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Scallop Stitch: Very Easy Embroidery Tutorial

     Anne      Leave a Comment

Hello and welcome to another very easy stitch tutorial! Today we will look at the scallop stitch, which is a variation of the fly stitch. I realize that I haven’t yet posted a tutorial on the fly stitch, and that’s because I never really use it! I prefer the scallop stitch, which is basically a curvier version of a detached fly stitch. I often use it for small details in my embroidery, worked with only 1 or 2 strands of floss.

 

scallop stitch embroidery tutorial

 

For example, if you’re here following my Tea Party Mini-Quilt stitch-along and you received the February Sweet Cherries pattern, you might have noticed that the scallop stitch was used for small details on the cherries. The scallop stitch, although really easy, is not a stitch I had heard much about when I first started to embroider, so I thought I would post a tutorial on how to do it. If you already know how to do lazy-daisy (detached chain), then you’ll have no problems at all with this one!

 

Scallop Stitch Tutorial

1. Bring your threaded needle (I’m using 2 strands for the tutorial) up from the back at point A, and back down again at point B. Don’t pull all the way through. The distance from A to B will be the length of your finished stitch.

needle going down from A to B

 

2. Start pulling the thread, until a small loop is left. Hold it down with a finger while you bring the needle up from the back at point C. Point C should be half-way across A and B, but slightly lower. The idea here is to create more of a curved line as opposed to the “V” shape of the fly stitch. So to do that, you don’t want point C to be too low. It’s the position of C that will determine how much or how little your line will curve.

needle coming back up between A and B at point C

 

3. Pull the needle all the way through, allowing the loop to rest against the working thread coming from point C. Bring the working thread over the loop, which should now be laying in a curved line from A to B.

thread being pulled all the way from point C to create curved line

 

4. Finally, anchor the curve in place with a very small stitch from C to D. Point D will be directly below point C, forming a very small straight stitch. This is the same way you would finish a lazy-daisy stitch.

needle going down in D to anchor scallop stitch

 

And that’s it!

finished scallop stitch laying nicely on the fabric

 

Repeat as many times as desired. Grouped together it looks like a flight of birds!

several scallop stitched grouped together

 

Here’s the pinnable step-by-step tutorial if you wish to save it for later.

scallop stitch tutorial

I hope this tutorial was helpful and that you enjoy giving the scallop stitch a go if you haven’t already! It’s such a handy stitch for little details. If you’d like to participate in the Tea Party Mini-Quilt stitch along, I send you a free mini-embroidery pattern each month this year as part of my newsletter! You can subscribe right here. We are turning the embroideries into little hexies to make an EPP mini-quilt at the end of the year. πŸ™‚

 

Check out these posts for more info & tutorials on EPP:

english paper piecing: how to cut and baste shapes
stitching a hexie flower english paper piecing
mini-quilt project: epp & embroidery

Have a lovely week my dear readers, and happy stitching!

 

Fondly,

Very Easy Tutorial: Leaf Stitch

     Anne      1 Comment

Hello and welcome to another stitch tutorial! This time, it’s another of my favourite ones: the leaf stitch. There are so many ways to stitch leaves, but the leaf stitch is definitely one of the easiest. Essentially made up only of straight stitches, it’s a quick and accurate way to embroider a leaf.

 

very easy leaf stitch tutorial

 

The leaf stitch is very similar to the fishbone stitch in appearance, and to the satin stitch in technique. I find it even easier than either of those though, particularly for embroidering very small leaves. It’s also a very easy stitch for beginners to learn.

 

Leaf Stitch Tutorial

1. You can draw a leaf outline on your fabric if you wish, or simply free-hand it. Not all stitches are easy to free-hand and keep straight and neat, but this one can work.

leaf outline traced in pencil on white fabric

 

2. Bring your threaded needle up from the back at point A, the very tip of the leaf. I’m using 2 strands of moss green floss. Go back down at point B in the middle of the leaf, forming a straight stitch. This first stitch is usually quite short, only a few millimeters.

first stitch going from A on top of the leaf, to B in the middle of the leaf, forming a straight stitch

 

3. Bring your needle up again at point C, just below point A along the leaf’s outline. Go back down again at point D, forming a second straight stitch that ends just below point B, along the middle (this will form the leaf’s midrib – the middle vein). This stitch should lie on a slight diagonal angle.

second stitch from C to D right beside first A-B stitch

 

4. Continue to repeat this step until one half of the leaf is complete. Your stitches will get longer and more angled around the middle of the leaf, then get gradually shorter again. Always end them right along the midrib. You can start a few stitches just outside the outline if you wish to create a jagged edge.

needle going down at an angle to form the next straight stitch to fill the leaf
one half of the leaf stitched in straight stitches at an angle going towards the middle

 

5. Then, do exactly the same thing to fill the other half. If your leaf is quite big, I recommend snipping off the thread and starting again at the top instead of dragging it across.

needle coming back up at the top of the leaf to fill the second half

Ta-da! A cute little leaf!

finished embroidered leaf in embroidery hoop with needle threaded through the fabric above the leaf

To add more depth, you can use a different thread colour and run straight stitches along the middle and towards the outer edges to create the veins. I like to do this with 1 strand of a darker shade.

 

And that’s it friends, as promised this one is a very simple stitch, but one that looks so good! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and here’s the pinnable image if you wish to save it:

how to do the leaf stitch
Pin to save for later!

 

You Might Also Like:

I have other stitch tutorials you might be interested in! They can all be found in the Stitch Library on the main page’s menu.

5 embroidery stitches to learn as a beginners
the french knot easy tutorial
embroidery tutorial satin stitch

I’ve also been posting short Reel tutorial videos over on Instagram, if you’d like to see the stitch done that way.

Until next time!

 

Fondly,

3 Easy Ways to Transfer a Pattern Onto Dark Fabric

     Anne      2 Comments

Transferring the embroidery pattern onto fabric is probably my least favourite part of the whole embroidery process…and when it has to be done on dark fabric, it’s even worse! Luckily, there are many tools out there to make this process easier. Embroidery on dark fabric can really look stunning, so don’t be discouraged by this part of the process! I’ll show 3 easy ways to successfully transfer your pattern on a dark fabric.

flatlay showing a piece of dark blue fabric, an owl embroidery paper pattern, transfer paper, and an embroidery hoop

 

How do you transfer a pattern on dark fabric?

There are a few different methods and marking tools that you can try for transferring an embroidery pattern onto dark fabric. The best method will depend on the fabric type and weight, and how detailed your pattern is.

In this post, I will show you 3 different ways to successfully transfer a pattern onto dark fabric, using different fabrics and patterns. I will touch on the following materials:

  • Carbon and Transfer Paper
  • Chalk
  • Light Source
  • Dressmaker’s pencil
  • White gel pen
  • Steel-Ball Stylus
  • Ballpoint pen

 

1. Transfer Your Pattern With Carbon or Transfer Paper

This is probably my favourite method for dark fabric. It’s also probably the easiest, if you can find good carbon paper, or transfer paper. Carbon paper has a waxy side and the transferred lines aren’t as easy to erase. Transfer paper, on the other hand, is cleaner and the lines are easy to remove. I’ve been using the wax-free DMC Transfer Paper made for embroidery, and really like it (you can find it on the DMC website). It comes in different colours, so you can choose a colour that will be visible on dark fabric, like this yellow. The marks easily rub off with a cloth, or even just with your finger. This is a bit of a downside since it means they don’t last very long, but there are solutions!

carbon paper shown on waxy yellow side

 

To transfer the pattern, start by placing the carbon/transfer paper colour side down against your fabric, and then tape your pattern over it.

owl embroidery pattern taped to carbon paper, face down on dark blue fabric, with a pencil and stylus laying beside

 

Using a ballpoint pen or a steel-ball stylus, go over all the pattern lines, applying a good amount of pressure to transfer them. I like the stylus a lot since it’s β€œcleaner” than the pen, but the latter works really well too.

close-up view of owl pattern lines gone over with steel-ball stylus

 

Peel back all the layers, and your pattern is transferred!

transferred owl pattern on dark blue fabric

You will notice that the transferred lines, although visible, are a bit pale…And as soon as I pick up the hoop to stitch, they become even harder to see. As I mentioned earlier, the marks also rub off very easily. So, I would definitely recommend having a dressmaker’s pencil or white gelly roll pen at hand to go over the lines. The branch details on this particular pattern definitely needed a little help!

 

Different Marking Tools

I really like the white gel pen, but be mindful that the marks are really hard to remove. The dressmaker’s chalk pen is a better option if you think you’ll want to erase any lines later. Also, the gel pen doesn’t roll easily depending on your fabric choice. I used a dark blue linen fabric that is a bit loosely weaved for this transfer, and had a bit of trouble getting the pen to glide. Since the pattern isn’t too detailed though, it works just fine for what I needed.

close-up of the embroidery project in the hoop, showing tree lines drawn in white gel pen and an embroidered moon

*The products I’ve linked are not affiliate links, just genuine recommendations of tools I enjoy using.

 

2. Transferring a Pattern With Chalk

A quick alternative to the carbon or transfer paper if you don’t have any is to use some chalk instead. Print or create a reverse version of your pattern, and go over it with chalk. I’m using a piece of white tailor’s chalk (used for marking fabric), and going over the pattern lines very generously. This doesn’t have to be precise, you just want to make sure to go over all the lines. I’m using a thicker, dark purple cotton for the fabric.

reverse bird pattern on paper against dark purple fabric, a piece of tailor's chalk and an embroidery hoop
Bird pattern is a free download by Diana Vingert

 

Place your pattern reverse side down against the fabric, and go over it again with a pencil or stylus. You don’t need to apply as much pressure as with the transfer paper since there’s one less layer.

transferred bird pattern on dark purple fabric, with stylus and white gel pen beside it

 

Pattern transferred! Again though, the lines are rather pale, so I suggest going over it with the gel pen.

bird pattern traced over with white gel pen, framed by the embroidery hoop over the fabric
The fabric is more closely woven than the previous one, making it really easy to trace with the gel pen.

 

3. Transfer your Pattern With a Light Source

I’ve covered how to transfer a pattern using a window or a lightbox before in this post, and you can do exactly the same thing if your dark fabric is lightweight and transparent enough. The green cotton I’m using here worked really well with a window, since it’s see-through enough. The sun was really strong that day and I could see my pattern lines clearly, although it doesn’t show in the picture.

 

All you need to do is tape your pattern to a window or light box, and then tape your fabric over it. Transfer the pattern with the gelly roll pen or dressmaker’s pencil (or any other marking tool you can see on dark fabric), and you’re done! The dressmaker’s pencil worked better with this fabric type here.

paper pattern and dark green fabric taped over a sunny window in winter
sunflower paper pattern next to transferred image in white chalk on green fabric

Embroidery on dark fabric is certainly a little trickier to prep and a little harder on the eyes to work with, but it’s definitely worth it. I hope you found this post helpful and that you will be inspired to stitch something on dark fabric now that you know how to easily transfer your pattern!

 

You Might Also Like:

how to transfer an embroidery pattern
embroidery success: 10 tips before you begin a project
embroidery books - recommendation for beginners

Fondly,

3 ways to transfer a pattern on dark fabric
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Hand-Sewing Basics: Easy Whipstitch Tutorial

     Anne      2 Comments

Welcome to another stitch tutorial: the whipstitch! This one will be a bit different since it’s not exactly an embroidery stitch (though you can use it for embroidery), but more a hand-sewing stitch. It’s quite easy and so incredibly useful. Definitely a great stitch to learn for many uses.

 

hand-sewing tutorial the whipstitch

 

Whipstitch Tutorial

I’ll show you first how to do it on a plain piece of fabric, without joining anything together so you can better see how it’s done.

I prefer to avoid knots when doing this stitch, since it’s usually used to join fabric together and securing it with anchoring stitches is more secure than a knot. You can see this post for how to start stitches without a knot.

 

1. For practice, I definitely recommend drawing two parallel guidelines of the width you’d like your stitches to be. Mine is about 0.5 cm wide. I also prefer to work this stitch horizontally from right to left, but that might be different if you’re left or right-handed.

fabric in embroidery hoop showing drawn parallel lines in pencil and anchoring stitches to begin stitching

 

2. Bring your needle up from the back at point A. Guide your working thread to lay at an angle towards the direction you’re working (to the left, in this case). Bring your needle down at point B (the distance between A and B will be how long your stitch is), and back up again in C in the same motion. C should be parallel with A.

thread coming up at point A, laying diagonally to the left and needle going back down at point b
needle going down in B and C at the same time to create whipstitch
first whipstitch laying at an angle from a to b, and working thread coming out at point c

 

3. Continue in this way for the remainder of the line, making sure that your stitches are even and equally spaced out. You can add more guidelines to your fabric to help you with this if you need! The stitches will lay at an angle naturally as you keep the needle straight while going through the fabric.

two stitches lain down to begin whipstitch line
finished line of whipstitch

 

Where Can You Use the Whipstitch?

As I mentioned earlier, the whipstitch is more often used as a hand-sewing stitch. Back before sergers came along, it was often used to overcast raw fabric edges by hand. I’ve done it on velvet and it works incredibly well! A bit time consuming compared to using a serger, but it’s actually a really neat and efficient way to finish an edge. The whipstitch is also used to join fabrics together, often along fold lines or when using felt. It’s widely used in appliquΓ© and English paper piecing as well (two crafts I’ve become enamoured with this year haha!). It’s not invisible like the slipstitch though, so it can double as a decorative stitch too!

Below are a few different examples of the whipstitch in practice. I really love this stitch and find myself using it pretty often :).

 

Joining Felt and Creating a Border:

Last week, I shared a scissor case I made out of felt, where I used the whipstitch both to sew my pieces together and create a nice border. I used embroidery floss instead of sewing thread and it worked really well.

needle going through two pieces of felt to whipstitch the pieces together
flat lay view of finished scissor case surrounded by dried plants, lace, a red bow, and small copper kettle

Joining pieces together for EPP:

Here I used the whipstitch to join two hexagons together in EPP style (English Paper Piecing). The hexagons are fabric-covered cardstock, but I only sew through the fabric. A full tutorial on how to make a hexie flower using this method is available here.

two hexies held good sides together, needle going through the folds along one edge with a whipstitch
the two hexagons seen from the good side, sewn together along one edge

Finishing the back of an embroidery hoop:

A bit similar to EPP, here I’m using the whipstitch to join a fabric-covered backing to the back of an embroidery hoop. The fabric from the backing is whipstitched to the hoop allowance of the main embroidery project. I also shared a tutorial on how to finish your hoop like this in this post.

close-up of needle whipstitching backing to the back of embroidery hoop
close-up view of finished embroidery hoop back to show the whipstitching all around

To appliquΓ© a piece of lace:

The whisptitch is super useful for appliquΓ©, especially since in this case the edge of the lace is further covered with stem stitch in yellow thread. But in order to secure the lace to the fabric, I first ran a whipstitch all around. I kept my stitches small and close to the edge so they would be as invisible as possible. For a closer look at this project, you can have a look at my Wisteria Embroidery Inspired by Literature post.

lace appliquΓ© being sewn on main fabric
stem stitch outline worked around lace appliquΓ©

As you can see, the whipstitch is a super useful stitch to know and can be used in so many projects. It’s also a great alternative to the slipstitch for closing openings. I find it much faster to work, but it’s not as invisible, which is why it’s nice when it serves a decorative purpose as well.

I hope this whipstitch tutorial was helpful, and don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions. Happy stitching!

 

Fondly,

P.S. – Have a stitch you’d like to learn, or questions about hand embroidery in general? I’d love to help! You can send me an email at anne.marie@diaryofanorthernbelle.com or message me on Instagram!

learn how to do the whipstitch
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How to Finish the Back of an Embroidery Hoop For Framing

     Anne      2 Comments

You’ve just placed the very last stitch on your embroidery project and now you wonder – what to do with the finished piece? Likely, a lot of hard work went into it, and it surely deserves a place of choice. There are many different ways to use and display embroidery pieces, and one of the easiest ways to do so is to simply leave it in the embroidery hoop. By neatly finishing the back of the hoop to hide the wrong side of the embroidery and encase all seam allowances, you can turn a useful embroidery tool into the perfect frame!

 

how to back embroidery hoop (without glue)

 

Embroidery Hoop as a Frame?

The β€œhoop art” look is not for everyone, and I’ll admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of it when I first started embroidery. To me, the embroidery hoop was only temporary, a tool to help me as I embroidered, but nothing more. I much preferred framing my pieces in real frames. It takes a bit more time and it can get more expensive, but it looks really stunning and suits certain styles of embroidery a lot better. Over time though, I’ve come to appreciate a good hoop as a frame.

For one thing, embroidery hoops are generally much cheaper than traditional frames, and for another it really is easier to leave it in. The fabric is already all nice and taut, and the placement of the screw allows you to hang it on the wall very easily.

I also came across beautiful faux wood hoops recently, and they are definitely a wonderful option for displaying embroidery! Prettier than normal bamboo hoops, they are more made to be hung on the wall than to keep the tension even as you stitch. They come in different sizes and shapes too, and you can find some in Michaels stores.

 

How to Finish the Back of a Hoop (Without Glue):

Again, as with many things regarding embroidery, there are many ways to finish the back of an embroidery hoop. Some like to use hot glue, a piece of cardboard, felt, a piece of pretty fabric, etc… There are many options. I personally prefer to stay away from glue if I can, and use a needle and thread. My method is a bit lengthier than many I’ve seen, but I find it neater.

To show you how I do it, I’ll be finishing my Blackberry Branch project from my Venetia post in one of those faux wood hoops I mentioned earlier.

flat lay showing finished blackberry branch embroidery in finished faux wood hoop, with haberdashery items, vintage teacup and dried plants in the background

The easiest way to back a hoop without glue is to use a piece of felt. Felt doesn’t fray, so you don’t have to worry about raw edges and it’s quicker to sew to your hoop. But what if you don’t have felt, or you’ve ransacked your stash and can’t find a suitable colour? Yes, this is what happened as I was preparing this tutorial. I couldn’t find a decent piece of felt that I liked for this hoop, so I came up with a different way to finish the back. It’s a few extra steps, but it looks amazing!

 

The Tutorial

1. First, there are two measurements we need, from the inside hoop ring. Gently pull it out from your work (or if you happen to have a second hoop of the same size, use that one!) and trace around the outside on a piece of light cardboard or cardstock paper. Cut the shape along the line you just traced and set it aside for now.

inner hoop ring placed on piece of carboard for cutting with an arrow drawn to show to cut on the outside of the ring

 

2. The second measurement we need from the inside ring is optional. Since I’m finishing a piece of rather heavy embroidery because of the beads, I’ve decided to add another layer of fabric to the back. I traced the inside circumference of the inner ring on a piece of felt (the felt I deemed too bright to show on the back) and cut it out. We can also set it aside for now.

inner hoop ring placed on felt piece with arrow pointing to cut along the inside of the ring

 

3. Now we need to trim the hoop allowance of the main fabric to about a ½” seam allowance all around.

embroidery hoop seen from good side with lots of hoop allowance all around
embroidery hoop seen from the wrong side with proper seam allowance for backing

 

4. Once that’s done, flip the hoop to the wrong side and place the piece of felt inside the hoop if you’ve decided to add it.

embroidery hoop seen from wrong side with cut piece of felt placed inside

 

5. Then, run a gathering stitch (running stitch) around the seam allowance to gather it against the inner hoop. Secure your thread and snip.

close-up of running stitch being sewn all around hoop seam allowance
hoop seen from the back showing gathered seam allowance towards the inside of hoop

The raw edges of the main linen fabric will continue to fray and I don’t like leaving the gathering visible, so I will further cover the back.

 

6. Using the cut out piece of cardboard from Step 1, place it over a piece of decorative fabric of your choice, on the wrong side. Add ½” seam allowance before cutting the fabric.

close-up of cardboard backing placed on wrong side of fabric for cutting

Note: If you want to finish the back of your hoop with felt, you don’t need the cardboard or cardstock. Simply cut out the felt to the size of the inner hoop without seam allowance.

 

7. With an iron, press your cut out piece of fabric to make sure there are no creases.

 

8. Working on the wrong side, center the piece of cardboard on the fabric. Sew a gathering stitch around the seam allowance. Pull to gather around the cardboard.

close-up of cardboard over fabric showing where to place gathering stitches along seam allowance
view of cardboard and backing fabric from the wrong side with running stitch sewn all around the seam allowance
gathered fabric around cardboard shape for backing hoop

 

9. Once you’ve secured and snipped your thread, we are ready to attach this piece to the back of the hoop. To do this, we will whipstitch the cardboard-covered fabric to the gathered seam allowance around the inner hoop ring. Use matching thread or contrasting thread to create a nice border if you have confidence in your whipstitching abilities. πŸ˜‰

unfinished hoop lying wrong side up with backing fabric-covered beside it, right side up
close-up of wooden spool of brown thread against embroidery hoop
close-up of needle whipstitching backing to the back of embroidery hoop

 

And the hoop is now fully finished with a beautiful back and ready to be hung on the wall! I like knowing that there’s a pretty back behind the embroidery, even though no one will likely see it haha! Which is funny because I have a very different attitude when it comes to the back of the actual embroidery…if it’s going to be hidden, who cares about a neat back? Lol.

flat lay view of finished embroidery hoop with fabric backing seen from the back, with haberdashery, a teacup and dried plants in the background
close-up view of finished embroidery hoop back to show the whipstitching all around

 

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, there are many variations on how to close the back of an embroidery hoop. Instead of gathering stitches, you could use glue, just cardboard or cardstock and no fabric at all, just felt, etc. I don’t like using glue because I find it messier and knowing me I’d probably end up with an ugly glue smear all over my embroidery. I prefer to use needle and thread when I can, but using glue is not β€œwrong”. It’s certainly quicker! Note that it is harder to stitch over glued fabric. If you glue down your seam allowances instead of gathering them, it becomes harder to sew the back fabric to it if that’s how you wanted to finish the hoop.

I hope you found this tutorial helpful, and I’d love to hear your thoughts! Do you have a different method for backing your hoops? Glue or no glue? If there’s another way to back that you’d like me to cover, I’m very open to suggestions.

 

You Might Also Like:

embroidery success: 10 tips before you begin a project
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Fondly,

how to back embroidery hoop
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Cozy Sweater: How to Mend With Embroidery

     Anne      6 Comments

β€œIt was November – the month of crimson sunsets, parting birds, deep, sad hymns of the sea, passionate wind-songs in the pines.”

L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

 

And with parting birds and sad sea hymns, what better way to stay warm and cozy than with your favourite woollen cardigan and a hot cup of tea? But alas, those pesky moth holes have appeared out of nowhere and your favourite sweater has been relegated to the back of your closet or your ever-growing mending pile.

Perhaps you’re not too sure how to mend the sweater hole or you just haven’t found the motivation to do it. In this week’s post, I will show you a really quick and easy way to mend a knit garment with a little embroidery. The possibilities, as is always the case with embroidery, are pretty much endless. So grab that cozy sweater, and let’s mend it together! You can even skip to the embroidery part if your garment doesn’t need mending but you’d like to add a little decorative stitching to it.

 

cozy sweater embroidery: creative mending

 

I will be patching up one of my favourite cardigans, this sweet blue cashmere vintage piece I thrifted a few years ago. It has indeed been sitting in the mending pile forever, since I bought it at a really low price but sporting several moth holes already. As you can see, there’s a big one on the back that really needs fixing!

 

blue cashmere cardigan hanging on closet handle, seen from the back to show a moth hole near the left sleeve
close-up view of moth hole on cardigan back

 

Since this hole is on the back of the cardigan, I’m able to use an embroidery hoop to keep the tension even. If you want to fix a hole that’s in a more awkward spot, like on a sleeve or the heel of a sock, use a darning egg or mushroom if you have one, or another object that you can slip under the hole to give it a hard surface underneath. I really love the mushroom because it’s easy to hold while you stitch. Etsy has a nice selection of them if you’re interested in getting one!

hand holding a darning mushroom with cardigan in the background
cardigan sleeve wrapped over darning mushroom, hand holding the handle, with embroidery hoop and blue sewing thread in the background on an embroidered table runner
Darning mushroom placed in the sleeve where there is another hole.

 

Mend a Sweater Hole

 

1. We’ll start by flipping the garment to the wrong side and threading a hand-sewing needle with matching sewing thread. This is a time when you really want as close a match to your garment fabric as you can find. I like to double the thread for this, and tie the end with a knot.

close-up view of cardigan hole with threaded needle lying beside it

 

2. Then, we will do a running stitch around the hole, a few millimeters away from the edge. Your needle should be going under and over the knit stitches. Do not pull!

close-up view of needle doing a running stitch around cardigan hole
close-up of cardigan hole with drawn dashed line running around it to demonstrate running stitch

 

3. Once you come back to the point where you started, do the same thing going vertically. Run your needle over and under the knitting to start covering the hole. The running stitch you made in step 2 is a good guideline for where to start and stop your stitches.

close-up view of cardigan hole with vertical dashed lines drawn over it to demonstrate running stitches

 

4. Essentially, you want to bridge the gap caused by the hole and bring the two edges together. Once you’ve done a few vertical rows of running stitches, pull gently to help close the gap. A good 1950’s housewife would probably frown at this because I don’t think you’re actually supposed to pull, but since we’ll be adding embroidery to this, I think it’s fine. πŸ˜‰ Just don’t pull too hard or the fabric will pucker!

close-up view of cardigan hole with needle going through to cover the hole

 

5. Continue to run vertical rows of running stitches until you get to the end and the hole is hidden!

view of mended cardigan hole

 

6. Usually, you’d now weave rows of running stitches horizontally to really make the hole disappear and strengthen the area, but it won’t be necessary here. (My inner β€˜50s housewife is now deeply, deeply frowning). Feel free to do it though, if you don’t want to add embroidery or you want it extra sturdy.

close-up view of covered cardigan hole with dashed horizontal lines drawn across to demonstrate running stitches

 

7. When you’re satisfied with your darning, secure your thread by weaving it among the stitches a few times and looping it into a knot before clipping.

thread looping on itself to form knot to secure it

 

Adding the Embroidery

 

8. We will be embroidering a little lazy-daisy flower right on top of this mended hole, and I like to give myself a few guiding lines for this with a water-soluble pen.

snowflake shape drawn with water-soluble pen over covered hole in preparation for embroidery

 

9. Next, thread an embroidery needle with three strands of white embroidery floss. Anchor the thread by weaving it among the mending stitches and make a lazy-daisy stitch to form a flower petal. Start in the middle of the shape, going outward.

cardigan in embroidery hoop with lazy-daisy stitches being worked over the mended hole

 

10. Continue working lazy-daisy stitches all around to form your flower. Add 3-4 French knots to the center.

lazy-daisy embroidered flower over the mended hole

And now you have a cute little cloud-like flower where there used to be a nasty hole!

 

I repeated these steps anywhere there was a hole on this cardigan (turns out there were a LOT!). The result is that my flowers are quite randomly scattered, but I love it!! You can definitely choose to make it symmetrical if you prefer, and just embroider where there’s no hole. 😊

flat lay showing the embroidered cardigan seen from the front side, laid over an embroidered table runner, with various supplies around the garment; embroidery hoop, small scissors, thread, darning mushroom

 

I hope this was helpful and that it makes darning a little less daunting! It’s always so satisfying to add embroidery everywhere. And even though this is probably not the most β€œcorrect” way to mend a sweater, it definitely works and I’m so happy with my cozy cardigan. It feels like a whole new garment!

person seen from neck to hip wearing the blue cardigan, holding a colourful mug

Let me know what you think in the comments! Do you have other methods for mending holes in clothes? Where else would you like to add embroidery? Give me your ideas and I’d love to write a post on it.

 

Fondly,

mend your favourite sweater with embroidery
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