DIY Feature »Embroidery«

DIY Feature »Embroidery«

Stefanjia @_damaja_

Why is embroidery fascinating you?

First of all because it has texture and can make any surface looks more interesting than it was. Also because you can’t really make mistakes, or no mistake is forever – you can rip out the stitches in few seconds and voila you can start again – life utopia. I had a very bad art teacher in my elementary school – she was on a good way to kill our creativity forever, she was always saying that nobody of us knows how to draw or paint or anything about art. I was thinking I’m the biggest anti talent ever. Hand embroidery saved my creativity. It was the first medium where I felt completely relaxed and in alignment with my true nature. Even though I still didn’t learn how to work with paint, my favorite technique ever is coloring with thread and needle.

What made you start with embroidery?

Embroidery has always been present in my life. I grew up with three grandmothers, all of them embroiderers, crafters and one professional tailor. Fabrics, yarns, needles, looms and colorful textiles were everywhere in all of the houses I spent my childhood. It was impossible not to be mesmerized by all of the textures on different objects in their living rooms. My favorite magical grandma taught me how to knit when I was very young – maybe 8 years old, she was also an amazing creative soul and was embroidering a lot of the time. She never really taught me how to embroider, but I pick it up from watching her and the items she created. I made and embroidered my first upcycled bag from an old pair of jeans when I was 12 years old. That was more than two decades ago. I’ve never stopped since then.

What materials do you use for your embroidery projects?

I mostly use 6-string embroidery cotton threads and as canvas I only use natural fabrics. I use 5’’ hoop and embroidery needle No.3 most of the time. Fine and precise hand embroidery is more satisfying for me – so I mostly do small stitches with only 3 strings of the embroidery floss.

Do you have a tip for embroidery beginners?

Patience – embroidery is super easy, satisfying and meditative technique, but it needs a lot of practice. So when your first result is not satisfying – give it a bit of time. If you want to embroider clothing don’t start embroidering stretchy fabrics like jersey, start with the linen, flat cotton shirts and light denim pieces. If you need to seek inspiration to create original work try to find it in any other form of art except embroidery, so you don’t end up copying other embroiderers.

Where do you find your inspiration?

Literally everywhere. In the objects I see everyday, in nature, music I listen daily, movies, books, photos I see scrolling instagram, children’s drawings, modern illustration themes, but also in the work of the greatest painters of our time and in the history.

Steph @knotorious.be

Why is embroidery fascinating you?

I think it is really interesting that you can customize anything with just some threads and a nice design. Everybody is unique but taylored clothes are costly so with embroidery you can wear your heart on your sleeve and get stitched. :-) Also you can give basic clothes or favourite pieces a twist. And man, what have I been earning bonus points from my friends and family with personal embroidered gifts. What I love is when people order a custom piece I receive beautiful stories on why they chose a specific design. It’s lovely to see that people really think about characteristics that are typical for their loved ones to make a custom gift. Baby announcements, birthday or Christmas gifts where never so personal.

What made you start with embroidery?

Well it accidentally started when my godchild asked something handmade for her birthday instead of ordering something online. At first I didn’t know what to do but I bought myself some threads and a basic T-shirt and gave it a try. I was surprised how good it turned out and the following year all birthday presents for friends and family where handmade shirts. After that it got a bit out of hand and people started ordering things for people I didn’t know or give workshops.

What materials do you use for your embroidery projects?

I always use an embroidery hoop to tighten the fabric and have a clear »working area«. Furthermore I work with embroidery threads of DMC. It’s as simple as that, you don’t need machinery or expensive tools.

Do you have a tip for embroidery beginners?

Just try a few things on a piece of fabric or clothes you don’t wear anymore. Also try some different stitches, it gives that extra »handmade touch«. But also, don’t be too hard on yourself, it’s handmade so it doesn’t have to be perfect.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I find it in the mails I receive for custom orders, on Pinterest, magazines, from illustrators I follow on Instagram, colleague embroiderers,… You can apply embroidery on everything so I see a canvas in everything these days.

Sara @fiberandfloss

Why is embroidery fascinating you?

Embroidery is fascinating to me because you can use it to emulate many different art mediums. I like doing traditional calligraphy with thread, or doodling with thread. Some people paint landscapes with thread. Embroidery can take on many different forms, and I think that’s what’s fascinating about the art. It’s also an art form that has developed so much over the years. Embroidery is an old technique that is being brought back in a modern way.

What made you start with embroidery?

Embroidery kind of fell into my lap. I am a visual designer and social media manager by day so I stare at a computer screen for too many hours. I needed a hobby that kept the creative juices flowing, but got my eyes off a screen. I did a little embroidery as a kid, and it’s a very cheap and compact art, so I decided to pick it back up.

What materials do you use for your embroidery projects?

I love embroidering on cotton. There are so many color options, and a lot of times you can catch a good sale. I use DMC embroidery floss because of the great quality. I also use the basic wooden embroidery hoops, embroidery needles, and cute little embroidery scissors.

Do you have a tip for embroidery beginners?

Keep stitching! Embroidery isn’t a fast art, it takes a lot of patience. The more you practice, the better you’ll get. And don’t be afraid to pull your stitches out if you aren’t happy with them. When I first started there were many times I pulled entire pieces apart. It’s just part of the process.

Where do you find your inspiration?

As an artist in many different mediums, inspiration can come from anywhere. I love black and white line drawings, Mother Nature is a great source of inspiration, and I’m inspired by other embroidery artists.

Becka @threadbybecka

Why is embroidery fascinating you?

I find embroidery to be extremely therapeutic. It always amazes me the way it helps me disconnect from everything around me. It has me so concentrated on the movements of my hands and the details of the image that it doesn’t allow me to think about anything else, which is JUST what you need after a long day.

What made you start with embroidery?

Embroidery kind of found ME to be honest. I was shopping on a craft store once, saw a hoop and thought I’d give it a try. I used to paint a lot when I was younger so I thought if I could manage to do the same with needles and thread, it could be something beautiful. There are always people telling me they only thought about embroidery as a craft for older people and it makes me so happy to see all these new generations reviving such noble crafts as these.

What materials do you use for your embroidery projects?

I ONLY use »anchor pearl cotton« threads. The quality, variety of colors and texture are just beautiful. Other than that, regular sewing needles because they give me a lot more control with such little stitches. And reclaimed wood hoops I find in one of my local stores.

Do you have a tip for embroidery beginners?

Yes! I always tell people on our workshops »be patient, practice a lot, pay attention to the details«. Contrary to what it seems, I believe embroidery to be a very easy craft to master IF you’re willing to dedicate time to it. No short cuts, every stitch matters.

Where do you find your inspiration?

All around me! We do a lot of greenery and botanics #plantmom so, as seasons change, we change. And when in doubt, Pinterest.

Miriam @slow_evenings_embroidery

Why is embroidery fascinating you?

I guess I’m so attracted to embroidery because I love the slow way of living and embroidery and other fibre arts are a very slow craft. The process of embroidering is very rewarding; watching the piece slowly take shape and the sound of a thread being pulled through the textile. It’s like a mindfulness practice. My two favourite things about embroidery are definitely textures and colours. I love combining them together. I think about the colour palette and »texture palette« of my pieces at the same time. I also make a lot of texture samples before starting new embroidery. Working with fibres is very rewarding to me, maybe because the material is so beautiful and soft and making things with it gives me so much joy.

What made you start with embroidery?

I started by accident, I was searching for a relaxing hobby, that would help with busy overachiever mind calm down. I was out shopping and I saw this beginners cactus embroidery pillow kit and I bought it on a whim. Embroidering it was one of the most calming and relaxing things I’ve done in a long time and I was hooked immediately. After that, I bought more supplies and some beautiful embroidery thread and started working on my own designs, and sharing them on Instagram. I’m self-taught, mostly by watching a lot of tutorials and learning different types of stitches and techniques. The embroidery community was very welcoming and they helped me a lot with developing my skills.

What materials do you use for your embroidery projects?

I like to work with cotton the most, both fabric and thread. My favourite fabric is calico cotton canvas, which is unbleached and has little dark speckles which add a lovely natural look to the embroidery. As for the thread I almost exclusively use DMC stranded cotton thread as it’s great quality and has the best colours, which in my opinion make or break an embroidery. I also can’t resist beautiful embroidery scissors like the iconic stork ones or cute snips in different colours.

Do you have a tip for embroidery beginners?

I think the best way to start embroidering is to buy a kit with all the necessary supplies and follow a pattern that you like. After that, you can buy some more supplies (good quality fabric and threads make a huge difference in the look of embroidery) and test what you like best. There are a lot of video tutorials showing how to make different stitches and a lot of blog posts digging deeper into nuances of embroidery. Don’t be afraid to experiment with what you already know and of course, like with everything else, practice makes perfect, so don’t beat yourself up if your first pieces aren’t flawless, you’ll improve with time.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I get most of my inspiration from illustration and graphic design. I follow a lot of talented artists on Instagram and also have different Pinterest boards for inspiration. I look for inspiration on a daily basis and ideas for new designs just come to me and I always have a couple of notebooks at hand so I can sketch the ideas quickly. Right now I definitely have more sketches of future projects than time to make them.

Jessica @mustard.thread

Why is embroidery fascinating you?

It´s fascinating to me because it’s like painting something. Your canvas is fabric and your paint is thread. The creativity is endless!

What made you start with embroidery?

January of 2018 I was taking an Adulting class my freshman year of college. At one point each group of students had to teach the class something useful for adulthood and me and my friend Philip decided to teach the class to sew. Since my mom taught me I thought it would be put to good use. While practicing for the presentation in my dorm room, me and my friend Tyra stitched our names on fabric using basic sewing techniques. It’s funny because I didn’t even know what embroidery really was at the time, but that helped spark interest. During the summer, my older sister Edith who was already running her independent bracelet business would constantly encourage me to start my own small business. That sounded like a lovely idea but I had no idea what my passion was. My parents are very creative and talented people and it rubs off on me and my siblings. Originally my only craft hobbies were drawing, making origami figures, and crocheting. My mom would talk about how my grandmother loved to embroider and she wanted to teach me and my sister the skill. Over the summer I started discovering more about embroidery and I invested my time to learn by watching video tutorials and teaching myself. I started with some scraps of fabric I had bought a while ago and I used the thread my sister would use to make her bracelets to embroider. As someone who struggled with anxiety, it was therapeutic to me in a sense and I loved it the more I practiced. The freedom to embroider anything I wanted with any colors and fabrics was exciting. There was always something new to learn, and since then I’ve become so invested.

What materials do you use for your embroidery projects?

I strive to use the best materials for each project because I want to make sure it’s a long lasting, meaningful piece. I prefer to use wooden hoops to give my designs a balanced natural look. I love stitching on linen, muslin, and cotton twill fabric! Variety pack embroidery needles are so helpful as well because anytime I need to use 6, 4 , or 2 strands of DMC thread, the different needle sizes allow me the flexibility to use however many strands of thread I need comfortably. Fabric scissors never fail to do the job! Also, tacky glue is a great way to glue the fabric on the wood hoop and maintain the design in place.

Do you have a tip for embroidery beginners?

Embroidery is a versatile creative outlet so more importantly have fun and do what works best for you. There are so many different materials like fabrics with different textures, different embroidery hoops, and different threads to embroider with. You can even embroider on clothes, bags, shoes, and so on. Be willing to take some time to explore and discover what you enjoy using and making. You can even begin by purchasing an embroidery kit from another embroidery artist and attempt to complete a project and see what stitches you are more comfortable doing.

Where do you find your inspiration?

My inspiration comes from a variety of things. My designs are inspired by my current favorite colors, flowers, and plants. I want my art to reflect what I love. My talented friends and family and people that surround me inspire me to try new things and pursue my passion. I sell my pieces in a beautiful shop in Georgia called Revolutionaries Market and the community of artists there inspire me to be the best person and artist I can be. Another medium of inspiration is based on my faith in Jesus, personal struggles, and moments of happiness. In September I released a collection called the Redeemed collection because I opened up about my struggles with anxiety and panic attacks and how I was learning to overcome them but find joy simultaneously. It was a collection inspired by things I love and encouragement that helped me find hope. It was my way of representing that something beautiful can grow in the midst of joy and pain. I want to translate that into my art. It’s my way of putting into words what the Lord has done in my life.

Anna @maana_jewellery

Why is embroidery fascinating you?

Embroidery is not only beautiful, fashionable and modern, it also has relaxing and calming properties. I enjoy the process of developing new models, selecting materials, composing the composition and the embroidery process itself, when using beads, crystals and other materials you create paintings that you then turn in the decoration!

What made you start with embroidery?

I have been embroidering jewelry for almost 3 years. It all started with the desire to make a brooch of beads for myself, because at that moment it was very stylish and fashionable. Without any knowledge and master classes, I myself figured out the techniques, at first the work was very simple, but neat, only after a year of training, I gradually began to implement my own designs.

What materials do you use for your embroidery projects?

I work only with high quality materials, using Swarovski crystals and pearls and other luxury materials. Working with quality products, the product has incredible brilliance, expensive and fancy look and grace. And of course, such products will last a very long time and will only please you.

Do you have a tip for embroidery beginners?

Advice for beginners – do not be afraid of your ideas, try, experiment, enjoy the process and the result. Now there are a lot of paid and free educational resources for embroidery. Start for yourself, for the soul!

Where do you find your inspiration?

The Beauty Around me inspires me for new and fabulous embroidery projects! This is nature, any leaf or flower can give me an inspiration for my next creation. In nature, you can find not only forms but also unimaginable color combinations. I love to watch fashion shows, modern designs are very brave and not repeatable!

Dream and inspiration will definitely come!