People! I need to pick up some mean embroidery skills, fast. One of my gal pals is getting married this fall and group of us are in charge of crafting a square for her patchwork chuppah. Given my love for all things needlework-oriented, I offered to take the lead on the project. At this point, I have a solidly good design. Problem is, it involves a hell-of-a-lot-of free hand embroidery. My embroidery experience? Nill. So I have some questions:
(1) Is there a way to design a pattern on a sheet of paper and subsequently transfer it to the fabric? My current plan is to draw directly on the fabric with a removable fabric pencil. But there has to be a better way.
(2) Embroidery thread is sold as a bundle of several fibers. Should I separate the fibers before stitching or use the whole damn thing? My tendency is to separate, but I may be clueless. I've done whimpy cross-stitch (nothing like Spice's amazing projects), but I have zero recollection of thread handling.
(3) Is it stupid to try to learn embroidery anew 11 days before a project must be completed?
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
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When I do the borders on baby blankets (the only sewing I do - and I use "blanket" loosely to mean "square piece of flannel"), I use two of the six strands of embroidery floss.
My expertise is in pre-done cross-stitch kits, but here goes...
1. I think you can get sheets to iron-on a pattern, but I'm not sure if you can get them without a pattern pre-printed...
2. The number of fibers to use depends on the stitch you're doing - in the embroidery I've done on cross-stitches (and in my advanced home ec class in jr. high), we learned that you use three for some things, two for others, etc. When I get home, I can take a look at my current kit - which has a lot of different stitches - and provide some guidance.
3. No - it's not that hard, and you're crafty (both literally and figuratively). Actually, I might just photocopy the instructions on my current kit and send them to you - it covers satin stitch, knots, etc.
They probably still make iron-on crayons...I remember making t-shirts with those in junior high school. You color on a piece of paper, then iron it onto the shirt. I bet a craft store would have some sort of arrangement for doing the same thing, but more elegantly. (For example, pencils instead of crayons.)
Okay I've found one instructional site:
http://www.craftown.com/instruction/embroidery.htm
And my current kit, which uses 3 strands for satin and cross stich (cross stitch is usually 2), and 2 strands for back stitch, stem stitch, and french knot. I think the general principle is three strands if you're trying to fill in something, two if you're trying to make a line of some kind or are knotting...
Wow people! Your advice rocks! I'm getting really pumped about this project. Soon EVERYONE will be getting freehand stitched craft projects.
Wow, it's gonna look awesome. Just wing it!
I want a freehand stitched craft project! The only way anyone gets one of *my* craft projects is if they have a baby. So, get moving, ladies, so you can see the astounding product of my mad hemming skills.
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