Before starting any stitch:

follow me @ionaroseart
Separate your thread into
however many strands you
are using. Tie a knot as
close to one end as you
can.

Thread your needle! Pass all

Stitching
Guide
the strands through the eye of
the needle. If you can’t get
them all, or it frays, take it out
and try again. You can:
• Lick/wet the ends to make
them stick together.
• Cut the frayed end off
with sharp scissors.
• Use a needle with a larger
eye.

G o o d to o l s m a ke
sti tc h i n g e a s i e r !
IR
Sharp scissors with a small, fine
point will reduce the chances of your
thread fraying and make it much
easier to cut through and unpick
wonky stitches.

The smaller your needle, the easier

it’ll go through the fabric and the
easier it’ll be to do small, delicate
stitches. BUT! Small needles are
harder to thread and can be flimsy.
Find your middle point!
etsy.com/uk/shop/ionaroseart
 Equipment Guide
Needles Hoops
There are many different types of needles
Eye All embroidery hoops work, some work better than others.
and they’re all designed to work best with
different uses. You can do most embroi- • The smaller the hoop, the tighter it will hold the fabric and the easier it
dery with a standard sewing needle—the will be to handle.

type you’d get in any sewing kit. You do • Very cheap bamboo hoops will not hold the fabric as tight as more ex-
pensive wooden varieties—bamboo is quite smooth and shiny.
not need to buy a special needle!
• However, you can stop fabric slipping by binding the hoop with bias bind-
However: if you are stitching with thick ing tape or bandage tape or just wrapping fabric around it.
thread you may have trouble threading it • Plastic flexi hoops are an alternative made up of a hard inner hoop and a
‘Threading the needle’ flexible outer hoop. They hold fabric very tight and are easy to work with.
through the eye of your needle, in which
- passing thread
case you’ll need to buy a large-eyed • Q-snaps are another option. These are lengths of plastic tubing that fit
through the eye. together into a square or rectangle.. These are light and you can take
needle—any will do as long as it’s sharp!
them apart easily, but they don’t keep the fabric as tight as a hoop.
• Your hoop doesn’t have to be a circle! Plastic hoops come in many fun
Needles come in different sizes. As a general rule, you should use the smallest shapes which can really frame and complement your artwork.

needle you can easily thread with the amount of thread you’re using. This will
make it easier to do small details, and won’t leave large holes in your fabric.
Thread
Stranded embroidery cotton thread aka ‘Embroidery floss’ is
However, if your fabric is thick and tightly woven, a very small needle may
where you should start. Other options give different effects, but
bend or even break while you’re trying to push it through.
this is true embroidery thread.
Skein
Needle Types Floss has 6 strands of thread spiralled together into one thick
thread in a ‘skein’. Fine lines and delicate work will use one
Crewel/embroidery needles strand, thick textured work can use all 6 or even more if you
double up.
These are sharp with a large eye. They are designed for embroidery, so if you’re buy-
Very cheap floss will feel dry and fray easily. It won’t sit flat and
ing a needle this is the type you should choose. They come in different sizes—get a
stick together because it’s dry. You can get a good quality
multipack or chose a middle size for maximum versatility. multipack for very little money, just avoid the really cheap craft
sets, as trying to embroider with bad thread will put you off
Tapestry needles and make you think you’re doing it wrong.

These have a large eye but are blunt. They are used needlework like cross-stitch on
Storage
fabric which has premade holes. They are no good for standard embroidery—they As mentioned, dry thread is bad thread! Ideally, you should
will not pierce through your fabric. However: they can be useful for certain weaving/ store your thread in an airtight container to stop it drying out.
whipping/lacing stitches to avoid snagging on your previous foundation stitches. This can be a plastic bag or plastic storage box.
 S t a r ti n g a n d s t o p p i n g
Mount your fabric Start stitching
An embroidery hoop is made up of two rings. The outer ring changes size (either by There are a few methods which can be used to start a stitch.
bending plastic or loosening a metal screw). Simple knot
• Tie a knot (or double knot) in one end of your thread and pull the needle
• Loosen the outer ring and remove it. Place the fabric over the inner ring (the one through from the back so that the knot is at the back and the rest of the
that doesn't change size). Place the outer ring over the fabric and inner ring. thread is at the front ready to stitch.
• Tighten the outer ring while pulling the fabric taught to remove any slack or • Trim the knot to make it as small as possible.
creases. Your fabric should be tight like a drum. Waste knot
• As above, but start stitching several small, tight stitches to anchor your
thread in place, then cut off the knot at the back (better for embroidering
on thin fabric where the knot and thread at the back might show through
Transfer your design the fabric, or for embroidering on clothes where you don’t want lots of
thread and knots on the inside which might be uncomfortable or catch)
Pencil/erasable pens: Weaving in
• Mount your fabric in your hoop. Turn the hoop over, so that the back side of the • Weave the end of the thread at the back under your stitches to hold it in
hoop is facing you (this will be the front of your design). place and tuck it out of the way.
• Hold it up against a screen with the template on – I use my laptop! Trace directly Loop start
from the screen with the pen onto the fabric. Have the screen bright and the • Instead of using 2 strands, use
room dark to make this easier. one long strand and fold it in
half.
• Alternatively, print out the design and do the above holding the paper and
• Thread the loop through your
fabric up against a light window or a lightbox.
needle and pass it through your
Carbon paper: fabric then back underneath,
You can also use white carbon paper to transfer onto dark fabrics. passing the end with 2 loose
• Print out the template. On a hard, flat, surface, layer your fabric on the bottom, strands through the loop and
then the carbon paper (chalky side down), then the stencil on top. pulling tight.
• Using a biro or sharp pencil, draw firmly over the stencil shapes. Be careful not
to shift the carbon paper or stencil as you draw, it may be helpful to tape down
the carbon paper. You will be left with the stencil outline printed on your fabric.
Stop stitching
Transfer sheets: When you reach the end of your length of thread, you need to secure the thread
• These are all slightly different so follow the instructions for the brand you’ve so that your stitches don’t unravel.
bought.
• When you've got 5 - 10cm of floss left, make a loop into the last stitch you
made and pull the needle through.
You can also use an inkjet printer to print directly onto your fabric, however this can
damage printers so if you want to do that please research it yourself and be sure • Then pull (not too tightly, but tight enough), and you'll make a knot that se-
before you print. cures the stitch. Repeat for extra security.

• Alternatively, tie a knot in the thread at the back of your fabric and use your
needle to pull the knot as close to the fabric as possible then pull tight.
 L i n e s ti t c h e s
Single stitch / running stitch Split back stitch
The simplest stitch!
The same effect as split stitch, but a different method! This is how I do it as I
• Take the thread up through A, find it easier and therefore quicker.
then down through B. If you A B • Stitch just like back stitch but instead of
want to do a running stitch, ending each stitch at the end of the last
repeat. stitch, stitch the needle straight down
through the middle of the last stitch.

• The needle should pierce the thread of

Back stitch your last stitch and split the fibres in half.

• Keep the stitches exactly the same length

Back stitch is the easiest way to create a con-
and split each stitch exactly in half. This
tinuous line in any shape.
will make an even pattern just like chain stitch.
• Make a single stitch, as above, bringing
the needle up through A and back down
through B.
• Next, bring the needle up at C (a short
Chain stitch
way further along your line) and bring it
Chain stitch is probably the best way to create a completely smooth, perfect
back down through the same hole you
line; but it’s slow and fiddly.
made for B. Repeat!

A A

Split stitch B B

Start by making a short C C

Probably the quickest way to get a smooth Bring the needle up through
stitch (A-B) but leave it Bring the needle back down
line (without the tiny gaps you get with C and thread it underneath
slightly loose. through C.
back stitch), but it can be fiddly with only your previous stitch.
one strand of floss.
A A

• Make a single stitch.

B B

• Bring your needle up through C C

the middle of the last stitch Pull tight. You should
D
splitting the fibres evenly in have a loop (similar Bring your needle up through
half. Back down through D and pull
to a lazy daisy stitch). D and again, thread under-
tight and continue along your
neath your previous loop.
• Repeat! line making this chain of loops!
 F i l l s ti t c h e s
Satin Stitch Long-Short stitch / Brick stitch
The quickest and easiest way to fill in any shape This stitch adds detail and texture by showing the 3D shape of an object. It
with solid colour! Satin stitch is made up of long, achieves the same effect as satin stitch, but it works with curved lines and over
parallel lines directly next to each other. large distances.
B
B

• A—B then up again directly next to A. A This stitch alternates long and short stitches in a brick pattern as shown and is
• You’re making lots of loops so this can pull really useful for blending and filling shapes.
your fabric and cause it to bunch up if it’s thin
fabric not held tight in its hoop.

A
I like to use the thread saver method because, you B

guessed it, it uses less thread! D C

• Start by making guide stitches that are This is the main stitch used for ‘thread painting’ technique as you can blend multi-
perfectly parallel. ple colours together and create the texture (e.g. animal fur) and 3D shape of ob-
• Bring the needle up through A, down through jects,
B, up through C, down through D etc!
• Then fill in the gaps with more of the same! • Alternate longer and shorter single stitches.
• Stitch right up to the line (edge of your shape).
• Fill in the gaps with the same pattern but
reversed.

• To make this smooth, cover up the end of

the last row of stitches with your new row.
Tips for the perfect satin stitch!
Keeping your lines parallel is the most important part of a good satin stitch.

• Draw guidelines with a ruler before stitching.

• Use your thread to find the straight line - before you make a stitch, stretch
your thread out and line it up with your previous stitch. Hold it down with a
finger, then bring your needle down along this line you’ve made.
• Unpick any dodgy stitches straight away - you won’t be able to cover it up
later, you’ll have to unpick the whole lot!

The edges of your shape can be tricky to get smooth so it can help if you outline
your shape in a line stitch, like back stitch, first. You can also to this after as a
finishing effect.

Satin stitch over long distances will look uneven and increases your risk of
bunching up. If you need to cover a larger area, I’d recommend long-short stitch
instead to ensure your shape doesn’t bulge in the middle. Add 3D shape by curving your lines
around the natural curve of the object.
 Backing your hoop!
Cinching Backing with fabric
Most methods for backing a hoop start with cinching all the spare fabric at the back I usually back my hoops with felt. This is a very popular choice as it creates a
of your hoop. I Like to use this method as it pulls your fabric tight – getting rid of any smooth, soft finish. You can use any fabric you like to personalise your hoop and
pesky wrinkles - and holds it secure in the hoop. It’s also easy to unpick if you change complement your design.
your mind.
• Draw a circle on your backing fabric around the outside of your inner hoop
1. Trim the fabric at the back of your hoop until you have a fairly neat circle . and cut it out. You will need to do this before you stitch your embroidery if
you don’t want to take it out of the hoop and put it back in.
 Do a loose (long stitches with big gaps between stitches) running stitch with
some spare thread /ribbon/string all the way around and then pull tight. This will • Alternatively, use a compass to get a good circle manually.
bring all your fabric together.
 Now you can move on to the next step, or just leave it there! • Attach the circle to the back of your hoop with glue or thread. If you use glue,
you may want to neaten the edges with ribbon/rope/twine etc.
Neat Cinching—leaving the back bare
Whip stitch
1. As above, but do not tie a knot in the end of your thread before you start stitch-
Start underneath your backing fabric
ing. Instead, leave a good length (several inches) spare and stitch loosely.
and pass your needle through your
2. Start at the top of your hoop (at the back) and stitch a loose running stitch all the
embroidery fabric.
way around the outside.
3. When you finish the loop and meet the other end of your thread back at the top,
pull both ends tight and tie together into a big bow. Loop round and pass the needle
through the top of the backing fabric,
underneath through the embroidery
fabric, back out and round over the
top of the backing fabric… repeat!

Blanket stitch

Start underneath your

backing fabric and pass
the needle through your
embroidery fabric.

Then come up around the

outside and pass the needle Pass the needle over the
through the backing fabric top of the loop you’ve
and the embroidery fabric. just made and pull tight.
Repeat!