This week we are going to take a closer look at embroidery. It’s all the rage now and there is a new generation of embroiderers out there who are creating up-to-the-minute designs. Look in your newsagent’s for magazines, books, etc. And no, it doesn’t have to be time-consuming or laborious.
You can teach yourself these four simple stitches very quickly. Here are two small projects to get you started: a pillow sham and a label for our quilt. If you are a stitcher, you may already have some embroidery threads stacked away somewhere, but don’t wait to get all of the requirements listed below. Grab some fabric and thread and make a start. You can pick up the rest later.
Note: Finished size of quilt 74” by 96”.
19” by 28” of fabric for pillow sham6” by 9” of fabric for quilt labelEmbroidery threadsSize 7 embroidery needle7” embroidery hoop (or 8”, whichever is comfortable in your hand)2B pencilScrew driverPillow sham
First choose an image to embroider that ties in with the theme of your quilt. Look at your appliqué carefully: can you use the same image? Follow the outline with your eye, is it possible to follow this outline with an embroidery stitch? The image should measure approximately 7” by 7”.Choose a corner of the pillow sham to work on. I made two pillow shams and picked the top right corner of one and the top left of the other.Transfer the design onto the fabric, leaving at least four inches between the edge of the image and the edge of the fabric. You can do this by taping the image to a window with masking tape and then taping your fabric over it. Use a sharp pencil to lightly draw out the motif in a thin line.Iron fusible web, which will act as a stabiliser, to the back of the fabric covering the pattern.Insert your fabric into the hoop. Place the small hoop on a flat surface and then lay your fabric with image centred over it. Now place larger hoop over this and turn screw to tighten. Your fabric should be taut, like a drumhead, so pull on outside edges to achieve this and when you are happy, tighten screw again. Always remove your work from the hoop when you finish each session to avoid hoop marks.I used two strands of floss for all of the pattern (embroidery thread is sold in six strands). Cut the floss into 14” lengths, separate the strands and tie a knot at one end.Insert the needle through the front of the fabric, about 3” away from where you want to start. Now make your first stitch and continue stitching until you have about 1” completed. Snip off knot from the front of your work and re-thread the needle at the back. Weave this thread in and out of your work on the back to secure.To finish, insert your needle under a stitch at the back of your work and weave in and out as before, thus starting and finishing the embroidery without any knots.Don’t worry about the size of your stitches if you are just starting out. Keep them as neat and small as is comfortable for you and try to keep them all the same length.To the right is a diagram of some basic stitches used in embroidery. Try them out on some scrap fabric first to get a feel for them, see how they look etc. You might like to vary the number of strands used, choose a different colour than originally intended, use a bigger/smaller stitch, etc. The main thing is have fun.Cut down pillow sham fabric to measure 18” high by 27” wide and put aside for assembly later.Back stitch (line stitch): Come up on the line pulling your thread through from the back at 1, take a small backward stitch down at 2, come up a stitch length away; go back down at the end of your previous stitch. Repeat.
Stem stitch (line stitch): Following diagram and working from left to right, come up at 1, down at 2 and up at 3. Move forward one stitch (down at 4) and come up into the back of the previous stitch (up at 5). Continue, keeping the thread to the bottom of the needle at all times to create a nice even stitch.
Chain stitch (Good filling stitch, but can also be used as a line stitch): One chain stitch, when anchored, becomes a Lazy Daisy stitch, which can be used to create flower petals or leaves, etc): Come up at 1, go back down very close to where you came up, but leave a little loop. Take a stitch length forward, but come back up with your needle through this loop, then pull gently. Reinsert your needle very close to where you came up (inside the loop you just made) to make your second stitch. Carry on. To finish a row of chain stitching take a tiny stitch over the loop to anchor.
French knot (Good for eyes, but they make a lovely flower when bunched together): Bring needle up through the fabric, wrap the thread around the needle twice, insert the needle back down close to where you came up, holding the “knot” under your thumb until thread is pulled through to the back.
Quilt label
6” by 9” plain fabric6” by 9” fusible webbing4 strips of contrasting fabric measuring 1” by 9”When embroidering your label record the following information:
Your nameDateName of recipient and occasion if appropriate (birthday, anniversary, etc)You can have lots of fun with this (a cryptic message, perhaps). Be as creative as you wish with the embroidery, maybe add some embellishments, like a charm. When all embroidery is finished, cut label to measure 5” by 8”.Take one strip and attach to one side of the label taking a ¼” seam. Turn over to the back and top stitch down from the front close to the edge of the binding. Repeat for the other side. Trim edges.Repeat for top and bottom, this time turning edges under.Lay aside for later.NEXT WEEK: Creating a piano key border.
This week we are going to take a closer look at embroidery. It’s all the rage now and there is a new generation of embroiderers out there who are creating up-to-the-minute designs. Look in your newsagent’s for magazines, books, etc. And no, it doesn’t have to be time-consuming or laborious.
You can teach yourself these four simple stitches very quickly. Here are two small projects to get you started: a pillow sham and a label for our quilt. If you are a stitcher, you may already have some embroidery threads stacked away somewhere, but don’t wait to get all of the requirements listed below. Grab some fabric and thread and make a start. You can pick up the rest later.
Note: Finished size of quilt 74” by 96”.
19” by 28” of fabric for pillow sham6” by 9” of fabric for quilt labelEmbroidery threadsSize 7 embroidery needle7” embroidery hoop (or 8”, whichever is comfortable in your hand)2B pencilScrew driverPillow sham
First choose an image to embroider that ties in with the theme of your quilt. Look at your appliqué carefully: can you use the same image? Follow the outline with your eye, is it possible to follow this outline with an embroidery stitch? The image should measure approximately 7” by 7”.Choose a corner of the pillow sham to work on. I made two pillow shams and picked the top right corner of one and the top left of the other.Transfer the design onto the fabric, leaving at least four inches between the edge of the image and the edge of the fabric. You can do this by taping the image to a window with masking tape and then taping your fabric over it. Use a sharp pencil to lightly draw out the motif in a thin line.Iron fusible web, which will act as a stabiliser, to the back of the fabric covering the pattern.Insert your fabric into the hoop. Place the small hoop on a flat surface and then lay your fabric with image centred over it. Now place larger hoop over this and turn screw to tighten. Your fabric should be taut, like a drumhead, so pull on outside edges to achieve this and when you are happy, tighten screw again. Always remove your work from the hoop when you finish each session to avoid hoop marks.I used two strands of floss for all of the pattern (embroidery thread is sold in six strands). Cut the floss into 14” lengths, separate the strands and tie a knot at one end.Insert the needle through the front of the fabric, about 3” away from where you want to start. Now make your first stitch and continue stitching until you have about 1” completed. Snip off knot from the front of your work and re-thread the needle at the back. Weave this thread in and out of your work on the back to secure.To finish, insert your needle under a stitch at the back of your work and weave in and out as before, thus starting and finishing the embroidery without any knots.Don’t worry about the size of your stitches if you are just starting out. Keep them as neat and small as is comfortable for you and try to keep them all the same length.To the right is a diagram of some basic stitches used in embroidery. Try them out on some scrap fabric first to get a feel for them, see how they look etc. You might like to vary the number of strands used, choose a different colour than originally intended, use a bigger/smaller stitch, etc. The main thing is have fun.Cut down pillow sham fabric to measure 18” high by 27” wide and put aside for assembly later.Back stitch (line stitch): Come up on the line pulling your thread through from the back at 1, take a small backward stitch down at 2, come up a stitch length away; go back down at the end of your previous stitch. Repeat.
Stem stitch (line stitch): Following diagram and working from left to right, come up at 1, down at 2 and up at 3. Move forward one stitch (down at 4) and come up into the back of the previous stitch (up at 5). Continue, keeping the thread to the bottom of the needle at all times to create a nice even stitch.
Chain stitch (Good filling stitch, but can also be used as a line stitch): One chain stitch, when anchored, becomes a Lazy Daisy stitch, which can be used to create flower petals or leaves, etc): Come up at 1, go back down very close to where you came up, but leave a little loop. Take a stitch length forward, but come back up with your needle through this loop, then pull gently. Reinsert your needle very close to where you came up (inside the loop you just made) to make your second stitch. Carry on. To finish a row of chain stitching take a tiny stitch over the loop to anchor.
French knot (Good for eyes, but they make a lovely flower when bunched together): Bring needle up through the fabric, wrap the thread around the needle twice, insert the needle back down close to where you came up, holding the “knot” under your thumb until thread is pulled through to the back.
Quilt label
6” by 9” plain fabric6” by 9” fusible webbing4 strips of contrasting fabric measuring 1” by 9”When embroidering your label record the following information:
Your nameDateName of recipient and occasion if appropriate (birthday, anniversary, etc)You can have lots of fun with this (a cryptic message, perhaps). Be as creative as you wish with the embroidery, maybe add some embellishments, like a charm. When all embroidery is finished, cut label to measure 5” by 8”.Take one strip and attach to one side of the label taking a ¼” seam. Turn over to the back and top stitch down from the front close to the edge of the binding. Repeat for the other side. Trim edges.Repeat for top and bottom, this time turning edges under.Lay aside for later.NEXT WEEK: Creating a piano key border.
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