A friend of mine recently shared an embroidery pattern that sent me on a very short, panicked grab for embroidery supplies. (Thanks, Melissa).
I’ve never done embroidery before but I’ve seen a lot of designs that have motivated me to want to buy embroidery. I decided to give it a shot myself. Like at these weird messy stitches.
Turns out it’s a fairly inexpensive and fairly easy skill to learn, that works well in partnership with a good Netflix binge. I will now tell you everything I’ve learned in my one day of doing embroidery without any real knowledge of if what I’m saying is true or not 😉
What you’ll need to start
Embroidery Thread
I picked up DMC thread (which I later learned is called “embroidery floss”) from Amazon and then later followed up with more colors from Joann’s. They’re only about .50c per color which makes it fairly inexpensive to stock up in bulk when you see a color you like and/or cannot live without.
A Hoop and Fabric
The hoop seems to keep the fabric taut so you can accurately stitch through it. It’s a new reason for me to get hand cramps, but at least it’s a different holding position than my cell phone!
I purchased 8″ square pieces of fabric (Kona brand) — ideal for hanging on the wall. You could embroider anything though. I’m already thinking about pillows, or face masks as potential giftable items.
A Needle and Threader
I picked up size 5 DMC Embroidery needles per the recommendation of the pattern I purchased. DMC seems like a well-known established brand to look for, for embroidery supplies. I later picked up a threader because trying to get the thread through a needle was quickly going to turn me off the hobby altogether.
A Washable Fabric Marker
You draw your pattern on the fabric before you begin so you know what you stitch. I really love the Clover water soluble pen I got. It has an eraser pen on the other side which I assume is just water or some sort of mild liquid –– but it instantly takes out any pen from the fabric.
Thread Snips/Scissors
I bought some fabric scissors but what has come in handy more often are the tiny pair of thread snips I got in the same package. Highly recommend for quick little cuts as you’re going about the work.
A Pattern
While I suppose you don’t truly need a pattern, I’m not really imagining myself free-styling. Whether you buy a pattern off of Etsy, find a free pattern, or make and print your own pattern (which sounds fun!) the pattern makes the whole process look a lot more polished.
