Embroidery is a great hobby to get into especially for those looking for a chill activity to do while you watch tv. Unlike crochet and knitting there is no need to count stitches. For my visual brain it's a lot easier for me than other forms of needle work.
Set Up
Setting up to embroider is fairly easy. Make sure you have all your supplies to start.
-Take your fabric and embroidery hoop. I recommend trimming your fabric down so that the excess doesn't get in the way.
-Next fasten your hoop around the fabric. Usually there will be a knob at the top of the hoop to tighten and loosen it though the one I am using today doesn't have that.
-Once the hoop is fairly tight, stretch the fabric so it is taut, and tighten again.
-Transfer your pattern onto the fabric. I find it easiest to do at this stage rather than before so your image doesn't distort during the initial stretching though this can also be done at the beginning.
-Lastly thread your needle and you're ready to go!
Stitches
Here are some of the most commonly used stitches along with a few of my favorite stitches.
Back Stitch
This is one of my favorite stitches for outlining. The back stitch is super easy to learn and practical for making your images pop.
1. To start, tie a small knot at the end of your floss so when you pull the floss through the fabric the end will stay put.
2. Next start the stitch by taking the needle through the fabric from the back and creating one small stitch at about a 1/2 to 1cm.
3. When your needle is behind the fabric again bring it to the front (using the same distance as your first stitch)
4. While your needle is in front of the fabric, bring it back down as close to your previous stitch as you can, filling in the gap.
5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 until you are finished with the line, color, or you run out of thread.
6. Lastly when your needle is behind your fabric tie your loose end to one of the stitches in the back to secure. Now you have finished that section!
The back stitch is easy to master though there are a couple areas to watch your stitching. The first area I would keep an eye on is the distance between stitches as consistency looks better. Secondly keep an eye on your tension. If you pull too hard between stitches it will wrinkle your fabric even when stretched. One way to help your tension is to make sure your fabric is stretched tightly around the frame.
Stem Stitch
This is my most commonly used stitch for lettering as it's easy to manipulate around curves. This stitch is a little harder to master than the back stitch though still one of the easiest to use.
1. Start by knotting your thread and pulling it through the back of the fabric to the front.
2. About 1/2 to 1cm away from where you pulled your thread through begin to pull your needle through to the back again.
3. When you have a small loop that would normally be pulled taut in the back stitch, bring your needle forward again in the middle of the stitch.
4. Pull the stitch tight with your needle on the inside of your curve if you have one. If there is no curve at the moment choose whichever side you prefer.
5. Your needle should be on top of your fabric now. From the top position bring your needle down through the fabric 1/2 to 1cm away from your last stitch, creating a loop again.
6. Pull your needle from the bottom of your fabric up as close to the end of your last stitch as possible. This should be about halfway through your current loop.
7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 until you are at the end.
8. For your last stitch when you bring your needle down at step 5 simply pull tight right away to create a clean finish.
9. Tie your loose string in the back, cut off excess and you are finished.
The stem stitch has many of the same problems to look out for as the back stitch. The one major problem you will face unique to this stitch is which side to bring your needle up on in step 4. I find bringing your needle up on the inside of the curve is the best for keeping shape.
French Knot
The French knot can be a little more finicky and I find works better on a tightly woven fabric. The results are worth the practice when it comes to this stitch as I will often use it to add texture or embellish an otherwise ordinary piece. I would recommend reserving this stitch for non functional pieces as they are more delicate and can unravel.
1. Start by knotting your thread
2. Bring your needle through the fabric from back to front.
3. Once your thread is pulled through the fabric all the way, take some thread close to the fabric and wrap it around your needle. The more times you wrap the bigger your rosette will be, I would not recommend wrapping more than 4 times.
4. Then pull your needle back down through the fabric as close to your original stitch as possible. Do not use the same hole that you came up through
5. Your knot will begin to form once your needle is through the fabric. I like to support the knot as I pull the rest of my thread through the fabric to secure the knot.
6. Repeat steps 2 to 5 until you are finished.
7. Once you are done tie your thread to another stitch in the back and snip off excess thread.
To change the size of your rosette there are two different strategies that I recommend using together. The first one must be determined before you even thread your needle. When using embroidery floss there are 6 strands of thread spun together. These threads are easy to separate. To make a small rose use less thread and to make a chunkier rose you can even add more thread to your 6 strands. When adding thread be careful as needles can break when threading, I usually won't go above 8 strands. The other option I mentioned in the steps. When on step 3 you can choose how many times you wrap your thread around the needle. To make a small rose wrap fewer times to make a bigger rose wrap more. I usually will wrap somewhere between 2-4 times.
Comment below if you would like a post on French knot sizing or a more in depth look into using different amounts of floss when stitching!
Lazy Daisy
This stitch is a common one for making flower petals. Though it is simple it's a great stitch to add to any botanical piece.
1. Start by threading your needle and knotting your thread.
2. Bring your needle through the fabric from back to front.
3. Next bring your needle down through the fabric close to your first stitch.
4. You will then need to make a loop by pulling your thread most of the way through the fabric.
5. While holding your loop in the place where you want your petal to be, bring your needle up through the fabric as close to your thread loop as possible.
6. Bring your needle back down on just the other side of the thread to hold the petal in place.
7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 until you have finished your petals.
8. Tie and trim your loose thread in the back and you're finished.
This stitch is incredibly easy but unfortunately not as versatile as some of the other stitches, but still a good addition to your tool kit.
Roses
These roses are one of my favorites to use in a piece. They're a little more intermediate as they use multiple types of stitches to make one but all the stitches used to make them are very easy.
1. To start knot your thread
2. Bring your needle through the fabric from the back to the front in the middle of a circle that is to be your rose.
3. Bring your needle down through the fabric at the edge of your circle
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you have a 5 prong star.
5. Your needle should be behind your fabric from creating your last prong, from there you bring your needle through the fabric in the center of your star and circle
6. Weave your needle through the stitches you made. Weave one prong over the next under and repeat until your rose looks full and the prongs are mostly hidden by the weaving.
7. Once you have filled your circle bring your needle down one last time slightly under the edge of the woven rose to hide the last stitch.
8. Tie and cut off your loose end to finish your rose.
In the end your rose may need a little adjusting to make sure the woven portion is laying correctly but other than that these roses are easy and beautiful. I have seen some people sew their star a different color than their woven bit to add the illusion of leaves under the rose. Though I don't like doing this it may be a fun experiment.
Satin Stitch
This stitch is a staple for every embroiderer. Consider your satin stitch "coloring in" your image. The biggest perk of this stitch is that it's incredibly easy as well as useful.
1. Start by knotting your thread
2. Bring your thread through the fabric at the edge of your image outline.
3. Bring your needle back down at the edge of your fabric at the opposite side of the image.
4. Repeat step 2 and 3 until the space is covered or "colored in"
5. To finish this section of your project tie and cut off your loose end at the back of your fabric just after you finish your last stitch.
This stitch can look a little messy at the edge so I recommend outlining your image with either a back stitch or a stem stitch to keep your lines crisp. Though the satin stitch is incredibly basic you can make it more advanced by adding shading or using less strands within your floss for a smoother look.
Opmerkingen