How to Embroider

The art of sewing fancy stitches in fabric to create designs and pictures is as varied and fun today as it has been for centuries. You too can get started on your own journey into the world of thread and needle. Gather some special tools and materials to embroider. Then, learn a few basic embroidery stitches and decide what you want to embroider onto your fabric. Try embroidering something for yourself, to sell online, or as a gift for someone special!

EditSteps

EditGathering Embroidery Tools and Materials

1. Opt for plain white cotton or linen as your embroidery fabric. A loose weavable fabric is a good choice for your first projects. Hold the fabric up in front of a light source to see if the grid lines are visible on the fabric and if you can see light coming through it. If so, the fabric will work well for embroidery.^[1]
   
   • You may embroider on any color of fabric, but lighter hues may make your stitches stand out more.
   • Embroidery fabric is available in the embroidery section of your local craft supply store or online.
   • You may also choose something from around your house to embroider for practice, such as a handkerchief, a cloth napkin, or a thin dish towel.
2. Purchase a pattern and transfer the pattern to your fabric. You can purchase embroidery patterns in craft supply stores. Choose a beginner pattern if you are new to embroidery. Use the included transfer paper to imprint the outline of the design on your fabric.^[2]
   
   • Follow the pattern’s instructions to transfer the design outline to your fabric.
   • You can find free embroidery patterns online if you don’t want to purchase one.
3. Select multi-strand embroidery thread to adjust the thickness of your stitches. Multi-strand embroidery thread (also known as floss) comes in bundles of multiple strands. This will allow you to pull the strands apart and choose the thickness of your thread before you begin stitching. This may come in handy for different parts of your design.^[3]
   
   • For example, to create a thick border stitch in 1 part of your design, then don’t remove any strands. However, to subtly outline a part of your design, use a single strand.
   • Make sure to check your pattern for thread type and color recommendations.
   • You can also use yarn if you will be embroidering on a knit or crocheted item, such as a sweater or scarf.
4. Get an embroidery hoop to keep the fabric taut. Unstretched fabric will wrinkle and become difficult to work with as you create the stitches, so you will need an embroidery hoop.^[4] An embroidery hoop has a nut and screw that tightens 2 hoops around your fabric. This is what keeps the fabric taut while you embroider.^[5]
   
   • Embroidery hoops come in several different sizes. Choose the size you will need for your project. In most cases, a smaller hoop such as a hoop will work best. This size hoop will be easier to hold than a larger hoop.
5. Use an embroidery needle to ensure that the thread will fit through it. Embroidery needles have larger eyes than other types of needles, so it is easier to fit thicker strands of thread through the eye of the needle. Look in the craft supply section of your local craft supply store to find embroidery needles.^[6]
   
   • Make sure that you have a pair of sharp scissors on hand as well. You will need them to cut a length of thread each time you change colors or need to rethread your needle.^[7]

EditChoosing Embroidery Stitches

1. Make a backstitch for straight lines. Insert a threaded needle through the back of your embroidery until the knot is up against the back of the fabric. Pull through until the thread is taut. Then, insert the needle through the front of the fabric about from where it came out. Bring the needle up through the back side of the fabric again about from where it came out on the back side. Then, insert the needle down through the fabric where the first stitch ends on the front side of the fabric.^[8]
   
   • To continue the stitch, stab up through the fabric a stitch length away from the end of the last stitch you completed, and then go back down through at the end of the last stitch.
   • Make sure to pull the needle until the thread is taut after every stitch.
   • The backstitch is a staple stitch for making straight lines in embroidery, so make sure to practice it.
2. Try a split stitch to created bold lines. Insert the needle through on the back side of the fabric and pull it taut. Then, bring it down through the front of the fabric from where it came out. Bring it up again from where it came out and back down through the middle of the last stitch you made on the front side of the fabric.^[9]
   
   • To continue this stitch, stab up through the fabric half of a stitch length away from the end of the last stitch you made, and then insert the needle back down through the fabric at the midpoint of the last stitch.
   • This stitch is similar to the backstitch. It will take a little longer to create a straight line with the split stitch, but the line will be thicker than it would be with a backstitch.
3. Create a running stitch for a dashed line. To do a running stitch, insert the threaded needle into the fabric on the back side until the knot is up against the back of the fabric. Then, insert the needle down through the fabric on the front side (depending on how wide you want the stitches to be) from where it came out. Bring the needle back through the fabric on the back side again to repeat the stitch.^[10]
   
   • Make sure to keep the stitches even.
   • You will always be moving forward with a running stitch and the stitches should look like small dashes.
4. Choose the stem stitch to outline items. Insert the threaded needle through the back side of the fabric, and then bring it through until the knot is up against the back. Bring the needle down and through the fabric again from where it came out to complete the first stitch. Insert the needle back up and through the fabric right next to the midway point of the first stitch. Do not insert the needle through the thread.^[11]
   
   • To continue the stitch, insert the needle back down through the fabric a stitch length away from where you brought it up. Then, bring the needle back up through the fabric beside the middle of this new stitch.
   • Repeat to create more stitches.
5. Try the chain stitch for a bold outline or filler. Bring the threaded needle through of the fabric until the knot is against the back of it. Then, insert the needle down through the front side of the fabric right next to where it came out, and immediately bring the pointed end of the needle back up on the front side of the embroidery again about away from where you inserted it. Make sure that the tail of the thread remains on the front side of the fabric, and then pull the needle to tighten this thread around your starting stitch.^[12]
   
   • This will form a chain shape around the base of the thread.
   • Repeat to make more chain stitches in a row or as filler for a shape.

EditSelecting an Embroidery Design

1. Create a sampler if you want to practice different stitches. Before you get into creating complex designs with text, borders, and other advanced features, try outlining a simple shape and filling it in with different types of stitches. This type of project is also known as a sampler and it is a great way to practice different types of stitches. Choose any simple shape that you like and fill it in with the stitches of your choice!^[13]
   
   • For example, create a heart and fill in the borders with rows of different stitches. Use a different color for each type of thread to differentiate them.
2. Focus on a small, intricate object if you want to practice fine details. If you want to create an intricate image as part of your design, go with something small. This will allow you to focus on the design without becoming overwhelmed.^[14]
   
   • For example, you could try making a small teddy bear wearing a bow tie, a tree with lots of tiny leaves, or an intricate spider web.
   • Use the design as the focal point for your embroidery and do something simple to embellish it, such as by embroidering a bee and then adding a single dashed line behind it to show the bee’s flight path.
3. Embroider a large floral design if you want to try making flowers. Flowers are popular items to embroider onto fabric, and doing a single large flower is a great option if you are a beginner. Use a pattern to transfer the image of a flower onto your fabric, or draw the flower onto the fabric freehand using a pen or pencil. Then, fill in the design with the stitches of your choice.^[15]
   
   • Use a variety of stitches to fill in the flowers.
   • Switch your thread color for different parts of the flower, such as green for the stem and purple for the petals.
4. Stitch simple letters onto items if you want to personalize them. Embroidered letters can be simple or complex. If you are just getting started with embroidery, opt for a letters that are made up of straight stitches, such as backstitches or split stitches. Try adding initials or a name to an item to personalize it or spell out a short message next to a design.^[16]
   
   • For example, embroider your initials onto a shirt or scarf to personalize it.
   • If you have embroidered the image of a heart on a piece of fabric, then spell out the word “love” above it.

EditTips

• There are many different types of embroidery stitches. After you master some of the basic stitches, try more advanced stitches.
• Purchasing a small embroidery kit can be a good introduction. It saves you the trouble of designing, choosing colors, and choosing thread.
• Start with something small that can be completed quickly for your first project.

EditThings You’ll Need

• Fabric
• Embroidery thread
• Embroidery hoop
• Embroidery needle
• Scissors
• Pattern
• Transfer paper

EditSources and Citations

EditQuick Summary

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