go in the hoop. On a sturdy towel you can close the hoop right over the hem. Take the work out when you stop for the day so the hoop does not leave a lasting mark.
- Corners and edges may not reach around the hoop. If the design sits too close to an edge for the hoop to hold, sew the item onto a larger piece of scrap cotton, cut the cotton away behind the design, and hoop the cotton.
- Knit fabric stretches. T-shirts and sweatshirts need a backing that keeps them from stretching while you stitch. How to embroider clothes covers it.
Common problems
- The design sits too low. Measure from the point where the shoulder seam meets the collar, not from the outer end of the shoulder.
- The design is on the wrong side. Left chest is the wearer's left, which is on your right when the shirt faces you.
- The design sits too low on a small size. The main figures are for adult sizes. Use the small-size figures in the chart.
- A towel design is in the wrong place. The towel figures measure from the bottom of the design, not its center.
- The hoop will not close near a corner. Extend the item with scrap cotton, as above.
- Two charts disagree. They do, by an inch or two (2.5 to 5 cm). Pick the figure that looks right on the item in front of you.
Stitching for other people? See how to price your work. When the piece is done, see how to wash embroidery.