Mylar Embroidery Designs

Information on Mylar Embroidery Designs

Click here to see all of our special sets and projects!
Click here to see our Mini Mylar Sets!

Have you seen ads for “Mylar” embroidery designs? They are becoming quite popular because it is a technique that can be done on any size embroidery machine, it is not expensive, and it adds “sparkle” to the design. If you haven’t tried it yet, this article may answer some questions for you.

What is mylar?

Mylar is actually the trademarked name for a particular brand of polyester film from DuPont. It has been adapted for a variety of uses. Like some other words in the English language, the trademarked name has come to mean something a little more generic. It now refers to several types of plastic - including the kind used to wrap food - and in cellophane gift wrapping. Cellophane or mylar gift wrap is not paper, but a coated polymer film such as polypropylene.

Why use it in embroidery?

If an embroidery design has been digitized for use with mylar, the addition of mylar will make the design sparkle almost as if it has been sewn with metallic thread (but without any of the headaches!).

How do you use it?

Each digitizer can make mylar designs the way they want to. At Charming Station we try to make it easy for you. In most of our designs, the first color in your design will be an outline of an area where the mylar will go. After you sew the first color, you will lay a piece of mylar on top of your hoop, making sure that it covers the outline completely. You can hold this in place with small pieces of tape if you like. The second color will tack the mylar down for you. This process is exactly the same as an applique except that you use mylar instead of fabric. Having these extra steps means that you will be sure to cover the area that needs mylar and you won't have to waste extra mylar covering areas that don't need it (or cutting it so large that it fits the hoop).

For Charming Station designs, I recommend that you wait until all of the colors have finished sewing out before you trim the excess mylar from the designs. This way there is no risk of tearing the underlying layer of mylar in the design. To remove the excess, just tear it gently back from the sewing line. If there are tiny remnants left, you can remove those with tweezers.

Click here to download complete instructions for our mylar designs.

Will the background fabric show through?

Yes, unless you use something to block the fabric. We have a free mylar snowman in our Yahoo group files (see the sign-up buttons below) and the instructions include the steps to create a simple "color blocker" so that your snowman turns out white. You are most welcome to download this free design and try it out.

You can also use a product called "Hide It" to block the background color from bleeding through the design. This can be purchased from a number of stores and online vendors.

We have recently tested a new product, White Mylar, that makes it possible to use prints and colored backgrounds without a lot of extra work. We have samples of our sew-outs here for you to see the difference. We highly recommend the White Mylar for use with printed fabrics!

How do I know if a design is made for mylar?

Most digitizers will include the word "mylar" in the title or the description of the item. We also recommend that you look for photographs of the finished design rather than just the output from software which does NOT show you a true picture of what your design will look like. Software pictures are computer simulations. Photos of the sewn out design are much more realistic and show you that the digitizer has actually tested the designs.

Can I use mylar with any design?

No, most designs are too dense. Density in embroidery means how close together the rows of thread sew out. In most designs, you want the rows to be close enough together so that the fabric underneath doesn’t show through. In order to see the “sparkle” in a mylar design however, the rows in the design have to be a little farther apart. That allows light to reflect off of the mylar behind the stitches which is what causes the sparkle.

Can I just use any FSL design with mylar?

Maybe. Free standing lace (FSL) is usually made with several layers of thread building enough structure to hold the design and the shape without any fabric as a base. This may mean that the layers provide too much density for the mylar to show through. Regular FSL may also have spaces that are too big to hold the mylar in place without tearing which means that the design will not last the way it should. If your design has even stitching fairly close together across the whole surface of the design, it will probably work well and add lovely sparkle to your sew-out. You can experiment and see how it looks.

Can I use any applique design and replace the fabric with mylar?

Probably not. Most applique designs have large open areas where fabric used as the applique takes the place of embroidery stitches. These large open areas do not have additional stitching over the applique fabric; they just use a satin stitch to hold the fabric in place. Mylar does not need a thick satin stitch to hold it in place (it may be a design element, but it isn't required). In addition, if there is a large open space, the mylar could tear and come off, ruining the sparkly look of the design. Mylar designs rely on slightly open but fairly consistent stitching across the surface of the design to hold everything in place.

What does it look like without the mylar?

Because the rows of stitching are farther apart, your background fabric will show through much more than a regular design.

Please click here to see large pictures and a complete explanation of what happens if you don't use mylar with a design that is optimized for mylar.

How long does it take a mylar design to sew out?

This is one of the most fun parts of this new technique. Because the rows of stitches are farther apart, there are fewer stitches in each design. That means mylar designs use less thread and sew out much more quickly than a traditional filled design. The free snowman fits the full 4x4 hoop yet sews out in about 10 minutes.

Where can I get this mylar?

This is the most tricky question. If you are using the design on a craft item that will not be washed and dried in a dryer (or ironed!), you may be satisfied with the kind of gift wrap that you can get at a dollar store. This kind will not stand up to heat like from the dryer or from an iron.

There is, however, a type of mylar that is washable and can be dried in the dryer (on low settings). You can buy in packs of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 or 200 sheets or try out sample packs of various colors and sizes.

US customers: http://www.heirloomsbysharon.com/ (Sharon)

UK and Europe:http://www.lucysmylarandcrafts.co.uk (Lucy)

Either of these ladies would be happy to answer any questions you might have! Sharon ships to other countries (including Australia).

What "color" mylar should I buy?

We used "Opal Iridescent" on almost all of our sample sew-outs. This is actually almost transparent and it simply reflects back the color of the thread that is used. That means you can use one piece under an entire design and see all of your colors (as long as your background fabric is white). If your background fabric is not white, we recommend that you purchase White Mylar so that the background colors or prints don't show through your embroidery. To see an example of a use for a colored mylar, look at the picture for the Autumn Fancy set or the Mylar Christmas Ornaments set. We used a bright metallic mylar in some of these designs.

Where can I see a demo of mylar designs?

We are located on the east coast of the US and love to vend at large quilting and sewing expos. We demonstrate mylar designs all day at these shows. You can view our travel schedule here.

If you can't join us at a show, please take a look at our series of free videos on Youtube, demonstrating how to use mylar:

How to Use Mylar with an Embroidery Design - Part I

How to Layer Mylar in an Embroidery Design - Part II

How to Layer Mylar in a complex Embroidery Design - Part III

Latest
Mylar Designs


Mylar Gnomes with Pets


Mylar Girl Gnomes - Teachers


Mylar Christmas Faces


Mylar Gnomes - Teachers


Mylar Flower Motifs



Mylar Gnomes - Garden


Mylar Baby Ducks


Mylar Baby Bears


Mylar Construction Kids


Mylar Otters


Mylar Gnomes - Easter


Mylar Hello Spring



Mylar Gnomes - Kitchen


We have a free mailing list through groups.io that
you are welcome to join for free samples of mylar designs:

https://groups.io/g/CharmingStation


All Mylar Sets:



4th of July Fun Set



Arm Warmers - Animals



Arm Warmers - Flowers



Arm Warmers - Sports



Arm Warmers - Teens



Boy + Dirt = Happy



Candles- Mylar Lampposts



Candles- Mylar Snowmen



Draw String Back Packs Mylar Animals



Flillows



Girly Girl



In The Hoop Baby Bibs 1 - Mylar Designs



In the Hoop Log Cabin Blocks with ITH Hoop Mylar Snowmen



In the Hoop Mylar Gift Card Holders



In The Hoop Quilted Purses 2 - Mylar



ITH Christmas Star Ornaments



ITH Mug Rugs - Angels



ITH Mug Rugs - Autumn (Mylar)



ITH Mug Rugs - Butterflies



ITH Mug Rugs - Cats (Mylar)



ITH Mug Rugs - Chocolate



ITH Mug Rugs - Christmas (Metallic Mylar)



ITH Mug Rugs - Dogs (Mylar)



ITH Mug Rugs - Easter - Mylar



ITH Mug Rugs - Friends



ITH Mug Rugs - Garden Time (Mylar)



ITH Mug Rugs - Summer (Mylar)



ITH Mug Rugs - Teachers (Mylar)



ITH Quilted Purses 4 - Mylar Snowmen



ITH Quilted Purses 5 - Mylar Christmas



Merry & Bright Mylar Table Runner



Mylar Adorabelles



Mylar Airplanes



Mylar Alien Invasion



Mylar Alpha: Garden Sans



Mylar Alphabet



Mylar Alphabet: Baby Block



Mylar Alphabet: Floral



Mylar Alphabet: Gingerbread



Mylar Alphabet: Halloween



Mylar Alphabet: Monster



Mylar Anchors Away



Mylar Angel Snowmen



Mylar Angelic Angels



Mylar Autumn Fancy



Mylar Autumn Wonders



Mylar Baby Angels



Mylar Baby Animal Pals



Mylar Baby Bears



Mylar Baby Bees



Mylar Baby Bugs



Mylar Baby Dinos



Mylar Baby Ducks



Mylar Baby Elephants



Mylar Baby Lambs



Mylar Baby Lovies



Mylar Baby Polar Bears



Mylar Baby Reindeer



Mylar Baby Zoo



Mylar Baking Gingerbread



Mylar Baking Snowmen



Mylar Barnyard Bunch



Mylar Beach Babies



Mylar Better Together



Mylar Birdhouses



Mylar Birds



Mylar Birthday Cupcakes



Mylar Blanket Bunnies



Mylar Booville



Mylar Boys Toys



Mylar Bugaloo



Mylar Bunnies



Mylar Butterflies 2012



Mylar Butterflies and Flowers



Mylar Butterflies Two



Mylar Butterfly Bears and Quilt with Prairie Points



Mylar Butterfly Jacket



Mylar Candy Corn



Mylar Candy Corn Halloween



Mylar Carousel Horses



Mylar Cats



Mylar Christmas Angel Pillows



Mylar Christmas Card Peekers



Mylar Christmas Cards



Mylar Christmas Faces



Mylar Christmas Feet - Tree Skirt



Mylar Christmas Gingerbread Cookies



Mylar Christmas Gingerbread Peekers



Mylar Christmas Gingers



Mylar Christmas Ornaments



Mylar Christmas Penguins



Mylar Christmas Poinsettias



Mylar Christmas Reindeer



Mylar Christmas Sampler



Mylar Christmas Snowman Pillows



Mylar Christmas Stockings in the hoop



Mylar Christmas Stockings w/ Vintage Designs



Mylar Christmas Train



Mylar Classic Christmas



Mylar Construction Kids



Mylar Construction Time



Mylar Cupcakes and Table Runner



Mylar Cute Doggies



Mylar Cute Dragons



Mylar Cute Kittens



Mylar Dennis Bears



Mylar Dragonflies



Mylar Dress-Up Princesses



Mylar Easter Bears



Mylar Easter Bunnies



Mylar Easter Eggs



Mylar Ellie Elephants



Mylar Fairies



Mylar Flower Garden



Mylar Flower Motifs



Mylar Flower Pot Babies



Mylar FSL 3D Butterflies



Mylar FSL 3D Flowers



Mylar FSL Angels



Mylar FSL Angels 2



Mylar FSL Bookmarks - Butterflies



Mylar FSL Bookmarks - Owls



Mylar FSL Bookmarks - Reading



Mylar FSL Charming Little Snowflakes



Mylar FSL Christmas Balls/Package Toppers



Mylar FSL Christmas Carol Ornaments



Mylar FSL Christmas Danglers



Mylar FSL Christmas Ornaments



Mylar FSL Crosses



Mylar FSL Icicle Snowmen



Mylar FSL Snowflake Ornaments



Mylar FSL Snowflakes 1



Mylar FSL Snowflakes 2



Mylar FSL Swirly Angels



Mylar FSL Swirly Butterflies



Mylar FSL Swirly Christmas



Mylar FSL Swirly Ghosts



Mylar FSL Swirly Snowmen



Mylar FSL Umbrellas



Mylar FSL Word Snowflakes



Mylar Funky Fish



Mylar Funny Monsters



Mylar Funny Snowballs



Mylar Funny Tools



Mylar Gingerbread Cuties



Mylar Girl Gnomes - Christmas



Mylar Girl Gnomes - Teachers



Mylar Girl Gnomes - Valentines



Mylar Gnomes



Mylar Gnomes - Bumble Bees



Mylar Gnomes - Christmas



Mylar Gnomes - Easter



Mylar Gnomes - Garden



Mylar Gnomes - Halloween



Mylar Gnomes - Kitchen



Mylar Gnomes - Pets



Mylar Gnomes - Pets



Mylar Gnomes - Sewing



Mylar Gnomes - Summer



Mylar Gnomes - Teachers



Mylar Gnomes - Teachers



Mylar Gnomes - Valentines



Mylar Gnomes - Winter



Mylar Gracie Bears



Mylar Halloween Candy Apples



Mylar Halloween Cuties



Mylar Happy Holly Days



Mylar Hello Spring



Mylar Hot Air Balloons



Mylar Hummingbirds



Mylar Jigsaw Bears



Mylar July 4th Celebration



Mylar Jungle Animals



Mylar Kitty Kats



Mylar Koala Bears



Mylar Ladybugs



Mylar Lighthouses



Mylar Little Clowns



Mylar Little Foxes



Mylar Little Ghosties



Mylar Llamas



Mylar Lucky Ducky



Mylar Mermaids



Mylar Monkeys



Mylar Monster Pillows



Mylar Monsters



Mylar Muscle Cars



Mylar Nativity Set



Mylar Nursery Rhymes Designs and Quilt



Mylar Otters



Mylar Pandas



Mylar Parrots



Mylar Playful Puppies



Mylar Ponies



Mylar Princesses



Mylar Pumpkins



Mylar Red Hat Snowladies



Mylar Robots



Mylar Roly Poly Penguins



Mylar Roses



Mylar Sailboats



Mylar Santa Blocks



Mylar Santas



Mylar Santa's Elves



Mylar Scarecrows



Mylar Sea Babies



Mylar Sea Shells



Mylar Seatbelt Cuddlies



Mylar Sewing Teddies



Mylar Silly Smores



Mylar Sleeping Pals



Mylar Snoberrie Hugs



Mylar Snow Angel Boys



Mylar Snow Angel Girls



Mylar Snow Cones



Mylar Snow Globes



Mylar Snowflakes



Mylar Snowman Blocks



Mylar Snowman Ornaments



Mylar Snowman Wishes



Mylar Snowmen - Tissue Box Covers



Mylar Snowmen Scarves 4x4



Mylar Snowmen Scarves 5x7



Mylar Spring Flowers - Lilies



Mylar St. Pats Snowmen



Mylar Star Kids



Mylar Star Ornaments



Mylar Summer Flowers



Mylar Summer Fun



Mylar Summer Things



Mylar Super Heroes



Mylar Sweet Easter Bunnies



Mylar Sweet Little Angels



Mylar Sweet Seahorses



Mylar Sweet Snowmen



Mylar Teapots



Mylar Teddy Bear Blocks



Mylar Tooth Fairy Pillow



Mylar Trains



Mylar Tropical Fish



Mylar Tu Tu Cute



Mylar Tutti-Fruitti Teddies



Mylar Unicorns



Mylar Whimsical Kitties



Mylar Whimsical Owls



Mylar Whimsical Turtles



Mylar Witchie Things



Mylar Yummy in my Tummy



Quick Mylar Mittens



Soft Warm Fuzzies - with Mylar



Some Mylar Bunny Loves You



Sweet Mylar Toys



Tea Towel Bibs - Summer-Mylar



Tiny Tweets - Beach



Tiny Tweets - Tools



Valentine Mylar Bears