MS Paint + Sew Art ITH Pencil Toppers: The Clean 4x4 Hoop Workflow That Hides Ugly Back Stitches

If you’ve ever made an In-The-Hoop (ITH) project that looked adorable on the front… and then flipped it over and felt your stomach drop because of a bird’s nest of thread, you’re not alone. This is the "ugly back" syndrome, and it prevents many beginners from gifting or selling their work.

The good news: this pencil topper is one of the fastest “confidence builders” in machine embroidery—if you stitch it in the right order.

In this project, you’ll design a simple heart pencil topper in MS Paint, digitize it in Sew Art with a rustic bean-stitch look, and stitch it out. The real magic isn't the drawing; it is a sequencing move that hides the messy backside of the inner fill stitches inside the finished felt “sandwich,” leaving you with a retail-quality finish on both sides.

Calm Down First: Your ITH Pencil Topper Isn’t “Ruined”—It’s Usually Just Stitch Order

Most ITH failures on small felt projects come from one of three specific mechanical or process failures:

1. Pixelation Translation: The design edges digitize rough because the source artwork was pixelated, causing the needle to "stutter" and create jagged edges.
2. Adhesive Drag: The spray adhesive is still wet, gumming up the needle eye and causing thread shredding.
3. Premature Backing: The backing fabric goes on too early, meaning the "ugly" bobbin threads from the decorative center are visible on the finished rear side.

This tutorial is built to prevent all three through specific order-of-operations and sensory checks.

And yes—this works even if you’re a true beginner, because the file is intentionally simple: a placement line (die line), a tack down, an inner decorative element (star), and a final structural seam.

The “Hidden” Prep Pros Do Before Sew Art: Clean Pixels, Clean Stitching (MS Paint)

Garbage in, garbage out. Digitizing software like Sew Art is literal—it will turn a stray pixel into a stray stitch. You are going to draw a heart topper shape in MS Paint: a heart plus a rectangle “stem” that forms the pocket where the pencil slides in.

The crucial structural detail is that the pocket must be open at the top and bottom so the pencil can slide between layers.

Draw the topper shape in MS Paint (what the video does)

1. Shape: Draw a heart outline using the shapes tool.
2. Stem: Add a rectangle with square edges centered under the heart.
3. Solidify: Fill the rectangle with a solid color (white in the video) so you have a clean negative space to work with.
4. Open the Channel: Use the eraser to remove the top line (where it meets the heart) and the bottom line of the rectangle. Physics Note: If you leave these lines, the machine will stitch them shut, and your pencil won't fit.
5. Decoration: Add a small star inside the heart (yellow in the video).

Pixel-cleaning tip from the video: Zoom in to 400% or more while erasing. If you see gray "ghost pixels" on the edge, erase them. These confuse the auto-digitizer.

Duplicate for two toppers (and the jump-stitch hack)

The video duplicates the topper so two hearts can stitch in one hoop loop. Then, she draws a thin straight black line connecting the two shapes.

Why do this? That connecting line is a "bridge." It tricks Sew Art into seeing the two toppers as one continuous object. This forces the machine to stitch from one to the other without stopping for a trim command, which speeds up the process and reduces thread tails.

Prep Checklist (do this before you open Sew Art)

• Canvas Crop: MS Paint canvas is cropped tightly around the design (eliminates "white noise" interpretation).
• Zoom Check: You have zoomed in and confirmed there are no stray pixels or jagged erased lines.
• Path Check: The pocket area is visually open at the top and bottom.
• Bridge Line: If stitching two, a thin line connects them (optional, but efficient).
• Scale: You have decided whether you want one topper or two in the hoop.

Sew Art Settings That Create the “Hand-Stitched” Bean Look (Without Overthinking It)

The "Bean Stitch" (or Triple Stitch) is the secret weapon for felt ITH projects. Unlike a satin stitch which can perforate felt like a postage stamp, a bean stitch goes back-and-forth three times, creating a bold, hand-embroidered look that holds layers securely without cutting the fabric.

Size it for a 4x4 hoop

In the video, the pattern width is resized to 95 mm to fit the hoop.

If you’re working in a standard brother 4x4 embroidery hoop, this 95 mm width is the "safe zone." Pushing it to 99mm or 100mm often triggers the "Design Too Large" error on many home machines because you must account for the foot's travel clearance.

Stitch Image mode: Applique Centerline (Bean)

The video uses Sew Art’s Stitch Image mode with specific settings. These are your "magic numbers" for felt:

• Stitch Type: Applique Centerline (Bean)
• Height (stitch separation/width): 2
• Length: 35

Why this works (expert insight): Felt is non-woven fibers pressed together. It compresses easily. A standard running stitch disappears into the fuzz.

• Height 2: ensures distinct separation.
• Length 35 (approx 3.5mm relation): is long enough to span the felt fibers without sinking. If the stitch is too short (under 20/2.0mm), it will bury itself and vanish.

Materials That Actually Behave in the Hoop (and Why They Matter)

Fabric choice determines stabilizer choice. For this project, the video uses:

• Stabilizer: “Garden fabric” (Note: This is an economical DIY alternative to tearaway/cutaway, but dedicated stabilizer is safer for beginners).
• Front Fabric: White crafting felt.
• Thread: Standard 40wt embroidery thread (Yellow).
• Adhesive: Tree House Studio spray adhesive (or Odif 505).
• Hidden Consumable: Appliqué scissors or very sharp curved snips.

The stabilizer decision tree (so you don’t guess and regret it)

Use this logic flow to determine your setup:

1) Are you stitching directly onto a finished garment (shirt, tote)?

• Yes → STOP. You need a dedicated stabilizer matched to the wearable fabric (usually Cutaway for knits, Tearaway for wovens).
• No → Proceed to #2.

2) Is the project a standalone "Sandwich" (like this topper)?

• Yes → You need a base that acts as a carrier sheet.
  • Option A (Pro): Standard Medium Weight Tearaway. Cheap, rigid, easy to clean up.
  • Option B (DIY): "Garden Fabric" (spunbond polypropylene). Works for felt because felt is stable, but can distort if the stitch count is high.
• No → Check your project instructions.

3) Are you seeing shifting gaps where the outline misses the color?

• Yes → Your base is too flimsy. Switch to a drum-tight Cutaway or increase the hoop tension carefully.

The Stitch-Out That Makes or Breaks This Project (ITH Sequencing You Must Follow)

This is where 90% of failures happen. The topper is built like a pocket: Stabilizer + Front Felt + (Inner Stitches) + Backing Felt. The inner star stitches must be hidden inside that pocket.

Step 1 — Hoop the stabilizer and stitch the die line

1. Hoop only your stabilizer. It should create a sound like a drum when tapped.
2. Run the first color stop: the Die Line. This stitches directly onto the paper/stabilizer.

Success Metric: You see a clear, crisp outline on the stabilizer. This is your "target zone."

Step 2 — Float the front felt and run the tack down

1. Place (float) a piece of felt over the die line. Ensure it covers the line by at least 1/2 inch on all sides.
2. Run the Tack Down stitch.

Success Metric: The felt is pinned flat to the stabilizer. No ripples.

Warning: Mechanical Safety
Keep your fingers away from the needle bar! When holding felt in place for a "float" technique, use a pencil eraser or a stylus to hold the fabric down, never your finger. If the machine jumps, it moves faster than your reflexes.

Step 3 — The “Clean Back” trick: stitch the inner star BEFORE adding backing

After the tack down, the video demonstrates the crucial deviation from standard sewing:

• She skips forward on the machine (or plans the file sequence) to stitch the inner star (the fill stitches) before the backing felt is attached.

The Logic: If you attach the backing now, the bobbin thread from the star will show on the back of the pencil topper. By stitching the star now, the messy underside lands on the stabilizer, which will later be covered by the backing felt.

Success Metric: The star is stitched on the front. The underside of the hoop looks messy. This is correct.

Step 4 — Add backing felt to the underside (spray adhesive + patience)

1. Take the hoop off the machine (keep the stabilizer hooped!).
2. Lightly spray adhesive onto your backing felt piece. Do not spray near the machine.
3. Wait 60 seconds. The glue should feel "tacky" (like a Post-it note), not wet.
4. Stick the backing felt to the underside of the hoop, completely covering the stitched area.
5. Press firmly to secure.

Warning: Chemical Hazard
Never stitch immediately after spraying. Wet adhesive gums up the needle groove and eye, causing friction that leads to thread shredding and "bird nesting." If the needle feels sticky, wipe it with rubbing alcohol.

Step 5 — Run the final bean stitch seam

Return the hoop to the machine. Run the final step: the bean stitch outline. This creates the "sandwich," sewing the front felt, the stabilizer, and the back felt together, trapping the ugly star stitches inside.

Success Metric: A beautiful, thick triple-stitch outline that seals the borders.

Setup Checklist (right before you press Start)

• Tension Check: Stabilizer is hooped tight (no "trampoline" bounce).
• Coverage: Front felt covers the entire die line.
• Bobbin: You have enough bobbin thread to finish (running out mid-bean stitch is a nightmare to fix).
• Clearance: The backing felt on the underside is smooth and isn't caught on the machine bed.

The Finishing Standard That Makes It Look “Store-Bought” (Even If You’re a Beginner)

Once the final seam is done:

1. Remove the project from the hoop.
2. Tear away the stabilizer.
3. The Cut: Use sharp applique scissors. Cut roughly 2mm-3mm away from the bean stitch.
   • Expert Tip: Turn the felt, not the scissors. This gives you smooth curves instead of jagged "stairs."
4. Cut the "bridge" threads/felt connecting the two hearts.
5. Slide the pencil up through the pocket.

Pro tip from the comments: If you’re unsure how wide to make the rectangle pocket, measure your pencil width and add 4-5mm total for the stitch width and clearance. Felt has friction; a tight fit is better than a loose one.

Troubleshooting the Two Failures Everyone Hits First (and the Fast Fix)

Hooping Without Wrinkles: The Physics That Keeps ITH Layers From Creeping

Small ITH projects fail when the base layer moves—even a millimeter—between steps. Here’s the practical physics:

• The hooped base (stabilizer) is your "foundation."
• Every time you handle the hoop to attach backing, you risk relaxing the tension or "popping" the inner ring.

If you plan to make these in batches, the struggle with traditional screw-and-ring hoops is real—they cause hand fatigue and inconsistent tension. A magnetic embroidery hoop solves this by using vertical magnetic force to clamp the stabilizer without distorting the fibers. It allows you to pop the hoop on and off quickly to attach the backing layer without the material slipping.

If you’re specifically running a Brother-style setup, picking up a compatible magnetic hoop for brother is often the first "tool upgrade" users make when they get tired of "hoop burn" (the ring marks left on fabric) and wrist strain.

Warning: Magnet Safety
Modern magnetic hoops use strong Neodymium magnets.
1. Pinch Hazard: Do not let the magnets span together near your skin; they can cause blood blisters.
2. Medical: Keep them at least 6 inches away from pacemakers or insulin pumps.

When This Stops Being a Cute Gift and Starts Being a Production Item (Time, Fatigue, and ROI)

This topper is a perfect “batchable” product: quick stitch time (under 5 minutes), low material cost, and high perceived value. But the workflow changes when you go from making 2 for a classroom to making 50 for a school fundraiser.

The Bottleneck: It isn't the stitching speed; it's the prep time.

If you are producing in volume, manually wrestling stabilizer into a hoop 50 times will hurt your hands and slow you down. A magnetic hooping station or a simplified hooping station for machine embroidery keeps the bottom hoop stationary and aligned, cutting your setup time by 30-40%.

Furthermore, if you find yourself spending more time changing thread colors than running the machine, you are hitting the ceiling of single-needle efficiency. This is usually where I advise students to look at multi-needle machines (like the SEWTECH multi-needle series). The math is simple: if a multi-needle machine saves you 3 minutes of thread-change time per unit, on a 100-unit order, you've just bought yourself 5 hours of life back.

The “Do This Once” Operation Rhythm (So You Don’t Lose Your Place Mid-Project)

ITH projects punish distraction. If you get a phone call and forget where you are, you might stitch the pocket shut. Use this rhythm every time:

1. Foundation: Hoop stabilizer (Drum tight).
2. Map: Stitch Die Line.
3. Front: Float Front Felt -> Stitch Tack Down.
4. Decorate: Stitch Inner Star (Fill).
5. Back: Remove hoop -> Spray & Wait -> Attach Back Felt.
6. Seal: Replace hoop -> Stitch Final Bean Seam.
7. Finish: Unhoop -> Trim.

If you are still experiencing alignment issues where the outline lands off-center, you likely need to review your physical hooping technique. Terms like hooping for embroidery machine often refer to the specific mechanics of keeping the X/Y axis straight—mastering this saves endless frustration.

Operation Checklist (The "Don't Mess This Up" Final Check)

• Sequence: Did I run the decorative star before attaching the backing?
• Dry Time: Did I let the glue try for a minute?
• Sandwich: Is the backing felt secure and covering the entire design area on the bottom?
• Clearance: Are the hooping brackets clear of any felt overhang?

The Upgrade Path That Feels Natural: Match the Tool to the Pain

If you’re making one topper for fun, your current standard hoop is perfectly fine. Don't buy gear you don't need.

However, if you are making dozens and you notice specific pain points:

• Pain: Hand strain from tightening screws.
• Pain: Hoop burn marks on delicate felt.
• Pain: Stabilizer slipping mid-stitch.

That is the moment when learning how to use magnetic embroidery hoop systems becomes an investment in your physical health and product quality. Standardizing your tension with embroidery magnetic hoops makes your 50th item look exactly as good as your first.

Make it cute, make it clean, and—most importantly—make it repeatable. That’s how a “simple school gift” turns into a reliable product you can confidently batch anytime.

FAQ

• Q: How do I prevent an “ugly back” on an ITH felt pencil topper when using a home single-needle embroidery machine?
  A: Stitch the inner decorative element (like the star) before attaching the backing felt so the messy underside gets trapped inside the felt “sandwich.”
  • Stitch the die line on hooped stabilizer, then tack down the front felt first.
  • Run the inner star/fill next while the back is still only stabilizer.
  • Attach backing felt to the underside only after the inner design is finished, then stitch the final bean-stitch seam.
  • Success check: The hoop underside looks messy after the star step, but the finished topper back looks clean after the final seam.
  • If it still fails: Confirm the machine did not stitch the backing too early (wrong color stop order or skipped to the wrong step).
• Q: What Sew Art Stitch Image settings create a rustic “bean stitch” look on felt for an ITH pencil topper?
  A: Use Sew Art Stitch Image with “Applique Centerline (Bean)” and the video’s proven values to keep stitches visible on fuzzy felt.
  • Select Stitch Type: Applique Centerline (Bean).
  • Set Height to 2 and Length to 35 as a safe starting point shown in the project.
  • Test-stitch on the same felt thickness before committing to a batch.
  • Success check: The outline looks bold and “hand-stitched,” not sunk into the felt fuzz.
  • If it still fails: Re-check felt thickness and stabilizer firmness; felt that’s compressing too much may need a stiffer base.
• Q: How tight should stabilizer be hooped for an ITH felt “sandwich” project to prevent felt shifting and outline gaps?
  A: Hoop only the stabilizer drum-tight so the foundation does not relax when the hoop is handled between steps.
  • Tap the hooped stabilizer before stitching and listen/feel for a “drum” tightness (not a trampoline bounce).
  • Float the felt so it covers the die line by at least 1/2 inch on all sides, then rely on the tack-down to pin it flat.
  • Avoid popping the inner ring loose when removing/reinstalling the hoop for backing placement.
  • Success check: After tack-down, the felt lies flat with no ripples and the final outline does not show “missed” gaps.
  • If it still fails: Use edge taping to reduce creep, or consider upgrading to a magnetic embroidery hoop for more consistent grip.
• Q: Why does spray adhesive cause a gummy needle and thread shredding during ITH felt embroidery, and what is the fastest fix?
  A: Wet spray adhesive gums the needle eye/groove, so waiting for tackiness (not wetness) prevents shredding and bird nesting.
  • Spray the backing felt away from the machine, then wait about 60 seconds until the glue feels tacky like a Post-it.
  • Wipe a sticky needle with rubbing alcohol if stitching already started and the needle feels gummy.
  • Re-start only after the adhesive is no longer wet to the touch.
  • Success check: The thread feeds smoothly without fraying, and there is no sudden buildup of loops underneath.
  • If it still fails: Replace the needle (adhesive residue can persist) and re-check that adhesive was not oversprayed.
• Q: What causes jagged edges after digitizing an MS Paint heart into Sew Art, and how do I stop “ghost pixels” from becoming stray stitches?
  A: Pixel cleanup in MS Paint must be done before digitizing, because auto-digitizing will translate stray pixels into jagged stitch edges.
  • Zoom in to 400–500% and erase any gray “ghost pixels” and rough stair-step edges along the outline.
  • Crop the MS Paint canvas tightly around the design to reduce “white noise” interpretation.
  • Re-export and re-digitize after cleanup (there is no reliable fix after stitches are generated).
  • Success check: The digitized outline previews as smooth and continuous, not stuttering or jagged.
  • If it still fails: Simplify the artwork edges further and re-check for stray pixels at corners and erased areas.
• Q: How do I keep an ITH pencil topper pocket open so the pencil fits, instead of stitching the pocket shut?
  A: The rectangle “stem” channel must be open at the top and bottom in the artwork so the machine does not stitch those lines closed.
  • In MS Paint, erase the top line where the rectangle meets the heart and erase the bottom line of the rectangle.
  • Visually confirm the channel is open before digitizing (do not assume the software will “know” it’s a pocket).
  • If the pocket is already stitched shut, carefully open the top/bottom with a seam ripper.
  • Success check: The pencil slides between layers with light resistance, not forced stretching.
  • If it still fails: Increase the pocket width in the artwork (a safe starting point is pencil width plus a small clearance for stitch width), then re-digitize.
• Q: What needle-bar safety rule prevents finger injuries when floating felt for an ITH pencil topper on a home embroidery machine?
  A: Never hold floating felt down with a finger near the needle bar—use a tool because the machine can jump faster than reflexes.
  • Use a pencil eraser or stylus to hold felt in place while starting the tack-down, not fingertips.
  • Keep hands outside the hoop’s stitch field before pressing Start and during trims/jumps.
  • Pause the machine if the felt lifts, then reposition safely before resuming.
  • Success check: Tack-down secures the felt without any hand entering the needle’s travel area.
  • If it still fails: Re-cut felt larger so it naturally stays flat, and verify stabilizer is hooped drum-tight.
• Q: When ITH felt batches start causing hand fatigue and stabilizer slipping, when should I upgrade to magnetic embroidery hoops or a multi-needle embroidery machine?
  A: Upgrade in levels: optimize process first, then use magnetic hoops for consistent tension, and consider a multi-needle machine when thread-change time becomes the real bottleneck.
  • Level 1 (technique): Standardize the sequence (die line → tack down → inner star → add backing → final seam) and stop handling the hoop roughly.
  • Level 2 (tool): Switch to magnetic embroidery hoops when screw-hoop tightening causes strain, hoop burn marks, or inconsistent stabilizer grip.
  • Level 3 (capacity): Move to a multi-needle setup when frequent thread changes cost more time than the stitch-out itself on larger orders.
  • Success check: The 50th topper matches the 1st in alignment and edge quality, with less wrist strain and fewer re-hoops.
  • If it still fails: Add a hooping station to reduce setup variation and re-check that stabilizer is not relaxing when the hoop is removed to apply backing.