Love Embroidery Sample Issue by Immediate Media Company London Ltd.

STEP-BY-STEP APPLIQUÉ FOR BEGINNERS

FRESH IDEAS WITH THREAD

ISSUE 11 | 2021

Coastal escape

BRIGHT IDEAS TO STITCH FOR SPRING

Design your own clutch bag

Sew this easy sampler Add texture with Rope Stitch Upcycle denim clothes Create stylish accessories

Vibrant fib fibre artist ti t Danielle Clough on portrait stitching

spring fashion CUSTOMISE YOUR

MODERN MAKES

Explore new ways to get creative STITCH A SUNFLOWER BRACELET, MAKE A KIDS’ MOBILE, LEARN HOW TO USE YOUR SEWING MACHINE & MORE

TRY EASY FREEMOTION QUILTING TECHNIQUES Issue 11

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Printed in the UK | £5.99

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PLUS FULL-SIZE TEMPLATES, STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIALS & STITCH GUIDES IN EVERY ISSUE!

COVER STAR WILDFLOWER BACKPACK

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WILDFLOWER BACKPACK COVER STAR

Adventure awaits

TAKE THIS WILDFLOWER WONDER WITH YOU ON SUNNY STROLLS AND WOODLAND TREKS – IT’S THE PERFECT PICNIC COMPANION Designed by Rachael Dobbins

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IDEAS INSPIRATION ACCESSORIES PEOPLE KITS

Making change Sometimes, the world needs a gentle nudge in the right direction. That’s why author and founder of the global Craftivist Collective Sarah Corbett has teamed up with expert craft editor Lara Watson to create the Craftivist Collective Handbook, which will contain 20 ‘Gentle Protest’ projects to help us become positive change makers. You can support and be a part of the book through the crowdfunding publishers Unbound. IMAGE © JENNY LEWIS

www.unbound.com

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Hoop sets

Sparkling with golden polka dot flecks, Linen and Fred’s pastel painted embroidery hoops are sure to add a dazzling touch to your work. £10 | www.linenandfred.etsy.com

Watch your embroidery skills bloom as you stitch your way through Alice Makabe’s book, Beautiful Botanical Embroidery. With 30 projects, from accessories to home décor, there’s something to set everyone’s creative spark alight. www.searchpress.com

Create a set of hoops to adorn your home with a beautiful Liberty fabric wrapped hoop and a duo of complementary coloured companions. £17.50+ | www.stitchkits.etsy.com

Picture perfect Shikira Alleyne-Samuel, the creator and designer behind Kreative Pursuit, has joined forces with Hobbycraft to bring you a free project. Try a punch needle and appliqué combo to create a stylish portrait that’s sure to add a little sunshine to your room and hone your skills in the process. www.hobbycraft.com, @kre8iveshack

Stock up on hoops for all those patterns you’ve got your eye on with Wool Couture’s handy embroidery hoop set, featuring sizes 5 to 10 inches. £14.99 | www.woolcouturecompany.com

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Green living BRING THE OUTDOORS IN WHEN YOU STITCH THIS SERENE POTTING SHED SCENE, PERFECT FOR BUDDING BOTANISTS Designed by Alisha & Roisin McDonnell

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KIDS LION SET

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LION SET KIDS LION SET KIDS

King of play King of play CHILDREN WILL LOVE THIS CHEERY LION MOTIF – EMBROIDER ONTO A FAVOURITE OUTFIT, CHILDREN WILLIT LOVE THIS CHEERY LION MOTIF THEN USE IT MAKE A MATCHING PLUSHIE TOO – EMBROIDER IT ONTO A FAVOURITE OUTFIT, THEN USE IT MAKEDesigner A MATCHING PLUSHIE TOO Julia Staite Designer Julia Staite

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MACHINE CORAL CUSHION

Under the sea COMBINE HAND-STITCHED MOTIFS, APPLIQUÉ AND MACHINE EMBROIDERY TO CREATE A CORAL REEF-INSPIRED CUSHION Designer Sophie Tarrant

GETTING STARTED It’s essential that you use a stabiliser while machine embroidering these coral designs. We’ve used a thin woven cotton, and without the extra layer to strengthen it, it will likely snag and get caught in the machine. Using a stabiliser also helps prevent the fabric from puckering or distorting and relieves the stress placed on the fabric while stitching. There are different types of stabiliser available, but we’ve used a tear-away variety, which is

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lightweight and removed after stitching. It’s ideal for fabrics that need some stabilising while embroidering but don’t need support after the embroidery is finished. We used just one layer, but for very lightweight fabrics two layers will give a better finish. Tear-away stabiliser is available in fusible and non-fusible finishes. With the fusible variety you simply press it on the wrong side of your fabric. With non-fusible stabiliser,

attach it with a little spray adhesive on the back, as we’ve done. Make sure the stabiliser is slightly larger than the design to be embroidered, and that it overlaps the edges of the hoop slightly. Once you’ve finished stitching, carefully tear away the bulk of the stabiliser, taking care not to pull or distort the stitches. If there are any tiny pieces of stabiliser left, use tweezers to gently tease them out.

Machine

embroidery

MATERIALS Textured cotton fabric: 60x115cm Felt: 30x30cm, blue Lightweight fusible wadding: 55x70cm Tear-away stabiliser: 40x60cm Machine embroidery threads: shades of blue and green Stranded cotton: blue Zip: 55cm Cushion pad: 32x52cm Temporary fabric spray adhesive Embroidery machine and large hoop (16x26cm) Chunky yarn: approx 8m Basic embroidery kit

NOTES Download the machine embroidery files at gathered.how/ coral-embroidery-design Find the hand embroidery templates on p60. Use a 1.5cm seam allowance. RS = right side. WS = wrong side.

Cut the cotton fabric as follows: Cushion front: 40x60cm. Cushion back: two pieces 17x52cm each. There is an extra 5.5cm added all round the edge of the finished cushion front to allow the embroidered designs to run into the seam allowance. Use temporary spray adhesive to back the cushion front with tearaway stabiliser, then mount it in a hoop. Download the coral embroidery designs, 02 making sure to select the correct file type for your machine. Copy the files onto a USB stick, then load them into your machine and apply them to your working area, by referring to the main photo for guidance or choosing your own layout. We repeated each design several times, in blue and green thread. Leave some areas unstitched to fill with hand embroidery and appliqué. Remove your fabric from the machine 03 hoop and press flat. Trace the hand embroidery coral templates using your preferred method onto the fabric to fill the gaps. Work the motifs in Backstitch using two strands of blue. We also used the templates to cut two appliqué coral shapes from felt and used Running Stitch in two strands of blue to attach these to the fabric as well.

Press wadding onto the WS of each of the cushion back pieces. Place the zip RS facing with one long edge of one of the cushion backs, matching the raw edge of the fabric to the zip tape. Stitch the zip into place using a zip foot. Repeat this to stitch the other side of the zip to the other cushion back, then stitch across the ends of the zip teeth a few times to secure. Press the assembled cushion back and trim to 32x52cm. Trim the cushion front to 32x52cm, then 05 press wadding onto the WS. Partially open the zip on the cushion back, then pin it RS together with the cushion front. Stitch together all around, turn RS out and press. Wrap chunky yarn around a 10x10cm 06 cardboard square 60 times, holding it taut. Cut a 15cm length of yarn and loop it through the wrap, then tie tightly at the top to bunch the yarn together. Cut across the bottom of the wrap to release it from the cardboard, then hold it by the top loop and wrap a 20cm length of yarn around the top of the bundle several times to create a tassel shape. Tie it tightly to secure and trim the bottom to neaten. Repeat to create four identical tassels, then hand stitch one to each corner of the cushion cover to finish.

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SUN HANGING HOME

Hello sunshine WELCOME THOSE SUNNY DAYS AHEAD WITH THIS GORGEOUS HANGING DISPLAYED IN A VINTAGE-STYLE BRASS FRAME Designer Sophie Tarrant

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Dinosaur delights STITCH YOUR OWN SET OF PREHISTORIC PALS WITH THESE QUICK AND EASY MINIATURE HOOPS Designer Jessie Doe

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PROFILE

Ciara LeRoy THE MULTI-DISCIPLINED HANDICRAFT ARTIST BEHIND PRETTY STRANGE DESIGN ON MESSAGES WITH MEANING, CRAFTIVISM AND WHAT MAKES ART THIS IMAGE © SARAH DUNN PHOTO & DESIGN, ALL OTHERS CIARA LEROY

Words by Lara Watson

Ciara’s love of fibre arts began in childhood at her Grandmommy’s home, where they made blankets together

CIARA LEROY PROFILE

One of Ciara’s favourite themes is lettering, which she stitches in vibrant colour; another passion of Ciara’s is nail art – a ‘canvas’ for her to paint miniature works of art

iara LeRoy’s creativity is boundless. The Kentucky-based artist and designer has attracted a steady following for her vibrant stitched typography, but she’s also a painter, a lettering artist, fashion upcycler and a huge nail art fan. She’s guaranteed to inspire, regularly invokes a smile, and more often than not, she’ll also make you think. Ciara didn’t actually start embroidering until a few years ago. “I wanted to translate my lettering into a new medium,” she says. “Something more dynamic, tactile and fine art focused. One of my closest friends, artist Felice Salmon, taught me several stitches and techniques, and off I went. I’ve been sharpening my embroidery skills ever since and exploring more complex techniques.” Since then, her style has become “more refined.” Having started out with a painterly, organic approach, she’s now invested in her embroidery being clean, crisp and tidy. With a focus on colour interaction, each piece is a study in colour theory and nothing brings Ciara more joy than exploring unexpected colour combinations at play. Maybe this stems from her childhood, crafting at her grandmother’s house. “A rainbow of yarn. Crochet needles. An unlimited supply of snacks and candy I wasn’t allowed to eat at home,” Ciara recalls. “My earliest memories of working with fibre are days spent crocheting big cosy blankets with my Grandmommy. My grandmother is still with us at 93, and my sister and I still use the brightly coloured crochet blankets she wove.”

Ciara’s grandmother also taught her how to make small felt crafts, like magnets and ornaments, with simple embroideries on them, all a foundation for a fondness of stitching. Her first creative love, however, is painting. “I’ve been painting for a long time,” says Ciara. “These days, I like to paint abstract and lettering-focused pieces. The impact of a huge canvas with words on it never gets old to me. One of my favourite painting exercises is finding a thrift store piece and altering it with my own message and artwork.” One of Ciara’s proudest moments recently was creating a very important message indeed. “A couple months ago, after the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, I embroidered a piece about the cycle of outrage and how fleeting the world’s concern with black lives is,” says Ciara. “It only takes the changing of the news cycle for people to go back to their normal lives and forget about the oppression of black people. So I made that piece out of anger, frustration and finally hope. I hoped that by confronting folks with the cycle, that they

“I’ve been using my work to call attention to social issues and explore deeper themes for a long time.” www.gathered.how/love-embroidery www.gathered.how/love-embroidery

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KIDS SWAN TOP

SWAN TOP KIDS

Arts & crafts ADD A FUN FLOURISH TO A SHIRT WITH EMBROIDERED PAINTBRUSHES AND PAINT SPLODGES PEEKING OUT OF THE POCKET Designed by Ella Miller

WORKSHOP SPLIT STITCH

HOW TO WORK SPLIT STITCH

For Split Stitch in one strand, begin by working a single straight stitch. Bring the needle up through the centre of your first stitch, about halfway along, splitting the fibres evenly on either side of the needle. Take the needle down again, completing the next stitch. Continue stitching in the same manner, spacing the stitches at regular intervals to create a neat line of stitches.

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If working in multiple strands, use the same method as in step 1, but bring your needle up between the strands instead of through the fibres. For a neater finish, it’s best to use an even amount of strands, as you will want an equal amount on each side. However, you can use an odd amount – split the central strand instead or have an uneven amount on one side.

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Split Stitch can also be used as a filling stitch. For rounded shapes, first outline an area with a Split Stitch border. Then work in a spiral, starting from the outline and moving in towards the centre. For a more angular shape, work the outline and then fill with parallel rows of Split Stitch to create a solid block. You want the lines of stitches to be touching but not overlapping each other.

Split Backstitch is an alternative way to work Split Stitch that uses a similar method to Backstitch. Instead of bringing the needle up through the centre of the previous stitch, bring it up through the fabric where the end of the next stitch will sit. Then, take the needle back down through the centre of the previous stitch, splitting the fibres or strands as you do so.

SPLIT STITCH WORKSHOP

MATERIALS Cotton fabric: 35x55cm, 16x25cm, light blue Stranded cotton: 1 skein each of bright blue, light blue, navy blue, teal and white Embroidery hoop: 25cm diameter Dowel rod: 15cm 3mm wide ribbon: 50cm, navy blue Sewing machine and light blue machine thread Basic embroidery kit

STITCHES USED Split Stitch

NOTES Find the template on p75.

Transfer the design from the template onto the larger piece of fabric, including the template outline, using your preferred method. We used a heat-erasable pen and a lightbox to transfer the design. Mount the fabric into your hoop with the stitched area of the design positioned centrally. Starting at the bottom of the design, 02 fill the first section of waves using Split Stitch in two strands of navy blue. Keep your stitching fairly short and even to help create a really smooth curve in your lines of stitching. Continue stitching each section of the 03 waves in two strands of bright blue, light blue, navy blue and teal using Split Stitch. Either stitch at random or refer to the main image on the opposite page for colour placement. If you find your thread getting twisted as you stitch, try dropping the needle and letting it gently hang to allow the thread to unwind itself before continuing. Next, work the clouds in Split Stitch using 04 white. First, outline the clouds in two strands to create a crisp shape. Then, switch to four strands to fill the shapes in. Work from the outline towards the centre in a spiral of solid Split Stitch – refer to step 3 on the opposite page for a guide to help with this.

Once all your stitching is complete, cut out your embroidery with a 1cm seam allowance. Cut out a matching panel of fabric for backing. Pin the stitched panel to your backing fabric with right sides together. Stitch along your seam allowance to secure, leaving a 5cm gap along the top edge. Snip your corners, turn through the gap and press. Fold over your top edge by 4cm and stitch a line 2.5cm down from the fold to create a channel for your dowel rod. Create five tassels using a blend of 06 light blue, navy blue and teal. Begin by wrapping the threads around a 5cm rectangle of cardboard until you have achieved your desired thickness. Loop a short length of thread through the threads at the top end of the rectangle and tie together. Remove the thread from the cardboard, then wrap more thread around the bundle towards the top end and tie tightly. Use a needle to hide the ends in the tassel. Trim the loops at the bottom and use a fine-toothed comb to brush out the strands. Sew the tassels along the bottom of the hanging at regular intervals, sewing through the back panel only. To finish, insert a dowel rod into the channel along the top and tie ribbon to both ends to hang.

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PROJECT WORDS

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WORDS PROJECT

Desert dunes WORKED ENTIRELY IN SATIN STITCH, THIS UNDULATING CACTUS SCENE IS RICH WITH SOFT COLOUR AND TEXTURE Designer Jen Smith

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