This embroidery tutorial will have you in stitches! Embroidery is a great way to add original designs to clothing, give one-of-a-kind gifts or stitch original art pieces. Learn these basic embroidery stitches and revisit this vintage craft.
MATERIALS:
- Cotton fabric
- Embroidery floss
- Embroidery hoop
- Embroidery needles
- Scissors
- Floss bobbins
INSTRUCTIONS:
How to embroider like a pro
Satin Stitch:
Step 1:
Trace a design on fabric using a light pencil or iron on motif.
Step 2:
Stretch fabric in an embroidery hoop.
Step 3:
Thread your needle with roughly 1 meter of embroidery floss. Knot one end.
Step 4:
To create satin stitch embroidery stitches, insert your needle into the fabric from the underside, bring it up and make a long straight stitch across the area that you are embroidering, piercing the fabric on the opposite side.
Step 5:
Bring the needle back up very close to where your last stitch came up and bring it back down very close to your last stitch. Continue laying long stitches very close to one another, making sure to keep your stitches close and parallel to one another until the entire area has been filled.
Step 6:
Knot your thread underneath, weave the ends and trim.
* To create a more 3D effect to your embroidery, try a padded satin stitch. Padded satin stitch is just like satin stitch but you go over the same area a second time, laying your stitches perpendicular to the ones you just made. This added dimensionality is great for creating depth.
Backstitch:
Step 1:
Backstitch is a great stitch for outlining and lettering. Thread approximately 1 meter of thread onto your needle and knot one end.
Step 2:
Pierce the fabric with the needle from the back to the front. Make a stitch approximately ½ cm in length, bringing the needle back up approximately ½ cm from the last stitch.
Step 3:
Stitch back into the same hole the previous stitch made. Continue in this way, knotting your thread on the underside of the fabric to finish.
* Experiment with combining backstitch, satin stitch and padded satin stitch to make beautiful embroidered motifs on fabric and clothing!
TIPS
- Use floss bobbins to store your thread without creating knots
- Use anywhere from 1 to 6 strands of embroidery floss when stitching to create different thicknesses of lines
- If the fabric edges fray, fold washi tape over them
