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Punch Needle Overview

Been receiving questions about the Punch Needle. So, a brief over may be in order.

Please note, this overview is not a replacement for the instructions that accompany the Punch Needle Kit.

Threading the needle is a 2 part process.

First thread the shaft of the needle - Shown here ready to pull the thread through.

Here, the shaft is threaded.

Second, thread the needle eye.

Finally, it is ready to use

The fabric must be hooped taut.

The punch embroidery is done from the backside of the fabric.

When you punch the fabric with the needle, a loop will be left on the right side of the fabric.

Punch every needle width apart and in rows working sideways with the needle face oriented as shown in the diagram. The needle face should be is parallel to the path of the needle punches and facing away from the previously punch rows.  This rule holds true even when the row of punches follows a spiral path, as shown below.

Continue punching row after row, with each row butted next to one another.

The loops pull out easily from the back side, should the punch work need to be redone.

When the project is adequately filled with punch work, the loops on the front side should have the feel of a rug.

Draw the practice lines by which to punch, by tracing small shapes on the backside of fabric.
Use the edge of a quarter to draw the circle.

From the back side of the fabric, punch work the area until filled with loops.

Here are some example patterns used to fill various shapes.
The black lines are the shapes traced on the backside of the fabric.
The pink lines represent the punch work that fill the pattern with the use of the punch needle.

Notice that the pink punch work lines are one long continuous trail and, therefore one continuous thread.

The thinner the thread used to punch, the closer the rows and, of course, the more rows. Conversely, the thicker threads/ribbons are further apart - i.e. fewer rows.

Punch needle embroidery entails a bit of artistry. The choice and combination of fabric and thread may offer some unique challenges and interesting results. As with any hand work, practice is key.  For the novice, take that the punch needle for a spin around the block.  Race the engine.  Pop a wheely or two.  Get a feel for how it handles.  Once the basic process feels comfortable, time to tackle one of the FREE Punch Quilt patterns that come with the Ultra Punch Needle Kits, sold through Laura’s Sewing Studio.

From the back side of the fabric, trace the design onto the fabric with a water-soluble fabric pen.  Following the directions that accompany the pattern, punch work fill the design, again, working from the back side of the fabric.

I hope this helps those new to the art to understand punch needle embroidery a bit.  The instructional booklet that accompanys the Ultra Punch Needle kit is well illustrated and informative.

See the FAQ page for more about Punch/Machine Embroidery

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