Supplies
Tools
- Round-ended needle (n° 19 to 24) for Aïda or Unifil fabric
- Long, pointed-end needle (n° 5 or 7) when using waste canvas on fabrics
- Small, thin, pointed embroidery scissors
- Thimble
- Sewing hoop to hold your fabric while you work
Materials
- Fabric
- Embroidery floss
- Carbon paper, if you need to transfer a pattern onto fabric
Directions
Principles
- The majority of the time, you'll be following a pattern on a chart: the stitches to make and the colors to use are noted by symbols in a series of small squares.
- Always start embroidering your pattern from the center toward the outside, color by color, counting the stitches and following the chart.
- For an even-looking result, always stitch in the same direction and, above all, maintain the same tension in all your stitches: neither too tight nor too loose.
- Never make knots: this makes small bumps that lessen the quality of the finished work.
Fabric preparation
- Mark the center by folding the fabric in 4 so that it corresponds to the center of the pattern on the chart.
- Position the fabric securely in the sewing hoop. As you get further along in your pattern, move the hoop as needed.
Thread preparation
- Your thread, or strands of thread, shouldn't be longer than 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20 inches) or else it will tangle easily.
- Prepare as many colors as needed for the specific pattern you're making. The more colors you use, the more important it is to keep them well-organized.
Embroidery
- To start embroidering with a strand of thread, leave 3 or 4 cm (1-3/16 or 1-9/16 inches) of thread dangling at the back of the work and hold it with your index finger.
- Trap this dangling end of thread behind your first stitches. That way, you don't need to make a knot.
- You can embroider with 2 or 3 different colors at the same time if your pattern calls for it, but be careful not to tangle them!
- End each strand of thread the way you started it: by sliding it under 2 or 3 stitches on the back of the work (never make a knot!).
Going further
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