A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO
HAND EMBROIDERY STITCHDOODLES.COM
If you are new to Hand Embroidery then this is the place to start... The information given here is aimed at answering all those beginner questions you may have when you are just starting out in the wonderful world of Hand Embroidery. I am sure you have figured out there is a lot of information out there on hand embroidery and it can be confusing. All the information provided is from my own personal experience but feel free to try out different supplies and different techniques should you feel they suit you better. This is just a guide to get you on the way to stitching success. The main point is to have fun! If you have any questions you can email me at nicola@stitchdoodles.com
All items can be purchased in the Stitchdoodles shop as well as other online retailers. You may even be lucky enough to have a local craft store nearby you can purchase from as well. There are lots of tutorials on the blog which go into more detail on different subjects should you need a more in depth look at something. Let’s get started...
What Supplies do you need? Fabric There are so many choices of fabric to stitch on but the best advice I can give is to go for quality. It makes such a difference to your design if you stitch it on a quality fabric. For beginners a medium weight light coloured 100% cotton is ideal. This is an easy surface to transfer onto and stitch. I have a nice selection in the Stitchdoodles shop which I have hand-picked based on both quality and affordability. In order to get a feel for what you like to stitch on and what you find gives the best results - play around with different types and see what you prefer. The Fabric your design is stitched on to is referred to as the ‘main’ fabric or ‘ground’ fabric.
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Calico Fabric:
Embroidery Floss / Thread:
This is what I like to use as a ‘stabiliser’ – all this means is, I use it as a second layer of fabric behind my main fabric. I have stitched with and without a calico backing layer and much prefer the finished result when Calico has been used.
For ease my patterns mainly use DMC stranded floss - it comes in a vast array of colours, is easy to find and is colourfast should you need to wash your finished embroidery.
The calico (or stabiliser) adds quality to your finished piece just by the fact it is there. It allows you to use a thinner ‘main’ fabric ( which can be a lifesaver for tracing designs) but it’s also a great way of hiding any untidy threads at the back, having a few cross over lines of thread on the back, hide small knots when starting as well as for finishing threads as well. A note on Calico... it comes in different weights and depending on the source can be rough and coarse. As a stabiliser you need to make sure you use a light weight, pre shrunk super soft calico. There are many different types of stabilisers you could use rather than calico such as muslin, thin cotton etc. I have tried a few and come back to the calico as being my favourite.
When you are starting out, stick to the main brands if you want good results, little frustration and a reasonable price. DMC, Anchor, Madeira all make good priced thread that is high quality (, soft, smooth, nice to stitch with, colourfast). So many beginners get tempted by those bulk buys of floss that have all the colours you could possibly want for a knockout price! They really aren’t worth it - many people have found the colours throughout the strands to be inconsistent, the floss breaks mid-stitching or the colours run when a bit of moisture has got on your work. Once you have mastered the basics, there are lots of different threads available out there such as Perle Cotton, Crewel Wool, luxurious brands such as Lecien cosmo, cottage garden etc etc. Stick to those in the patterns supplies list if you want the exact same result of the pattern you are stitching or go rogue and make your own choices.
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Embroidery Hoop or Frame:
Needles:
Hoops come in lots of different sizes and materials. I prefer to use a quality hoop such as Elbesee or Nurge as I find they hold my fabric nice and tight and are comfortable to hold.
This can be a bit of a minefield for beginners so let’s keep it simple...
Cheap hoops can ruin your experience and be frustrating by their lack of holding tension and the fabric moving about so do bare this in mind. I like to use a hoop or frame that is bigger than the design I am stitching so that the whole pattern is accessible without having to take it in and out. As I love stitching different shaped designs rather than the conventional round designs – I also use stretcher bar frames to stitch my work in. These are incredibly simple and cheap to use and they open up a whole new realm of possibilities for size and shape of designs you can happily stitch.
The needle size and type depends on the fabric you are using and the thickness of your thread. Don’t stress out over all the different types out there – grab yourself a variety pack of embroidery needles and see which one is easiest to use for the project you have in hand at that time. I almost always use a size 7 or 5 embroidery needle for most of my stitching but have a few on hand to switch around if needs be.
My Patterns do specify a particular size of hoop or frame based on the finished size of the design. However, you may find it more comfortable to stitch the design in a different size since it can make a difference to your stitching experience. You can stitch without a hoop but it does make it a lot more difficult and the finished result is not as nice. Fabrics like 100% wool felt do not need a hoop due to their thickness. shop.stitchdoodles.com
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How do you transfer a pattern to your fabric (and do I even need to know this)? There are lots of kits out there with pre- printed designs on the fabric to take this part of the process out of the scenario. That’s great if you are in a hurry or if you are just starting out BUT... once you get stitching and realise how fabulous this embroidery thing is... you won’t want to be restricted to just a few patterns that offer this (and are considerably more expensive!) when there is so many more designs you could be stitching. That’s where transferring comes in and it’s really not that difficult. Having tried all the options out there, I will keep it simple for you and stick to the ones I use based on ease and effectiveness...
For Light Fabric: Light Box and Frixion Pen… A nice and simple process just take your time and don’t make the lines messy as you want to cover them with your stitches. Place the pattern on your light source and tape in place with masking tape. Place your fabric over the top – make it smooth and tight and again use masking tape to hold in place. If you don’t have a light box you can use a window. (invest in a light box though if you are doing lots – your neck will thank you for it!) Frixion Pens are widely available and come in different colours. They draw nice and smoothly on most fabrics and are heat erasable so you can iron over any lines showing through at the end ( that said, the lines can come back in cold temperatures so be neat and stitch over them just to be sure of the best result!).
For Dark Fabric: White Carbon Paper... I have a full tutorial on my blog on this method and it really is a great stress free way to transfer a pattern on to dark fabric.
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For light, dark and thick fabrics (felt): Sulky Sticky Fabri Solvy… This is a quick and simple alternative that I use if I am short on time. It works really well and is definitely the one I use for felt every time. The design is printed on to a sheet of this and you then stick it to the fabric. After embroidering it can be washed away. The only thing to note with this is it can be less fun stitching through the sticky layer (but for small projects and felt it is definitely worth it). Plus you need to wash it off so your threads need to be colourfast!
Now you know which basic supplies you need and how to transfer a pattern you should be all set to pick a pattern and get stitching...
How do you learn the Embroidery Stitches? There are lots of different resources you can use to learn new stitches. Take a look at the ‘Stitch Guide’ page on the blog which directs you to lots of different places where you can figure out how to do certain stitches in different formats to suit your learning style. The best way to learn is to pick a simple pattern that you like and learn as you go with all the free and available resources above.
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