And what better way to try something new than with the help of Tula!!!! I love Tula Pink's designs and prints, so when I saw that she had converted some of her amazing sketches into embroidery designs in her new Tula Pink Coloring with Thread
I let my daughter pick out what design I should try, because they are all so amazing there was no way I could pick a favorite. Jessi choose the Sea Horse because it reminded her of Spring Break!! And I realized that I still had my Bonnie and Camille Handmade Embroidery Floss Collection that I got in one of my Sew Sampler boxes, perfect for getting going on this project :) And the book has an awesome color guide to follow so no hard choices there!!
There is a fantastic stitch guide in the front of Coloring with Thread that makes it easy, even for a beginner like me, to see how to make each of the different stitches in the design. I am starting with the basic outlining because you have to crawl before you can run right ;) I haven't gotten very far, it is slow going to be sure. I am hoping as I get better at making my stitch length consistent that it will speed up. But so far, I am enjoying it. It might be several softball seasons before I get it done, but it is nice to have something to keep my hands busy while I sit at the ball park :)
So what about you??? Have you tried hand embroidery??? Any suggestions to help a beginner???
And crazy thought, this is making me think I might be able to try English Paper Piecing!!! Any suggestions of where to start there??
Yup, this is me jumping into the deep end of Hand Stitching, well see if I sink or swim ;)
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And crazy thought, this is making me think I might be able to try English Paper Piecing!!! Any suggestions of where to start there??
Yup, this is me jumping into the deep end of Hand Stitching, well see if I sink or swim ;)
** This post contains affiliate links.
When I'm doing hand stitching, whether it is smocking, embroidery, cross stitch, etc., I use beeswax or Thread Heaven on my thread. Beeswax or Thread Heaven keep your thread smooth and together and your thread will glide through your fabric. Many years ago when I learned hand stitching, I was told the back should be as neat as the front. Be careful carrying a dark thread on the back, if you are stitching on light colored fabric. The dark thread will leave a shadow on the front. Relax and enjoy. The even stitches will come with practice.
ReplyDeleteWowwwwww. This looks nice.
ReplyDeleteI have a three hour dental appointment on Friday and planning on bringing embroidery - just making fancy labels for two quilts.
That will be fun. The dental thing, ugh, it is an implant and I am not excited or elated about getting it, it is a molar, so it's not like some big fancy blazing sparkly tooth. :-P
Your stitching looks marvelous and this is a very very sweet pattern
WOW!! How brave you are!! Best of luck and I am cheering you on! I haven't tried embroidery yet, but I did pick up EPP last year and it is fun, easy, and addicting!!! I am taking a Sashiko class in June at my local quilt store and I can't wait! I hope I can get the hang of it because it is such a cool look!! Keep us posted!!
ReplyDeleteI’ve been hand embroidering for decades, and I do enjoy it. The best site I can recommend for you is Mary Corbet’s site, Needlenthread(dot)com. There is a “how to” section that has videos of basic, intermediate and advanced stitches. They’re clear and high quality. Learn from the best!!
ReplyDeleteI hand embroidered a lot as a teenager but now my go-to take along projects are always EPP. So fun, addictive, and definitely portable. Start with a simple hexagon flower and you'll be hooked. Sue Daley has some great projects and tutorials.
ReplyDeleteI learned to embroider as a child (we won't mention how long ago that was ;) ) and did quite a bit of it - tablecloths, handkerchiefs, and such. For the last 30 or so years however, I've done cross stitch. I have a project that I've worked on for years - I only stitch on it when I travel. It's about 80% done, so I figuring another couple of years and I'll be able to have it framed.
ReplyDelete