So Easy

The first crafty thing I ever learned was embroidery. I think it was a pillowcase kit. Picture a 10 yr old girl with tangled floss and crazy looking stitches. And, I'm pretty sure that felt the need to use every bright color of the rainbow in every flower. But, I learned. And I got better.


These days, I am quite comfortable picking up or even designing a project. Now, I am not the best embroiderer by any stretch of the imagination. But that's okay. Even hand embroidery that is a bit uneven here and there has a charm unmatched by machine work. I want to encourage any of you who have never tried this craft to pick up a needle and give it a whirl.

It doesn't have to be this ambitious to be beautiful.

Unlike knitting which I think has a rather large learning curve (see Alex's post from Wednesday), embroidery can be picked up pretty quickly. If you know one or two stitches you can really create some fun stuff. There are all manner of great books out there that include stitch dictionaries. Some of my favorites for beginners are Embroidery Companion, Embroidered Effects, and Sublime Stitching. These are contemporary books that really speak to the beginner.


The sample I embroidered of the free pattern we posted last Wednesday only uses 4 stitches. I would like to go into some detail about when to use these stitches and share some images:


Chain Stitch
The chain stitch is a real workhorse. I have seen stunning pieces done in nothing but chain stitch. It is the most basic, and versatile stitch around.

This rabbit is in chain stitch, around his eye I used stem stitch.

Stem Stitch
Much like the chain stitch, this technique creates a line. The difference is that this one is thinner. I tend to use this stitch in conjunction with the chain stitch when I am trying to get a bit of depth by using them to make thicker or thinner lines.

Satin Stitch
As the name suggests, this stitch creates a satiny-smooth texture. For beginners, I think it's best to stick with small areas of satin because bigger areas are really best done with alternative techniques. On our Hare pattern, only a couple spots are done with this stitch.

The fruit is satin stitch.

French Knots
Slightly tricky, but worth the effort. These little knots are great accents on a piece. They are raised higher than the rest of the stitching so they add a little pop wherever you set them. Once you get the hang of it, I guarantee that you will use these whenever you get a chance.

French knots, stem stitch, and satin stitch make these flowers.

Now, before you can even set a stitch in place, you need the right tools. An embroidery hoop, an embroidery needle, and floss. All of these items can be found at any local needlework shop or big box craft store. The embroidery hoop sets the tension while you are working. They come in plastic or wood. For a beginner I think a 5" or 7" hoop works perfectly. Embroidery needles are specific to this craft. They are labeled specifically for embroidery. Not needlepoint, or crewel...you are looking for embroidery needles. Floss is a term for the type of thread that comes in skeins (much like yarn) and has strands you pull apart. When embroidering our patterns, you want to be working with 3 strands of thread at once unless directed to do otherwise. The skein comes with 6 strands stuck together so you will need to pull them apart.

This is a breezy overview for someone considering beginning embroidery. It is really a simple, satisfying and versatile craft to explore. I want to encourage everyone to not be intimidated to give this a try so I think I am going to spend some time on my next few posts talking about the necessary tools and techniques. Hell, we'll just call it a tutorial.

–Cassandra

So many ideas, so little time.

Lately I've been doing a lot of talking about embroidery in this space. Unfortunately, the only projects I have had to share are Sesame Street related and that doesn't really appeal to everyone. I actually wouldn't consider myself an expert in this art, and, as a matter of fact, would like to explore it a little more deeply.

Dreamy crewel design from a kit sold at Purl Soho.

The embroidery I have tackled has been quite rewarding for a few reasons. First, it's sort of instant gratification. I would put the speed in between knitting (slow for me) and sewing (a much quicker process). Now, keep in mind that I haven't gotten really complicated with embroidery so I'm sure there are some slow techniques out there! Second is that I really enjoy the process. Pulling a needle full of brightly colored thread through fabric really appeals to my senses. Mistakes are corrected rather easily and I can be a designer of my own pattern in a flash. (I am referencing my upcoming woodland creatures wall-hangings project) Lastly, and sad to say, importantly, it is "sitting work". For the same reason I love knitting... I love this. I can get comfy on my couch with tea and a movie and create while I relax.

Example of 18th century Finnish embroidery. I adore the all-over pattern.

My personal history with this sort of project work has only included DMC 6-strand embroidery floss. Really standard stuff. Simple chain or outline stitches coupled with french knots and satin stitch. I'm not lighting the world on fire here. But I will say, it's amazing how many projects you can do with just a thimbleful of knowledge.

But, I have gotten intrigued by some materials I have seen lately... linen threads, crewel yarns, wool threads, etc. It is fun to work with such bright candy-colors that you can't usually work with when knitting or sewing... unless you have a very small girl child to craft for in your house. Which I don't.

Pillowcase design by Sublime Stitching. Seriously awesome.

A while ago we reviewed a simple and basic embroidery book called The Embroidery Companion by Alicia Paulson. That has been a great book for referencing basic stitches. But there are also a lot of great resources on the web. I have found that the Purl Soho blog (The Purl Bee) has some really great ideas and tutorials for all sorts of types of techniques. And this site is really bare-bones as far a web design goes, but goodness it has a tutorial for any stitch you could possibly want to try.

If you're looking for some inspiration, just search "embroidery" on flickr or google images. There are a lot of people doing a lot of really creative stuff out there. I'm actually intrigued with the idea of combining quilting and embroidery lately. Just another project to add to the list! Hopefully I will have some of my own original designs to share with you soon.

–Cassandra