Are you looking to take up embroidery?
More people are taking up new hobbies since most have a lot more time on their hands nowadays. While others may go for something like cooking or baking, you may want to consider something more relaxing. This is where embroidery steps in.
It's relaxing, you can do it at your own pace, and you'll end up with something pretty to show off at the end. To make your project successful, read what's below for some embroidery tips to help you out.
1. Choose the Right Fabric
The fabric you decide to work with can make all the difference. If you are new to embroidery, you'll want to start with high-quality cotton.
Picking something that isn't stretchy or see-through is excellent for a nice and even stitch. It's also not too hard on your hands, particularly if you're working on a larger piece.
As you begin to get more comfortable with your skills, you can try out different kinds of fabric. Some people's go-tos are fabrics like linen or thick canvas.
However, you have to keep in mind that some fabrics are easier to work with than others. Test out what you see and find which one you love working with the most.
2. Prewash and Prepare
Washing your fabric before you start embroidering is a good way to prevent difficulties when you start working. If there's excess dye on a bright piece of fabric, prewashing it can keep the color from seeping into the threads. You also get to determine if the fabric shrinks in the wash.
Doing all this helps to maintain your design after you've finished. You are ensuring that it won't get ruined if you plan to throw it in the wash in the future. This applies when you are working on embroidered clothing like shirts or pants.
Before you start working, it's also a good idea to prepare your fabric. The last thing you want is to have your fabric fray or have the thread catching on the edges of the fabric. A quick fix to this is folding masking tape around the edges of the fabric you're working with.
If you are embroidering on a bigger piece, you can finish the fabric edge by folding them over and hemming them by hand. Another option is using a machine zig-zag to avoid having the edges fray off.
3. Experiment with Floss Strand Counts
You can create different effects with the same stitch if you adjust the number of threads you use. This way, you can make a different look if you aren't too knowledgeable about other stitches.
For example, if you are going with flat embroidery and want to add a lot of details, use 1-3 threads. Alternatively, if you are working on puff embroidery with lots of body, you'll want to use 4-6 threads.
Don't be shy to play around with the number of floss threads you use. Take note of the differences you see when using less or more strand counts.
4. Size Up Your Hoop
Another thing that can help you out when working on a project is the hoop size you choose. Once you know how big you want your design to be, you have to know which hoop size you'll be needing. Then, you'll want to size up your hoop by about an inch.
If you plan to frame your embroidery in a 5-inch hoop, you can size up when stitching to a 6-inch hoop. This prevents the hoop from getting in your way when you're stitching.
It can sometimes be hard to stitch near an edge when working. A hoop that isn't big enough can prevent you from getting in all the detail when you're nearing the hoop. So size up your hoop to make sure you have all the space that you need.
5. Don't Pull Your Stitches Too Tight
It's easy to get carried away when trying to secure your stitching. Two potential problems may come up when you pull your stitches too tight.
The first is that you can ripple or pucker the fabric. With your fabric already stretched out from the hoop, pulling too tight could cause it to ripple. This could interfere with the rest of the design and make it harder for you to work around.
The second is you could risk having your stitches look off and uneven. If most of your stitches are too tight, the whole design could potentially look bad. Too much tension on the fabric can make it look strange, and the finished embroidery might not look the same once you remove the hoop.
6. Watch Out for Traveling Thread
When embroidering, you often have to move across the fabric to each design element. One thing to watch out for when doing this is the traveling thread. If you're working on one area of the piece and need to move to another, mind the thread on the fabric's back.
You want to make sure that the thread across the back gets covered by your designs on the front. If your working with thinner fabrics, you can sometimes see the thread through the cloth. To avoid this, secure the thread on the back of your first design, then start the thread again in the new area.
You could also have the thread go through the existing stitches on the back and make it travel along with them. This way, the thread gets tucked away in the stitches, and you can see it from the back.
7. Try Overlapping Your Stitches
Depending on the type of embroidery you're making, one technique you can use is overlapping your stitches. This is a great way to get a lot of highly-detailed designs. Going over the other stitches with new stitches allows for more structure and layers.
Another reason is to show more texture in your designs, making them seem more put together. Overlapping your stitches is also one way you can achieve 3D embroidery. This is because the stitches would not be completely flat on the fabric, coming up a bit to add more features.
Embroidery Tips to Keep in Mind
We hope that you take these embroidery tips and use them to improve upon your projects. Always remember to be kind to yourself and learn from your mistakes. Clothing embroidery's meant to be fun and something that you enjoy working on.
If you found this article helpful and informative, go ahead and check out the rest of our site for more.
