Embroidery: What is ITH?

Dear users, dear authors,
dear embroiderers,
Could you tell me what ITH embroidery is?

ITH embroidery involves embroidering a design on an embroidery machine with a smooth reverse side—that is, using fabric or felt on both the front and back.  I know of two ways to do this: first, if you want to embroider a teddy bear or something that needs to be stuffed, you have to remove the hoop from the machine and place the outer fabric right sides together on top of the already embroidered piece (which must remain in the hoop). I always pin it all around with small pins so that nothing shifts and the fabric stays where it’s supposed to.
For the keychains I’ve been making over the last few days, I took the hoop out of the machine, sprayed fabric adhesive on the back, *glued* the backing in place, then put it back in the machine and let it embroider. That way, I get a clean back side, and you can’t see the stitches or the embroidery stabilizer anymore. 
Many people also embroider little pouches and such using ITH, but that’s too much of a hassle for me—I can sew them faster on the sewing machine than I can embroider them, because one thing you have to realize is that ITH requires a lot of fabric.

Best regards, Inge

ITH stands for “in the hoop.”
ITH embroidery projects aren’t simple embroidery designs or appliqués that you can then finish or stitch directly onto a finished item—instead, they create a finished item on their own.
As Inge explained, people often make small pouches, but they also frequently create little stuffed animals.

Oh wow
there’s so much out there. :-)

these are all ITH embroidery pieces that I made at some point; the seahorse was out the door faster than I could say PIP :-) the teddies moved out a long time ago too, just like the little boots; only the gingerbread couple is still with me, and that’s where it will stay :-)

Best, Inge

Great