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Learn the Satin Stitch: Embroidery Tutorial

     Anne      4 Comments

Welcome to another hand embroidery stitch tutorial! Today, we will be looking at the satin stitch, one of the most popular stitches used in hand embroidery. If you’re new to hand embroidery, this is definitely a great stitch to learn and start practicing!

 

satin stitch embroidery tutorial

 

To begin, you will need basic embroidery supplies: a piece of fabric (just a scrap is perfect for practicing), embroidery scissors, embroidery needle, hoop, and some floss of your choice. I will be using 3 strands of DMC #741 for this tutorial.

If you’d like more information on basic embroidery supplies, you can have a look at this post.

Once your fabric is sitting drum tight in the hoop and your needle is loaded, you will be ready to begin. The satin stitch is a filling stitch, intended to fully cover various shapes. I highly recommend starting with an easy one, like a square or a rectangle.

You will definitely want to draw this shape on the fabric to give you some guidelines. Use a pencil or water-soluble pen (or other marking tool if you prefer). I will be filling in a rectangle, which I drew on my fabric in pencil. I’m using 3 strands here, but you can use as many or as few as you want. The more strands you use, the “chunkier” it will look and the fewer strands you use, the more blended it will look. Keep in mind that using more strands makes it a bit harder for the stitches to lay very flat since the strands tend to twist on themselves. Using few threads takes longer to fill, but we’re in no rush!

 

rectangle shape drawn in pencil over fabric sitting in embroidery hoop

To secure your thread, you can use a knot if you’re just practicing. If you’re working on a project, you might want to start with anchoring stitches or a waste knot instead. I wrote a full post on how to begin & end your stitches if you need extra help.

 

Satin Stitch Tutorial

Normally with the satin stitch, you want to begin in the middle of your shape (with a square or a rectangle that doesn’t matter as much since the shape is the same all around). This is because it’s a stitch that closely follows the shape you’re filling and it’s often easier to begin in the middle than at the edge.

 

  1. Bring your needle up from the back at point A and go back down in B, forming a straight stitch. You can choose to work horizontally or vertically depending on what you prefer and the shape that you’re filling.
straight stitch going from point A to B to form the first satin stitch to fill rectangle

 

2. Choose to fill either the left or right side first. Here, I will be doing the left. Bring your needle up again at point C, directly beside point A, and go back down in D. You should now have two straight stitches laying side by side.

second stitch being made beside the first; point C directly beside point A and point D beside point B
second stitch laying flat beside the first to begin row of satin stitch

3. Continue in the same way until half of the shape is fully covered. Stitches should be nice and tight, one directly beside each other without overlapping or splitting, following the shape you’re filling. With a rectangle, each stitch should be exactly the same length, starting and ending right beside each other. Be careful not to pull too hard, or it will distort the shape. The stitches should just be laying on the fabric, tight against each other but not tightly pulled. You will definitely want your fabric held taught in the hoop.

half of the rectangle filled with satin stitch

 

Ideally, you also always want to work each stitch in the same direction. I prefer to work this stitch vertically from bottom to top, so I always start each stitch at the bottom edge and work upwards. But you can do the opposite, or work horizontally from left to right or vice versa. Sometimes it will also depend on what kind of shape you’re working with.

 

4. Once the first half is done, you can secure your thread and cut it to start anew, or simply drag it behind the stitches you’ve already lain to fill the other half.

Fill the second half just as you’ve done the first, working in the same direction!

rectangle completely filled with satin stitch

 

Filling a Shape With an Outline

Filling stitches often benefit from having the shape stitched with an outline first. Here I drew a crescent shape onto my fabric and outlined it with a splitstitch.

crescent moon shape outlined in splitstitch

This will help to give me a nicer edge, especially at the points. Each stitch begins and ends right outside of this splitstitch edge, covering it entirely.

 

Another thing I like to do that I find really helpful, is to place guiding stitches along the way and fill small areas at a time. In other words, I place stitches to split the area in smaller and smaller halves, and then fill them in. This is especially helpful to keep a shape like a crescent.

crescent shape being filled with satin stitch and guiding stitches to fill small areas at a time

 

When you get to the small points, take your time to make very small stitches that are still straight and flat.

crescent moon filled with satin stitch

 

Satin Stitch Pumpkin

While I was preparing this tutorial, I started embroidering a little pumpkin in this style and found it was a really great shape for practicing the satin stitch. I’ve been seeing a lot of them all over my Instagram and they’re really cute, though not exactly my normal stitching style. I tend to favour just an outline or the long & short stitch for filling my designs, but I decided to give this look a try and rather like the result! I couldn’t leave it at just the satin stitch though, so I added a backstitch outline all around it to give it more dimension (and hide my uneven satin stitch hahahaha!!). This outline was added after the satin stitch filling. I outlined the pumpkin with splitstitch first, then satin stitched to cover that outline. The backstitch was added last, as a finishing touch.

embroidered pumpkin in satin stitch and backstitch outline
embroidered pumpkin in satin stitch view from side

Here is the mini-pattern I used, if you fancy practicing your satin stitch and you’re still in the mood for some fall stitching! I’m terrible at drawing anything directly on fabric and like a good pattern for everything, so here’s this sweet pumpkin I made:

pumpkin outline for satin stitch practice

Feel free to print it if you want to use it, and let’s see that satin stitch! 😊

 

I hope you found this tutorial helpful, and as always don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions!

Fondly,

learn how to do the satin stitch
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Different Ways to Transfer an Embroidery Pattern

     Anne      2 Comments

There are several ways to transfer an embroidery pattern, and the “best” way will often depend on your choice of pattern and fabric. Today, I will show you my two favourite ways to transfer an embroidery pattern that work perfectly with pale fabric of a light to medium weight.

 

different ways to transfer embroidery patterns

 

About Fabric

Fabric choice could fill an entire blog post on its own, as there are several things you will want to consider when choosing fabric for embroidery. I’ll be honest, I’m not usually too picky about it, and will definitely embroider on whatever suitable scraps I can find. Of course, for bigger, detailed projects, you will want to choose a quality fabric. But in many cases, choosing fabric doesn’t need to be too complicated. Most cottons and linens are suitable for embroidery, and easy to find at your local fabric store or online. I definitely recommend all natural fiber fabrics if possible, and staying away from anything stretchy or knit (unless you’re embroidering on clothing, which could also fill a whole new blog post!). Ideally, you also want the fabric to be closely woven so that your stitches will remain secure.

For the purposes of this tutorial, I will show you two different ways to transfer a pattern. I will be using a piece of off-white cotton muslin for the first method, and whiter, thicker cotton for the second method. Both ways will work with any light-weight or medium-weight cottons and linens that are pale enough to mark with a pencil (or other marking tool of your choice).

 

Transfer Your Pattern With a Light Source

If you’re new to embroidery or only stitch projects once in a while, a nice clean window and a pencil are all you need to successfully transfer your pattern onto fabric. Nothing fancy needed!

If you’re using your own hand-drawn pattern, I suggest going over it with a pen or fine-line Sharpie to get a darker outline. If you’re using a printed pattern, the outline will already be dark enough to see through the fabric.

 

1. Tape your pattern directly on the window. I recommend using masking or washi tape, something that’s easy to remove and won’t rip your pattern.

cute mouse embroidery pattern taped on a window

 

2. Then, center your piece of fabric over the pattern and tape in place.

fabric taped over embroidery pattern on the window

 

3. Trace your pattern on your fabric with a mechanical or HB pencil.

embroidery pattern successfully transferred onto the fabric

Remove everything from the window, and your pattern is successfully transferred!

 

Notes on Marking Tools:

There are several different marking tools that you can use to trace embroidery patterns. My favourite one is the mechanical pencil because I’ve found it’s what gives me the most precise outline. A 0.5mm mechanical pencil is ideal for transferring detailed patterns because you can trace very thin lines with it. The downside is that pencil marks are not always easy to remove from fabric, but since the lines are so thin, it’s usually easy to cover them entirely with stitches.

The water-soluble and heat-erasable pen are also widely used for transferring embroidery patterns. I’ve never used the heat-erasable pen, but I love the water-soluble pen. It glides on the fabric much easier than the mechanical pencil, and the markings are easily removed with water. However, the tip is much less precise than a pencil’s, and the markings often reappear even after removing them with water. This makes it rather unsuitable for embroidery pieces that are never washed.

 

Transferring a Pattern With a Light-Box

The method for transferring a pattern onto fabric with a light-box is essentially the same as with the window. If you’re serious about embroidery and/or do a lot of it, investing in a light-box is really worth it. I got mine for only 17 $ CAD on Amazon and use it all the time! It’s very basic and does nothing but light up when I plug it, but that’s all I need it for. There’s no on/off button, no settings, nothing but a big light that comes on when you plug it. It’s very bright, and very efficient. Unfortunately that specific one is no longer available on Amazon, but I found a similar one, linked for you here.

light box from amazon, not lighted
light box from amazon, plugged in and lighted
(I need to clean it lol)

As with the window method, simply tape your pattern onto the lightbox, and then tape your fabric over the pattern. Turn on the lightbox, trace with a pencil (or other marking tool) and you’re done!

pattern being transferred onto fabric with lightbox turned on
pattern successfully transferred on the fabric using the lightbox

This is a really good alternative to the window and isn’t dependent on daylight, which is nice for wintertime when it’s dark so early in the day!

Interested in this pattern? You can shop it in my Etsy here!

 

The Reverse Transfer Method

This method is especially useful if you’re using a thicker or broader-weave fabric that is hard to see through with the above methods.

In this case, what you want to do is start with a reverse image of your pattern. Many embroidery pattern PDFs for sale often come with a reverse image of the pattern as well. If you have one included with your pattern, print it to your desired size. If there isn’t one or if you’re using your own pattern, use a piece of tracing paper to create a reverse copy.

 

  1. Trace over the reverse image with a pencil. (You definitely want to be using a pencil in this case!)
reverse pattern traced over with mechanical pencil

 

2. Then, place the pattern good side up over your fabric (so the reverse side is touching the fabric), and go over your pattern again. You can use the pencil again, or a stylus. Don’t worry about being precise, because you’ve already traced the design neatly on the reverse side and that’s what will be transferred!

pattern taped over the fabric, traced again with pencil to transfer the design

 

3. Remove your pattern, and go over any lines that might have come out too pale.

pattern successfully transferred onto the fabric

I love this method for thicker fabric that isn’t see-through enough to use a light source!

 

Interested in this pattern? You can shop it in my Etsy here!

 

I hope this post was helpful, and don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions at all, I would be happy to help! Darker fabrics and different marking tools will be covered in future blog posts.

What’s your favourite transfer method?

 

If you enjoyed this post, you might also find these useful:

9 reasons to learn hand embroidery
how to start and end embroidery stitches
embroidery tools to begin your embroidery journey

 

And if you’re looking for some FREE embroidery patterns, be sure to have a look at my “freebies” tab. There you’ll find all the posts that include free downloadable freebies, such as the “Apple Jelly” jar bonnet pattern, and a charming branch of wisteria. Happy stitching!

Fondly,

different ways to transfer embroidery patterns
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The Best Embroidery Book Recommendations For Beginners

     Anne      1 Comment

A few people have been asking for embroidery book recommendations for beginners lately, so I thought, why not make a post about some of my favourite ones? I know I said in my last post that I would be concluding the Garden Bouquet project next, but I’ve had to push that to Monday, October 4th. It will be a Grand Affair and Saturday was going to be too busy to sit down and have a cup of tea with you all. So Monday it will be! I still wanted to post something this week though, so this is like a bonus post!

 

my best recommendations for embroidery book

 

One of my favourite past-times – aside from the actual embroidery – is to go to the library to browse the craft books section. That was how I came across several wonderful books about hand embroidery some years ago, and how I mostly taught myself how to stitch. I love using books to learn new skills. Even though the Internet can be a wonderful wealth of information on so many hobbies, sometimes it’s just nice to do something that doesn’t require a screen. Hence, books.

Below is a short list of some of my favourite hand embroidery book recommendations (and a few blogs I love). I’ve used all of them and own two of them (the ones pictured). They were all incredibly helpful one way or another, so here’s a little break-down to help you decide which might be best for you.

 

Best Embroidery Book Recommendations for Beginners:

 

1. Embroidery Techniques & Patterns by Marie-Noëlle Bayard

 

book copy of Embroidery techniques and patterns by Marie-Noëlle Bayard

 

I was lucky enough to buy this wonderful book for only three dollars at a charity shop several years ago, when I began to be more serious about learning embroidery. This was the book I used to teach myself the basics, and I highly, highly recommend it. It has tons of stitches, all grouped by “families”, so that you can practice one type of stitch a few different ways before moving on to the next one. Ranging from the very basic stitches such as the stem stitch, all the way to the more complex ones such as the Palestrina stitch (haven’t used that one yet), the book covers all the stitches you will need, and more.

 

inside peek of Embroidery Techniques & Patterns

 

It features step-by-step photos of each stitch being worked, and it’s very easy to follow and well-explained. Each section also has a project with some instructions and a pattern to transfer. I haven’t done any of them, but there’s a wide variety of projects, from a cross-stitch wall hanging to curtains with drawn-thread work.

A very thorough, informative book that covers more than just the basics, and allows you to discover tons and tons of new stitches and techniques.

Available for purchase on Amazon.

 

2. A-Z of Embroidery Stitches by Country Bumpkin Publications

 

This is a very colourful and inspiring collection of embroidery stitches, with very clear step-by-step photos on how to work each stitch. I wrote in my Goodreads review that it had a really great French knot tutorial and really helped me during one of my first projects. The book is quite detailed, and provides useful information on things like fabric choice and working with hoops. There are even tips for left-handed stitchers! That can be hard to find sometimes as most stitchers tend to be right-handed, but this book has you covered if you’re left-handed.

The coloured photographs are beautiful and easy to follow, and it feature different stitches than in Embroidery Techniques & Patterns. Definitely another great book to peruse if you want to teach yourself many different stitches.

You can find it on Amazon, Chapters, and Barnes & Noble.

 

3. Long & Short Stitch Embroidery: A Collection of Flowers by Trish Burr

If you’re interested in needle-painting (also called silk shading or art needlework), then you simply must have a look at Trish Burr’s breathtaking work! She’s the expert on all things needle-painting, and there’s no one better to learn from than herself. The long & short stitch is what’s principally used in needle-painting, and this book will show you everything you need to know to get started! It has both beginner and more advanced projects, full stitch diagrams, thread keys, and instructions. You definitely don’t want to miss this book if you want to learn needle-painting and love botanical-illustration style flowers. Everything in this book is simply gorgeous.

See it directly on Trish Burr’s website, or buy it at Chapters , or on Amazon.

 

4. Colour Confidence in Embroidery by Trish Burr

book copy of Colour Confidence in Embroidery by Trish Burr

 

Yes, I’m listing another book by Trish Burr, because I find this one so useful too, and wish I had it sooner. This one is less about how to learn the long & short stitch, and more about how to accurately choose colours for your embroidery. It has pages and pages of useful colour schemes and everything you should know about colours; how to pick them, how they affect your embroidery, how to shade them correctly, etc…Even if you’re not as interested in realistic-looking needle-painting, the book is still a wealth of information if you need some help with colour palettes and preparing a project of your own design. It has helped me tremendously so far when picking shades for a project and using them appropriately to achieve a realistic floral effect.

 

inside pages of Colour Confidence in Embroidery by Trish Burr

 

Plus, there’s a whole section of patterns with diagrams and stitching instructions, featuring beautiful flowers and colourful birds. Some previous knowledge of needle-painting is definitely helpful for those projects, which is why I also strongly recommend Long and Short Stitch Embroidery.

See it on Trish Burr’s website, or buy it at Barnes & Noble, Chapters, or Amazon.

 

Blogs:

Blog posts and tutorials are also a wonderful way to learn a new skill. Sometimes, you don’t need or want an entire book to practice just one stitch, or follow a long Youtube video to complete a project. Sometimes a good old blog post is the best way to go (not biased at all, LOL). Below is a short list of some of my favourite embroidery blogs that I highly encourage you to check out!

 

Mary Corbet’s Needle n’ Thread:

Who in the embroidery world hasn’t ever consulted the Queen of All Things Embroidery? Most of us have definitely learned a thing or two from the one and only Mary Corbet over at Needle n’Thread, for the simple reason that she somehow manages to cover everything under the sun about hand embroidery! Her website is truly phenomenal. There’s everything and anything you could possibly be looking for, from basic stitch tutorials to sew-alongs, book recommendations, and other super useful posts, such as tips to create your own patterns, and what kind of needle you should be using. If there’s one blog you don’t want to miss, it’s this one!

 

Stitch Floral:

This is an absolutely beautiful blog dedicated mostly to floral embroidery and needle-painting. If you want to learn the long & short stitch and perfect your skills, Stitch Floral is also a wonderful place to start. Amina is lovely, comes up with the most beautiful colour combinations, and offers easy and informative posts. There’s also some bonus freebies on her site, and many posts full of helpful tips and tricks. Very inspiring, stunning work!

 

Wild Olive:

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I love to stitch the occasional Mollie Johanson pattern, because they’re just so irresistibly cute. If you like Things With Smiley Faces, Wild Olive is the perfect blog to check out! It’s full of cuteness, freebies, and fun craft ideas. Most projects are super beginner-friendly, quick and easy to stitch. Mollie’s patterns are my favourite to stitch when I just want to relax. They bring me so much happiness, and are just plain fun! Totally recommend if you’re looking for some easy projects to begin with.

 

embroidery book recommendations and vintage teacup

 

There are so many more resources I could have included in this list, but this will have to do for now! If you like this kind of post, I could definitely do a Part 2 with more embroidery book recommendations in the future. You’re also most welcome to have a look at my craft-books shelf on Goodreads, where I’ve reviewed and rated several craft books of various genres.

I hope this was helpful, and happy stitching! If you have any more questions or are looking for something more specific, don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments.

 

Fondly,

recommendations for beginners embroidery books
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Make Darling Embroidered Buttons: Tutorial

     Anne      Leave a Comment

Hello and welcome back to my blog! In today’s post, I have a new tutorial for you – we’re going to make embroidered fabric-covered buttons. 😊 They’re soooo much fun and very easy to make.

 

embroidered buttons step-by-step tutorial

 

One of the things I love the most about embroidery is how easily you can weave it anywhere you want, especially on clothing. The endless possibilities for embellishing your clothes with embroidery are mind-blowing. What better way to create something absolutely uniquely yours. In my last year of Costume Studies, I tried to incorporate embroidered touches as much as I could in the projects we got to make for ourselves.

 

Buttons on a Dress

 

I designed and sewed this cute lilac dress for an assignment in Draping, and couldn’t resist the opportunity to add a bit of embroidery.

 

girl in a field wearing lilac dress with embroidered buttons
girl in field wearing lilac dress holding flower bouquet up to her face

 

I had previously discovered (and became enamoured with) fabric-covered buttons while working on an assignment for another class. They were so fun and easy to work that I knew I had to get my own kit for making them.

They don’t have to be embroidered of course, you can definitely just cover them with any fabric you like. But everything is better with embroidery, so I just had to give it a go. I love how they look on this dress. They’re so cute and dainty and exactly what I had in mind.

 

close-up of embroidered buttons on dress front

 

Embroidered Fabric-Covered Buttons Tutorial

 

Without further ado, let me show you how to make your own! It’s very easy and adds such a detailed personal touch. The embroidery is very small though, so it might be a bit challenging in that respect, but it also means the design isn’t very detailed.

The tiny flower cluster I went with is very easy to stitch. Here we go!

 

Materials

 

First, you will want to gather the following supplies:

materials for making the embroidered buttons; button kit, fabric, paper scissors, fabric shears, snips, embroidery hoop, embroidery floss, needles, marking tools, wood block

 

You will need fabric, either to match an existing project, or something different entirely. The lilac fabric I used for my dress was 100 % cotton, and the pale turquoise I’m using for the tutorial is a cotton as well. I recommend using a medium weight fabric, or a thinner fabric with interfacing. You will also need fabric shears to cut the fabric.

 

Next, you will need basic embroidery supplies:

  • Snips
  • Needle (I used DMC #9 embroidery needle)
  • 3 1/4″ inch embroidery hoop (you can use a bigger one too if you’re making many buttons on the same piece of fabric)
  • Floss: for the tutorial, I used DMC #3347, #744, #402
  • Marking tools: A water-soluble pen (or any other “erasable” pen) is useful for this project and/or a pencil.

You will also need a button-covering kit. These can be found in fabric stores such as Fabricville (Canada) or Jo-Ann’s.

 

Inside the kit you should have:

 

  • Buttons to cover
buttons to cover

 

They have two parts. The top is shaped like a dome and has a smooth surface, and the back is a little disk with the shank on top.

button to cover separated; smooth surface top and bottom with shank

 

  • A plastic holder
plastic holder for covering buttons

 

  • A “pusher”
plastic pusher for covering buttons with fabric

 

  • Instructions and template

Don’t throw out the packaging! Likely, the kit’s instructions will be written on it. You will need the templates that are printed on the back of the package.

back instructions and templates for fabric-covered buttons

 

The kit you buy will tell you what button size is included. The one I got was for #24 buttons, so that means I will cut out #24 circular template on the back.

bottom of packaging shows what size of buttons and template to cut
circle template cut out from back packaging
The cutout template here is from another kit.

And lastly, you will need paper scissors to cut out the template, and an optional piece of wood (or other smooth and slightly heavy object) to help with making the buttons.

 

The Tutorial:

 

  1. Cut a piece of fabric to fit inside your embroidery hoop. Consider how many buttons you want to make. If you’re making the #24 size, you will need approx. 5/8” in between each.

fabric cut to fit inside small embroidery hoop

 

2. Mark the size of the button on your fabric to determine where to embroider. Normally markings are made on the wrong side of the fabric, but in this case that wouldn’t be very helpful. This is why an erasable pen works well, because you will be able to get rid of the mark easily. You can also use chalk or a heat-erasable pen if that works for you.

trace the button size on your fabric

 

3. Make any markings you might need for your embroidery design. Because it’s so small you might prefer not to mark anything. I used a 0.5 mechanical pencil to lightly mark the stem and leaf placement of my flower. If you want to make the same design I did, simply draw a vertical line for the main stem. Add two little lines at an upward angle about the middle of the stem, one on each side for the leaves. I also added two slightly longer lines angled upwards at the top of the stem for more “leaves”. You can definitely do all this with your thread though, and skip the markings entirely. I work more steadily with markings so I prefer to do it.

make any markings you need for your embroidery within the button size

 

4. Embroider the design. Place the fabric inside your hoop and tighten the screw until the fabric is nicely taut. Thread your needle with 2 strands of DMC #3347 or the colour of your choice. I’m using a knot to secure my thread because it makes the most sense for such a tiny area. See this post on how to start & end your threads for other methods.

 

a) Stitch the main stem and upper “leaves” with a splitstitch or other outline stitch of your choice. The leaves are so tiny that they’re just a small straight stitch.

b) Work French knots above the stem using two strands of DMC #402 and #744 to create the flower cluster. There is no real order to this, just scatter the knots as you wish to create a flower head or cluster form.

 

tiny flower embroidery tutorial

 

Embroidery is done! Secure your threads at the back and un-hoop your fabric.

 

5. Cut out the appropriate template at the back of your button kit packaging (I’m using size 24) and place it evenly over your embroidery. You can do this at the back too, but I find it’s more accurate to do it on the good side. Trace the template with a pencil or erasable pen. This creates the seam allowance necessary to cover the button successfully.

place the circle template over your embroidery to cut seam allowance
seam allowance added all around the emroidery

6. Cut out your fabric along the template line you just marked.

cut out button cover with seam allowance

 

7. Take the plastic holder, and center your embroidered fabric over its hole. The original marking you made of the button top should fit right along the edge of the white thing. You can also center the white thing on your fabric right side up first if that’s easier, then slowly turn it around so that the fabric is closest to you, good side facing the hole.

place the plastic holder right over the embroidery, the original button marking right around the edge of the holder
flip the holder over so that the fabric rests good side down against it

8. Place the button top smooth face down on the fabric. Make sure it’s well centered over the embroidery.

button dome face down over embroidered fabric

 

9. Push down with your thumb, or the pusher provided in the kit (I like to use a piece of wood to push down on the pusher to make it even easier). The button top will end up at the bottom of the holder and the seam allowance will fold on itself around the dome. If you see that the button isn’t straight, that there is too much fabric on one side and not enough on another, you can pop the button out and start again, re-centering your fabric better.

thumb pushing the button to the bottom of the holder
pusher is put over the button piece, and a block of wood used to push down on it

10. If you’re satisfied with the eveness of the seam allowance, push down gently on it even more to make sure none of it sticks out. Add the button back, shank facing up atop the folded seam allowance.

seam allowance folds on itself around the button dome inside the holder
button back placed atop the folded seam allowance, on top of the holder

11. Here is where the pusher is definitely useful! Place it over the shank (the hole covering the shank) and push down until you feel it sink in to the button top. I like to use the piece of wood again to push down, but you can do it with your palm or another object.

pusher placed over the shank of the button back
hands pushing a wooden block on the plastic pusher to secure button back

12. Pop the button out of the holder.

hands pushing the covered button out of the holder

 

13. Pray and hope the embroidery is well-centered.

embroidered fabric-covered button

 

14. CONGRATS, YOU DID IT!!!!! Look at that cute little button!

finished embroidered button seen from the front

And that’s it! Now you’re ready to cover everything with embroidered buttons. 😉

 

how to make a covered button step-by-step tutorial

 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that it will give you some inspiration for adding subtle and delicate touches of embroidery to your work. The good news with this sort of embroidery, too, is that it doesn’t take long at all, but really pulls an outfit together.

The lilac dress would be very different without the embroidered buttons.

 

lilac dress close-up on embroidered buttons down bodice front
close-up of top embroidered button on lilac dress bodice front

 

I added embroidery to the back as well, but not because I wanted to add more delicate touches. No, I added embroidery there BECAUSE I CUT A HOLE WITH THE SERGER. A big, super noticeable gash right in the middle of the mid-riff section, just before my project was due. If you know me, this is EXACTLY the kind of stupid mistake I often make and there is zero surprise in this happening, BUT IT WAS A SAD MOMENT.

 

view of embroidered bodice on lilac dress back

 

Thankfully, embroidery is here to solve all your problems, so I just mended it with matching thread first, then covered up the ugly scar with a little branch of some nondescript purple flower.

HA! TAKE THAT, SERGER.

 

model wearing lilac dress in field leaning forward with flower bouquet

 

Thank you for coming to “Part 75 Why Anne Will Never Buy a Serger”.

Have a lovely week and happy button-covering!

 

Fondly,

learn how to make embroidered buttons
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French Knot Made Easy: Stitch Tutorial

     Anne      Leave a Comment

Hello and welcome to another stitch tutorial! Today we are going to be looking at one of my favourite stitches ever, The French Knot. I know some people strongly dislike it or aren’t inclined to try it, but it’s really easy once you get the hang of it! And it’s SO useful. Not only does it add texture, but it’s also perfect for small details such as eyes or flower centers. I use it in nearly every project I make!

 

easy french knot tutorial

 

Last week I shared a raspberry embroidery project, where I combined French knots and beads to create the berries. The effect was wonderful, I thought! It made the fruits very dimensional, and the French knots are quick and easy to work. And this is coming from someone who struggles with hyperhidrosis and has a lot of trouble with bullion knots. I wrote a good hack for that one in my post Awesome Bullion Knot Hack. 😉 So anyways, the French knots are your friend! Even if your thread gets all wet like mine because of sweaty hands, they are still very manageable. (Right, so it’s very unpleasant to stitch with hyperhidrosis sometimes, but it’s doable!!)

 

Let’s Begin

Without further ado, let me show you how to work those fabulous French knots! First, you will begin by threading an embroidery needle and hooping your fabric. Then, anchor or knot your thread and you’ll be ready to begin.

For a list of embroidery tools you need to get started, check out this post: The Only Embroidery Tools You Need

For tips on how to start and end your stitches, check out: How to Start and End Embroidery Stitches

I used 3 strands of floss for this tutorial.

 

French Knot Tutorial

 

Bring your needle up from the back once it’s threaded and anchored.

With one hand (I’m right-handed so I’ll do this with my left hand because my dominant hand will hold the needle), hold the thread up a little, slightly above where it came up the fabric. With your dominant hand, hold your needle behind the thread, perpendicularly.

 

hold the needle behind the thread

 

Wrap the thread twice around the needle. For best results, you always want to wrap only twice. If you want your knot to be bigger or smaller, reduce or add the number of strands you work with. Wrapping more than twice usually only creates a mess. You can wrap clockwise or anti-clockwise, it doesn’t really matter.

 

wrap thread twice around needle

 

Pull the thread to tighten the wraps a little. You want them to be tight enough that they both rest against each other, but loose enough to be able to move the needle.

While still holding the thread with one hand, let your other hand guide the needle to go through the fabric again. Position the tip of the needle just beside the point where you first came up. You don’t want to be in exactly the same hole, or the knot won’t hold, but you want be as close as you can get.

 

tighten the wraps and angle the needle to take a stitch

 

As you angle the needle upwards to go through the fabric, relax your hand holding the thread just a little, allowing the loops to slide down the needle.

When they get to the bottom, hold the thread tight to tighten the loops against the needle shaft again, and keep holding the thread! Usually at this point, I like to use one finger to hold the thread down against the fabric to make sure those loops stay wrapped tight around the needle.

 

hold thread with one hand and pull the needle through with the other to make french knot

 

While you hold the thread, pull the needle through. It will go through the loops and the fabric. Hold on to the thread with your finger until the needle goes through completely. You can let go once the needle is fully on the other side, and just keep pulling the thread all the way.

pull the thread all the way
thread being pulled to form French knot

Once the needle is pulled all the way, you end with a beautiful, tidy knot like this!

finished French knot

 

You can repeat the steps to create as many knots as you want, all close together, or further apart depending on what you’re stitching.

 

clusters of finished french knots

 

When I worked on my raspberries, I wanted my French knots to be close enough together, with a few spaces for adding beads later.

 

first embroidered raspberry with french knots

 

Final Thoughts

There are so many possibilities with this stitch, and I think you will have a lot of fun with it if you try it and practice a few times!! I know it sounds a bit convoluted when detailed out like this (this is a stitch that is very quick to make, but writing it out makes it seem a bit long!), but it’s really not as bad as it might sound.  A video tutorial would probably be best suited for this stitch, and I hope to make one someday soon! I’m not very equipped for making videos at the moment, but it’s something I’d be interested in trying if there’s enough interest. Let me know if you think that would be helpful for you!

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial, and please let me know if you give it a try! If you already know how to do it, do you also really like it? What other stitches would you be interested in learning? Let me know in the comments!

In the meantime, check out my other stitch tutorials!

 

the chain stitch easy tutorial
Chain stitch & lazy-daisy stitch
Straight stitch, running stitch, backstitch, stem stitch, & split stitch

You can find all stitch tutorials under the “Tutorials” -> “Stitches” section in the menu, or by clicking the images above.

Happy stitching my friend, and I hope you have fun with the French knot!

 

Fondly,

learn how to do the french knot
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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,