Work-Along Guide: Embroider a Golf Bag Pocket, Apply HTV, and Sublimate Baby Onesies

Video reference: “A Random Work With Me | Embroidery, Sublimation & Vinyl” by Kayla's Corner

You don’t need a studio full of gear to create polished, personal pieces. In this walkthrough, you’ll embroider a golf bag pocket, press an HTV logo and baby onesie, and sublimate three vibrant designs—efficiently and cleanly.

What you’ll learn

• How to center and float a small, hard-to-hoop item (golf bag pocket) for clean embroidery

• A compact HTV workflow: cut, weed, align, and press

• Sublimation prep for baby onesies—lint rolling, butcher paper inserts, taping, and precise press settings

• Quality checks and quick fixes for shifting, ghosting, hard lines, and ink bleed

• Real-world sourcing and tips surfaced from the comments

Primer: What We’re Making and When to Use Each Method

• Golf bag pocket name embroidery (personalization that endures wash and wear)

• HTV logo on a pocket tee + a baby “Love” onesie (crisp heat transfer for fast, durable graphics)

• Sublimated baby onesies (full-color, vivid, and soft-hand prints)

When to use what

• Embroidery: Best for names/monograms on structured pieces (like a golf bag pocket) when you want dimension and durability.

• HTV: Ideal for quick, single or limited-color apparel graphics.

• Sublimation: When you want a vivid, no-hand feel on polyester-rich blanks like the featured baby bodysuits.

Project flow at a glance 1) Embroider the golf bag pocket name using a 5x7 hoop and tear-away stabilizer. 2) Cut/weed HTV for a logo tee and a baby onesie; align and press. 3) Prep three AJ Blanks onesies and sublimate at 400°F for 60 seconds.

Pro tip If your hoop’s plastic template is missing, use the hoop’s molded center notches plus a gridded ruler to re-establish the true center.

Watch out Hard-to-hoop pieces can shift. A light basting adhesive helps keep things put while stitching.

Quick check Do a dry alignment with a printout of the name or logo—make sure the vertical and horizontal axes match your hoop marks.

Prep: Tools, Materials, Files, and Workspace Tools

• Embroidery: 5x7 hoop, gridded acrylic ruler, pen, pins, basting adhesive, Brother PE800

• Vinyl: Cricut Maker, weeding tool, scissors, heat press, measuring tape

• Sublimation: Heat press, lint roller, butcher paper, heat tape, heat tape dispenser

Materials

• Embroidery: Tear-away stabilizer, golf bag pocket, black thread

• HTV: Black heat transfer vinyl, grey pocket t-shirt, white long-sleeve onesie

• Sublimation: Three AJ Blanks sublimation onesies (two 0–3M, one 3–6M), printed designs (coffee shop “I love mommy a latte,” country lyric, HOWDY)

Files

• Digitized embroidery design for the name

• SVG/HTV files for a business logo and a baby “Love” design

• Sublimation artwork (coffee, country lyric, HOWDY)

Workspace

• Clear, flat surface for hooping and weeding

• Access to your embroidery machine, Cricut, and heat press

From the comments Several readers were curious about soft baby onesie options; the creator reported being impressed with AJ Blanks after testing them.

Checklist — Prep

• Tools staged within reach for each method

• Files loaded and sized correctly

• Stabilizer, vinyl, and onesies ready to go

Note: If your setup uses a different accessory ecosystem, you can adapt center-marking and alignment the same way you would with any standard hooping tools hoop master embroidery hooping station.

Setup: Hoop, Align, Tape, and Preheat with Purpose Embroidery setup

• Hoop tear-away stabilizer in the 5x7 frame. Ensure it’s drum-tight.

• Using the hoop’s center notches, mark both center lines (vertical and horizontal) directly on the stabilizer with a gridded ruler and pen.

• Float the golf bag pocket over the hoop; align a printed name mockup’s center marks to the hoop lines.

• Mist basting adhesive on the pocket back to prevent shift.

HTV setup

• Load black HTV into the Cricut Maker and cut the business logo and the police-themed “Love” onesie design.

• Weed carefully to preserve small text/details.

• Pre-warm your press and stage the grey pocket tee and the white onesie for accurate placement.

Sublimation setup

• Open the AJ Blanks onesies and confirm sizes (two 0–3M, one 3–6M).

• Tear the edges of each sublimation print to avoid hard press lines.

• Lint roll garments thoroughly.

• Fold fresh butcher paper to fit inside each onesie (don’t reuse; ink can transfer).

Checklist — Setup

• Hooped and marked center lines for embroidery

• HTV designs cut, weeded, and positioned

• Onesies lint-rolled; fresh butcher paper inserted; prints edge-torn

Decision point

• If your garment’s neckline is skewed, align the design by the body center line you establish, not the collar. Expect to choose the optical center over the seam.

If you’re adapting to other equipment ecosystems, center-finding stays the same—use the frame’s physical notches or a trusted ruler to mark true center hooping station for embroidery.

Operation: Step-by-Step for Embroidery, HTV, and Sublimation 1) Embroider the golf bag pocket name

• Hoop stabilizer; mark center lines. Float the pocket and align a printed name mockup to your marks.

• Lightly spray basting adhesive on the pocket back for stability.

• Mount the hoop on the Brother PE800 and stitch the name in black thread.

• Remove from the machine and tear away stabilizer cleanly.

Expected result: A straight, centered name with even tension—no puckering or drift.

Quick check Before you press start, run a slow needle drop or on-screen trace to confirm the design sits inside the safe stitching area.

If your machine uses different hoop hardware, center-marking and floating still apply. The process stays the same whether you’re on a standard clamp, a quick-change rail, or a third-party frame magnetic embroidery hoops for brother.

2) Cut and press heat transfer vinyl (HTV)

• In Cricut Design Space, cut black HTV for both the business logo (for the pocket tee) and a police-themed “Love” onesie.

• Weed carefully.

• Position the onesie design centered; position the logo slightly above the tee pocket (measure for consistency).

• Heat press both pieces.

Expected result: Smooth adhesion, no lifted edges, and centered placement.

Pro tip Press both HTV items in the same session to save warm-up time.

3) Sublimate three baby onesies Prepare

• Tear edges of the prints to avoid sharp press lines.

• Lint roll the garment thoroughly.

• Insert a fresh folded piece of butcher paper inside each onesie to prevent ink bleed-through.

Place and secure

• Align the design; tape it on all sides using heat tape. The creator noted a dispenser makes this faster and tidier.

Press settings

• 400°F for 60 seconds. Close the lid very slowly to avoid disturbing the design.

Reveal

• Remove the print carefully; discard used butcher paper. Repeat for each onesie.

Expected result: Vivid color, clean edges, no ghosting, and no bleed-through.

Checklist — Operation

• Embroidery: hoop tight, center lines marked, float + baste, stitch, clean tear-away

• HTV: cut, weed, measure, place, press

• Sublimation: lint roll, insert fresh butcher, tape securely, 400°F x 60 sec, slow open

If you’re cross-referencing different gear families, the alignment method here works regardless of frame brand or clamp style—just rely on true center marking and secure hold-down dime snap hoop.

Quality Checks: What “Good” Looks Like Embroidery

• Centered lettering with consistent density

• No visible shift from tack to finish

• Clean tear-away edges; no stabilizer fray peeking out

HTV

• Smooth adhesion with no bubbling or lifting at corners

• Straight placement relative to the garment’s body (not just the collar)

Sublimation

• Colors appear vibrant; details are crisp

• No shadow or double image (ghosting)

• No ink on the inside layer—your butcher paper remained cleanly sacrificial

Quick check If a neckline looks off, check the vertical alignment against a plumb center fold you create, not the seam. This mitigates factory seam skew.

Note The creator reported very strong color and fabric feel with the tested onesies, describing them as thicker and vibrant.

When you’re using a 5x7 field, the same centering logic applies whether you’re clipping in a basic frame or referencing a compatible accessory frame brother 5x7 hoop.

Results & Handoff: Deliverables, Care, and Packaging Deliverables completed

• Golf bag pocket: personalized name in black thread

• Grey pocket tee: business logo in black HTV

• White long-sleeve baby onesie: police-themed “Love” design in HTV

• Three sublimated baby onesies (coffee logo “I love mommy a latte,” country lyric, HOWDY)

Care reminders (general guidance)

• Embroidery: Turn inside out for washing; avoid snagging

• HTV: Cool wash, low heat dry or hang dry can help longevity

• Sublimation: Standard care; color is in the fibers and won’t crack

Handoff tips

• Keep each sublimated onesie in its original size bag if provided—easy gifting and organization

• Present HTV and embroidery items pressed and lint-free for a professional finish

From the creator’s showcase A coordinating, sewn baby blanket paired with the onesies can complete the gift set.

If your machine supports optional frame types, the centering and basting workflow stays identical, even if the hardware differs brother embroidery machine.

Troubleshooting & Recovery Symptom: Embroidery looks slightly crooked

• Likely cause: Alignment drift while floating

• Fix: Re-establish center lines on the hoop, align the printed template to those lines, and lightly baste the piece before stitching

Symptom: HTV lifts at corners

• Likely cause: Inadequate pressure/temperature or insufficient pre-press

• Fix: Re-press with proper time/pressure; ensure the surface is flat and lint-free

Symptom: Sublimation shows faint stripes in black areas

• Likely cause: Printer/ink mismatch during this session

• Fix: Change the problematic color (e.g., switch to navy) and reprint; investigate black ink performance later

Symptom: Hard press lines on sublimation

• Likely cause: Sharp paper edges

• Fix: Tear edges to feather the transition; avoid scissor-cut right angles

Symptom: Ink bled through to the back of the onesie

• Likely cause: Missing or reused butcher paper

• Fix: Always insert a fresh folded sheet inside each garment before pressing

Symptom: Ghosting (light double image)

• Likely cause: Transfer shifted during press/open

• Fix: Tape the print on all sides; close and open the press very slowly; use a top sheet; avoid bumping the platen mid-press

Quick isolation tests

• Press a small scrap print on a test blank to confirm temperatures and color pop

• Tape a corner and tug gently to ensure no shift before closing the lid

If you work with alternative accessory frames, the stabilization principle is unchanged: firm hold plus true center alignment yields the cleanest result magnetic hoop for brother pe800.

From the comments: Real-world tips and sourcing

• Onesie quality: Multiple viewers loved the look; the creator said she was “very, very impressed” with AJ Blanks after pressing them.

• SVG sourcing: A reader asked about a thin blue line design; the reply pointed to Etsy for a similar file (the original bundle wasn’t available at reply time).

• Fabric sourcing: A reader asked about the tractor/farm fabric; the reply confirmed it was from an Etsy shop and shipped quickly.

Pro tip If you’re adding sublimation to your craft room, start with small gifts like baby onesies. They’re fast, rewarding, and help you dial in pressing habits such as lint rolling and butcher paper changes.

Your alignment routine will be consistent no matter the clamp or frame family you prefer; mark center, secure the material, and verify the stitching field before you press start magnetic hoop for brother.

Appendix: Visual references

• Center marking: Align hoop notches and draw exact vertical/horizontal crosshairs on stabilizer.

• Floating + basting: Use a light adhesive mist to stabilize hard items (like a pocket) over hooped stabilizer.

• Sublimation taping: Secure all four sides of the print; slow-close the press to avoid shift.

If you’re comparing accessory options for your setup, prioritize reliable hold and simple alignment over brand—your core process will remain the same brother embroidery machine magnetic hoop.