This month for Saturday Sampler we are doing lots of embroidery work to embellish our adorable Trick-or-Treater’s. I have never done embroidery work before so I asked Cliss, our wonderful store employee, to give me a quick run-down of the basics. Because they can be kind of tricky to understand through pictures I have also linked to great You-Tube tutorials that should help you! I’m not sure if my written instructions help or hinder so sometimes I let the pictures speak for themselves.
Embroidery Tutorial: the basics
Embroidery Hoop
Supplies
Embroidery floss – you will use a different number of threads depending on how thick you want your stitch to be.
A disappearing pen to mark your fabric – Cliss recommends Frixion pens which we have in the store. They disappear with heat.
Embroidery Needles – these range in size. Your preference and what you are doing will determine the size you should use. Size 7 is a good place to start.
Comparison between a size 7 and a size 10 needle (size 7 is the shorter one)
How to knot your thread
1. Thread your needle. Wrap the very end of your thread around your needle multiple times.
2. Squeeze the wrapped thread between your fingers and slide it down, over the eye of the needle, pulling it all the way to the end of your thread. It should tie a nice knot at the end of your thread length.
Go here to watch a good video of how to do this.
Lazy Daisy
1. Come up through your fabric. Holding the thread with your finger, stick your needle back through your fabric near where you came up.
2. Where the thread is coming up will be the center of your lazy daisy. You will now poke your needle up where you want the edge of your petal to be.
3. Pull the needle through.
4. Go back down with your needle on the other side of the petal, securing the petal in place.
5. Come back up in the center and repeat for the other petals.
Go here for a good video tutorial.
French Knot
1. Wrap the thread closest to the fabric where you pulled your needle through around your needle multiple times (3 or 4).
2. Insert your needle near where you came up, keeping the loops taut around the needle.
3. Continue to pull the needle until a nice knot has been tied on the right side of the fabric.
Go here for a great video tutorial.
Outline Stitch
Go here for a great video tutorial.
Stem Stitch
You may have done this stitch when we did red-work last year. If not, go here for a video tutorial.
Satin Stitch
This one is great for filling in shapes.
1. Completely outline your shape with an outline stitch.
2. Starting in the middle of your shape begin to fill it in by coming up on the outside edge of the outline stitch and taking your needle down on the opposite outer edge of the shape. You can go on a diagonal, horizontal – – however you want and whatever looks best to you. Cliss recommends starting in the middle of your shape because it helps keep your lines straighter.
3. Once that half is filled in, return to the center and fill in the other half.
Go here for a video tutorial. She does hers a little bit different so you can see an alternative method.
Explore You Tube for lots more stitches that will really help you make your block your own!