How to Embroider

Embroidery is just drawing with thread. You can plan out your design in advance or embroider as you go.  Here's one of my first pieces; Elevator Art, several years ago.

I started that embroidery with a simple sketch. I don't like to draw too many details in the original sketch. When it's time to embroider, that's when I like to make those decisions.

I save all of my original sketches. Here's one I did this time last year of my sister, Andrea. I purposefully elongated her and posed her in a traditional way. This is the first step: draw your sketch on a regular piece of paper. Draw over your lines with a fine tip sharpie or micron pen.

Then you can transfer your image to the fabric. I tend to go for cheaper fabric, like a thicker muslin or cotton.  I use a particular watersoluable pen that you'd only use for embroidery. It washes right off.  It's best to use a light table, but the cheapest alternative is a window on a sunny day.

Embroidering is quite easy. I use simple split stitches, french knots, and occasionally inks for painting. Here's a great tutorial by the beloved Jenny Hart on how to do some common stitches.

Here's the finished portrait.

Even after all those steps of tracing and drawing, it's often that I change my mind about where the lines should be. With embroidery, your mark making is permanent and deliberate. Your initial stencil is destined to change, as you can see in the image below.

All you need is a small wooden embroidery hoop ($2), some embroidery floss ($.30 each), the water soluable pen ($5), some needles with varying hole sizes ($3), and cheap fabric ($2-$5 for a yard). Embroidery is a great past time when you're a passenger on a long car ride. It doesn't hurt to try something new.