Oatmeal Linens with Bindweed, OR How To Position Designs

This photo-illustrated guide will show all important steps that must be taken, to position embroidery designs exactly where you wish them to be.

This instruction was prepared with kindest help of Bobbie Berry, who did a wonderful job with the photos, so they explain better than words. Have fun!

If you like the hem-stitched tableware items, and would like to have similar ones - they're all available here:

- Oatmeal Linens
- Bindweed Embroidery Designs
- Bindweed Font





1. Using your favorite embroidery software, print out actual size design templates, for the designs you wish to stitch. Such function is present in nearly any embroidery software.

2. Print out thread change list (s), if you prefer to follow our color suggestions. The "color list" files are normally called something like "DesignName_Info.gif" (in our collections).

3. Since Bobbie started to embroider this linens set from a nearly square design, and this design had to be centered into a nearly square napkin, this time the template was needed only to make sure that the design isn't too large. Then Bobbie hooped the doily with tearaway backing, EXACTLY CENTERED, and stitched the design. Like this:









4. And here is a more "advanced" situation - two design need to be positioned correctly, on quite a large placemat. This time the banal centering trick isn't enough. Cut out templates of both designs, cut the paper relatively close to design edge, to allow you see "the entire picture". Make sure that the designs are exactly where you wish them to be - you may use a ruler to verify the distance from item edges:





5. Draw "+" marks on fabric, to symbolize design centers (use disappearing pencil).

6. Hoop the item with tearaway backing, while making sure that one "+" mark is exactly in hoop center. Embroider the design. Repeat step #6 with the other design.









Here are these two items ready:



And here are some more ideas, how to position designs on "Oatmeal Linens":