Hi Friends!
I’m so pleased to be a guest host today for Stitch Craft
Create blog! I recently finished up work on my upcoming book Happy Stitch: 30
Felt and Fabric Projects for Everyday with F&W/North Light Books which you will
get a preview of today. Happy Stitch features fun and colorful stitched
projects that are great for those who love hand sewing and embroidery but are
also simple enough for beginners! I hope the book will inspire readers to
incorporate more hand sewing and embroidery techniques into their craft
projects.
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| Available in June 2012! |
One of the best things about embroidery is that it does not require
many materials in order to get started! So I thought I’d share the basics that you need to start
stichin’:
- Embroidery hoop: There are many varieties from wooden to plastic and they help to keep your fabric taut when you are working on your stitches. I try to keep a 4" and 6" hoop available.
- Embroidery needles: These generally come in a pack of many different sizes. For smaller and finer detail work, use a smaller needle. For designs where you are using all 6 strands of your floss, use a larger needle.
- Embroidery Floss: There are many different blends, but the standard cotton embroidery floss is perfect to get started. Most major brands come with a numbered color code so you can keep track of your colors and find the same color again if you run out.
- Fabric: Tou can embroider on just about any type of fabric—sturdy cottons, duck cloth, linen, felt, etc. Try out different kinds to find which fabrics work best for you.
- Scissors: Embroidery scissors or a small, fine, sharp detail scissors are great for clipping threads.
- Transfer materials: There are several different ways to transfer a pattern or hand drawn design. I like to use carbon transfer paper that generally comes packaged with one light color and one dark (light for use with darker fabrics and dark for use with lighter fabrics). Simply follow the instructions to transfer your pattern.
- Pin cushion or needlebook: Use one to help keep track of your pins and embroidery needles.
I hope this helps to get you started!
Embroidery is super fun and relaxing, and you’ll enjoy watching your design come
to life in lovely shades of floss! Look for my new book coming this summer for
many unique and inspiring projects to get you embroidering!
Here's a little sneak peek of what you'll find in Happy Stitch:
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| Crafty goodness! |
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| How cute are these stuffies? |
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| Embroidered denim skirt and fabric necklack |
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| Handmade headband and fascinator |
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| Rainbow coin purse and mushroom bag |
Happy stitchin’!
–
Jodie
Jodie Rackley is a crafter and designer from the DC area.
She enjoys creating cute crafty goodness from colorful felt and fabrics using
embroidery techniques to create whimsical gifts and accessories. Her line of handmade goodies, Lova Revolutionary, can be found in beautiful boutiques around the country
and online at Etsy.com. Her work has been featured at the CHA show and Quilt
Market for Kunin Felt and on notable sites such as MarthaStewart.com and
ApartmentTherapy.com. You can stitch along with her from her first craft book
with North Light Books titled, Happy Stitch: 30 Felt and Fabric Projects for Everyday
coming this summer.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lovahandmade
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lovahandmade
These little owls and foxes are great for kids projects to do over weekends and it doesn't seem as though you need a sewing machine. I think animal felt covers would be perfect for my kids new Tracfone LG800G cell phones, they phones cost me $49.99 ea and I don't want to get the touch screens scratched. You guys will be surprised to know that I only pay $5.99 for 40 minutes/mnth for talk time for each of my kids on the Family value plan.
ReplyDeleteTo modify your felt animals I think I would have to make the animals larger and maybe double layered for robustness, unless anyone else has a better suggestion for me.