EMBROIDERY 101 WITH THE DIME STORE
Pattern and words designed by Shawna Smyth Studio
Kit and instruction designed by Savvie Studio
Hosted by The Dime Store
Note from the instructor:
Embroidery is a meditative process. I encourage you to take your time and celebrate the fact that you are using your hands to create beauty in the world! If something doesn’t go as planned while you are stitching, take a deep breath and try again. Mistakes will be made, and stitches can be undone.
If this is your first time to embroider, I am so proud of you for trying something new! The videos below will walk you through the steps to creating your first embroidery hoop, and you will learn four fundamental embroidery stitches. Directions are also typed out at the very bottom if you prefer to learn that way.
This pattern was a collaboration between myself and Shawna of Shawna Smyth Studio. I designed the kit and details, and Shawna drew the design. “Let’s put some good into the world” are borrowed words from a meaningful piece of art that Shawna designed during a difficult time in life. What a beautiful gesture to meet hardship with good.
While I was stitching my own piece I asked myself a few questions: Where do I see room for more good in my community? What skills, talents, or resources do I have to share? How can those be used to bring more good into the lives around me? What is one small thing I can do today to bring a moment of joy to someone else?
Happy Stitching!
- Savannah
Step One: Trace your pattern onto the fabric provided.
Step Two: Thread your needle and place fabric in the embroidery hoop.
Step Three: Begin outlining the pattern with black thread using a combination of straight stitches and a back stitches.
Step four: Use a satin stitch to fill in the design with color!
step five: finish the back of the hoop
If you prefer written out directions, you may follow the steps below to create your embroidery hoop:
First, you will trace the embroidery pattern onto the fabric. You will do this by taping the pattern to a bright window (or light box if you have one) You will then center the fabric over your pattern and you should be able to see the black lines of the pattern through the fabric. Tape the fabric in place, making sure that it is smooth across the pattern.
Using a sharp pencil, begin to outline the black lines on the pattern. It works best for me to use very small pencil marks as you trace so that the fabric doesn’t move around too much.
Once your pattern is traced, unscrew the top of your embroidery hoop (don’t unscrew all of the way, just enough to loosen it) and center the fabric on the inside hoop. Place the larger hoop on top, and begin to tighten the screw around the fabric. Be sure to continue tightening and evening out the fabric as you secure it inside the embroidery hoop. You want to make sure that the fabric is firmly placed in the hoop.
Cut a piece of embroidery thread that is a few feet long. Embroidery floss is made of six strands of cotton twisted together. You will want to split the thread in half (three strands each) to make it more manageable. Do this carefully and slowly so that the thread does not end up knotting.
Pull the thread strand through the eye of your needle. You can use the needle threader to do so if you prefer. Tie a small knot at the long end of the thread. Using black thread, you can start following the black lines of your outline using a back stitch or a straight stitch. The videos above will walk you through those stitches.
Use a satin stitch (again, video above) to add color to the leaves, larger letters, and hearts.
You can finish your embroidery hoop by trimming the excess fabric around the edges, leaving a ½” - 1” border of fabric around the hoop. Thread a needle with several feet of embroidery floss and create a running stitch around the edge of the fabric. Pull this stitch tightly and it will naturally start to tuck the fabric around and behind the embroidery hoop. The video above will walk you through this process.
Questions? Email savannah@dimehandmade.com anytime!