Eclectvity

One of the Hearth Keeper daughters told her mom she wanted to learn to embroider.   Mom asked the Hearth Keeper crafters where to start and I suggested a stitchery.  Then, I decided to do a step-by-step stitchery lesson to help her get started.

Lesson One~

The Ingredients:

Cotton Batting:  (I used Fairfield’s Traditional poly batt because I was out of what I really like)

Washable Marker:  Dritz Blue Marking Pen 

Muslin:  I used 100% cotton from Wal-Mart but I love the look of the tea-dye they carry.

Embroidery Floss:  DMC 3799 and a green I don’t have a number for… and I’ll find a red and yellow and name them later.

I wrote the quote, “Pray and let God worry.” by Martin Luther.   I chose it because it’s a fun quote, short, and sweet.   When you write your quote, don’t make your printing perfect.  Try to make it a little sloppy but don’t let the letters be too narrow.  Especially all rounded ones.  It’s easier to work with if the letters are roundish and if you make them a bit sloppy, they add to the character of the piece.  (And hide little stitching goofs!)

Then, I drew dashed lines all the way around the outside of the written part.  A solid line is better but I can write a “straighter” line if I do a dashed one when I don’t have a ruler handy and in this chair, I didn’t.  I recommend solid lines.  I drew a few “lazy daisy” flowers on the bottom corner.  A second lesson will show more flowers but this will give a sense of accomplishment while teaching four common and basic stitches.

The Running Stitch-  For further instruction, click HERE

The Back Stitch-  For further instruction, click HERE

The Lazy Daisy- For further instruction, click HERE

The French Knot-  For further instruction click HERE

These are the stitches we’ll cover in this project.

Ok, once you have your fabric and your “quote” written on it, make sure you add your lines and flowers and then cut a piece of batting the same size as the back ground.  I generally hold them together with several (say small safety pins but I was stuck in this chair so I improvised.  I basted it together with sewing thread which works just as well.

Ok… I work with four strands of floss.  For a little girl you can use two strands, doubled.   It’s easier for them because they don’t have to worry about the “tail” slipping out of the eye of the needle.  Knot well (this is appropriate for a batted back) and pull the needle to the front.

Now, what you’re goig to do is take several stitches (if her hands are strong enough, otherwise, just have her do one in and then up again stitch)  What you’re trying to learn here is how to rock the needle between the layers (this is exactly what you do with quilting BTW) evenly.  Let her stitches be uneven.  It’s part of the charm of the piece, but have her work at trying to do make them even.  This is one reason we don’t work with an embroidery hoop yet.  This type of stitching works without a hoop and it’s easier to get a rhythm without it.

See how you can fit several small stitches on the needle?  I work at trying to make each stitch just a little less than 1/4″ apart but more than 1/8″ on stitcheries. 

Voila… see?  Do this all around the outside of the stitchery.

When you finish, or run out of thread, take one more stitch, pull the thread to the back, and tie a knot near the fabric.  Run the rest of the thread through the top of the batting and away from the knot and then trim.  Little girls will often find it hard to get the knot near the back of the fabric so practice yourself until you get the hang of it and then show them.

This was the running stitch.  Tune in Thursday for the “Backstitch”.