The Diary of a Northern Belle

Hand Embroidery

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Wonderful Tips for Embroidery & Home Decor

     Anne      Leave a Comment

Hello friend! I have some exciting news today!

The Diary of a Northern Belle was featured in a recent blog post article by Redfin. It’s all about how you can easily incorporate embroidery in your home in many different ways to enhance your space and give it that something special. 23 experts each provided their best tip on how best you can achieve this. This was a very exciting opportunity for me and I was very honoured to be able to contribute to the article! My tip is the very last one, so make sure you read the full article to see it 😉

Check out the recent Redfin article I was featured in:


Showcase Embroidery in Your Home: 23 Unique
Embroidery Ideas to Elevate Your Space


“The appearance of needlework in home decor is a definite sign that embroidery is making a
comeback. While it’s often thought of as a pastime reserved for your grandparents, we’re here to
tell you that needlepoint is enjoying its resurgence as a newfound hobby and collector’s item.
With a needle, thread, and a little creativity, embroidery can quickly transform your space and
allow your personality and imagination to shine through.


If you’re ready to get crafty and want some ideas to add a homey touch to your loft in New York,
NY, or decor inspiration for your cozy home in Toronto, ON, we’ve got you covered. Redfin
reached out to us and other embroidery experts to get our unique embroidery idea to reinvigorate
your space. So bust out your embroidery hoops and colorful threads to add some flair to your
home.”


Showcase Embroidery in Your Home: 23 Unique Embroidery Ideas to Elevate Your Space

basket of roses embroidery to elevate home decor

 

I hope you enjoy reading the article on the Redfin blog page and that you will discover a new useful tip or two on how to decorate your home with embroidery! There are so many ways to go about it, but the article really breaks it down into a bunch of useful tidbits.

A huge thank you to Hannah Tan from Redfin for reaching out and featuring my blog in the article! 🙂 I really appreciate the opportunity, and to be up there with the other experts! Woo 😀

Happy home decorating, and stay tuned for more embroidery ideas and inspiration here on my blog!

Fondly,

Awesome Bullion Knot Hack

     Anne      4 Comments

Who here hates bullion knots? There’s absolutely no shame. They are a beast.

bullion knots made easy

I used to not even like the finished look of them, but I do know. They’re amazingly textured and three-dimensional and really bring the embroidery game to the next level. BUT.

THEY ARE SO ANNOYING TO STITCH.

Admittedly, I haven’t tried very hard. I have a skin condition called hyperhidrosis that makes me sweat from the hands uncontrollably. It’s like having a faucet that never turns off. It doesn’t matter if it’s cold and I’m at my most relaxed, I will still sweat. This makes embroidery very difficult sometimes, but it makes certain stitches pretty much impossible. The bullion knot is one of them. It can be hard enough for dry-handed stitchers, but with sweaty hands, boy oh boy! I don’t recommend AT ALL.

So needless to say, I gave up pretty fast when I tried it. I was also in a huge rush, because the project I was working was a Christmas gift and Christmas was coming SOON. I picked a project that had about 300 bullion knots and I had never worked with them.

Why did I do this to myself, you ask? Great question.

To be fair, I didn’t count them beforehand. I honestly didn’t think it could be that bad, and I really wanted to stitch the beautiful lilac branch from Carol Andrews’s Embroideries From an English Garden. I also like a good embroidery challenge. (You can find the full blog post on this project and its inspiration from Jane Eyre here.)

flat lay view of embroidered lilac branch journal cover
close up of embroidered lilac flowers and beads

But after spending 15 minutes on one bullion knot with my sweaty hands that made the thread impossible to glide through the coil, I was ready to give up. I seriously considered stitching the lilac flowers in a completely different way. But after playing around for a bit, my sweating intensifying with every passing second as Christmas drew closer, I found an incredibly easy way to achieve the bullion knot look without actually stitching a bullion knot.

 

Amazingly Easy Bullion Knot Hack

Alright, so the traditional way to make a bullion knot is to wrap your thread several times around the needle shaft, tightening it with one hand to create a coil, and then pulling the needle through the coil with your other hand. It’s a stitch that takes a lot of practice, but it’s definitely possible and the results are worth it. But sometimes, sometimes you just can’t. And that’s okay, because there is ANOTHER WAY. A MUCH, MUCH EASIER WAY.

 

Begin by threading your needle and see this post on how to best anchor the thread to begin your stitches. Once you’re ready, bring your needle up from the back and make a straight stitch the size you want your bullion knot to be.

straight stitch

 

Come back up in the same hole (or very near) where you first came up to make the straight stitch (point A).

needle coming back up at point A

 

And this is where the magic happens. Slide your needle under the straight stitch and wrap your thread around it repeatedly, until it is all covered. Wrap it tightly, and guide it with the tip of your needle if need be (sometimes the wraps tend to pile on top of each other).

needle gliding behind straight stitch
needle wrapping around straight stitch for bullion knot hack
bullion knot hack in progress

 

When you get to the end, go back at point B, either in the same hole or just besides (it’s a bit more secure to go just besides).

going back down at point b to close the stitch

 

Sometimes the bullion knot will be a little loose from all the wrapping, but that’s ok. Place it however you want it to lay, and make a small anchoring stitch in the middle to hold it in place. It’ll blend in with the wraps.

finished bullion knot laying flat
bullion knot hack complete

 

AND THERE!!!! Isn’t this so much easier than the traditional method? And it LOOKS THE SAME, but it’s so much less aggravating!! No one needs to know it’s not an actual knot. 😉 This is the method I used for my lilac branch project and it worked so well and I was so pleased with the result!!

lilac branch project bullion knot lilac flowers close-up

 

What do you think? Are you a fan of bullion knots in general? Leave me a comment if this tutorial was helpful to you!

Fondly,

super easy bullion knot hack
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FREE Embroidery Pattern & Tutorial: Wisteria Branch

     Anne      4 Comments

Who’s ready for a hand embroidery pattern freebie? 🙂

 

embroidery freebie wisteria

Read on to download this sweet wisteria embroidery pattern & see the tutorial. 🙂 Last week, I introduced you to one of my new favourite novels, The Enchanted April, by Elizabeth von Arnim. We talked about how dreamy and escapist it was, and how much flower inspiration there was to be found in it. The wisteria in particular, proved to be a wonderful subject for embroidery!

 

If you haven’t seen that post, check it out here.

 

I showed you a bit of how I embroidered my wisteria-inspired project, and if you liked it then the good news is that I have more wisteria for you this week!

 

embroidered wisteria branch finished side view
embroidered wisteria branch finished view from top

 

I created this pattern so I could share my newfound love of wisteria with you all. Now you can stitch your own! May it bring you sunshine and happiness as promised in The Enchanted April.

 

The pattern is super simple and accessible to beginners. I only used three basic stitches: the split stitch, the lazy-daisy stitch, and a form of leaf stitch. Simply click on any of these for a full tutorial on how to work them.

 

See also: The Only Embroidery Tools You Really Need to know which basic materials you will need for this project.

 

DOWNLOAD YOUR PDF HERE: Wisteria Free Embroidery PatternDownload

 

Tutorial:

 

I used DMC floss, but you can use another brand if you like. You can find a good conversion chart here. I used 2 strands throughout the whole project.

 

#153 (Vy Lt. Violet)

#210 (Md. Lavender)

#470 (Lt. Avocado Green)

#553 (Violet)

#3011 (Dk. Khaki Green)

#3042 (Lt. Antique Violet)

 

See also this post on How to Start & End Your Stitches.

 

1. Branches

 

Begin by stitching the branches (or stems?) with #470 . Since the leaves and the flowers will go over it, it’s easier to start with it first. I used the split stitch, but feel free to use any other outline stitch that you like, such as the backstitch or the stem stitch. Stitch all the way down the middle of the flower cluster. Some of it will show through once the flowers are stitched. You can also stop the branch before the cluster if you don’t want it showing through or you want to make your flowers very tight together.

 

wisteria stem in split stitch

 

2. Leaves

 

There are many ways to embroider leaves, but I kept it super simple here and just stitched mine with a simple leaf stitch. The method I use is kind of a cross between satin stitch and fishbone stitch. Using 2 strands of #470, make a small straight stitch from the top of the leaf to the top of the guideline running down the middle vein.

 

leaf worked in straight stitches

 

Work your way down the leaf by starting your stitches on the outline of the leaf and ending on the middle guideline for the central vein. Make your stitches at a diagonal angle to keep the shape of the leaf. I like to work one side at a time (usually I start with the right).

 

leaf worked in straight stitches one side at a time

 

If you’re satisfied with the look of the leaves as they are after this step, you can skip the next step! I just wanted to add a bit more colour and texture to mine.

 

Using #3011, make a straight stitch down the middle of the leaf for the main vein. I also added two very small stitches on either side, also on a slight angle.

 

view of finished leaves

 

3. The Flowers

 

The flowers are all worked in lazy-daisy stitches, sort of scattered in a downward motion and fairly close together to create the droopy cluster effect. On your pattern, the dotted line indicates the shape the finished cluster will take. You don’t have to transfer that line on your fabric as it may leave marks if it’s not entirely covered in stitches. It’s more just to give you an idea of the finished size and shape. You can transfer the straight lines going down from the stem, as those should be all covered and will help you to guide the placement of your stitches.

 

You want to work your lazy-daisies downward, some going straight down, and others going at slight angles from the branch. There is no specific placement for each of them though, and this is a very forgiving flower for embroidery. One stitch or two out of place will only add shape to it! Have fun with it and experiment with where you place your stitches if you want to change the shape a bit, or the way it hangs.

 

lazy-daisy stitches embroidered along wisteria branch to create flowers
wisteria branch being filled with lazy-daisy stitches to create the flowers

 

I used #153, #3042 and #210 for the smaller branch, and #153, #3042 and #553 for the bigger one.

 

finished embroidery work

 

And there you go! I decided to add a little bow at the last minute to give it a more finished look. I used a piece of narrow white satin ribbon, tied it into a bow and sewed it to the base of the branch.

 

view of little white ribbon bow at base of wisteria branch

 

It looks pretty cute I think! I really hope you have fun stitching this wisteria pattern. This is the first “real” pattern I’ve ever made so I’m pretty excited. Any feedback will be super appreciated and I would love it if you show me your results! Tag me on Instagram @northernbelle.atelier if you try this wisteria pattern! 🙂 Also don’t hesitate to reach out for any questions or comments and be sure to subscribe to my newsletter for more embroidery content!

 

Fondly,

wisteria embroidery free pattern
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9 Reasons to Learn Hand Embroidery

     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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How to Start and End Embroidery Stitches

     Anne      14 Comments

To knot or not to knot, that is a question that often seems to be heavily disputed in the embroidery world! One of the first things you want to know when you first begin embroidery is, of course, how to even begin. What are the proper ways to start and end your embroidery stitches? How do you secure your thread?

This post will answer all your questions about starting and ending off your stitches efficiently. I will go through a few different ways to do so, since certain stitches might require different methods.

Let’s begin with the famous question of whether or not it’s proper to start embroidery by knotting your thread…

 

 

To Knot or Not

When I first started learning embroidery a few years ago, I primarily turned to books to teach myself how to stitch. Most authors whose books I thoroughly enjoyed frowned heavily on the practice of using knots. But then again, others saw nothing wrong with it and told you to just go ahead and secure your threads with knots if that’s what your heart desired. After all, when all is said and done, no one looks at the back of embroidery, right? Who’s to know or care?

 

The Case For Knots

The truth is, it really depends on what you’re embroidering and what purpose the final piece will serve. Generally speaking, knots are less secure than the other methods I’m about to show you. They come undone easier, and if your piece is going to be washed repeatedly, you run the risk of having your beautiful stitches come undone.

They also add unnecessary bulk, and if you like the back of your embroidery clean, they make everything look messier. However. Sometimes a knot is just easier and makes sense. Sometimes you want to go a little faster, and sometimes you might get a little lazier. I’ll be the first to admit that I do that 😉

If you’re just practicing your stitches on a fabric scrap, or you know your piece will stay in the hoop and the back will be finished with another piece of fabric, then I really can’t blame you for wanting to use knots. I think they’re perfectly acceptable in certain cases, especially if you’re framing your final work.

 

How to Start With a Good Old-Fashioned Knot:

Begin by gathering the materials you will need for embroidery – you can find more information on that in this post. Prepare a piece of fabric and mount it in your embroidery hoop. Then, thread an embroidery needle. I used 3 strands of navy Anchor cotton floss for this tutorial.

Leave a tail of 3”-4” hanging from the eye of the needle (the eye is the hole where you thread).

 

threaded needle with hanging tail 3-4 inches long

 

Form a knot at the end of your main length of floss (not the tail). Pull to tighten, and snip off any excess thread.

thread end forming a knot
tight knot at the end of thread

Bring your needle up from the back of your hoop at the point where you want to start stitching. The knot will remain at the back of your work.

 

How to Start Embroidery Stitches Without a Knot

In the interest of showing you the “proper” way to start and end embroidery stitches for those pieces where knots at the back aren’t your best bet, here are some alternative ways to get started:

 

1. The Waste Knot

For this one, you will actually begin with a knot again, following the same instructions as above. However, instead of bringing your needle up from the back, you will do the opposite. Draw the needle from the good side of the fabric so that the knot rests on the front.

 

waste knot resting on the front of the embroidery work

 

Make sure that the knot is away from where you want your first stitch to be. If you have a guideline marked on your fabric, you want the knot to be slightly away from it, not on it.

Make two very small stitches along your guideline, in the spot where you want your first stitch to be. They should be small enough so that your first stitch will entirely cover them.

 

two small anchoring stitches to begin embroidery, away from a waste knot

 

Bring your needle up from the back just behind the first tiny stitch, and make your first actual stitch. For this tutorial, I’m doing a simple line of backstitch.

needle coming up behind two anchoring stitches to begin a line of stitching
needle coming down to cover anchoring stitches
first stitch laying on top of anchoring stitches, covering them completely

 

Take a few more stitches, and once you feel that it is secure, go ahead and snip the knot. Lift it gently with one hand and cut with the other.

line of backstitch with waste knot at the end
snips about to cut waste knot

The front is now all neat and tidy and you can carry on stitching!

view of neat front after waste knot has been snipped

 

Note: You don’t want to place the knot too far from your intended line of stitching, or you’ll end up with a dangling tail on the backside.

 

How To End Your Stitches Without a Knot

To finish off a line of stitching, simply flip your hoop to work on the backside. Run your needle just behind the stitches you’ve already lain. I usually weave it three or four times before snipping the end.

needle weaving through back stitches to secure end thread
end thread has been secured through stitches on the back ready to snip
neat view of the back once thread has been secured

And there you go! Nice and secure, no bulky knots!

 

2. Starting with a Long Tail

Certain stitches make it easier than others to forgo knots altogether. With this method, you start by bringing your needle up from the back, leaving a good tail of around 1”-1 ½” long at the back.

 

long tail at the back of embroidery hoop

 

The idea with this one is to catch the tail as you go along. Hold on to it with one hand as you take your first stitch so it won’t slip away. The next time you come up from the back, as you take your second stitch, make sure to catch the tail underneath it. As you pull your thread tight to lay the stitch, it will start securing the tail.

 

view of backside, as stitch begins to anchor the tail
View of back
view of backside showing stitch being pulled tight to secure tail
View of back

Repeat these steps a few more time to ensure the tail is really anchored, checking the back of your work to make sure you’re catching it.

more stitches anchoring the tail on the back side
Working on the back, make sure to trap the tail as you lay your stitches.

 

If you left a pretty long tail, you can eventually just snip it off once you feel it is secure, or you can keep catching it at the back until it is fully anchored.

back view showing anchored tail has been snipped off
View of back

 

Front will look all nice and tidy 😊

front view of tidy row of backstitch

Finish off the same way as illustrated in the waste knot method, by weaving the thread through the stitches on the back.

 

3. Starting With Anchoring Stitches

 

Alternatively, you can also make a few anchoring stitches to secure the thread when you start instead of catching the tail behind your first few stitches.

tail of thread on the back side
Tail on the back side
two small anchoring stitches on front side
Anchoring stitches on the front
back side view after taking two anchoring stitches, shows thread tail hanging loosely
Back side, after anchoring stitches are made

As shown before, cover the anchoring stitches with your first stitch. Continue stitching, catching the tail if you want, or snipping it if you feel it is secure enough.

needle coming up to cover anchoring stitches
Front
First stitch covering the two anchoring stitches, view of front
Front
View of the back, showing snipped tail once it's been secured
Back side, after more stitches were made. Tail has been snipped.

Finish the thread by weaving it behind the stitches on the back, the same way as before.

 

4. Anchoring “X” Method

This method is probably the fastest and easiest way to start embroidery, but it can end up leaving visible anchoring stitches on the front. It’s better suited for larger stitches or if you’re filling an area.

Working on the backside of the hoop, take a teeny-tiny stitch where you want your first stitch to lay, or inside a shape you will be filling. Catch only a fiber or two of the main fabric. Pull through, but not all the way. You want to leave a very small tail, only a few millimeters long.

 

needle on the back side picking up two thread of main fabric
Small tail left on the back side once first anchoring stitch has been made

Going back to the wrong side, take another tiny stitch just behind the first one, at an angle to form a little cross or an X.

on the back side, needle coming behind first anchoring stitch to make second anchoring stitch to form X with the first one

 

This is what it will look like on the front. It is a bit larger and can be harder to disguise with outline stitches, but it’s perfect for filling and for certain isolated stitches like French knots and lazy-daisy.

view of the front with small X formed by anchoring stitches

 

Here I’ve worked some French knots, and the first one sits right on top of that little anchoring cross, completely hiding it.

french knot sits on top of anchoring X
group of french knots worked on good side

How to End Your Stitches

Since French knots are often isolated, this method works really well to secure them. To finish off the thread, flip to the backside, and weave your needle a few times among the stitches.

backside showing dragged thread from french knots
needle running behind the stitches to secure the thread

You can see that I dragged my thread across a little, and while this isn’t always recommended, it’s perfectly fine for working isolated stitches that are still close to each other. Since the threads are a bit loose though, I recommend looping your needle through your working thread to make it extra secure. I also like to run the needle behind the back stitches once more before snipping off.

needle going through thread loop to form small anchoring knot
knot has been pulled tight to secure thread

It technically counts as a knot, but it gives me peace of mind that the stitches won’t come undone. You could also end the same way you began, with the little X, but make sure that it’s not visible on the good side. This can be tricky sometimes, depending on what stitch you’re working.

 

Best Way to Start & End Stitches if You’re Filling a Shape

I find it much easier to start embroidery if I’m covering an area rather than outlining, because any anchoring stitches/tails are sure to be hidden and extra secure.

 To begin, you can either use the waste knot or the hanging tail method. You’ll want the waste knot or the thread tail to be inside the shape. When you place your two anchoring stitches, they don’t have to be as close together as I’ve shown before. As long as they are inside the shape you’ll be filling, you’re good! They can also be bigger since they will be fully covered.

 

I’m using the waste knot method here, and after working a few long and short stitches, I just snip off the knot.

Long & short stitches being worked inside the shape to cover the anchoring stitches
Waste knot has been snipped off the good side of fabric

When you’re ready to end, flip to the back of your hoop, and simply run the needle through a few stitches. If you’re working long & short or satin stitches, they will be nice and tight and your thread end won’t be going anywhere anytime soon (unpicking these stitches is the worst, they are so secure!).

needle running behind stitches on the back side

 

If you’re switching colours or simply re-threading, you can begin again the same way you ended. Flipping to the back side, run your needle behind the stitches once or twice, until you can safely pull without the tail coming undone.

Repeat until your shape is filled to your satisfaction!

finished shape viewed from the front, worked in long & short stitches

 

And here we are, these a few ways you can safely start and end your embroidery stitches with no worries 😊 This turned out to be a longer post than I thought for what seems like a small thing, but these are the steps that will hold everything securely together, so it is important. And I just had to give my two cents on the whole knot-or-no-knot business 😉 I do hope this post was helpful to you, and if you know other methods of starting and ending embroidery that work well for you, please share them in the comments!

 

Happy embroidering my friends, and until next time!

Fondly,

The Only Embroidery Tools You Need

     Anne      Leave a Comment

embroidery tools you will need to get started

 

Starting a new hobby can often become rapidly very expensive. The good news with getting into embroidery is that you don’t need a whole lot of fancy tools and equipment. Getting started is easy and inexpensive! In fact, you probably already have a few of the following items lying around the house.

 

Embroidery Hoop:

wooden embroidery hoops of varying sizes, featuring a larger hoop on a stand

 

Embroidery hoops are essential for keeping your fabric taut and the tension even. They come in a variety of sizes and materials, generally ranging from wide 12” ones to small 4” ones. The most common ones are made of wood or plastic. Usually, they have an adjustable screw on the outer ring to make it easy to tighten the fabric and keep the tension even. They can be found in major craft stores (in Canada, you can get them at Michaels or Fabricville/Fabricland). You can also purchase them online. You can even get fancy ones with a stand, which are especially great because they free both your hands. These are a bit harder and more expensive to find however, and are not essential if you’re just starting out. Any hoop size can work, it will really depend on the size of your project. I like to keep a few of different sizes on hand!

 

tightly secured fabric in embroidery hoop showing screw mechanism

 

Side Effect Warning:

Embroidery hoops make the cutest frames and will soon become your preferred way of displaying your embroidery… prepare to have all your walls decorated with them. 😉

 

Fabric:

different fabrics suitable for embroidery; linen, cotton blend, factory cotton, medium weight cotton and light-weight cotton

 

Pretty much any fabric can be embroidered on, but some are definitely easier to work with! Woven fabrics are especially ideal. Think light to medium-weight cottons or cotton blends, or linen for example. I would recommend something with a tight enough weave so that your stitches remain secure, unless you are planning on using the weave of the fabric to guide your stitches (such as for cross-stitch). I recommend staying away from anything knit or stretchy, as it’s so much more difficult to keep the tension even and prevent puckering. You’ll also want to avoid using fabric that is too see-through (like lining…I tried that once, don’t recommend!). That’s because all the back threads and knots and other such bits of floss will show through on the good side. However, if your fabric is too heavy-weight and thick, it will be more difficult to transfer your design if you’re tracing it from a pattern or an image.

 

Side Effect Warning:

I’m not kidding when I say that pretty much every type of fabric can be embroidered on though – you’ll soon find yourself adding embroidery on everything, even things that aren’t fabric…(I recently cross-stitched a plastic phone case lol! Super fun but hard on the fingers.)

 

Needles:

Perhaps the most necessary embroidery tool, the needle is an embroiderer’s best friend. You obviously can’t stitch without it! There are a few different kinds of embroidery needles out there, varying in length, size, and sharpness. Embroidery needles (also called crewelwork needles or sharps) are longer and have a bigger eye than common sewing needles. Because embroidery floss is thicker than sewing thread, you will want a needle with an eye wide enough to thread your floss, and a tip sharp enough to pierce the fabric repeatedly. Embroidery needles usually come in packs that identifies them by number; the higher the number, the smaller the needle. The sizes range from 1-12, and one pack will usually feature more than one size (I personally like the 3-9). The varying lengths and sizes will depend on the kind of stitches you’re interested in trying. I would recommend trying a few different ones and seeing what feels most comfortable.

 

two different crewelwork needles, size 3 and size 9

 

Ideally, you don’t want to use too big a needle to create unnecessarily large holes in your fabric, or too small a needle that you can’t thread it properly. If you start with getting a set of “embroidery” or “crewelwork” needles within the 1-12 size range and you work with DMC cotton floss (or Anchor or another equivalent), you’ll be good to go! You can find embroidery needles in major or local craft stores, or online directly on the DMC website.

 

Side-effect warning:

Making cozy little homes for your needles in the form of cases and needlebooks will become as much a priority as a necessity.

 

Floss:

DMC and Anchor embroidery floss in shades of pink and green, as well as a pair of stork snips

Aaaahh, this is undoubtedly the best part and the most fun to buy! The two major brands of cotton floss are DMC and Anchor, although I’ve mostly only seen DMC sold in stores around here. Again, you can get embroidery floss at most major craft stores as well as in various other local craft stores or online (the DMC website is pretty great!). Anchor and DMC use a different numbering system to identify all their colours, but there are several useful charts you can find online for colour equivalencies. 

 

Cotton embroidery floss comes in stranded skeins of about 8 meters long (8.7 yards). The 6 strands are loosely woven together, allowing you to easily separate them depending on how thick or thin you want your embroidery to be. Most surface embroidery projects are often stitched using 2 or 3 strands at a time. However, you can use as few or as many as you want depending on what you’re stitching and what you want the overall effect to be.

 

DMC green embroidery floss showing the 6 twisted strands that form the skein

 

Side effect warning:

Buying floss is one of the most addictive things ever, as you’ll soon convince yourself that you need ALL. THE. COLOURS.

A box full of miscellaneous DMC and Anchor embroidery thread, winded on cardboard cards

 

Snips:

Snips or embroidery scissors (basically small, precise sewing scissors) are an essential tool for embroidery because you’ll need a small, fine blade for making precise and clean cuts. The fine point of embroidery scissors makes it easy and un-stressful to snip threads close to the main fabric and embroidery work. Snips also come in different shapes and sizes. Ideally you’ll want a pair with a blade about 1-2” long. They can be picked up at most major craft stores or you can browse Etsy to find some truly unique or vintage ones!

 

two pairs of stork scissors for detailwork, 1 small and 1 bigger

 

I’ve somehow ended up with two pairs of these popular stork-shaped ones, of different sizes. They’re definitely my favourite kind of snips so far. The blade is nice and thin, its fine point ideal for detailwork and making clean cuts. I love them and strongly recommend them! I got the smaller pair on Amazon, and the larger one at my local Fabricville store. They are typically around ten dollars.

 

Side-effect warning:

Even if you don’t end up getting bird-shaped ones, snips have a tendency of flying away. I strongly recommend tying a piece of string or ribbon to keep them around your neck, or you’ll find yourself losing them all the time (and I should consider taking my own advice).

 

Pencil:

There are many different ways of transferring an embroidery pattern onto fabric, and many different tools to do so. If you’re just starting, an HB or mechanical pencil will do just fine. It doesn’t work for every type and colour of fabric, but if you’re using a lightweight cotton or linen that is see-through enough, it works wonderfully. Because a well-sharpened (or mechanical) pencil tip is so precise, it is ideal for marking or transferring patterns with small details.

 

various writing tools for transferring embroidery patterns; 0.7mm mechanical pencil, water-soluble pen, iron-on transfer pen, chalk mechanical pencil

Other useful marking tools include the water-soluble pen, which washes off easily with water (2).  The iron-on transfer pen (3) transfers your design using heat. The chalk pen (4) works like a mechanical pencil but uses chalk refills instead of graphite. The latter can prove very useful if you’re planning on embroidering on darker fabrics, but they can be expensive. 

 

Side Effect Warning:

Even though I love trying out different kinds of transfer method, I have to be honest and admit that the mechanical pencil really is my favourite! No trick for this one. Although you may end up like me and just convince yourself you need the latest transfer pen they come up with. Maybe 😉

 

Window:

embroidery pattern and fabric taped to a window, letting natural light filter to be able to transfer the pattern

 

This is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think “embroidery tools”, but! If you’re using a paper pattern – or just an image you want to  copy– the easiest and cheapest way to get it onto your fabric is by tracing it over a window during the daytime. Simply tape your paper pattern to the window and then secure your fabric over it. Trace your design onto the fabric using the marking tool of your choice. The iron-on transfer pen won’t work for this method, but a pencil will work great. Voilà, natural lightbox!

 

Side Effect Warning:

Speaking of lightboxes, if you’re serious about getting into embroidery, you’ll probably want to invest in an actual one. While the window trick does work quite well, it can become very tiring on the arms and sadly doesn’t work after like, 4 pm during the winter when darkness comes on so quickly.

 

And that’s it!! Those are the only embroidery tools you really need to get started and achieve satisfying results, and you don’t need to break the bank to do so. Embroidery is a wonderfully affordable hobby. I hope you found this post useful and that you decide to give embroidery a try if you were thinking about it. Happy stitching!

 

Fondly,

embroidery tools for beginners
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