Recently, I’ve been doing some experimenting and practicing with embroidery. When I shared some of my works on Instagram, I received a few questions about how to get started. I am by no means an expert but I would like to share with you some of the tips and lessons that I have learned through experimentation and practice.
Tools and materials
You will need to have a sewing kit and the tools inside. If you don’t have one, you can find all the info you need to build your own in this blog post. Aside from that, you will need these special tools:
1. Embroidery hoop
Having a hoop is very useful in keeping your fabric taut and your design in place as you work. You should be taking the hoop out or loosening it when you are not working on your project because it can leave creases in the fabric. However, I haven’t been doing so because I am using a scrap piece of fabric to practice on.
Don’t follow my example, kids.
2. Embroidery needles
These needles are different from regular sewing needles. The eye is larger to accommodate for the multiple threads that make up embroidery floss. Keep in mind that the thicker your fabric is, the thinner your needle will need to be. You can use a sewing needle if you split the thread into individual strands.
3. Embroidery scissors
These are small and sharp, designed to be able to navigate into small spaces to make precise cuts. One popular style is the stork scissors, which are even collectibles for some! Personally, I use my regular all-purpose scissors but I have been looking into getting myself a pair of these beauties.
4. Embroidery floss
I think the standard embroidery floss is made of 6 threads twisted together to make one strand. I get my embroidery floss from my local Michael’s, and the color selection has been more than sufficient so far.
Tip! Know what design you want to embroider BEFORE buying your thread so you know exactly which colors you will need.
Learning the basics
There are lots of different types of stitches out there, each with a unique look and effect. For simple designs though, these are the stitches that are the most common:
It is much easier to learn how to do these basic stitches through video and I highly recommend following along with piece of practice fabric. In addition to the tutorials linked above, Cutesy Crafts has a playlist of stitch tutorials and they are perfect demonstrations to learn from.
Finding inspiration
My go-to is Pinterest but there are many people who do embroidery with all sorts of themes on Instagram. Some of my favorites are @able.anna and @jessicalongembroidery. I’ve been really into floral designs recently and they are fairly simple and elegant. It was actually this YouTube tutorial below from Diana Vingert that inspired me to try embroidering some beautiful botanicals. Going forward, I want to branch out into embroidering icons from some of my favorite games and shows.
The process
I’m not sure if my process is the same as other, more experienced stitchers. However, I think it works out fine for me. First, I sketch out a design on paper, using Pinterest and Instagram pictures for reference. I then trace the design onto my fabric using pencil. I know some people use washable pen or marker for this as well. I have only used this method on light colored fabrics so I will let you know how I transfer my design when I try it out on dark fabric.
Then, it’s a matter of stitching in the design. Figuring out which stitches go where is a process of experimentation, and I am still figuring it out myself. Generally speaking though, for outlines I use a back stitch and for filling in spaces I use either a satin stitch or a long-and-short stitch.
Like with anything, improvement comes with practice and experimentation. I’m still learning and I am happy to hear that some of you are eager to join in and learn along with me! Leave a comment below telling me what kind of designs you would like to see or head over to my Instagram to see some more of my work.
Want your crafting questions answered live? Catch my streams on Twitch at twitch.tv/finding_doro.
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