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THE LATEST

Floral Garden Bunting Project: a Wrap-Up on the 2023 Stitch-Along

Fall Floral Embroidery Pattern: Calendula Wreath

“Embroideries From an English Garden” by Carol Andrews – Book Review

9 Reasons to Learn Hand Embroidery

May 21, 2021      Anne      2 Comments

Have you been thinking about starting to learn hand embroidery but you’re not too sure what’s in it for you? How easy it is to get started? Is it worth your time and money? Read on to discover 9 reasons why you definitely should give it a try! I’m biased, but embroidery is wonderful!! Here’s why:

 

 

1. It’s Inexpensive

 

Unlike other hobbies – like sewing – you don’t need a whole lot of fancy equipment and tools to get started. Embroidery floss is relatively cheap (here in Canada it usually sells for about 0.85-1.05$/skein) and so are embroidery needles. If you’re just getting started and testing things out, you can practice stitches on any cotton or linen scraps if you have any. Cotton and linen are the most common fabrics used for surface embroidery because they are the most forgiving and the easiest to stitch on, but any fabric can be embroidered on. When I started, my first project was on a cheap piece of Dollar store felt, and it worked just fine (well, my technique was awful, but the working of the needle itself was fine lol).

 

See also: The Only Embroidery Tools You Need

 

starting hand embroidery, strawberry needlepainting with dried leaves

 

2. It’s Easy

 

As with any hobby, getting started can often be pretty intimidating. It’s hard to know exactly how and where to start, and you might feel overwhelmed by all the existing embroideries and projects you come across. There are definitely some complicated and intense patterns out there, but getting started doesn’t have to be difficult. I am a firm believer than anyone who wants to learn embroidery can do it. Your needle and thread do the hard work, all you have to do is guide them. I remember being intimidated by embroidery when I first started because I absolutely cannot draw to save my life, and thought my needlework would reflect my poor drawing skills. But everything looks much better once it’s stitched! And there are thousands of already existing patterns out there if you don’t want to draw your own.

 

getting the hand embroidery project started, winded floss surrounds hooped fabric
starting a hand embroidery project, needlepainted strawberry

The basic embroidery techniques aren’t difficult, and you don’t need to learn all the fancy techniques right away to achieve beautiful results. Check out this post on the 5 first stitches to learn to get started!

 

3. It’s Relaxing

 

There is something incredibly soothing about hand embroidery. The unhurried motions, the satisfying “swoosh” sound of thread going through fabric, the repetitive motions…Embroidery is calm, peaceful, and frees up your mind to meditate and relax while keeping your hands busy. Setting up is easy too, and you can work as little or as much as you want in a day!

 

4. You Can Do It Anywhere

 

Because there are so few materials required when you start embroidery, you can easily embroider from basically anywhere. Whether that’s your couch, your patio table, in public transit, on holiday, by the poolside, on top of a mountain, you name it! Of course not every project will be suitable for easy transportation and some projects might require being kept in the same tidy spot, but generally speaking, it’s very convenient to bring needlework along with you. I am personally a big fan of outdoor stitching. I love taking my projects to the local public garden and surround myself with flowers.

 

strawberry hoop art and strawberry bone china teacup

 

5. It’s a Perfect Excuse for Binge-Watching

 

I don’t know which justifies which for me at this point…the need to stitch the minute I sit down to watch something, or the urge to put on “a background show” when I’m stitching? A bit of both, I think. 😉 One of my favourite aspects of embroidery is how easily multi-taskable it is. It just becomes something to occupy your hands and feel productive while performing another relaxing activity like listening to music or binge-watching your favourite show.

 

embroidery snips and hooped fabric rest on pile of Jane Austen dvds

 

6. It’s So Creative!

 

You can literally embroider anything in existence! I tend to stick to florals and other nature inspired subjects, but really anything can be reproduced with a needle and thread. There are so many ways to gather inspiration for projects. It can be a line from your favourite novel, a beautiful design on a teacup, or the potted plant hanging above your kitchen sink. Inspiration is everywhere, from nature to books, movies, video games, history, the sky’s the limit!

 

7. You Can Easily Adapt it to Your Own Style

 

Once you find what you like to embroider best and what needlework style suits you, it’s easy to add embroidered touches anywhere you’d like to make something more “you”. You can add it to clothing to make it truly unique, or to other household items, like a pillowcase or a bag. Embroidery is addictive, and once you start, you’ll want to add it everywhere!

 

get started with hand embroidery! strawberry hoop art, needlepainting

 

8. It Makes Great Handmade Gifts

 

Similarly, since there are so many different things you can embroider, the possibilities for making wonderful handmade gifts are endless. Again, you can add it to every day items made of fabric to give them a personalized touch, or simply gift it as art. It’s hard to go wrong with embroidered wall art, and you can even leave the finished piece in the hoop and use it as a frame. Plus, the satisfaction and pride of gifting something handmade are totally worth the time spent on the piece!

 

9. You Can Learn a Lot of History

 

Not only will you be learning a new craft and new skills, but there is also so much fascinating history to learn regarding embroidery. It’s been around forever, in so many different forms and styles! Did you know that in many cultures, it was often used to differentiate between social classes? Or that the famous technique of “needlepainting” became popular during the Victorian era to elevate embroidery to the same level as art? And okay, maybe you aren’t a history nerd like me and are more interested in modern embroidery. That’s fine too, there’s plenty to learn there as well! And if you ARE a nerd like me, well! You’re in the right spot, because there are so many wonderful resources for learning historical embroidery techniques and I aim to share as many as I can with you!

 

My current WIP! Needlepainted strawberry done in long & short stitch

 

Check out how I made this practice stitch book using historical & vintage techniques and patterns!

 

And that’s it! Those are only 9 of many more reasons to learn hand embroidery if you’ve been thinking about it. 😊 I hope this motivates you to pick up a needle! I will be adding more useful resources on my blog very soon. If you do decide to learn embroidery, I’d love to know how it goes for you.

 

Happy stitching my friends!

Fondly,

learn hand embroidery 9 reasons why
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Najat .A says

    March 16, 2023 at 3:35 am

    Hello, I liked your words about embroidery. Would you allow me to quote it to encourage my group to learn the art of embroidery, thank you.

    Reply
    • Anne says

      March 17, 2023 at 10:21 am

      Hello, yes of course you can quote! Thank you.

      Reply

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Recent Posts

  • Floral Garden Bunting Project: a Wrap-Up on the 2023 Stitch-Along
  • Fall Floral Embroidery Pattern: Calendula Wreath
  • “Embroideries From an English Garden” by Carol Andrews – Book Review
  • Botanical Wreath Project: A Pattern for Each Month
  • 2023 Free Yearly Stitch-Along + Mini Needle-Painting Tutorial

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photo of Anne-Marie from The Diary of a Northern Belle

Hello I'm Anne! Welcome to my little corner of the Internet where I share my passion for hand embroidery with you through tutorials and patterns. I hope that you enjoy browsing and leave with some new inspiration!

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~ Diary of a Northern Belle

Northern Belle Atelier is taking a break 🌸💖 Northern Belle Atelier is taking a break 🌸💖

Today (Feb. 09th) is the last day to place your order for any physical items in my shop (kits, needle minders, or finished works). I will be removing the listings over the weekend. PDF patterns will remain available for now, but they may be taken down at any time (so if you've had your eye on one, I suggest grabbing it before they're gone! 🥰).

I will also be tuning off Instagram in the coming days, but you can still reach me via my business emails if you need. My blog will remain up for the time being. 💕

Thank you ever so much for all the support you've shown my little business since I began sharing my embroidery here! It has meant so much to me to be able to do this, even if just in a small way. 💖🪡 Wishing you all some beautiful stitches ahead!

Anne
Xoxo
February Wreath aka "Victorian Valentine" pattern February Wreath aka "Victorian Valentine" pattern from last year 💖🌸🎀 I love this one so much and it's perfect for Valentine's Day coming up!

Find it in my Etsy shop 💜

(Sorry for the shaky video!!)
Needle minders will be leaving my shop soon!! 🍒 Needle minders will be leaving my shop soon!! 🍒 Snag a cute little fruity needle minder for your next embroidery project before February 9th! All remaining needle minders in my shop are 10% off until then 💕🍓🍒💛
✨️ IMPORTANT UPDATE ✨️ I will be disconti ✨️ IMPORTANT UPDATE ✨️

I will be discontinuing embroidery kits from my shop very soon, but I still have 2 left of this pretty summer wreath up for grabs!! 🌼🍓

I love this design and the kit comes with everything you need to make the project: two pieces of cotton fabric, thread card loaded with DMC floss, two needles, a good quality 6" hoop, and the PDF pattern! All presented in a handy folder to make it easy to keep everything together 🤍💛❤️

Visit my Etsy shop (linked in bio) if you're interested!! They won't be around for long!
Thank you so much for all the love on the Floral G Thank you so much for all the love on the Floral Garden bunting!! 💖🌷🌻 Following several inquiries from some of you who were missing some or all of the patterns from this project, I've decided to link them in a handy-dandy blog post for easier access! 💕 I've linked it via my bio if you want to have a look and get the patterns! I like to give my subscribers a bit of exclusivity, but since this project has now come to a close, I've decided to make it available to everyone. 🥰

I may also have taken that opportunity to write a bit about each flower, the inspiration behind the designs, and of course their meanings according to the Language of Flowers 😊🌿🌻 If that sounds of interest to you, read  the post to find out more! I've also linked some stitch tutorials that may be helpful. 

Happy stitching! 🎀🪡🌼

Anne
The Floral Garden stitch-along has come to a close The Floral Garden stitch-along has come to a close and the bunting has been sewn and hung! 🌻🌷🌿 what a joy it was to work on throughout the year, and I hope you've enjoyed it too! I'm thrilled with the final result 😍

Thank you so much for all the lovely comments and enthusiasm for this project. I've just sent the final instructions + bunting template to my email subscribers 💌 it isn't too late if you'd like to give this project a try - you can sign-up via the link in my bio and receive the links to all 12 floral motifs from last year + the instructions for the bunting!! 💕

The embroideries are beginner-friendly and perfect if you want to try a bit of needle-painting, and the bunting part is quite easy and quick to put together (compared to last year's mini-quilt haha!) 🌷💕🌿

Happy stitching!!
Winter Fox 🦊🤍🌲 I think this makes the fir Winter Fox 🦊🤍🌲 I think this makes the first completed embroidery for 2024! Absolutely loved working on this and love the mix of watercolor with embroidery! Can't get enough of the little pinecones 🤎
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