Get Your Stitch On

I have a special and exciting announcement today. I've decided to host a virtual embroidery class right here on the Early Bird Special blog!

Basically what this will consist of is a series of posts covering five basic embroidery stitches to get you comfortable and started on your own embroidery projects.

I hosted a class in person a few months ago, and it was a lot of fun. But I want to share the knowledge with all of my out of town friends too.

Here's what you'll learn:

I will try to keep instructions as clear as possible as well as post a video of each of the stitches, to make it feel like I'm right there with you.

Don't worry, this is a free series, so all you need to do is show up to class with your supplies in hand!


Fabric: I recommend using a white cotton fabric for embroidery, but feel free to use what you like. Just make sure it's a quilting quality cotton.

Hoop: I like to use a hoop that is between 5" to 7" in diameter, simply because this is most comfortable for my hands.

Needle: I often get asked what size needle I use for embroidery. I think I use an embroidery size 5 or 6 most often. The main thing is to make sure that the package says it's especially for embroidery, because this means the eye of the needle will be large enough to accommodate all 6 strands of embroidery floss.

Floss: DMC floss or Presencia is what I like to use. Try not to buy the off brand cheap rainbow packages of floss. These really do tend to tangle and shred quite easily, only frustrating things. Go ahead and splurge on the good stuff.

Scissors: Embroidery scissors are preferred, but not required. There will be times when you might need to cut some stitches out, due to a mishap or if you want to change the stitch color or stitch style and tiny, sharp embroidery scissors are perfect for the job.

I'm going to show you the stitches on various projects, because I want you to have the freedom to choose what pattern you like.

Here are some resources for my favorite patterns for purchase:

Sublime Stitching
Kitschy Digitals
Follow the White Bunny
Penguin & Fish
Badbird
Wee Wonderfuls
September House
Wild Olive

And here's a list of my favorite free patterns:

Sublime Stitching
Follow the White Bunny
Badbird
doe-c-doe
Hoop Love Vintage Patterns
Vintage Transfer Finds

Take a look around, I'm sure you'll find more than enough patterns to keep you busy for a while.

You know what they say about assuming, right? I hate to assume that you already know the ins and outs of transfer techniques, so please tell me, do I need to cover this topic before getting started on the stitch lessons?

Who's ready to learn how to embroider or freshen up your skills?

Hugs & Stitches,
Amy

**Update: I decided to add "Transfer Techniques" to the lesson list. Once this topic is covered, we'll get to stitching! ;-)