Does anyone do this? I just got a kit last night and I hope I do it right. I hadn't ever even heard of this before but I think I'm going to like it! I just started it this morning but I'm worried because I picked one that has two pieces and it talks about 'tacking' the little piece to the bigger piece and I don't understand that. I'm not up to that yet and hope I do a good enough job on this that it'll be worth even doing that.

I'm wondering though.. do you always have to buy these in kits or is there a way to make your own patterns or is that just wayyyy too advanced?

Am I the only one who does this? I'm really enjoying it and would like to go beyond the kit I'm working on right now once I'm finished.

i think tacking just means you have to sew them together. i havent' done it but it looks fun!

I have a kit that I'm about half done with.  I'm pretty sure I've seen the fabric you can buy by itself to make you own designs on.  I don't think it would be too hard to make your own design, just start with something simple.

You can design your own pattern by drawing it out on a piece of paper then use a light box to draw the design in reverse on your punchneedle fabric.

How would you transfer it though? Say I found an imagine and printed it out, how would I transfer the image to the cloth? And how would I reverse it?

Jessica, which kit are you working on right now?

Jessica - I just checked out your blog. You are awesome, girl! I hope someday I can be as crafty as you :)

Let me try to explain better....Punch needle is worked from the back, so the design is printed in reverse. Using tracing paper trace the pattern and then transfer the punch needle design to the fabric using a light table. Center the cloth over the pattern, and trace the pattern on the cloth using a sharp pencil.

When you use the light table it puts your design in reverse on your cloth.

Here is a web site with more info on punchneedle-  http://www.embroidery-methods.com/punch-needle.html

Do you mean a light box? Can you recommend one?

Thanks Jan. Where in the store would the graphite paper be? What would it be near?

The graphite paper would be near the tracing paper. You do NOT need a light box if you use the graphite paper technique. Light boxes can be expensive. And depending on how thick or dark you fabric is, the light might not shine enough light through to trace. I've used graphite paper on thick sweatshirts.

On navy or black sweatshirts or materials, the white chalk pencil works best.

Sometimes, you can just turn your Xeroxed pattern over onto the material & iron the pattern right on your material. It only works with a copy of the pattern from a copier that uses powder toner. So, most likely, you'd have to go to a copy center, like Kinkos, and make copies of your pattern there. Home inkjet or laser printers will not work.

I bought my light box at hobby loby for 20.00. You can always save 40% off that with the coupon they offer.

The graphite technique can be quite messy.

"The graphite technique can be quite messy."  

If you are right handed, once you lay down the pattern and graphite paper over the material & pin it down, start tracing the pattern on the left side. Avoid sliding your hand over the paper as you trace. If the paper is properly pinned down, it shouldn't slide around either. Trace, lift & move hand, trace, lift & move hand. If you start on the left and work toward the right, you will never go over the places you've traced. I've never had a problem with this technique. BTW, graphite Is what pencils are made from. Pencils are no longer made from lead.

In some of the craft stores they also sell pencils that will trace anything to become an iron on transfer.  I use tracing paper and copy with this pencil  then iron on as you would an old fashioned embroidery transfer.  I have never had a problem with it bleeding  through or rubbing off, but I would test a small sample of the fabric first.

There's also something called dressmaker's paper that they sell in fabric stores near the paper sewing patterns - at least they used to, 20 years ago when I used to spend a crazy amount of time in fabric stores!  The technique to transfer your pattern is the same as for the graphite paper.

I have a couple punchneedle kits (and the needles!) but haven't tried it yet.  I am sort of irked that the last 'kit' I bought was just the pattern, not the fabric.  I obviously didn't read the contents fully.  Oh well - it'll sit there until I'm ready to get to it one of these days.