The Diary of a Northern Belle

9 Reasons to Learn Hand Embroidery

May 21, 2021 Anne 2 Comments

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

1. It’s Inexpensive

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

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 — Pin to save for later!

Sunny Dandelions: Springtime Inspiration

May 18, 2021 Anne Leave a Comment

Hello friends!

What a time I picked to begin this blog, LOL. Life got really busy over the last few weeks, and I sadly didn’t have much time to devote to it. As some of you know, I had to say goodbye to dear Nova Scotia earlier this month. I moved back to a charming, quiet village in Ontario. It was a pretty major move since I lived for six years in Halifax- the longest I’d ever lived in the same city! So it’s been quite the change on many levels, but the charms of the countryside are quickly working their effects on me. I’m back, with all sorts of exciting plans and fresh inspiration!!

view of the countryside showing a trail in the woods bordered by a wooden fence

Springtime Inspiration

Springtime – and especially May and June – tends to inspire me the most. After months of bare trees, cold weather, and empty gardens, it’s so nice to see nature awakening again. It makes me want to embroider ALL THE FLOWERS. But of course there’s too little time and too much to stitch.

And since I’ve been so busy lately, today’s post is only a small project, whipped up in a couple of hours. Buuuut, I’m very happy with it, especially since I didn’t use a pattern and just free-handed everything. Which was kind of a big deal for me because normally I can’t survive without solid guidelines. It was really fun though, and I’m proud of it!

dandelion embroidery hoop art against backdrop of real dandelions

The inspiration for this impromptu little embroidery came, of course, from the yellow seas of dandelions seen everywhere this time of year (at least in my corner of the world).

Although dandelions are often considered as “weed” and/ or “unwanted”, I honestly don’t know how you could not love them. They’re so bright and happy, like pieces of sunshine! They enliven fields and joyfully border gardens and hedgerows.

I love them 😊 So I had to stitch them!

dandelion embroidery against the real flowers

How I Stitched My Dandelions

I used some wool-like yellow floss for the flowers (I bought a bag of those spools a few years ago at a thrift shop, and there were no labels or anything so I’m not 100% sure what it is, but it feels wooly. Could be crewel wool.) and DMC cotton floss #470 for the stems and leaves and #3011 for the middle of the leaves.

embroidery hoop art and spools of wool floss

I stitched the flowers entirely with straight stitches. I made the first few very short and meet in the same hole in the middle to create the center of the flower, and then worked my way around. The flower to the very right has a center that’s slightly higher to give it a different angle.

close up of dandelion embroidery to show different flower heads

close up of first dandelion flower being embroidered, showing straight stitches to form petals

close up of embroidered dandelion flower

The stems are done in backstitch. I added a few more straight stitches in green to create the bracts (the little “leaves” that the flower head seems to rest on). The jagged leaves are worked in long & short stitch. I made them perhaps a bit small, but I think they look fine!

Dandelions have been everywhere I look lately since they grow all around our house, and it’s been really fun to immortalize them in embroidery. If anyone has another method for stitching them, do share it in the comments! I was tempted to make the flowers with narrow silk or satin ribbon to give them a better 3D effect. Thoughts? When you look closely at a dandelion flower, the outer petals have little “teeth” at their tips. I knew this would be hard to replicate if I stitched small flowers, but if I made a bigger one I could give the petals more definition. I’ll just have to keep my dandelion-inspiration going and try stitching them a different way next time!

A Bit of Folklore & Other Interesting Facts

I was curious as to their meaning, so I dug out my pocket language of flowers dictionary and discovered that it stands for rustic oracle. According to folklore, the dandelion helps to tell the time, the weather, and even predicts love (much like a daisy).

“…its flowers always open about 5 am and shut at 8 pm, serving the shepherd for a clock.” – Folkard

Additionally, Chamberlain’s The Child and Childhood in Folk Thought tells us that children would blow the seed tufts to tell time. The number of blows it takes until only the stalk remains corresponds to the hour of the day. Since the flower is fully open when it’s sunny and closes in upon itself when rain approaches, it also serves as a barometer. Pretty cool, no?

There are also a few different ways the dandelion can predict love, according to this same book. You can send a love message by plucking a dandelion head gone all feathery. Think of a sweet thought for each of the feathers, turn towards the place where your loved one dwells, and blow! The seedball will faithfully convey your message 😉 If you wish to know if they are thinking of you, blow again. If there is a single feather left on the head, it means they are also thinking of you.

Benefits of Dandelions

In addition to all this fascinating folklore, the dandelion also has many medicinal uses. The flower, the leaves, and the roots are all edible!* A super easy way to use the flowers when they’re fresh and is to add them to lemonade. Lately I’ve tried combining them with cold minty tea and honey, and it’s incredibly refreshing! You can also dry them in the sun to save later for brewing tea. I originally used this recipe for my lemonade.

glass bottle of dandelion lemonade in field of dandelions

The roots can also be used for tea. I haven’t tried this yet, but I’ve had store-bought roasted dandelion root tea before, and it’s amazing. Rich and earthy, with no caffeine, and it’s good for digestion. 😊 As for the leaves, they can be a bit bitter, but work well tossed in a salad mixed with lettuce. My mom even used them in lieu of spinach in a lasagna the other day. Mixed with the cottage cheese, it was delicious! They definitely lost some of their bitterness after they were baked.

bone china tea up filled with lemonade with a dandelion head floated on top

So basically, dandelions are lovely, interesting, and beneficial! If their sunny yellow colour isn’t enough to make you appreciate them, you can always try telling the time with their seeds, or see if you’d fancy a cup of tea. 😊

I hope you feel inspired by these happy bits of sunshine, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments.

dandelion embroidery held up against field

dandelion gone feathery held against field

Until next time, and happy dandelion-picking!

Fondly,

*As with most edible things, some people might be allergic to dandelions or parts of dandelions. Just be cautious if you’ve never tried them before. Likewise, although the Internet boasts several benefits of consuming dandelions, certain people may experience different side effects due to medical conditions. Just be careful before consuming and do a little research to make sure it won’t be bad for you if you’re unsure. 😊

Sources:

I consulted the Language of Flowers illustrated by Kate Greenaway and first published by Routledge (London) in 1884 to find the meaning of the dandelion. The copy I have – linked here – is an unabridged reproduction by Dover Publications (New York) in 1992. I got more information on its appearance in folklore by consulting The Child and Childhood in Folk Thought by Alexander Francis Chamberlain, available on Google books. This was originally published in 1896 by Macmillan & Co (New York and London).

I found the eBook version through this article from Coffee House Writers, which was very interesting.

How to Start and End Embroidery Stitches

April 19, 2021 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.

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

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 😊

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.

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,

Stitch Book to Practice Embroidery

March 25, 2021 Anne Leave a Comment

I am so happy to present you my stitch book! It’s like a sort of physical version of the Diary of a Northern Belle. When I first got the idea for this blog name, I knew I’d have to embroider a little something to represent it. When I started the embroidery on the front cover, I intended it to cover the box I used in the Redwork Box Project. Then I thought it would be more appropriate to turn it into a little “diary” of sorts. A place where I could store pieces of fabric with practice stitches and half-finished projects. I had been meaning to sew myself a little book to practice stitches for a while now, but none of the styles I came across suited me. So I had to make my own!

The embroidery on the front cover features one of those vintage “Southern belle” ladies. Except this particular one is northern, of course. 😉 There is also historical edging taken from an 1860s pattern, as well as some of my own design. My northern belle needed a pile of books and a warm cup of tea. And of course, adding titles and quotes always ties everything nicely together!

The vintage pattern I used can be found here.

Touches of Historical Embroidery

The little branches of red berries found on all four corners of the front cover, and on the two upper corners of the left inside cover were taken from the embroidery section of the Ladies’ Handbook of Fancy and Ornamental Work. The copy I have is a 2016 unabridged reproduction of the collection by Florence Hartley. It was originally published in 1889 and features directions and patterns from the American Civil War era.

The little berries can be found on p. 131, labeled “edging”. Edging patterns were used to add needleworked embellishment on various items such as handkerchiefs, collars, or skirt hems.

I really wanted to decorate the corners of my stitch book cover. So, I decided to embroider only one of the little motifs in each corner, and I really like the outcome! A full row would also look super cute, maybe around sleeve cuffs or a skirt hem.

I actually contemplated embroidering a row of the little cherries on the right inside pocket. However, since the background fabric of the inside cover already featured very similar little berries, I thought it would be just a little too similar. I opted for the edging pattern on the same page that’s right above. It also looks like a berry, but is different enough from the fabric print.

I decided to stitch the edging with colours that matched the background fabric of the inside cover. By making the berry white, it doesn’t so much look like a berry anymore.

I’m also quite pleased with how it turned out, aside from the dramatic angle it took because I apparently can’t follow a straight line…. But the embroidery itself turned out quite well, I think! I tried Perle Cotton thread (no. 5, white) for the first time and I must say I rather like it. I’ve since been looking for a new project where I could use it in order to justify buying more. It gives it a sort of crocheted baby-blanket look, if that makes any sense at all.

The Ladies’ Handbook is a great resource so far, including patterns and instructions for various kinds of needlework. The embroidery section features a lot of detailed handkerchief borders and beautiful flower designs. I will definitely have recourse to it again in the future!

Embroidery Stitches

Specific instructions or stitch suggestions as to how to work the edging patterns are not provided in the Ladies’ Handbook. I decided to keep it fairly simple for this project. With the exception of the little hedgehog on the inside left pocket, the red berries, and some elements of the border on the right pocket, everything is done in outline stitches. I mainly used the split and back stitches.

Some of the detail elements are done in satin stitch, lazy-daisy and French knots (which I plan on providing a tutorial for very soon). I’ve also used straight stitches for the grass on the front cover and the pine needles on the inside left pocket.

The little hedgehog and the pine branch emerged from little sketches I made. I kept being drawn to little woodland creatures and autumny, woodsy things while planning the project and wanted to find a way to incorporate some of them into the overall design. I worked the hedgehog in a sort of very unofficial needlepainting method with long & short stitches that didn’t always end up where I wanted them…

…but in the end it didn’t turn out too bad and I’m very happy with it!! <3

Making the Stitch Book

When I first got the idea of making a stitch book to practice my embroidery stitches, I knew that it would need “pages” of fabric to practice and experiment with stitches, but I didn’t want them to be attached to the book. I wanted to be able to add and remove them as I needed. That way, it’s much easier to mount a single piece of fabric onto the embroidery hoop rather than a piece of fabric attached to the stitch book. I also didn’t want all the pages to be predetermined and I wanted to be able to easily add new ones without having to sew them in each time.

So my solution to that was simply to thread a piece ribbon through the “spine” of the book. By tying it in a bow, I can easily add and remove fabric pages.

And it works for attaching a fabric page of any size that isn’t overly bigger than the book itself, because smaller pages can be threaded through only one end of the ribbon and still remain attached.

Plus, there are the two inside pockets too, if I need to stuff smaller bits or carry my snips and some floss.

The construction process was overall pretty simple. I did a bit of piecework on the front cover to frame the embroidery, and I used fusible interfacing to stiffen both the front and back covers, as well as the spine. The ribbon closure on the side keeps the book closed and matches the one on the inside.

view of fabric pieces being assembled to form outside of stitch book; front cover, spine, and back cover — Adding an extra piece of fabric as a “spine” so it will close nicely and there will be room for fabric pages.

front and back covers with fusible interfacing — Front and back covers reinforced with fusible interfacing on the wrong side of the fabric.

close up view of closed stitched book featuring the side ribbon closure — Stitchbook opens and closes with another piece of ribbon 🙂

Originally, I had intended to make a tutorial post on how I made this stitch book, but there ended up being a little too much improvisation here and there, as well as mad scrambling around for fabric scraps. So I decided to save that for another time when I inevitably make another one, if it’s something that would interest you. Don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments!

flat lay view of closed stitchbook showing embroidered front cover. Stitchbook is surrounded by pinecone props and other dried flowers, as well as winded red floss and red autumn leaves — Finished dimensions are 8” x 9”, a little bit bigger than your average book or journal.

Thanks so much for reading, and I hope this was at least a bit inspirational! 😊 I’m looking forward to filling my new little book with all sorts of fun stitches!

Fondly,

Redwork Embroidery: upcycling with this great 19th century technique

March 25, 2021 Anne Leave a Comment

Ever since I started embroidery a few years ago, simple vintage designs featuring pretty flowers and helpful little animals have been one of my favourite go-tos. There is something so pleasing about their simplicity, and they’re so easy and quick to stitch. Perfect for beginners, and perfect for adding handstitched touches here and there without it taking too long. And that’s exactly what redwork embroidery is all about!

redwork embroidery vintage birds and hoop stitched in red thread

I’m the absolute worst when it comes to deciding what to embroider because there are just SO many options! I’m working on improving my own doodling and drawing skills to be able to stitch more of my own designs, but I do love working with vintage and historical designs – and what better place to browse for them than Pinterest? Which can easily end up taking hours since we all know Pinterest is a most wonderful vortex of endless ideas! And if choosing or coming up with a design wasn’t time-consuming already, choosing floss colours can take just as long!

An easy solution to that demanding conundrum is to opt for a single-colour technique like Redwork.

vintage teacup pincushion with close-up view of an assortment of red embroidery threads

What is Redwork?

As you might have guessed, rework is embroidery worked entirely in red thread, typically on white fabric (like linen or cotton). It emerged in the late 19^th century, when red was one of the only colourfast dyed threads available on the market. Easily accessible to people of all classes, it was often worked on schoolgirls’ samplers and embroidered on various home items such as pillows and tablecloths. Its popularity endured well into the 20^th century and is still practiced today, especially on quilts and other patchwork. Redwork designs are typically very simple and full of old country charm. It features things like Sunbonnet Sues, flowers, fruits and vegetables, birds, and other cute little animals. Of course, there are no limits to what you can choose to embroider in redwork! Any design of your choice worked entirely in red thread can constitute redwork.

redwork embroidery vintage bird holding a piece of thread in its beak

Advantages of Redwork

Redwork is probably one of the most beginner-friendly types of embroidery out there. If you’re looking to start stitching, a redwork project would be an excellent place to start. Not only don’t you have to worry about colours, but redwork designs are usually all worked in basic outline stitches, using very few variations and little to no filling. Typical stitches used in redwork include the backstitch, split stitch, stem stitch, French knot, lazy-daisy, and sometimes a bit of satin stitch. You can easily decide to combine as few or as many as you want.

vintage bird design in redwork embroidery using splitstitch outlining technique (in progress) — Little bird outlined in splitstitch and “Wednesday” part of the title worked in backstitch.

Even for the seasoned embroiderer, the charm and simplicity of redwork lends itself beautifully to handmade accents for the kitchen or the sewing room. Plus, if you don’t worry about filling in any shape, it’s so quick to stitch!

lazy-daisy stitches to create flowers and leaves on embroidery hoop part of the design — I used the lazy-daisy stitch to create the flowers and leaves on the embroidery hoop design. The bird is done in splitstich and straight stitch (for the line details), and the needle and thread and done in backstitch.

Box Project

I had been wanting to try redwork for a while now, ever since falling in love with those cute, whimsical vintage patterns found all over the Internet. This box project was the perfect opportunity. In an effort to further organize my embroidery supplies, I decided to convert an empty Lindt chocolate box into a nice cozy home for them. As always, I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to decide what to embroider on the lid…in the end, I finally decided to try redwork thanks to my fabric choice.

finished project filled with various sewing supplies like lace, thread, embroidery hoop, floss

I have this bag of miscellaneous quilting cotton squares (used for anything except quilting, apparently) and I had just the right amount of the red gingham ones to go around the box to cover it. And what would look better paired with red gingham than redwork!

materials used to upcycle an old chocolate box: fabric, ruler, pencil, scissors, embroidered fabric to cover the lid

red gingham quilting squares and bird snips

box lid cover in progress - gingham squares sewn to main embroidered fabric

I chose a vintage “sew on Wednesday” design found via Pinterest, modified a little by adding my own quote. You can see the original here.

I worked most of it in backstitch and splitstich. I also used lazy-daisy for the flowers and some straight stitches here and there. It was super quick and easy! Using only one colour made it so much easier to re-thread the needle and carry the project with me for on-the-go stitching! I used two strands of DMC no. 816 for the entire design.

full view of redwork embroidery birds and embroidery hoop

I love filling blank spaces, so naturally I had to add a few other decorative touches, and found some little scraps of lace and the cutest buttons in the perfect shade of red.

close-up of red button and white lace used to decorate box lid corners

I sewed my little 3×3’’ gingham squares together to go around the lid, and then I stitched them to the redworked fabric for the lid top. More squares were sewn together to go around the bottom of the box, and hot glued them to the inside to hold in place.

red gingham squares going around the box

gingham fabric being hot glued around box

Turns out hot glue + fabric create bulk! No! Who would have thought?! Lo and behold, said bulk made the lid too small for the bottom and my box could no longer close…OOPS. Clearly I did not think this through. Guess that’s why they always told us not to mix fabric and glue in Costume Studies, lol!!

At least, I had started with the lid and the bottom was yet untouched. I was able to cut open one side and cut off a bit of the box bottom to make it smaller to fit under the lid. I can’t cut a straight line to save my life so it turned out crooked, but you can’t tell once the box is closed. And it closes so that’s all that matters!! 😉

finished box covered with fabric and redwork embroidery — **Finished dimensions ended up being 6 1/2″ x 8 3/4″**

Overall I’m very happy with it despite its imperfections. It makes a charming addition to my attempts at organizing, and my little birds remind me to stitch everyday 😊. It really is an easy project to do, the possibilities are endless and it’s a great way to recycle a perfectly good, sturdy box. Pick any fabric you like to cover it, and embroider or decorate it however you want! (wow, I really don’t make it easy to narrow down choices, do I??)

If you’re also interested in these fun vintage patterns, check out the fabulous collection over at French Knots, and follow my Pinterest board.

Let me know your thoughts on redwork in the comments! I hope you try it and are as charmed by it as I was.

Fondly,

Sources:

The book Simply Redwork by Mandy Shaw (published by David & Charles in the UK, 2014) and the article “Black and Blue and Red All Over” from the Embroidery Library website (last accessed March 25th, 2021) were consulted to learn more about the history of Redwork.

The Only Embroidery Tools You Need

March 24, 2021 Anne Leave a Comment

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:

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!

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:

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.

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:

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.

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.

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!

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.

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:

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,

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THE LATEST

1. It’s Inexpensive

See also: The Only Embroidery Tools You Need

2. It’s Easy

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

4. You Can Do It Anywhere

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

6. It’s So Creative!

7. You Can Easily Adapt it to Your Own Style

8. It Makes Great Handmade Gifts

9. You Can Learn a Lot of History

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

Hello friends!

Springtime Inspiration

How I Stitched My Dandelions

A Bit of Folklore & Other Interesting Facts

Benefits of Dandelions

I hope you feel inspired by these happy bits of sunshine, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments.

Sources:

To Knot or Not

The Case For Knots

How to Start With a Good Old-Fashioned Knot:

How to Start Embroidery Stitches Without a Knot

1. The Waste Knot

How To End Your Stitches Without a Knot

2. Starting with a Long Tail

3. Starting With Anchoring Stitches

4. Anchoring “X” Method

How to End Your Stitches

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

Touches of Historical Embroidery

Embroidery Stitches

Making the Stitch Book

What is Redwork?

Advantages of Redwork

Box Project

I love filling blank spaces, so naturally I had to add a few other decorative touches, and found some little scraps of lace and the cutest buttons in the perfect shade of red.

Sources:

Embroidery Hoop:

Fabric:

Side Effect Warning:

Needles:

Side-effect warning:

Floss:

Side effect warning:

Snips:

Side-effect warning:

Pencil:

Side Effect Warning:

Window:

Side Effect Warning: