instructables classes

EMBROIDERY CLASS
10 Lessons Beginner Level

Hello and welcome to my hand embroidery class!

In this class, I'll teach you all the basics of hand embroidery. You'll complete two beautiful
samplers that will teach you 11 different stitches.
In addition to stitches, I'll teach you about hoops, floss and fabric, as well as how to make and
transfer patterns and finish your embroideries for hanging in hoops. I'll also give you a great list of
projects to try in the last lesson!
Enter an Instructables Contest!
If you've used the skills you've learned in this class to write a great instructable, try entering it in
one of our contests, like the Fiber Arts Contest for a chance to win some amazing prizes!

Class Author:
jessyratfink
Jessy Ratfink is a modern embroidery artist, sewist, crafter and cook. She published her first instructable nearly 10 years ago
and now has over 500 instructables under her belt! She works for the Instructables Design Studio making awesome things full
time. In her down time, she makes hand embroidered art and patterns for her Etsy shop, making jiggy.
To see what she's currently working on, visit her @makingjiggy Instagram page!

Embroidery Class: Page 1

 Lessons

Lesson 1: Tools and Materials for Embroidery

This lesson will let you know which tools and materials are needed to
take the class.

Lesson 2: Choosing Floss and Fabrics

In this lesson, I'll teach you about the different types of floss. I'll also
show you how to choose and wash fabric for embroidery.

Lesson 3: Get Your Hoop On

This lesson will teach you all about hoops! We'll go over how to
choose the right hoop for your project, how to use a hoop, and how to
clean your hoops. I'll also cover different hoop and frame types.

Lesson 4: All About Patterns

In this lesson, you'll learn about patterns! I'll teach you the best places
to get free and paid patterns, how to transfer patterns to fabric, and
also how to make your own custom patterns.

Lesson 5: Starting and Ending Floss

In this lesson, I'll cover different ways to start and end your floss. We'll
go over regular knots, waste knots, and weaving in floss ends.

Lesson 6: Basic Stitch Sampler

In this lesson, you'll learn 6 stitches while making a mountain
embroidery, including: chain stitch, backstitch, split stitch, straight
stitch, running stitch & satin stitch.

Embroidery Class: Page 2

Lesson 7: Floral Stitch Sampler
In this lesson, you'll learn 5 stitches while making a floral embroidery,
including: woven wheel stitch, fly stitch, stem stitch, petal stitch, and
French knots.

Lesson 8: Washing, Drying and Blocking Embroidery

In this lesson, I'll show you how to wash your embroideries to remove
all the pattern marks. I'll also show you the best techniques for drying
your embroideries based on your chosen finish.

Lesson 9: Finishing and Framing in Hoops

Now we'll finally get our sampler finished and ready to hang! I'll cover
a few different techniques for finished hooped embroideries.

Lesson 10: Tips for Embroidering + What to Embroider Next

In the final lesson, I'll teach you some tips and tricks for better and
easier embroidery. I'll also give you a list of great embroider projects
on Instructables to tackle once you've completed this class.

Embroidery Class: Page 3

 LESSON 1: TOOLS AND MATERIALS FOR EMBROIDERY

I've split these into categories - required and optional! The required lists are the basics you
need to complete the embroidery projects in the class. The optional lists concern tools and
materials that are nice to have, or for patternmaking and finishing your embroideries, but
they are not necessary.

Required Tools Needed:

6 inch plastic embroidery hoop
6 inch wooden embroidery hoops (depending on how many of the patterns you want to frame -
for all 3 projects you'll need 3 wooden hoops)
A pack of embroidery needles- I love these gold ones by Clover
A water soluble pen
Pinking shears
Embroidery scissors - there are tons of them on Amazon
Fabri-Tac fabric glue
Thread Heaven
Steam iron
Ironing board
Light tablet or light box of some sort - this can even be a window
A printer/scanner to print and design patterns - I have the HP 4500 and I love it

Required Materials Needed:

Six stranded embroidery floss - you can either buy this set and a few skeins of black floss, or

Embroidery Class: Page 4

 go to your local craft store and pick out colors you like
One yard cotton or linen fabric to embroider on - my favorite is a linen/rayon blend found here

Optional Tools and Materials:

Unscented castile or laundry soap (used while washing embroideries)
A cork board and pushpins OR
A piece of heavy canvas larger than your embroidery, clothespins, sewing pins and an ironing
board (this is used for blocking embroideries)
Spray bottle filled with water
Embroidery hoops in 3, 4, and 5 inch sizes for help with drawing borders on patterns
Clear sewing rulers for drafting patterns
Embroidery floss bobbins
Floss storage containers

Understanding the Tools

In this section, I'll briefly go over each of the major tools and tell you why we'll be using
them.

Embroidery hoops are used to hold fabric taut while stitching. We use plastic ones for
stitching and wooden ones for framing embroideries.

Embroidery Class: Page 5

Embroidery scissors are small and sharp, perfect for trimming floss cleanly and closely.
They're essential. I like to make "necklaces" out of mine so I don't misplace them.

Pinking shears cut fabric so that it has a jagged edge. This keeps the edges of your fabric
from unravelling as you work with it.

Embroidery Class: Page 6

Embroidery needles vary wildly in size - I recommend buying a variety pack to find the
size you like the most for each project.

Water soluble pens are my preferred method of embroidery transfer. They're easy to use,
come in a variety of thicknesses, and wash out easily with cool water.

Fabri-Tac Glue is the only glue I trust to finish my embroideries! It adheres permanently to
wood and fabric, and dries clear and fast. Also great for securing knots or loose thread
ends.

Embroidery Class: Page 7

Thread Heaven is a a thread conditioner. It will make your floss pull through the fabric
much more easily, and can also help you thread a needle with stubborn floss. One
container of this will last you a very long time!

Embroidery floss comes in a few flavors, but we'll be using six-stranded floss for this
class. My favorite brand is DMC, which can be found at nearly any craft store.

Embroidery Class: Page 8

Embroidery fabric can be almost any type of fabric! However - linen, quilting cotton and
muslin are all great beginner embroidery fabrics because they're easy to work with. Linen
is my favorite!

An iron and ironing board are extremely important to press fabric before you embroider.
Any ironing board will do, but I recommend a steam iron with multiple temperature settings
for best results.

Light tablets are my preferred method of transferring embroidery patterns. They allow for
much more accurate drawing than you get from a sunny window or homemade light box.

Embroidery Class: Page 9

You'll need a printer to print off the PDF patterns, and a scanner will come in amazingly
handy if you decide you like to make your own patterns.

Clear quilting rulers come in very handy when it comes to patternmaking! These help you
ensure that you're laying out text and drawings with consistency and efficency. :)

Embroidery Class: Page 10

 LESSON 2: CHOOSING FLOSS AND FABRICS

I've tried embroidering on just about everything with all types of thread and floss.
As you can imagine, this hasn't always worked out very well! Instead of leaving you to
learn from your mistakes while nursing very sore fingers, I thought I'd give a little guidance
about what I've found to work best. :)
In this lesson I'm going to cover floss, pearl cotton, floss storage and how to choose fabric
for embroidery.

Embroidery Class: Page 11

Pearl Cotton Vs Six Stranded Floss

Hand embroidery threads come in two flavors: pearl (perle) cotton and six stranded floss.
In this class I'll be exclusively teaching with six stranded floss, just because it's what I
prefer to use.
Six stranded floss can be divided into smaller groups of strands for stitching different
thicknesses.
Pearl cotton is not divisible, and instead comes single stranded in several thicknesses,
including sizes 3, 5, 8, and 12. Size 3 is comparable to six strands of embroidery floss,
while size 12 is comparable to one strand of embroidery floss.
While embroidery floss is flat and smooth when stitched, pearl cotton has a distinctive
twisted look.
Floss comes in skeins and cones, while pearl cotton comes in skeins and balls.
Skeins are how most types of floss are found - the green floss above is in a skein! Skeins
often contain 8.7 yards of floss. Cones are just what they sound like - the same floss,
wrapped around a cone! Cones often comes in gram measures - 100 grams (450 yards for
DMC) and 500 grams (2270 yards for DMC). Balls of floss come just like the purple pearl
cotton above. :)

Embroidery Class: Page 12

Embroidery Class: Page 13
Choosing Embroidery Floss

When buying embroidery floss, it's important to be very careful about which brands you
choose. Cheap floss is not likely to be colorfast, meaning it will bleed its color onto the
fabric when it gets wet. Cheap floss is also rough and hard to work with, so it could make
your embroidering look sloppy.
(Pearl cotton bought in craft stores is nearly always high quality, so you don't need to be
concerned there.)
My favorite brand is DMC.
It's the most widely available floss I've found in the US. You can find it at nearly every
crafting, quilting, or sewing shop! I highly recommend it as I have been embroidering with it
for my whole embroidery career.
I have never had issues with it bleeding, and it's nice and easy to work with.
Other Popular Floss Brands
J&P; Coats
Presencia
Sullivan's
Anchor

There are many more brands out there, but many of them are harder to find and require
special ordering online.
Keep in mind each floss brand has its own numbering system when it comes to organizing
and matching your floss. For example, black is DMC color 310 and Anchor color 403.
Buying in Bulk
As a beginning stitcher, I highly suggest getting a large variety of single colors. This will
allow you to figure out which colors you use the most.
I only really buy black in bulk by the cone. I like to outline all my satin stitching with it and
most of my text is done in black, so I use quite a bit!
If you start to find yourself going through a few skeins of a color in under a month, it may
be a sign you should start buying in bulk. If you order online, you can get any color of DMC
floss in a 12 skein box from Joann and other online shops.

Embroidery Class: Page 14

Storing Embroidery Floss

How you store your embroidery floss is up to you, really! Some people leave them as
skeins, some people take off the paper and keep them as circles of floss, and some wind
their floss onto bobbins.
I like to use bobbins and organize my floss in plastic boxes as shown above. I try to keep
only one bobbin of every color in the plastic boxes. I store my extra floss in a zippered bag
to keep it safe from dirt and hair.
Bobbins are little plastic or paper cards you wind floss onto for storage, as shown below.

Embroidery Class: Page 15

I write the color number of every skein of floss on the plastic bobbins in permanent marker.
This allows me to easily replace floss when I start running low and helps keep me a little
more organized.

To wind your floss skein onto a bobbin, pull the paper pieces off each end. Use your
fingers to "open" the floss so it looks like the second photo - a circle of floss!

Now, find an end to the floss and pinch it against the bobbin card with your thumb, while
gently beginning to wrap the floss around the card with the other hand.

Embroidery Class: Page 16

Make sure you wind the bobbins very gently. If you pull too tight, you'll warp and crease the
floss.
The floss should still look fairly rounded! If it's flattening out as you wrap you're pulling too
tight.

Once your bobbins are wound, make sure to put them away in whatever container you're
using. Especially if you have pets or kids. They love floss. ;)
P.S. Winding bobbins takes a little while, so it's a great excuse to sit and listen to your
favorite podcast or binge watch TV. :D
Embroidery Class: Page 17
Embroidery Class: Page 18
Threading the Needle and Dividing Floss

Threading the Needle

To thread an embroidery needle with floss, trim the floss end with sharp scissors so it's
even. Then, stick the end in your mouth to wet it. Press the wet floss end between your
thumb and pointer finger to flatten it out.
You may think this is gross, but it's the way it's been done since the start. ;)
If you're having problems, I highly recommend running the end of the floss over a little
Thread Heaven - it'll stiffen and smooth the end, making it easier to push through the eye
of the needle.
Dividing Embroidery Floss

When you need to divide your embroidery floss into strands, pick apart the strands in the
middle and then pull it apart!
You can divide the floss from one end, but chances are it will curl and tangle around itself
and frustrate you unless you have experience fighting with floss. ;)

Embroidery Class: Page 19

Embroidery Class: Page 20
Choosing Fabric for Embroidery

First up, what not to pick:

Stretchy fabrics, such as jersey or fleece
Tight woven or stiff fabrics, such as heavy canvas or denim
Fluffy fabrics, such as fleece
Cross stitch fabric such as counted Aida

Technically, you can embroider on just about anything. However, the above fabrics will be
really tough for you to work with if you've never embroidered before. I don't want you to
start this journey by rage quitting because the fabric is too hard to work with. ;)
My absolute favorite fabric to embroider on is linen.
I use this linen / rayon blend from Joann Fabrics almost exclusively. I have it in white and
natural, but it comes in loads of other colors too! I always buy it in bulk when it's on sale,
since I go through about 8-10 yards per year with my embroidery work.
The other linens shown in the photo above are straight linen (no rayon or synthethic fibers).
I like to wash and pre-shrink the linen before I use it.
Other fabrics for embroidery:
Muslin. Muslin is often used for drafting patterns and backing quilts. If you go this route, try to
find a muslin with a tight weave. Place your hand behind it and make sure you can't see it
through the muslin!
Quilting cotton. Quilting cotton is another good choice. The weave is similar to muslin, but is
normally more opaque.
Broadcloth. Broadcloth is similar to muslin but typically a little stiffer. Make sure you can't see
your hand through it for best results!

Embroidery Class: Page 21

Embroidery Class: Page 22
Pre-Washing Fabric for Embroidery

I like to wash fabric before I embroider on it.

Many fabrics tend to shrink when washed, which is something you absolutely DO NOT
want when embroidering.
Embroidering a piece on unwashed fabric and then washing the finished piece in warm
water and soap or pressing with a hot iron after washing in cool water will cause the fabric
to shrink. Your floss will not shrink at the same rate, which will lead to puckering and
rippling. The stitching will look loosened and not be as tight as it should be.
It will make your pieces look like a mess, which would be a shame after spending hours on
them!

How to Wash Fabric:

1. When you buy the fabric, check the bolt end to make sure it is washable. Take a photo of the
care label so you remember how it can be washed!
2. Lay the piece of fabric on a large surface and trim any raw edges with pinking shears. You
don't have to cut much off - 1/8 - 1/4 an inch is perfect! Do not cut the fabric into pieces before
washing.
3. If you have several colors of fabric, make sure to sort by colors. Fabric can bleed when
washed, so you don't want to wash a piece of dark fabric with a light one.
4. Wash and dry according to the care instructions.
5. Fold the fabric and put it away. You'll cut and press the fabric as needed later!

Embroidery Class: Page 23

 LESSON 3: GET YOUR HOOP ON

In this lesson, I'm going to cover how to choose and use hoops! A hoop is the frame you
place your fabric in while embroidering.
While not everyone uses a hoop or frame to stitch in, it's best to start using one and work
your way to more advanced techniques.

Embroidery Class: Page 24

Embroidery Class: Page 25
Choosing the Right Size Hoop

I prefer to use a hoop that is slightly larger than the embroidery design I'm working on. This
allows you to stitch without having to reposition the fabric or hoop over existing stitches.

above is a slightly wonky Black Widow perk icon from Fallout 4, I accidentally gave her five
fingers on one hand :P
To figure out what size hoop to use, place your printed pattern down on a flat surface and
lay the inner ring of a hoop over it. If the pattern fits neatly inside, you're good to go! If the
pattern is super close to the edges, you may want to go up a size.
If you're working on a really large piece, I suggest using a 6 inch hoop (or smaller) and
moving it around the fabric where you need to embroider.
Try to avoid using huge hoops (8 inches and more) for an extended period of time. They're
harder on your hands, and you'll find that you start death gripping the hoop with your non-
dominant hand. It hurts, trust me. :P

Embroidery Class: Page 26

Using the Hoop

There are two types of hoops: flat and lipped. Flat hoops are typically wood or metal.
Hoops with a lip are often made of plastic.
You assemble both the same way - the only thing to worry about is if you'd like the lip on
the top or bottom of the hoop. I prefer to keep the lip on the top side of my hoop - I suggest
trying that way first.
Here's a photo to show the lip of the hoop:

Embroidery Class: Page 27

How to Use a Hoop:

Loosen the nut at the top of the hoop and separate the inner and outer rings.

Embroidery Class: Page 28

Lay the inner ring down on your work surface (lip facing up if it has one). Place your fabric
over the inner ring and center your pattern in the middle of the ring.

Further loosen the nut on the outer ring so it can easily fit around the inner ring, and press
the outer ring over the inner ring.

Embroidery Class: Page 29

Tighten the nut about halfway.

Begin to gently pull at the fabric, moving all the way around the hoop, so the embroidery
pattern remains centered and the fabric becomes taut.

Embroidery Class: Page 30

Tighten the nut the rest of the way while continuing to make sure the fabric is staying taut
everywhere.
Strike a couple of fingers against the fabric. Does it sound like a drum? If so, you're good
to go. :D

Also, if you're curious about the "other" way to mount fabric in a hoop, this is what that
looks like. As you can see, the "back" of your embroidery is now on the raised part of the
hoop.

Embroidery Class: Page 31

PRO TIP:
If you're struggling to get an embroidery pattern or stitching stretched evenly and tightly in
the hoop, flip the hoop over and pull that way!
Hold the hoop down on the surface with one hand while you pull the fabric with the other.
This method gives you a little more leverage so it's perfect for embroideries with lots of
detail or circular borders that need to be close to perfect.

Embroidery Class: Page 32

The Hooping Commandments

Clean Your Hoops Often

Hoops catch a lot of grime as you stitch. The oils from your hands transfer to the hoop,
which can then pick up dust and dirt. This can leave a visible ring when you remove your
embroideries from a dirty hoop.
To clean plastic hoops, you can use soap and water or wipe them down with rubbing
alcohol. I normally go the alcohol route because it's easy and fast!
For wooden hoops, giving it a quick swipe with rubbing alcohol is best. :)
Don't Use a Huge Hoop for a Long Time
As I've said before, huge hoops are hard to use long term. When I say huge hoop, I
mean 8 inches and up. Large hoops are very hard on your hands and can cause
cramping.
When I was first starting out, I kept making large embroidery patterns and then stitching
them in 8 and 10 inch hoops. This almost always led to what I like to call "claw hand" -
where the hand that's holding the hoop gets crazy painful cramps and is essentially
useless for a while. Sometimes my wrist hurt too. The pain can last for quite a while in
my experience, so try to use a 6 inch hoop or attach a larger hoop to a hoop stand.
Don't Leave Embroideries in the Hoop for More Than a Couple Days
When you're working on a project (especially if the final embroidery will be flat!), try to
avoid leaving it in the hoop for an extended period of time.
This can cause creases in the fabric that are near impossible to remove unless you block
it. (We talk about blocking in Lesson 8!) The fabric can also become VERY stretched,
meaning the tension will be off in the later parts of the project.

Embroidery Class: Page 33

Other Hoop and Frame Types

In addition to the standard plastic and wooden hoops, there are a few other types of frames
and hoops out there. Among these are snap frames, double lap hoops, and scroll frames.

Embroidery Class: Page 34

Snap Frames
The most common of these is the Q-Snap Frame. They are essentially a square frame
made of PVC. Plastic clamps secure the fabric to the plastic frame around the edges.

Double Lap Hoops

These hoops are double sided and come with long supports to place between the two
hoops. One hoop sits on your lap, while you stitch on the other one. This allows you to
embroider without holding the hoop!
Embroidery Class: Page 35
The one downside to these hoops is that they are tedious to flip over. I am always knotting
and checking the back of my work, so I find them frustrating to use at times!
Scroll Frames
Scroll frames are traditionally used for cross stitch, but they can be used for embroidery
too! These are perfect for really large pieces. These are a less temporary way to stitch as
you sew the fabric you're embroidering on to the scroll frame to keep it taut. These frames
are also the largest and often come with floor and lap stands.
I actually don't own one of these, so here's a link to see what they look like.

Embroidery Class: Page 36

 LESSON 4: ALL ABOUT PATTERNS

How you use and acquire patterns will really depend on your personal preference. Some
folks like using ready made patterns, and some like making their own!
In this lesson I'll show you some great sources for free and paid patterns, as well as how I
make my own patterns. I'll also show you my favorite way to transfer patterns onto fabric.
:D

Embroidery Class: Page 37

How to Find Patterns

I choose to make all my own patterns, but if drawing is not your thing, don't fret! Patterns
are everywhere, honestly. In this step, I'll share some of my favorite sources for patterns.
:D
I'll also share some additional sources for fonts and design elements, because I know that
using pre-made items is easier sometimes!

Sources for Paid Patterns:

Etsy is a great place to find a fantastic variety of embroidery patterns, both modern and
traditional. The patterns there average about $5, so they're really affordable. Plus, it's great to
support small businesses! The majority of the patterns on Etsy will be PDF downloads, so
you'll be able to get access to them right away. That's pretty great. :)
Sublime Stitching offers modern embroidery patterns, font packs, border packs and more. I
love everything they put out!

Sources for Free Patterns:

Needle 'N Thread is an amazing website for learning embroidery in general, but it also has a
large section of free embroidery patterns. These fall on the more traditional side.
Needle Crafter also has a huge selection of free patterns. Again, these are less modern overall
but could be updated with new colors.
Pinterest is another great resource. Though it can be a little tricky to find what you want with so
many broken links.
Google image search is one of my favorite ways to find line drawings of objects to embroider.
Though you should be careful using this for everything - you don't want to copy and sell
someone's work. That's pretty low. I prefer to use the line drawings I find to help me to learn
how to draw something on my own.

Free Fonts:
DaFont has been around forever and it's the font site I use the most! They have loads of fonts
and they're very easy to search through and sort to find what you want.

Paid Fonts + Design Elements

Creative Market is a lovely site for handmade design elements and fonts! Designers from all
over upload their work and the variety and quality is fantastic. You can find great fonts, hand
drawn banners and borders, and even more!

Embroidery Class: Page 38

How to Transfer Patterns

Transferring patterns is much easier than you think!

There are essentially two ways I transfer patterns to fabric: by pinning the pattern paper to
the fabric and tracing or by placing the fabric in a hoop and using the hoop as a tracing
frame. I'll go over both of these techniques in the next two steps.
Here's what you'll need to transfer a pattern:
A lightbox of some sort. This can be a window in your house, a clear plastic container with
lights inside, or a tracing tablet like the one I'm using.
Your pattern printed or drawn on a piece of paper
A water soluble pen
Sewing pins
The fabric you want to embroider on
An embroidery hoop
Scotch tape if you'll be using a window to transfer your embroideries

Embroidery Class: Page 39

Transferring the Pattern by Pinning

First, lay your pattern down, with the ink facing up. Place your piece of fabric over the
pattern and center the pattern as well as you can.

Embroidery Class: Page 40

Now, you'll want to pin the fabric to the paper. Pin the right side, and then smooth the
fabric away from the pin and to the left with your hand. Don't pull the fabric to the left, just
make sure it's laying completely flat. Then you can put a pin in the right side.

Repeat with the top and bottom.

If you pull the fabric too tight, the paper will begin to bend. If this happens, remove the pins
and try again.
Depending on the complexity of your embroidery, you may want to add more pins to keep
the fabric from moving as you draw out the pattern.

Embroidery Class: Page 41

Once the fabric and paper are pinned together, you'll transfer them to your lightbox and
trace.
Use a light hand while tracing! You may also want to use your other hand to hold the fabric
in place where you're tracing.

Here's the finished pattern transfer! As you can see, I used a much thicker pen this time.
(The brand is Wrights)

Here's a comparison of the two transfer pens.

Embroidery Class: Page 42
Transferring Patterns by Hoop Tracing

This is a great method to use if the lines in your embroidery pattern are very delicate, or if
the pattern is super detailed. Because the fabric is not able to move at all, you'll have
incredibly precise tracing!
First, insert your fabric into the hoop and make sure it's centered and tight. If you're using a
window to trace, tape your paper pattern to the window in a spot that's a comfortable
height. If you're using a lightbox or tablet, just lay the paper pattern on top of it.

Embroidery Class: Page 43

Flip the hoop over and place the flat side of the fabric against the pattern on your lightbox.

Use a light hand and trace the pattern. Use your other hand to hold the hoop in place. If
you're using a flat surface to trace, putting pressure on the hoop will keep the paper pattern
in place.

Embroidery Class: Page 44

Rotating is okay as long as you ensure the pattern and fabric stay lined up! I rotate
constantly while tracing and inking my patterns because pulling the pen towards you is
MUCH easier than pushing it away. You'll get smoother lines pulling the pen to you.

Once the pattern is copied, you're ready to start embroidering! It's totally fine to embroider
with the hoop assembled this way, but you can also remove the fabric and rotate the hoop
if it bothers you.
As you can see, I've used a very fine pen (Clover is the brand) to trace this pattern. It's
hard to see in bright photos, but it's perfectly easy to see in good lighting in person. :)

Embroidery Class: Page 45

How to Make Your Own Patterns

I make all my own patterns the old school way - completely by hand. I am 100% useless
when it comes to drawing and designing on a computer so I prefer to stick to what I know.
:D
Making your own patterns is surprisingly easy and requires only basic equipment!
To illustrate this, I documented the making of my Dream Design Make pattern. This pattern
was pretty complicated because of all the individual elements and the fact that I wanted to
do both print and cursive text. I would say it took around 8 hours to design this one, but
most are much quicker!

Embroidery Class: Page 46

What you'll need to make your own patterns:
Standard size printer paper (8.5 x 11 inches)
Lightbox or light tablet for tracing
Regular or mechanical pencils, depending on your preference
A good rubber or vinyl eraser
Scissors
Clear sewing rulers
Felt tipped pens of choice - I like the PaperMate Flair pens
Scanner/printer - I have the HP 4500 and love it

And that's it! I really only use the scanner and printer for resizing and digitizing my
patterns, so that's not something you'll need right from the beginning. You can definitely
freehand your designs at first. :)
I create all my pattern drawings on standard printer paper because it's a great thickness
and smoothness for this and very inexpensive. Printer paper is also quite translucent when
held to light, which will allow you to easily trace designs.
Printer paper will also hold up to pinning the paper against fabric when transferring
patterns.

Embroidery Class: Page 47

Use Your Hoop or Rulers to Draw the Embroidery Design Area
If you're designing for a hoop, trace the inner hoop of whichever size hoop you're using.
Otherwise, use your rulers to draw a box on the paper (for example: 4x6, 5x7, 8x10) that
your design will need to fit into.

Focus on the Border First

Embroidery Class: Page 48

If you're going to have a border on your hoop, add it first. This will allow you to avoid
resizing all the other elements later if the border won't fit.
To add an easy border, trace the next hoop size down into the center of your original
hoop's circle. For example, if I'm using an 8 inch hoop for my pattern design, I could trace
the inner hoop of a 6 or 7 inch hoop inside it for a perfectly sized border template.
You also aren't limited to a circular border - experiment with adding borders on the left and
right only, or maybe just at the bottom of the design. Use straight rulers to make sure your
borders are even.

Draw Individual Elements Separately

You don't have to draw everything at once, and it does not have to be perfect in every way.
I like to draw a rough sketch of the design to get an idea about how things should be sized.
Then I individually draw the elements: the text, the illustrations, any borders.

Embroidery Class: Page 49

Use your rulers to draw little boxes or lines to allow you to make your drawings and text
straight and in the right scale.

Use a Lightbox to Get Your Elements in the Right Place

Once you've got all the individual elements looking good, you can start to figure out where
to put them using the lightbox. This is the easiest way to figure out how you want the final
elements laid out without lots of tracing.

Embroidery Class: Page 50

If you have a particular element you really like, or you want to use a base for centering
everything else, trace that part of the pattern onto a clean white sheet of paper. Trace the
size hoop you're working with after, centering the initial design as needed.
Then you can begin placing the rest of the elements and tracing them with pencil as you
finalize the layout.
Once that's all done, trace over the pencil with regular or felt tipped black pen and erase
the pencil marks.

Trace a Final Pattern and Then Scan

After I've gone through all the work of making a pattern, I like to center the pattern on a
new piece of printer paper and trace one more time. This gives me a much nicer looking
pattern since the lines will be cleaner.
After that, I like to scan my pattern. I use Image Capture on my Macbook for scanning.
I scan at 600 dpi and in black and white. I choose to save my scans as .jpeg files, but you
could do a .pdf file instead.
Make sure that the WHOLE page is being scanned, not just the part of the page with the
image. Scanning and storing your pattern at the 8.5x11 inch size will ensure your pattern is
always the right size if you scale it at 100% and print.

Embroidery Class: Page 51

 LESSON 5: STARTING AND ENDING FLOSS

Everyone has a favorite method for securing their floss. I personally like to use knots, just
because it's the way I was taught. I know it's a method that works, so I stick to it.
There are other methods, though!
The first way to avoid knots is done by weaving in the ends of your floss. The second way
to avoid a knot is to use a "waste" knot, which you'll cut away when you're done with that
piece of floss. Any time you use a waste knot, you'll need to finish the end of your floss by
weaving it in or knotting.

Embroidery Class: Page 52

Embroidery Class: Page 53
Starting and Ending Using Knots

As I said in the introduction, this is definitely my favorite way!

There are some downsides, though:
Knots are big. If you put a backing on a really knotty embroidery, the knots can make the front
of the embroidery push out a bit.
If you don't tie the knots tightly, you may find that they come unknotted later.

To begin with a knot simply knot the end of the floss! If I'm using 2 strands, I'll often knot
twice just so it's less likely to pull through the fabric.
Ending with a knot when embroidering is incredibly easy since you have multiple strands to
tie together.
Tie a standard knot at the end of your floss. You don't need anything fancy here.

To tie off a piece of floss, simply divide the strands in half and tie them together.

Cut the strands close to the knot and you're done!

Embroidery Class: Page 54

Starting by Using Waste Knots on Lines of Stitching

A waste knot is essentially a knot that will sit on the top of your fabric while you stitch.
You'll cut it away once you secure your floss with a few stitches.
This is the most secure method of starting your floss without a knot, and also the least
visible way.

First, you want to put the needle through the fabric from front to back about an inch away
from where you plan to start. You can place the knot on your stitching line or to the side - I
prefer to put it to the side so I can keep stitching and worry about it at the end. Pull the
floss through until the knot sits against the fabric.

Embroidery Class: Page 55

Then, bring the needle back to the front of the fabric at least an inch away from the end of
the stitching line. Make tiny running stitches along the stitch line to where you want to start
stitching. These stitches should be on your drawn line and only go over 1-2 threads of your
fabric.

This is what the back of the embroidery should look like.

Embroidery Class: Page 56

Now we're going to cover the tiny stitches with the actual stitching. Where I'm pointing with
the needle is where I'll start stitching.

Stitch back towards the knot using whatever stitch you need, being careful to cover the tiny
stitches you took to the starting point.

Once the tiny stitches we took in the beginning are covered with our actual stitches, we
can cut the knot away. (Though I admit I prefer to keep the knot there until I'm done with
that bit of floss or that area of the embroidery.)

Embroidery Class: Page 57

 Flip the hoop over and you'll see the tail that's left. Cut it off close to the stitching and
you're set!
To finish the piece of floss you're working on, you can either knot it or weave in the ends.
Here, I've knotted it.

Starting by Using Waste Knots on French Knots and Seed Stitches

Embroidery Class: Page 58

Put the needle through the fabric, front to back, about a 1/2 inch away from where you
want to make the French knot. Pull it tight so the knot is sitting on the top of the fabric.

Bring the needle up right where you want the French knot or seed stitch to lay and make a
super tiny stitch that goes over just 1 or 2 threads. (With my linen, I always do 2 threads -
otherwise it can break under the pressure.)

Then, come up on one side of the original stitch and make a French knot over it. Now you
can keep on stitching! I added a couple more French knots.

Embroidery Class: Page 59

 Once you're done stitching, cut the knot away and flip the hoop over so you can cut away
the floss tail on the back.
And there you go! A clean start to tiny stitches.
End your stitching with a knot or by weaving in the ends. I always tie a knot.

Starting and Finishing Floss by Weaving in the Ends

This method can be a little tedious, as it causes you to flip the hoop over during every
stitch as you weave in the starting floss. You can use any line stitch (running, backstitch,
stem, chain, split, etc.) you want in conjunction with this method, but it's not great for seed
stitches or French knots.
All in all, I'm not convinced this method is very strong unless you're using lots of tiny
stitches - I much prefer knotting or waste knots for securing my floss.
In the walkthrough below, I'll only be showing the back of the hoop. That's the important bit!
The front will look completely normal - you'll just be weaving the floss ends through the
stitches on the back of the fabric.
Starting by Weaving

Embroidery Class: Page 60

Thread a needle with your floss but do not knot the end.
Push the needle through the fabric at the start of your line of stitching from back to front as
normal. Pull the thread through the fabric until only a couple inches is left on the back.
Hold this thread end into place and take your first stitch.

Embroidery Class: Page 61

With the next stitch, a loop should form on the back of the embroidery. Flip your
embroidery over and weave the tail end under the loop of floss and pull it tightly. The tail
end will flatten down against the fabric.

Every time a stitch forms on the back, weave the tail end under it until there's not much left.
Continue stitching until you finish that piece of floss, and then come back and trim the end.

Embroidery Class: Page 62

Here's a photo of how little floss is left after weaving the end into the stitches.

Ending by Weaving

Stitch as normal until you have (at minimum) 2-3 inches of floss left. Bring the needle and
floss to the back of the embroidery.

Embroidery Class: Page 63

Use the needle to weave your floss in and out of the stitches on the backside.

Trim the tail end(s) and you're done!

Embroidery Class: Page 64

Here's a photo of the finished weaved ends. As you can see, it can get pretty bulky if
you're using 6 strands of floss.

Embroidery Class: Page 65

 LESSON 6: BASIC STITCH SAMPLER

For our basic stitch sampler, we're going to be working a mountain pattern I designed for
this class. This sampler will teach you all about the stitches via repetition. :)

Here are the stitches you'll learn while embroidering this sampler:
Backstitch
Stem stitch
Embroidery Class: Page 66
Running stitch
Satin stitch
Chain stitch
Split stitch

Embroidery Class: Page 67

Tools + Materials

Tools:
6 inch plastic embroidery hoop for stitching
6 inch wooden embroidery hoop for framing
A water soluble marking pen
Sewing pins (for transferring pattern)
Embroidery needle
Pinking shears
Iron + ironing board
Printer for printing the pattern

To Print the Patterns

Download and open the PDF files. When selecting print options, make sure the print is
scaled at "full size" or "100%" - this will ensure you print the pattern at the right size.

Materials:
Embroidery floss in your chosen colors (see below)
A 9 x 9 inch piece of fabric
The mountain sampler embroidery pattern (included below)

Choosing Floss Colors:

4 colors for the mountains - I used 1 color for each different bit of stitching
Yellow for the stars + moon
1 color for the sky
1 color for the border

Download
http://staging.instructables.com/ORIG/FXN/NUUI/IRG4JV0M/FXNNUUIIRG4JV0M.pdf
…

Embroidery Class: Page 68

Transferring the Pattern and Hooping

Cut out a piece of fabric with pinking shears that's slightly larger than your hoop. Press it
with the iron so it's flat and unwrinkled. Let the fabric cool completely.
Transfer the pattern as we discussed in Lesson 4, using the hoop or pinning method.
Once the pattern is on the fabric, place the fabric into the hoop with the design centered as
shown. You need the design to be facing up - not down inside the hoop.

Embroidery Class: Page 69

Chain Stitch

First, we'll tackle the border of the design. We're using the chain stitch for this because it's
a beautiful but simple decorative stitch.
Depending on how long you make your stitches, the look of the chains will change. I prefer
the shorter chains, but longer ones can almost look like scales or tiny feathers.
Here is a quick video to show how the chain stitch is done - it's sped up slightly for ease of
watching:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/177236177?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

And now I'll walk you through it in pictures!

Embroidery Class: Page 70

Thread a needle with between 12-18 inches of floss and knot the end.

Now, starting anywhere along the outer pattern line, make a tiny stitch, about 2-3 threads
wide. Leave a small loop instead of pulling the stitch tight.

Embroidery Class: Page 71

Bring your needle up to the left of the tiny stitch, a little less than a 1/4 inch away. Pull the
thread through gently so you don't pull the loop closed. Place your needle through the loop
and pull on the floss - the loop will close with your floss under it.

Now, insert your needle in the same hole (or right next to) where you came up next to the
tiny stitch! To insert your needle into the same hole, use a finger on the hand holding the
hoop to pull the knot in the floss out of the way.
Pull the floss through to tighten, and TA-DAAAAA! Your first chain stitch. It will go very fast
from here.

Embroidery Class: Page 72

To keep going with the chain stitch, just keep bringing the needle to the front of the fabric a
little less than a 1/4 inch away from the last chain. Then, push your needle under the chain
stitch and put your needle through to the backside of the fabric at the bottom of the new
chain stitch you're making.
Never try to force your needle when pushing it under the chain stitches. If you're having to
force it, you're not going UNDER the floss, you're trying to push THROUGH it. Instead,
remove the needle and try pushing it under again without snagging the floss. Forcing it
through can cause all kinds of ugly problems.

Embroidery Class: Page 73

When you run out of floss, it's easy to stop and start again. Finish the last chain stitch you
can and then knot the floss on the back.

The back of the chain stitch will look like this - just like a very nice backstitch, oddly
enough! As you can see, I've knotted it and am ready to start my new piece of floss.

Flip the hoop back over and thread a new needle and knot the floss. Bring it up right below
the last chain stitch and pass it under the chain to keep on stitching.

Embroidery Class: Page 74

Now we'll go over covering up that first tiny stitch! Try to space your chain stitches so that
you have room for just one more when you get around to the original chain stitch.
Bring your needle up through the middle of the first chain stitch!

Pass the needle under the last set of chain stitches and then back down through the
original stitch.

Embroidery Class: Page 75

Here's the finished chain stitch! I placed my needle under the "cover up" stitch, just so you
can see how well it blends in.

Here's a photo of how the back looks. I used 5 lengths of floss to get all the way around!
Now that we've mastered the chain stitch, let's learn the back stitch. :D

Embroidery Class: Page 76

Backstitch

Now, let's stitch the outlines of the mountains. We're going to use a backstitch for this. The
backstitch I do is slightly modified so that there is less overlapping of floss on the back,
which means you'll have neater embroideries and a little less floss waste!
The backstitch is the stitch I use the most. It's great for outlines and text!
Here's a quick video of how to work the backstitch:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/177173330?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

And now I'll show you how I stitched the mountains!

Embroidery Class: Page 77

Thread a needle with 12-18 inches of floss and knot the end.

Make your first stitch by pushing your needle through to the front of the fabric where the
mountain outline meets the chain stitch border. These stitches will be about 1/4 inch long.

Embroidery Class: Page 78

To do the backstitch:
1. Bring your needle through to the front of the fabric and take a stitch to the right.
2. Bring the needle back to the front of the fabric a stitch length to the right and then pass the
needle through to the back of the fabric using the hole at the end of the first stitch. (As shown
in the top right photo in the collage)
3. Use the hole at the end of the farthest right stitch to bring the needle back to the front of the
fabric.
4. Repeat until you're done! You can backstitch to the left or the right - but try it to the right first to
get the rhythm down. As long as you keep your stitches even lengths it will look great!

The most important thing about the backstitch is to make sure you're using the hole that
forms at the end of a stitch to start the next stitch anytime you can.
Take a look at the back of my backstitch below - see how everything is nice and neat?
That's what you want. You'll use less floss that way and keep everything nice and
organized.

Embroidery Class: Page 79

Here's the left mountain stitched! See how I was careful to keep the floss on the lines,
even on the back? I stitched up and over the mountain to the right, and then worked my
way left across the bottom of the snow cap.

Stitch up and over the right mountain - up the left side and down the right side! When you
get to the end, you can see there's a fair bit of space between where you are and where
the next bit of the mountain outline is. You could knot the thread and start again, but let me
show you a better trick.

Embroidery Class: Page 80

Flip your hoop over! We're going to use the stitches on the back to carry the floss back up
to where we need to be to finish the mountain.
Push your needle under the next stitch up from where you are and pull the floss through.

Continue to weave the floss through the stitches, going up to where the snow cap line is.

Now, bring the needle to the front of the fabric and keep stitching!
Use this weaving method anytime you need to travel a little to get to the next area of
stitching. It saves time and floss because you won't have to knot and start over! It also
keeps your embroideries looking nice by keep the stitches on the back organized.

Embroidery Class: Page 81

 Here's a photo of the back of the backstitching so you can see how the weaving looks
when it's all done.

Split Stitch

Embroidery Class: Page 82

Now we'll divide the mountains into sections by using a split stitch.
The split stitch is a little like a traditional backstitch, but instead of coming up at the end of
the last stitch, you bring your needle up through the middle of the last stitch. This makes a
very textured line of stitching - sort of like a tiny and messier chain stitch.
Here's a quick video showing how to work the split stitch:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/177173333?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

And now I'll show you how to stitch it on the mountain pattern!

Thread a needle with 12-18 inches of floss, and knot the end.

Bring the floss to the front of the fabric right next to the backstitch border of the mountain
and make a tiny stitch (1/8 to 1/4 inch) to the right.

Embroidery Class: Page 83

Now, hold on to the thread tail coming from the first stitch with the fingers of the hand that's
holding the hoop. Pulling your needle through the stitch works better if you hold it down!
Bring your needle through the very middle of the first stitch and pull the floss through.

Continue taking small stitches to the right, coming up in the middle of every previous stitch.
Keep your stitch length even for the best looking results!

Embroidery Class: Page 84

Keep on stitching until you get to the end of the line, and finish by ending as close to the
backstitch border as you can.
Now, repeat the split stitch on all the other curved dividing lines.

Embroidery Class: Page 85

 Here's what the front and back of the stitching should look like when you're done!
Now we'll move on to straight stitches.

Straight Stitches
Embroidery Class: Page 86
Once the split stitches are in, it's time to fill in the different layers of the mountain using
straight stitches. You'll also want to stitch the + symbols in the sky - those are little stars.
Straight stitches are just what they sound like, honestly. They're dead easy! This part will
go very, very fast. :)
Here's a quick video covering how to work the straight stitches:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/177173340?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

First, let's do the vertical stitches on the mountains. Thread a 12-18 inch piece of floss
through a needle and knot the end.

Follow the lines with your needle, covering each vertical line with a stitch.

Go from top-to-top and bottom-to-bottom to move between the lines.

Embroidery Class: Page 87

And here's how your vertical lines will look when done! Now we'll move onto the zigzags.

Embroidery Class: Page 88

Thread a needle with floss and knot the end. Fill in the zigzags across the layers with
straight stitches.

Embroidery Class: Page 89

When you're done, the front and back should look like this.
And now, the last part of the embroidery that involves straight stitches: the stars it the sky! I
did this a little out of order, so the sky is already filled in. :P

Make a stitch one way, and then the other to fill in the crosses.

Embroidery Class: Page 90

Don't carry your floss from spot to spot here - cut it and start a new length for each star.
When I'm doing something like this that involves a lot of knotting, I save all the cut ends
and knot them at once.

Embroidery Class: Page 91

 Above are what the stars will look like when you're done! Now we'll fill in the sky and satin
stitch the moon.

Running Stitches

Embroidery Class: Page 92

Now we'll fill in the night sky the rest of the way! As you can see, running stitches are very
similar to the straight stitches - fast and easy!
Even though the running stitch is the easiest stitch in the book, here's a fast video showing
it in action:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/177173334?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Now let's get the sky stitched!

Use running stitches to cover the dashes in the sky. I like to work from the bottom left and
then fill in the area next to the moon with one piece of floss.

Here's the left side filled in.

Embroidery Class: Page 93

And here are some photos of the completed night sky! See how I was careful about where
I stitched so I didn't have any super long bits of floss running from stitch to stitch on the
back? Try to approach it like a maze and work the running stitches logically!

Embroidery Class: Page 94

Satin Stitch

Now we'll fill in the moon using the satin stitch!

(If you're enjoying the satin stitch, you can also fill in the mountain tops. I did not do that,
because I didn't feel like it! That's the magic of embroidery - DO WHAT YOU WANT :D)
Satin stitch is essentially a stitch that is used to fill large areas of your design. If done right,
it will look lovely and smooth. You can outline satin stitching, pad it with stitches
underneath, or just stitch it plainly. Here, we're going for plain satin stitching.
Satin stitching is one of many stitches that you can really only learn via repetition and
practice!
However, here are two golden rules I follow for better satin stitching:
1. Use three strands of floss or less. Masters at satin stitching can lay down six strands of floss
with no fuss, but that many strands can be hard to control if you're a novice! Three strands
gives a smoother, flatter finish and it's harder to tell when you go over an area more than once
because the floss is not as thick.
2. Start in the middle of difficult shapes. Working from the center out is so much easier than
working on oddly shaped edges first. Working on a large and easy area of satin stitching first
will warm you up and make you better at the tricky parts!

For more help, I highly suggest reading 10 Tips for a Sensational Satin Stitch.
Here's a video of me working the satin stitch across a square to give you a basic idea of
how it should go:

Embroidery Class: Page 95

 https://player.vimeo.com/video/177183078?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Now we'll fill in the moon with satin stitching!

To start, cut 12-18 inches of floss and divide in it half so you have two lengths of three-
stranded floss. Thread one of them through a needle and knot the end.

Starting at the top of the moon, make a tiny stitch from border to border. Then, bring your
needle up at the top point of the moon and connect that to the vertical stitch you made first.

Embroidery Class: Page 96

Continue stitching by bringing the floss across the shape from border to border, pushing
your needle down into the drawn pattern line.

Embroidery Class: Page 97

Here's a look at the moon when I was about 1/3 of the way done. It goes fast!

Try to avoid carrying the floss across the back of your satin stitching. This wastes floss and
can make your embroidery look pretty chubby, especially if you back it or frame it. I've
included photos above to show what the front and back should look like as you stitch.
Always start your new stitch right next to where the needle exited the fabric last.

Embroidery Class: Page 98

As you move down the moon, you'll start to slant your stitches.

When you get to the very end, make a tiny straight stitch to make the bottom point of the
moon.

Embroidery Class: Page 99

And there you are - a fully stitched moon! Not as hard as you thought, right? :D

Embroidery Class: Page 100

The Completed Sampler

YAAAAAAAYYYYY! You are the greatest at embroidery. ^_^

Now we'll move on to the floral sampler.
Once that's finished, I'll teach you how to wash and finish your embroideries for hanging.
:D

Embroidery Class: Page 101

 LESSON 7: FLORAL STITCH SAMPLER

Now that we've learned the basic stitches, let's move on to more advanced stitches that
can be used to make beautiful floral elements!

In this floral sampler, you'll use the following stitches:

Petal stitch (also known as lazy daisy)

Embroidery Class: Page 102

 Fly stitch (both open and closed)
Woven spider wheel
Stem stitch
French knots
Chain stitch

I've included photos and video of each stitch we'll cover, so you should be able to easily
pick them up. However, please reach out to me if anything is unclear and I'll explain it in a
different way. :)

Embroidery Class: Page 103

Tools + Materials

Tools:
6 inch plastic embroidery hoop for stitching
6 inch wooden embroidery hoop for framing
a water soluble marking pen
Sewing pins
Embroidery needle
Pinking shears
Fabri-Tac glue
Iron + ironing board
Printer for printing the pattern

To Print the Patterns

Download and open the PDF files. When selecting print options, make sure the print is
scaled at "full size" or "100%" - this will ensure you print the pattern at the right size.

Materials:
Embroidery floss in your chosen colors (see below about how many you'll need)
A 9 x 9 inch piece of fabric
The floral sampler embroidery pattern (included below)

Choosing Floss Colors

This is the way I did it, but feel free to do whatever you like, color-wise!
3 colors for the large flowers
2 colors for the large leaves
2 colors for the vines
Yellow/orange floss for the flower centers
1 color for the tiny French knot flowers

Download
http://staging.instructables.com/ORIG/F1R/XHDH/IRG4K2JN/F1RXHDHIRG4K2JN.pdf
…

Embroidery Class: Page 104

Transferring the Pattern & Hooping

Cut out a piece of fabric and give it a nice press with the iron so it's flat and unwrinkled. Let
the fabric cool completely.
Transfer the pattern as we discussed in Lesson 4. Note that you do not need to transfer the
tiny dots I've made on the pattern - those will be French knots later and we'll fill them in as
we go!
Once the pattern is on the fabric, place the fabric into the hoop with the design centered.
You'll want the design facing up as shown, and not down inside the hoop.

Embroidery Class: Page 105

Chain Stitch

To start, we'll stitch a border using the chain stitch. Because we already covered this in the
mountain sampler, I won't cover it in depth here, but here's the stitch video for a quick
refresher if you need it. :D

https://player.vimeo.com/video/177236177?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Embroidery Class: Page 106

Woven Spider Wheels (Flower) Stitch

Now I'll teach you how to make beautiful flowers! They may look complicated, but they're
not. To get the right look, we're actually going to do a little bit of weaving.
These flowers are made by creating a spoked wheel on the fabric and then weaving your
floss in and out of the spokes.
You can make these flowers any size you want, too! For small flowers, you'll need 3
spokes. For larger ones, use 5 and 7 spokes or even more. As long as you use an odd
number of spokes you'll be fine.
Here's a video showing how I stitch these flowers:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/177183105?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

We're going to tackle the big flower in the center first!

Embroidery Class: Page 107

Thread two needles - one with the main flower color, and one with the center color. I like to
do this just to speed up the process a little!

Embroidery Class: Page 108

Start by bringing your floss to the front of the fabric through the very center of the flower.
Then, insert your needle into the fabric at the end of one of the spokes and pull through.
That's your first spoke!
Work your way around the wheel, stitching each spoke and bringing the floss back up
through the center of the flower for each new spoke.
We're coming back up in the center every time to limit the amount of stray floss on the
back of the embroidery - the more wild strands you have back there, the more likely you
are to snag them and ruin your flower!

Embroidery Class: Page 109

When you're done, the front and back should look like this.

Now, bring the yellow floss through the center of the wheel. Pull it all the way through so its
knot is flat against the back of the wheel.

Embroidery Class: Page 110

And now we will start weaving! Beginning anywhere, start to move the needle over and
under the spokes in a clockwise direction and pull the floss through. As you weave the
yellow center, you'll need to hold onto the floss tail that's still dangling from stitching the
wheel spokes. Otherwise, the wheel spoke it is attached to will become loose.
I only weave one spoke at a time, pull the floss through, and then go on to the next. This
will keep your floss from tangling as much!
As you weave, pull the floss tight. You need to compact the middle woven stitches to try to
cover the floss color of the wheel so no pink shows through! In the last photo above, you'll
see some pink still peeking out. This tends to happen with the larger 7-spoke and above
flowers, and it's easy to fix. If peekage happens, here's how to cover it.

Embroidery Class: Page 111

Stop weaving in a clockwise motion and instead move from one side of the center to the
other, bringing the floss over the center of the flower. You can normally cover all the pink in
a couple stitches.
When you're happy with the center, push the needle to the back of the fabric and knot off
the yellow floss.

Embroidery Class: Page 112

And here's how the front and back should look once you're done with the center!

Now, bring the spoke floss needle to the front of the fabric next to the center. Make sure
you're not pulling the needle through any pieces of floss on the back.

Embroidery Class: Page 113

Just like we did with the center, begin weaving the floss over and under the spokes, going
around in a clockwise motion. If you push the needle through a spoke instead of under it,
remove the needle and try again. You need to go cleanly under the spokes or you can ruin
the flower.

Embroidery Class: Page 114

When you start to run out of floss, push the needle to the back of the embroidery and tie off
the floss. Thread another piece of floss and bring the needle to the front of the fabric right
next to where you tied off, as shown above.

Keep weaving until you reach the ends of the spokes. There should be just a tiny amount
of the spokes peeking out from under the flower. Now we'll do a little stitching to cover
them.

Embroidery Class: Page 115

Bring the needle to the front of the fabric near the outside edge of the flower and make a
large stitch. Insert the needle at an angle under the flower edge.
Pull the floss through while holding it down with a finger so it doesn't twist and curl.
Continue taking these larger stitches all around the outside edge of the flower, slightly
overlapping each stitch. Keep going until all the spokes are covered and then pass the
floss to the back of the fabric and tie it off!

Here's how your flower should look at the end! See how the spokes are covered and there
are smaller stitches going all around the outside of the flower on the back?

Embroidery Class: Page 116

Once you have the first flower finished, start on the others! Just remember to be careful
while weaving and not hit any of the other flowers - they're easy to mess up if you zone
out. :)

Embroidery Class: Page 117

Closed Fly Stitch

Now we'll learn the closed fly stitch for the leaves. The fly stitch is my absolute favorite way
to make leaves because they have so much texture. It's also super easy to do!
Here's a video of me stitching a leaf using this stitch:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/177183116?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Now I'll cover it in photos, too!

Embroidery Class: Page 118

First, thread a needle with with whatever color floss you'd like your leaves to be and knot
the end.

Bring your needle up at the end of the leaf, and make a small stitch down the centerline of
the leaf, about 1/4 inch.
Then, bring the needle back up to the right side of the middle stitch on the pattern line.

Embroidery Class: Page 119

For the next stitch, push the needle through to the back of the fabric on the pattern line to
the left of the middle stitch. Don't pull this stitch tight.
Instead, bring the needle back to the front of the fabric at the bottom of the middle stitch.

Now, pull the floss tight! The stitch coming out of the bottom will keep the loop of floss from
the two side stitches held down.
Make a tiny stitch at the very bottom over the floss to secure it into place as shown in the
last photo.

Embroidery Class: Page 120

Keep repeating the motions to make new stitches! Right, left, and then the middle which is
secured with a tiny stitch.

Embroidery Class: Page 121

You can also make right and bottom stitches in one movement if you like. Just make sure
the loop that forms is under the needle so you can secure the loop with a stitch.

When you run out of floss, just stop stitching at the bottom of one of the loops - secure it
with a small stitch and you're done! Knot the floss on the back and start stitching again on
the right side as normal.

Embroidery Class: Page 122

When you get to the bottom of the leaf, you'll want to fill in the bottom sides more, so the
leaf butts up against the flowers better.

It's pretty much impossible to keep doing the fly stitch near the flowers, so just use straight
stitches to add more to the leaf!

Embroidery Class: Page 123

And here's what it will look like when you're done with the leaves! As you can see, I used
two colors just to add a little depth.

Here's the back of the leaves.

See that dark green leaf on the far right? My knot untied itself and popped right out, so I
secured the floss tail with some of the Fabri-Tac glue. Don't be afraid to add a little glue if
things aren't looking secure!

Embroidery Class: Page 124

Open Fly Stitch (for Vines)

Now we'll do an open variation of the fly stitch to create some fast vines. :)
This stitch works exactly like the closed fly stitch, but you don't butt the stitches up against
each other.
Here's a video showing the open fly stitch in action:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/177173335?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

And now I'll show you in photos, too!

Embroidery Class: Page 125

First, you'll want to thread a needle with 12-18 inches of floss.

First, make a stitch from the end of the vine down to the first set of branches. Then, bring
the needle up at the top of the right branch, and down at the top of the left branch.

Embroidery Class: Page 126

Now bring the needle back up at the very bottom of the first stitch, making sure your needle
is inside the loop that forms between the branches. Pull the thread through and tack the
loop down by making the next straight stitch.

Here's what each section will look like!

Embroidery Class: Page 127

When you get to the bottom of the vines, make sure the last stitch connects to the rest of
the embroidery!

Embroidery Class: Page 128

 Knot off between each vine and continue working your way around. This is what the
embroidery should look like when you're done.

Stem Stitch

Embroidery Class: Page 129

Now we'll start the other set of vines using the stem stitch. We'll stitch the stems of the
vines using the stem stitch, and then add the leaves in the next step!
Here's a quick video showing how to work the stem stitch:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/177173337?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Now that you've seen it in the video version, let's break it down in pictures.

Thread a needle with 12-18 inches of floss.

Embroidery Class: Page 130

Start right at the edge of the main embroidery and take a 1/4 inch or so stitch. Bring the
needle up for the next stitch to the left or right side of the first one, right in the middle.
Continue stitching, starting every new stitch to the side of the previous one.

Embroidery Class: Page 131

 Here's what the front and back of the stitches will look like. Now we'll add some leaves to
these vines!

Petal (Lazy Daisy) Stitch

Embroidery Class: Page 132

While this is called the petal stitch, I hardly ever use it for flowers! I always use it for leaves
on vines.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/177183097?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Now let's walk through this stitch in photos! I'm using the same floss color as I did for the
stem stitch base, but feel free to use a different color for the leaves.

Bring the needle to the front of the fabric right at the end of the stem stitch. Now, insert
your needle a couple threads above where you came out of the fabric, and glide the tip of
the needle to the end of the leaf.

Loop the end of the floss around the end of the needle and begin to pull it through. You'll
see a knot start forming!

Embroidery Class: Page 133

Keep pulling and the floss will form a cute little loop. Now, much like the fly stitches, we're
going to tack down the end. Make a tiny stitch over it to the other side of the loop.

Here's what a finished petal stitch should look like when it's done! Move down to the next
set of leaves and stitch them the same way.

Embroidery Class: Page 134

When you start moving between the sets of leaves on the vines, use the weaving method
to get your floss back into the middle of the vine to move down cleanly.

Embroidery Class: Page 135

 And here's what the finished stem and petal stitches should look like together.
Now we're nearly to the end - the last thing left to learn is French knots!

French Knots
Embroidery Class: Page 136
Your floral sampler is almost completed! Now we're going to fill in the spaces around the
flowers with French knots. There's no right amount of filling here - what I've done is just
what looked nice to me!
Here's a video showing how to do the French knots:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/177174572?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

The most important thing when making French knots: make sure your fabric is CRAZY
TIGHT in your hoop. If the fabric is loose, it will stretch and warp the weave of the fabric,
making it harder for the floss and needle to go through.
Also: you can wrap the needle one, two, three, I don't know how many times! Don't feel
limited to wrapping the needle once. The more you wrap the floss, the larger the knot will
be. I want tiny ones here, so that's why I'm wrapping once.

Bring the needle to the front of the fabric right near one of the flowers and pull the floss
through. Loop it over the needle once from the front and around the back.
Hold the floss tail to keep the loop tight on the needle.
Push the needle back into the fabric right near where you exited. Hold the floss tail tight in
one hand and pull the needle through with the other.
If the needle does not want to pull through, you may be hitting a knot or other obstruction
on the back of the fabric, so check that and try again.

Embroidery Class: Page 137

Once the needle goes through the fabric, you can let go of the floss tail. (Though some
people prefer to hold it the whole time.)
Pull the floss tight and you'll end up with a little knot!

Embroidery Class: Page 138

Work your way around the flowers, filling in the empty spaces between the flowers and
foliage.

Embroidery Class: Page 139

When you're done, the back may be pretty messy, but that's okay. You don't have to worry
too much about carrying the floss all over here, since it's hidden by the flowers and leaves!

Embroidery Class: Page 140

The Completed Sampler

Awwwww yeah! We're done.

Now that you have two completed samplers, we'll move into finishing your embroideries so
you can hang them up! :D

Embroidery Class: Page 141

 LESSON 8: WASHING, DRYING AND BLOCKING EMBROIDERY

In this lesson, I'll cover how to wash the water soluble marks out of your embroideries and
get them ready for finishing.
We'll also go over how to dry your embroideries depending on how they'll be finished: by
air drying on a line or by blocking!

Embroidery Class: Page 142

Washing Embroidery

We wash our embroideries for two reasons:

1. To remove any markings we made with the water soluble pen
2. To remove oils and dirt (optional)

You can wash your embroideries in two ways: either by running it under cool water or by
swishing it in a bowl with a little soap and cool water, and then rinsing it under cool water.
Running Under Cool Water
Just what it sounds like. Remove your embroidery from the hoop and hold it between your
hands and let cool water run over it until the marks disappear.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/176256357?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Bowl Swishing (Soap Optional)

I recommend washing with soap in a bowl so you don't have to clean out your sink. You
definitely don't want to wash an embroidery in a dirty sink!
Fill a bowl with cool water. Place the embroidery into the bowl and swish it around to
remove the marks. If needed, add just enough Castile soap to make the water a little
bubbly - you'll want only a few drops! Swish the embroidery around again.
Rinse the embroidery under cool water to remove the soap.
P.S. Be careful with any embroideries with flowers or other elements that are easy to snag!

Embroidery Class: Page 143

Drying Embroidery

You want to remove the excess water first. Place the embroidery on a clean towel. Fold the
end of the towel over it and press.
Then you need to make a decision: air drying on a line or blocking?
For embroideries that will be framed in hoops, you'll want to hang it to dry. Since you'll be
stretching the embroidery in a hoop later, you don't need to stretch it now.
I made a drying rack in the corner of my room to do this - just two nails in the corner with
strings between them.
For embroideries that will be framed or finished flat, you'll want to block the embroidery. I
cover that on the next step!

Embroidery Class: Page 144

Blocking Embroidery

When an embroidery piece is going to be framed instead of hooped, I like to block it!
Blocking is something typically associated with knitting and crochet, but I've found it works
just as well with embroidery.
Above is a photo of a perfectly blocked piece! There are no wrinkles or puckers, and the
image is stretched evenly. And best of all, it took about five minutes to do.
I used to iron my flat embroidery pieces, but I found that they often became puckered and
messy looking due to the fabric shrinking around the floss. Ironing also smashes your
stitching, so it will look flat and a little off.
Blocking is the way to stop all of those issues and have a completely flat and beautiful
embroidery to frame. :D

Embroidery Class: Page 145

To block your embroideries, you will need:
A cork board and push pins
OR a piece of heavy canvas larger than your embroidery, clothespins, sewing pins and an
ironing board.
A damp OR dry embroidery
Spray bottle filled with water

There are also commercial blocking mats available if you'd like to look into that.
I always do this on my table top ironing board because it's the perfect size for 90% of my
embroideries.

Embroidery Class: Page 146

Pin the piece of canvas to the cloth cover of the ironing. Make it taut.
If your embroidery is dry, lightly dampen it with the spray bottle. You'll want to keep it damp
as you work with it, but NOT wet. A sopping wet embroidery will take forever to dry and the
pins may rust in the process.
Now, lay the damp embroidery on the canvas and center it.
Starting at the center and working out to the edges, place pins all along the top edge of the
embroidery - I normally do this about an inch apart, but for a very detailed embroidery, you
may want to place the pins closer together.

Stretch the embroidery straight down and do the same with the bottom edge. Make sure to
start in the center and work your way to the corners.

Embroidery Class: Page 147

Do the same with the left and right sides. Make sure that you start in the center and work
out to the edges to keep things even!
Once your embroidery is blocked, lightly spray it with water one more time, and allow it to
dry completely. When it's dry, remove the pins or tacks. Your embroidery will stay lovely
and flat and be amazingly easy to frame or hoop.

Embroidery Class: Page 148

 LESSON 9: FINISHING AND FRAMING IN HOOPS

In this lesson, we'll cover a few different ways to finish your embroideries in a hoop!
I prefer to have my embroideries in framed in wooden hoops, as they're easy to hang and
don't require my customers to buy a frame.
A hoop can be a permanent or temporary frame depending on which techniques you use.

Embroidery Class: Page 149

Finishing in Hoop With Glue

This is my preferred method! It's easy, works VERY well, and it's durable. I have hoops
that are several years old and still just as taut and glued as they were the first day.
Also, I like to see the stitches on the back, so I prefer to leave them uncovered! :)

Embroidery Class: Page 150

To do this, you'll need:
Your finished embroidery
Your choice of hoop for framing
Fabri-Tac glue
Pinking shears

Once the fabric is in the hoop and the embroidery design is centered and taut, flip the hoop
over and trim all around the outside of the hoop using pinking shears.
Here's a quick video of me trimming:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/176256623?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Typically, I like to rest the edge of my pinking shears against the hoop and that cuts the
fabric at the perfect length.

Embroidery Class: Page 151

Leave about 1/3-1/2 inch of excess fabric. Don't cut the fabric edges to be longer than the
height of the inside edge of the hoop. This will cause the excess fabric to lay against the
fabric in the hoop and be visible.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/176255813?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Apply Fabri-Tac all around the outer edge. Go around the hoop, folding the fabric over and
pressing it into the inner ring of the hoop. Go around the hoop one more time, pressing as
you go, holding the fabric briefly to make sure it stays adhered.
Go back around and apply excess glue to any spot that looks loose.
P.S. Make sure to close the Fabri-Tac right away - it dries out really quickly and gets
thicker and harder to work with!

Embroidery Class: Page 152

Backing the Hoop With Fabric

You can also cover the back of the hoop really easily! The only caveat here is that backing
your embroidery with darker fabric can allow the backing fabric to show through. Also, if
your stitching is going all over the hoop back, it's easier to see with a backing!
Here's what you'll need to back your hoop with fabric:
Your finished embroidery
A second piece of fabric to back the hoop
Pinking shears
Fabri-Tac glue

Embroidery Class: Page 153

Place a piece of fabric under the fabric with the embroidery on it and hoop both pieces of
fabric together.

Embroidery Class: Page 154

Pull on the backing piece of fabric first to make it tight, and then focus on getting the
embroidered fabric into position.

Trim the backing fabric with the pinking shears and glue it down.

Repeat with the front fabric and you've got a nicely backed hoop with little fuss. :D

Embroidery Class: Page 155

Adding a Felt Backing to Your Embroidery

A felt backing is a very nice way to back an embroidery. It feels quite nice and also gives a
good opaque surface if you'd like to add tags or a signature to the back of your pieces.

Embroidery Class: Page 156

To add a felt backing to your embroidery, you'll need:
Fabri-Tac glue
Scissors
Craft felt
Pen

First, place the hoop on the felt and use a pen to trace right outside the edges all around.
Use the scissors to cut right inside the drawn line so you don't end up with any marker on
the felt - you wouldn't want it to get on your hands or the hoop!

Now we'll dry fit the felt without glue and trim off the excess felt.
Press the felt circle into the back of the embroidery, creasing the felt into the edges of the
hoop. Remove the felt and cut 1/4 inch away from that crease line all around.

Add a line of Fabri-Tac alllll around the inside edge of the hoop, on top of the glued fabric
already there.

Embroidery Class: Page 157

 Press the trimmed felt circle into the hoop and hold it against the edges to secure it. And
there you go - a lovely felt backed hoop!

Finishing in Hoop by Sewing

I am not a huge fan of this method, because hanging a hoop that's been finished this way
makes it sit a little wonky. It's never flat against the wall!
But it's nice to do if you don't want to make the hoop an embroidery's permanent home -
say you want to display it now, but later you may want to remove it from the hoop and use
it in another project.

Embroidery Class: Page 158

To finish your hoop this way, you'll need:
A needle
All purpose thread
Pinking shears
Your finished embroidery

Instead of trimming the fabric very close to the hoop, trim all around the hoop with pinking
shears leaving between 1.5 - 3 inches of fabric. How much fabric you leave all depends on
Embroidery Class: Page 159
the hoop. I tend to leave about 1.5 inches for a 6 inch hoop, and 3 inches for a 10 inch
hoop.

Double thread a sewing needle with enough thread to go all the way around the cut edge.
Sew all around the edge using a running stitch. Sew about 1/4 inch away from the edge.

Once you've gone all the way around the fabric, pull on the thread to gather the back of the
hoop.

Embroidery Class: Page 160

Adjust the gathers with your fingers and secure the gathers with a few tiny stitches. Then
knot your thread and trim the excess.
Be careful and don't pull too hard - it's easy to pull the knot right through the fabric!

Embroidery Class: Page 161

 LESSON 10: TIPS FOR EMBROIDERING + WHAT TO EMBROIDER NEXT

In this lesson, I'll give you lots of tips for better embroidery. I'll also troubleshoot some of
the most common problems folks have.
Once that's done, I'll give you some ideas for where to go next on your embroidery journey!

Embroidery Class: Page 162

Embroidery Class: Page 163
Deciding How to Use Your Floss

For the most depth, it's good to use various thicknesses of floss!
I tend to use floss thicknesses of 2, 3, and 6 strands most often. Below are some
suggestions for how to use those thicknesses.
2 strands:
Satin stitch outlining
Small text
Satin stitch in tiny areas
Good for the following stitches: backstitch, running, straight, French knots, satin

3 strands:
Satin stitch outlines
Small text
My preferred number of threads for all satin stitching
Outlines on tiny objects
Good for the following stitches: satin, backstitch, running, straight, French knots, open fly, petal

6 strands:
Large text work
Bold outlines for objects
Flowers and leaves
Fill stitches
Good for the following stitches: backstitch, running, straight, stem, split, chain, French knots,
closed fly, open fly, petal

Embroidery Class: Page 164

Embroidery Class: Page 165
Choosing the Right Stitch

Text
Backstitch
Stem
Chain
Satin

Outlines
Backstitch
Split
Stem
Chain

Filling in Objects
Satin
Chain
Running
Straight
French knots

Flowers
Woven wheel
Petal
Satin
French knots

Leaves
Straight
Satin
Fly (closed)

Stems and Branches

Fly (open)
Stem
Backstitch
Split

Embroidery Class: Page 166

Tips for Better Embroidery

Be Wary of Accidental Knots

They can strike anytime, anywhere! Floss is notoriously terrible about tying itself into
knots as you pull it through the fabric. You should always be mindful of the back of your
work while stitching!
The knots the floss ties itself into to are typically slip knots, meaning they're easy to
remove if you catch them in time.
If your floss ends before you think it should as you pull it through the fabric, check the
back! Chances are you've just made a little knot.

Knot Often & Don't Let Your Floss Carry Across the Hoop
I know it's tempting to skip knotting from time to time and just carry that piece of floss
Embroidery Class: Page 167
 allllllll over the hoop, but beware! A messy hoop back means more pieces of floss to
snag your needle on as you pull it through the fabric. It also leads to more places where
it will be nearly impossible to push the needle through.

Floss Looking Ratty? Use Shorter Lengths

If you find that your floss is tangling and getting fuzzy as you pull it through the fabric,
chances are you're using far too long of a piece! This drove me nuts when I first started
embroidering, but I soon found out it was easy to avoid. :)
The longer a piece is, the more friction it will endure as it is pulled through the fabric over
and over. This is especially important if you're backstitching or using many small
stitches.
Stick to lengths of floss in the 12-18 inch range for best results.

Don't Force It
If you're trying to pull or push your needle through and it's just not going - STOP!
Fighting with your needle is no fun and it can also damage your embroidery or even ruin
it. I've made actual holes in fabric by forcing a needle through. I've stabbed myself in the
hand and chipped a tooth trying to get a needle through. It's not worth it. (For that matter,
don't resort to pulling a needle through with your teeth. The needle has a VERY high
chance of winning that fight. :P)
Instead, remove the needle and try a nearby spot in the fabric. There is a good chance
that there is a knot or a significant amount of floss stopping you from pushing the needle
through where you were before!
You can also flip the embroidery over and try to guide the tip of your needle through the
floss and knot minefield if you really need to insert your needle in one spot.

Always Stitch with a Bright Light Nearby

Here's the thing: embroidery is really hard if you can't see everything in detail. You can
even give yourself a headache if you sit and squint at it for too long. Even with an
overhead lamp or a table lamp, things might be quite dim.
I keep a book light with my embroidery supplies to remedy these situations! You can set
it next to your work area or even clip it to your hoop.
This is the book light I use - I love it! It has two brightness settings and a good sized clip.
:)
Don't Worry About "Perfect" - Experiment and Enjoy It!
Embroidery is sometimes about persistence! Don't give in right away and pull out floss
when things look like they're going wrong - soldier on for a minute and see what
happens. If it is a true mess up, you'll learn something from it!
Many times if I just keep going, I realize the "imperfection" or "mess up" I was so worried
about disappears as I stop focusing on it. It is very easy to get tunnel vision when
embroidering. :P

Embroidery Class: Page 168

 And don't feel as though you have to do every stitch the same way every single time!
Experiment with different stitch lengths and where you enter and exit the stitch.
Sometimes you'll even find new ways to use a stitch. :D

What to Embroider Next

Check below this lesson for a huge collection on additional embroidery projects on
Instructables, including a few of mine!
I hope you enjoyed this class! Happy stitching, everyone! :D

Embroidery Class: Page 169