I just started embroidery and found these fantastic transfer sheets that go through the copier or ink jet printer, then you peel off the back and apply it to the top of your fabric you are going to embroider. Then you do your embroidery work on top of this. When you are done you trim away the pieces of sticky stuff around the edges and then put the rest under water. It dissolves. I think it is fantastic and is easy to see on top of something dark, plus a complex design is so easy because it is a photocopy, you are not tracing. I found it at my quilt shop that also has a very large selection of embroidery floss.