Choose the orientation
When the loops will face the viewer, you usually punch from the back: use a mirrored template, especially for letters and asymmetric designs. When you display the flat working stitches, trace the design in the direction you want to see it.
Write FRONT on a paper copy before flipping it. This prevents a name or an animal facing the wrong way after punching.
Trace light or opaque fabrics
- For light fabric, place the printed template below the cloth over a window or light pad. Trace with a fabric-compatible removable pen.
- For opaque fabric, use transfer paper suited to the fibre, or cut paper shapes and trace their edges.
- Make a small mark in the spare margin first and check that it can be removed with the fabric's care method.
- Mark only the colour boundaries. Dense grids and shaded photographs are harder to follow than clear outlines.
Keep the size while mounting
Trace before mounting if the cloth stretches or distorts under tension. Keep its warp and weft square in the hoop. Leave enough unpunched cloth outside the design to grip the frame and complete the chosen finish.