In the past most of my embroidery work was free-style (AKA: Flying by the seat of my pants without a pattern). If I wasn't free-stylin' I simply traced the pattern using a light box and a pencil, or more recently I've been using a Frixion pen. 

I like this method for most of my work. However, when doing very tiny or detailed patterns, it's not super easy to trace accurately. For instance, the lettering on the Sewing Room Sampler got a little wonky. In fact, on the spool, I ended up pulling out all my stitching.

In the meantime, I had ordered Transfer-eze to try out. With Transfer-eze, you simply photocopy (or print out if you have a pdf) the pattern onto the sticky side of the paper. Then you just remove the freezer paper backing and place the printed pattern onto your fabric. It's like a sticker. You simply stitch over it and then it dissolves off your fabric in cold water.

I tried it with the spool design, and I'm absolutely loving it. Take a look at the difference in these two embroideries:

Traced and Wonky...

 

Neat and Transfer-eze-ized...

If I had the heart, I would have pulled out all the lettering and re-done that too... but I didn't... have the heart or the stomach for that. 

If you'd like to try Transfer-eze, I ordered some for my shop and it will be here next week. I also ordered nifty iron-on transfer pens and vellum for tracing. And the heat and bond woven cotton fusible interfacing arrived this week. 

PS... I did in fact finish my sampler. Just not before I got home from vacation. I'm making mine into a bag. Shocking, right?

PPS... I got the adorable red polka dot handles from Daisy Cottage Quilting. Man, she has everything!