Embroidery 101, Part Two

Here we go, we’re on our way to stitching together!

Make a little practice piece to try the stem and backstitch with different types of threads.

Cut a scrap of cotton for the background fabric. Cut a piece of flannel or fusible interfacing the same size. (I cut my flannel a tiny bit larger so you could see it in the photo below). Trace a few hearts (see block two of A Tisket, A Tasket) using a Pigma 01 pen or a fabric pencil. Place the design right side up on top of the flannel or interfacing. (Choose either flannel OR interfacing…don’t use both at the same time.) If you’re using fusible interfacing, now is the time to iron it to the wrong side of your background.

Put your sampler into a hoop and you’re ready to practice stitching.

Now let’s pick some thread!

Floss

I use DMC embroidery floss or Weeks Dye Works floss, two strands. Some designs call for 2 strands and some call for 3 strands of floss. It’s a combination of personal preference, the stitch being used, background fabric and the floss.

When I outline with a back stitch I like the look of three strands. Try it on your sampler and see what you like best!

Pearl Cotton

I love Valdani pearl cotton and I use size 12 for most of my stitching, but try the Valdani size 8 on a back stitch. You may love the look!

The higher the number the thinner the thread will be. Size 12 is thinner than size 8.

Here’s where it gets a little confusing…Valdani is a thicker thread than DMC. In the picture below DMC is on the left and Valdani is on the right, both size 8.

Valdani size 12 is about the same as DMC size 8. If a pattern calls for Valdani/12 you can substitute with a DMC/8, Valdani/8, substitute DMC /5. DMC size 12 is a thin pearl cotton, beautiful for fine embroidery.

Stem or Outline stitch

This is my favorite stitch and I use it for almost everything. I love the way it gracefully twists, and fills in a line. There are a few secrets to getting this “graceful” stitch.

Use two strands of embroidery floss. The first stitch is a little different from the rest: Start at the beginning of a line and work from left to right. Come up at the start and go down 1/4” away coming up in-between where you came up and went down. Always keep your thread below the needle as shown in the diagram above.

Look carefully at the stem stitch diagram above. Most people make the mistake of going down directly on the traced line. Instead, go down next to the line and come up next to your last stitch, on the other side of the line. You are following the line, but never actually “on” the line. The stem stitch is always done at an angle.

Make the stitches 1/8” in size. If your stitches are too large you’ll have trouble on the curves following the line. Keep the stitches tiny and consistent. If you can sew with 1/4” seam you can embroider with 1/8” stitch!

Back Stitch

The backstitch is my second favorite stitch. Try this stitch with two and then three strands of floss. Work from right to left, following diagram above.

Start your backstitch as shown in the picture below. Come up 1/8” from the start of the line. Go down at the start and come up again 1/8” from where you first came up.

Keep your stitches between 1/8” and 1/4” long. The length of the stitch depends on the floss or pearl cotton you’ve selected. As a general rule I keep my backstitch just a bit over 1/8”.

If you master the stem and backstitch you’ll be on your way to many happy hours of embroidery. It’s so much fun!

I’ll join you in front of the TV!

Hugs,

Embroidery 101, Part One

“Rabbits Prefer Embroidery” is back from the quilter! Now its binding time, and then off to the photographer. Before too long we will have a new pattern available!

If you’re new to embroidery, I’ll share a few tips with you over the next few posts. I hope to get you started on the road to embroidery heaven. Yes, there is such a place… you’ll find it in front of the TV every evening. Just sit down, relax, and embroider away on your favorite project.

Supplies & Basics:

1. Embroidery floss or pearl cotton; there are so many wonderful choices on the market! Pick and choose from some or all! DMC, Valdani, Weeks Dye Works, and Lecien just to name a few.
2. Small sharp scissors
3. Embroidery needles of assorted sizes
4. Embroidery hoop: size 5 is all purpose
5. Backing
6. Pigma pen, water erasable marker or fabric pencil

Embroidery Floss:

Hold the skein of floss in one hand and shake the floss to release the cut end. Pull this end of the floss and cut off about 18 to 20”of floss .

Now separate the strands of floss, one thread at a time. Grab one strand of floss and pull it up, straightening the remaining floss as you pull. Repeat for the number of threads you need. Do not try to pull off two or three threads at one time. Oh what a mess you’ll have!

Embroidery Needles:

Embroidery needles have a larger eye than regular sewing needles. The smaller the number the larger the eye (and the longer the needle).

I prefer a short needle for stitching and use a size 10 for most of my work. The short needle gives me more control and makes it easier to sew tiny stitches. If I’m using a pearl cotton or more than two strands of floss I’ll switch to a size 6, 7, or 8 embroidery needle.

Markers: What’s up with all these?

Pigma Permanent Pen, size 01, makes a fine line that is easy to cover with stitching. It’s the pen most embroidery patterns call for. But keep in mind that the pen mark is permanent. If you make a mistake, or go out of the line, you can’t go back and change it.

Clover water erasable pen; Such a bad rap this marker has, but I use it to mark a lot of my embroidery. The secret to using this pen? Use only the Clover eraser pen to remove the marks and not water.

Fabric pencil; fabric pencils glide easily over the fabric and do not “grab” the fabric like a regular pencil. Most fabric pencils can be erased with a fabric pencil eraser. I suggest not trying to use water to erase the marks, as most products claim you can. I found the results disappointing.

Backing Stabilizer:

Backing hides the thread tails and gives the embroidery more stability. It is not a necessity, but most embroidery patterns call for it. I choose from two types depending on the look I want;

Lightweight fusible interfacing; Gives the embroidery fabric more stability and makes it easier to get an even tension. Cut the interfacing the same size as the background fabric. Trace design onto the background fabric and then iron the interfacing to wrong side of the background.

Lightweight flannel; gives the embroidery a slightly softer look. It’s the backing I used for “Rabbits Prefer Embroidery”. Treat the backing and embroidery fabric as one when you are piecing together your quilt as shown in the photo below.

Hoop:

To hoop or not to hoop! No groaning allowed. Remember, hoops have been around for YEARS and do have a purpose! Hoops keep the fabric taunt and make it easier to control the tension. The thinner the background fabric the more necessary the hoop becomes. A simple 5” plastic hoop will probably be all you need.

When I use a flannel backing I only use a hoop when I come to an area where I need a lot of control.

Are you ready to do some stitching? I’ll be back with a few tips on that too!

Hugs,