Game Day Sweatshirt Style

featuring reverse appliqué

Whether you’re cheering from the stands, watching from home or heading to a tailgate, a handmade Game Day sweatshirt is the perfect way to show your team spirit. For this project, we took inspiration from our friends at Pixie and Me, incorporating an easy reverse appliqué technique that you can do by hand and even on the go.

Pixie and Me is based in Australia. At its heart, Pixie & Me is about more than thread and fabric. It’s about slowing down, creating memories, trying something new and finding joy in making things by hand. Check out their beautiful kits, featuring Sulky Stick ‘n Stitch Stabilizer! And be sure to follow them on Instagram for tons of creative inspiration.

Sulky Stick ‘n Stitch™ makes it simple to transfer your design onto the sweatshirt, while Sulky 12 wt. Cotton Petites® Thread gives the stitching a bold, hand-embroidered look. For this project, we’ve included a printable template for the words “Game Day,” but you can print any word in any font you prefer.

What Is Reverse Appliqué?

Unlike traditional appliqué, where fabric is placed on top of the base fabric, reverse appliqué starts with a fabric layer underneath the sweatshirt. The design is then stitched through the sweatshirt and the excess sweatshirt fabric is carefully trimmed away to reveal the fabric underneath.

It’s a fun way to add a pop of color and pattern to a plain sweatshirt. If you have a sweatshirt that has a stain or other flaw, carefully position the appliqué template so as to cut away the flawed area after stitching is complete.

GAME DAY SWEATSHIRT SUPPLIES

• Plain sweatshirt (hoodie or or crewneck)
• Sulky Stick ‘n Stitch™ Stabilizer
• Sulky 12 wt. Cotton Petites® Thread
• Sulky Tender Touch™
• Fabric (for appliqué; repurpose a T-shirt from a donation pile or use quilting cotton fabric)
• Hand embroidery needle with a large enough eye for 4 strands of 12 wt. thread
• Embroidery scissors or small, sharp scissors
• Sulky KK2000XT™ Temporary Spray Adhesive
• Printable Game Day Templates (or words of your choice formatted onto an 8½” x 11″ page)
• Wooden Embroidery Hoop (optional)

GAME DAY SWEATSHIRT PREP

First, download the Game Day Template pages. Load your printer with two sheets of Sulky Stick ‘n Stitch Stabilizer. Be sure to load the stabilizer so as to print on the fabric-like side of the stabilizer sheets. Print the template pages at 100%/actual size. Before beginning, check the printed template against the indicated measurement to make sure your printer hasn’t automatically scaled the design.

Next, cut out the designs. Leave a little extra Stick ‘n Stitch around the outside of the design for easier handling. Peel away the paper backing and position the printed Stick ‘n Stitch on the right side of the sweatshirt, where desired.

 

Then, turn the sweatshirt wrong side out and position the appliqué fabric wrong side up over the sweatshirt, directly behind the appliqué area. Use a small amount of KK2000XT Temporary Spray Adhesive to hold the fabric in place if needed.

Turn the sweatshirt right side out and double check the Stick ‘n Stitch placement, making sure nothing has shifted.

Stitch the Design

Thread a hand embroidery needle with four strands of Sulky 12 wt. Cotton Petites Thread. The heavier 12 wt. thread creates a beautiful, graphic stitch that stands out against the sweatshirt.

If desired, hoop the sweatshirt and fabric, centering the left-most letter(s) in the hoop. (Plan to move the hoop and re-hoop as you go.)

Use a simple backstitch along the design lines, keeping the stitches as even as possible. TIP: If desired, use a chainstitch or split stitch for different looks.

Don’t worry about making every stitch perfectly identical! The slightly handmade look is part of what makes this sweatshirt special.

A Few Stitching Tips

• Keep your thread length manageable (under 18″) to help prevent tangling.
• Take care not to pull the stitches too tightly. You want the sweatshirt fabric to lie flat.
• Use the same stitch length throughout the design for a clean, finished look.
• If you’re stitching a larger design, occasionally turn the sweatshirt right side out to make sure the fabric underneath is staying smooth.

Once you’ve stitched the entire design, gently remove the excess Stick ‘n Stitch with water. Place the sweatshirt under warm, running water, making sure the product dissolves away and into the sink (or tub). Resist the urge to submerge the sweatshirt and let it soak, as the leftover ink in the stabilizer could run onto your fabric.

Let the sweatshirt dry flat on a towel.

Reveal the Reverse Appliqué

Now comes the fun part!

Using small, sharp embroidery scissors, carefully cut away the sweatshirt fabric inside the stitched lines, exposing the fabric underneath.

Take your time with this step. Trim close to the stitching, but be careful not to cut through the embroidery stitches or the appliqué fabric underneath.

As you trim away the sweatshirt fabric, the fabric fabric underneath is revealed!

Finishing with Sulky Tender Touch

Once you’ve finished trimming the reverse appliqué, turn the sweatshirt inside out. Trim the excess appliqué fabric about 1/4″ beyond the stitching lines.

Next, cover the back of the appliqué area with Sulky Tender Touch™. This soft, lightweight fusible backing helps protect the embroidery on the inside of the garment, making the finished sweatshirt more comfortable to wear. Cut out the piece of Tender Touch using pinking shears or a wavy rotary blade, slightly larger than the outermost appliqué edges. The pinked/wavy edge treatment results in a stronger bond over time.

Use a pressing cloth, if desired, and a medium-temp iron when fusing Tender Touch.

The result is a neat, comfortable finish on the inside of your sweatshirt, and your stitching is sealed and protected from the friction of wearing and washing.

Make It Your Own

The beauty of this project is how easy it is to customize.

Choose a fabric in your team’s colors, coordinate the thread with your favorite fan gear or use a fun print for a completely different look. You can also experiment with different 12 wt. Cotton Petites colors for a multicolored embroidered design.

For an especially festive Game Day look, pair your sweatshirt with a coordinating hat, tote or stadium blanket and you’re ready to cheer on your team!

Why We Love Sulky 12 wt. Cotton Petites

Sulky 12 wt. Cotton Petites is a heavier cotton thread that’s perfect when you want your hand embroidery to make a statement. Using four strands gives this reverse appliqué design plenty of texture and visual impact without requiring complicated stitches.

And because Stick ‘n Stitch acts as both a printable design-transfer medium and temporary stabilizer, there’s no need to worry about transferring the design separately before you start stitching. Check out our line of Sulky Stick ‘n Stitch Hand Embroidery Transfers, already printed and ready for stitching!