SUMMARY
STRAIGHT STITCH VARIATIONS
Creation 2: Simple tulip pillows
Creation 3: Elegant tea towels
Creation 2: Delicate pillowcases
Creation 2: Cherry bandana bag
Creation 3: Butterfly placemat
Creation 1: Leafy table runner
Creation 2: Succulent embroidery
Creation 3: Snowflake placemat
Creation 2: Forget-me-not handkerchief
Creation 3: Christmas jar wraps
WOVEN STITCHES
BEADS, SPANGLES, SEQUINS & MIRRORS
Although the success of an embroidery project depends mostly on the quality of the material and the thread used, it also depends on the harmony between the two.
MATERIALS
MOST FABRICS CAN BE EMBROIDERED IF THEY ARE OF GOOD QUALITY.
Cotton, yarn, blended fabrics, linen, and anything in canvas, are the more durable types. They can be washed and are suitable for all types of embroidery. They are available commercially and vary in thickness. Since they are tightly woven, it is easy to reproduce the design patterns in order to complete works that require great precision such as hemstitches, white stitches, and pulled-thread embroidery.
Cheesecloths are suitable for any type of counted-stitch embroidery. Because their weaving is simple and somewhat tight, you can count the floss, above which the stitches are embroidered as they follow the pattern of the diagram.
FLOSS
DMC MILLED COTTON EMBROIDERY FLOSS
It is 100% cotton, and comprises 6 separable strands. As such, it can be used on almost any type of material. It is available in 8.7 yard (8m) skeins that are either plain or have multiple colors and can be used for both traditional and counted cross-stitch embroidering.
“Aida cloth” is the easiest to use; its double weaving effortlessly holds regular stitches.
Wool and silk can also be used but often require dry cleaning.
A preferred material for tapestry, canvas is available in cotton, hemp, and linen, as well as single-thread canvas and double-thread canvas, known as Penelope.
Single-thread canvas is reserved for horizontal and vertical stitches, whereas Penelope canvas can be used for all other types and can even be undoubled by stitching into all the holes. They are commercially available in varying thickness and widths, sold by the foot (meter).
DMC METALLIC EMBROIDERY FLOSS
Its appearance is similar to that of milled cotton floss. It is synthetic and can only be washed at 104°F (40°C) and therefore cannot be used on all types of material. It is delicate and difficult to work with.
DMC PEARL COTTON
It is 100% cotton, very twisted, and is available in sizes. It is available in skeins, bobbins, or balls for the thinner floss.
DMC COLBERT TAPESTRY WOOL
It is a twisted, mothproof floss with solid colors and is 100% virgin wool. It is mainly used to embroider on canvas.
DMC MATTE TWISTED COTTON
This is a matte floss that is also 100% cotton.
EQUIPMENT
NEEDLES
Embroidery needles are short, with a long, wide eye that allows you to thread relatively thick strands and to pass through the fabric by spreading its thread to allow the embroidery thread to follow with the least possible wear.
Needles