Stitch Floral

Good morning, everyone! Hope you are enjoying the festive season! 

This is the last post of this year and I decided to make it special. So here's the announcement of a new stitch along that starts on January 12^th! We're going to embroider a lovely rose by the name Cecelia. Read till the end for the details!

Fellow stitchers, confess! Is there anything you started collecting after falling in love with this craft? Cute bobbins? Scissors? Thread? Well, I guess collecting thread is a common habit. But as for the “accessories”... personally, I'm becoming more and more of a pincushion lover.

The funny thing is that I don't even have that many needles or pins to store in the pincushions. More like, I just like the process of making them, you know? And when I have these pretties at my workplace, it just creates that kind of cozy atmosphere! So, today we are going to learn to make one of such pincushions which goes by the name “Biscornu”.

Apart from framing your embroidery results, there are a plethora of other ways to utilize it. Some of such options include making ornaments, stuffed toys, hand-constructed garments and accessories like pouches and so on. But all of these projects are united by one requirement: being able to use the hidden seam to stitch close the openings. And today we will learn how to work this stitch!

Hi! How are you feeling? Hope this season is going easy on you and you're able to find time and place to relax and enjoy some simple things. As one of the ways to treat yourself, I'm going to suggest some winter-inspired stitching!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Today I'm going to stick to the tradition and bring the monthly wrap-ups back here on StitchFloral. Usually it includes only one month of activities here, but this time, I'm going to include July as well, since the blog went on hiatus after that.

November is coming to an end, so it's time for a lil freebie to make this month a bit more exciting ^^. This time it's the Grace embroidery design that you might already be familiar with from my previous posts. I'm excited to share not only the pattern and stitches I used but also a bit of guidance and tips. Hopefully, it will make the stitching process easier for you! 

Fishbone stitch is one of the basic embroidery stitches out there, mainly used for working leaves and similar shapes. When you look at a fishbone-stitched leaf you might actually confuse it with satin stitch, because of a smooth look it creates. But there is something that sets the fishbone stitch apart - and that's the “spine”.

Finally, part 4 of the Needle Painting stitch along is here! Sorry for the delay, it's just that the last flower took me longer than I expected. This is the last part, so I really want to hear your thoughts about it! Was everything clear? Did you lack any information and detail? Write in the comment section or contact form! And now, let's dive into the stitching process :)

Here's a little something I recently finished! The pattern and stitching guidance will be available later, after we are done with the Needle Painting stitch along.

Part 3 of the Needle Painting stitch along arrived! There won't be much text here because I already discussed the process and shared the necessary tips in the previous parts, and the steps are all the same. But still, I tried to capture the way of working the project with as many details as possible.

Stitch series is having a much-needed comeback! Today we will talk about split back stitch, which is basically another way of working split stitch. If you're following the Needle Painting stitch along, this is all the more reason why you should be buddies with this stitch. But no worries, it's quite simple so you will get a hang of it quickly!

Part 2 of our Needle Painting stitch along finally arrived, yay! Last time we left after all the split stitch job was done, now it's time to get into the actual needle painting and get some long and short stitch done!

Here's a question to new stitchers. Did you ever come across the pictures of embroidery where the hoop is wrapped in some kind of tape and it left you confused? Because it happened to me earlier in my “embroidery career”. 

Why would you need to wrap your embroidery hoop? Is it a simple whim? Because it looks fancy? Or is there an actual necessity of doing so?

And here starts the first-ever stitch along on Stitch Floral! Together we are going to overcome the hurdles of needle painting, using the magnificent Pansies project by Trish Burr.

Truth be told, I nearly had a heart attack when I realized the REAL size of the pattern, which is only 3 x 5 cm. So small! Don't know about you, but the multiple layers of different shades on a small space is exactly what makes me anxious about these types of projects. But oh well.. you can't master it unless you try.

So, without further ado, let's dive into the project!

Heeey guys! I'm so sorry that this this place has been inactive for so long!

I was sort of fighting with some inner “demons” which I'm going to share about through this post. But now I'm back and I hope to keep a steady writing pace starting from this month (you will get an insight to November posts in the end of this one).

Special shout-out to all the precious people who sent me messages on e-mail and Instagram, you have no idea how much it meant to me! I love you! Thank you!

I guess many of us have experienced the “Wow!” moment when we saw beautiful needlepainting pieces? Some of these works are just so gorgeous it takes your breath away! Needlepainting is a very intricate technique which requires a ton of practice, but you can master it even if you don't have good drawing and painting skills. The one thing, though, that you need for sure is a good understanding of how long and short stitch works. And that's what our lesson today is about :)

I think the issue of transferring patterns and designs to fabric is one of the most important ones that have to be addressed time after time, no matter how seasoned the stitcher is. Because a successful/not so successful/disastrous transferring will inevitably influence the final result of your embroidery. And none of us wants our efforts to go to waste, right? So, today I'd like to speak about one of the most popular choices for transferring embroidery designs to the fabric: water-soluble markers.

These pens have appeared on the market a long time ago and have since earned love of many stitchers and hate of many other stitchers. I belong to the first group, but I also understand the frustration that the second group has gone through – because I, myself, had sad experiences with washable markers. But now I know that the problem was not in the marker itself, but in my wrong way of using it! In this post I'm going to share my mistake, tell you how I came to realize it and how to fix it.

I've been so focused on telling more about the stitches lately, that I only now realized that I didn't share anything from my own embroidery for quite a while. GASP! Well, to tell the truth, there's not that much to show... But there's something that might be of interest in my current process regarding starting the thread issue ;)

It's Wednesday and it means that we will speak about a new stitch today! Last week we took a look at satin stitch basics which can be worked with or without an outlining. A very handy stitch, great for filling in all sorts of shapes and sometimes can be used exclusively to work whole designs. Today we will speak about its “upgraded” version – padded satin stitch.

Nowadays, as I noticed, the most popular line stitch is the back stitch. Which is wonderful, because this stitch is very handy and easy to “tame”. But as for me, my all-time favorite line stitch is the stem stitch. I just like how it looks, like the type of lines it draws and one more thing that I appreciate in it – its versatile appearance.

Today's stitch I consider one of the basics of hand embroidery, as it is the most common one that is used for filling the shapes: satin stitch. It has it's difficulties and peculiarities and achieving the “perfect” smooth look might be tricky. But after a bit of practice, I believe it will surrender to anyone!

Below you will find instructions on how to do satin stitch step by step and get some useful tips for better results :)

New month, new plans! But before we dive into July, it's time to sum up the previous month on Stitch Floral :)

Today, with this post, the Buttonhole stitch lessons come to an end! It's been an avalanche of information about this stitch this month and the best way to digest all of this data is to stitch it out! That's why today I prepared this free PDF pattern for you to practice the buttonhole stitch and become best buddies with it.

Are you tired of buttonhole stitch lessons yet?? Yes? Too bad, because I have another one! 😈 

Sorry, sorry, I know there's been quite a lot of buttonhole this month, and I wasn't planning on adding more today, to be honest. But I'm currently preparing a practice piece I'd like to share with all of you, and while I was stitching it, it dawned upon me, that there is an aspect in buttonhole stitch that I didn't speak about yet – ending an old thread and starting a new one. So I thought it would be better to cover ALL possible questions now, to prevent any possible problems and make the stitching process as joyful as possible :)

Here we are, back to the buttonhole - the stitch of this month! I call it the most versatile among all of the hand embroidery stitches, and there is a reason for that. As I mentioned earlier, the buttonhole stitch can be used for attaching an applique to the fabric and for creating an outline or a border (using the variations of the buttonhole stitch). But the versatility of this stitch doesn't end here! 

It can also be used for filling in ALL kinds of shapes! And you can vary the look of the result by changing the density of stitches. The bright side of using buttonhole stitch as a filler, that I especially appreciate, is that it doesn't only fill in the shape, but also creates an outline ;)

Now, let's get to the business and see how the buttonhole stitch works as a filler. 

In my honest opinion, books are one of the best ways to invest in yourself, your skill and knowledge. When anyone asks me what would I like to get as a present, a book is one of my first choices. And as a hand embroidery lover, I can't overrate the worth and value of books with good instructions and inspiring designs. So, if the budget allows, I would definitely recommend spending some cash on creating a good embroidery library.

However, there are times for all of us when we're short on money. While saving our pennies, we drool over those colorful stitchery books with vast varieties of fun projects and sigh, dreaming about the day we make the purchase and dive into the pages of this beauty... (I am not the only book-addict, right?)

Well, there is a way to treat yourself with embroidery books absolutely for FREE! 

When you love flowers and love embroidery, sooner or later a heart shaped floral wreath will bloom on your fabric. Guess it was inevitable :)

We already looked at the basics of the buttonhole stitch along with its functions and spoke about the confusion between the names “blanket stitch” and “buttonhole stitch”. Now, one of the remarkable characteristics of this stitch is that it has a TON of variations. All of them are worth attention but mentioning every single one would make this post super long. So for the starts, I decided to stop at the three most popular variations: closed buttonhole stitch, crossed buttonhole stitch and knotted buttonhole stitch.

Imagine, coming to your workplace having all your favorite thread and fabrics lined up in front of you, this wonderful art is taking you away from the routine of your daily life, you get in the rhythm of stitching and forget about all the troubles when suddenly... THAT happens. The perfect embroidery session is spoiled by an ugly knot on your thread! Ugh.

I don't think there is any stitcher who doesn't hate the knots on a thread. This is plain frustrating! And it's cool if you can untangle it easily, but when they are too messy and huge, or they happened long time ago on your backside and you noticed it late... That is so not fun.

I think the best way to fight with this problem is to take precautions on early stages. Like starting from the moment you prepare your thread for embroidery.

Needles are the tool that hand embroidery can't do without. And that tool raises many questions in the minds not only of beginners but even experienced stitchers. So, what are the top things we should know about the needles?

Buttonhole one of the basic stitches in hand embroidery which actually forms a whole family of loop stitches. It is really handy, so I strongly believe that learning it is essential for a needleworker.

Today we will speak about:

Last couple of days I was busy with these miniatures. The idea came all of a sudden as soon as I decided to make new pincushions.

It's funny how unwilling summer is to come and share its warmth here. We've had probably a week or two to enjoy the summer heat, sunshine and clear blue sky, and now it is +7°C again and we wear warm socks and sweaters even at home. Well, but any weather is fine, isn't it? There's always something to be happy about. For example, it's a good excuse for a cup of tea with delicious pastry ;)

No matter the weather, summer is finally here and the last month of spring already waved goodbye. So, it is a good opportunity for summing up everything that happened on StitchFloral during May.

Bullion knots is probably one of the trickiest stitches in hand embroidery. It is surprising that some people might even hate it, while it looks so lovely. But I understand those feelings of frustration. I also struggled with this stitch, getting one messy bullion after another and thinking that something must be wrong with me, my hands or my brain because it looks so easy in diagrams or pictures, but why couldn't I get it right??

I already made a post telling how to make a bullion knot and pistil bullion. But... I thought it is not enough. There are more things that should be shared. In this post I will tell about the alternative way of working the bullion knot which many might find easier, I will also touch on the significance of the direction of wraps around the needle and possible reasons for messy bullions. And in the end you will see a tutorial for the bullion knot rose :) So, let's start!

You know, how they recommend daily practice to beginning painters? The more you train the movements of your hand holding the brush, learn blending colors, practice drawing various shapes and forms – all of the experience from this practice piles up into practical knowledge and makes one a better professional.

This rule can be applied to any craft and needlework is not an exception. Mastering the art of hand embroidery takes time and effort and sometimes you have to be prepared for failures. That's why I like to go for small practice embroidery pieces. I tend to not take them "too" seriously – this is a field for experimentation and trying something new, or just for practicing something I already know. At the same time, I still strive for a decent result.

Summer is coming, but the new bag is still not ready! GASP. But there is good news – at least the embroidery for it is done. The design was inspired by the mint tea – one of my favorite drinks :)

You probably spotted before all these beautiful roses or lavender flowers worked with bullion stitches? This stitch was a fantastic discovery for me.

Despite its peculiar look, it is actually wonderfully versatile – it's used for stitching flowers, hair (including braids), rye, caterpillars and it is also a component of many compound stitches. For example, the bullion picot buttonhole edging.

You can also play with its size and shape, so the possibilities for its use in hand embroidery are very wide. It is a little tricky to stitch though, so in this post, I will share a bullion stitch and bullion pistil stitch tutorials as well as some universal tips on how to get it done right.

There are two essential things a beginning embroiderer should learn first-hand: how to begin and end embroidery stitches.

This month I've been covering hand embroidery knot stitches on StitchFloral. And although initially, I was going to talk only about basics, in the end, I couldn't stop myself from telling about the Chinese knot. Yeah, this mysterious guy which is often referred to as “Forbidden stitch”;)

It's tough to be a clumsy perfectionist. When I planned it, the needlebook was supposed to be much neater and tidier – but my sewing skills let me down. But you know what.. I like it as it is. Clumsy, a little awkward, but still a lovely sweetheart :)

I'm currently working on the summer tote bag that I want to get ready this month. The design was born a while ago, but the main problem was to pick fitting stitches for it. My all-time faves among the line stitches have always been stem stitch and split stitch, so at first, I was going to employ one of them. As usually. But then I thought... Isn't it unfair that I give so little chance for chain stitch to shine in my embroidery? 

This is a truly wonderful stitch too, it gives nice solid lines and has that fun “crochet” look. Except that.... it is a bit tricky in some ways ;) 

So, today I'd like to share some tips that I find really helpful for those who struggle with this stitch like I did. In this post, you will learn how to work the curves with chain stitch, make the corners sharp, join up the ends of shapes, save the thread and other important stuff. Away with hesitation! Let's learn how to kill it when you chain stitch!

French knot is, undoubtedly, the most popular knot stitch out there. But it has a “twin” - colonial knot. Jump in to explore the similarities and differences between the two!

The needlebook I'm currently working on has just got a face!

As promised, today I'm showing one of my old designs. I call it Crewel Heart, although it is worked in DMC floss thread and not wool, so technically, calling it crewel is a bit of a stretch. But it was inspired by Crewel embroidery designs and patterns – I love this embroidery style so deeply! - therefore, Crewel Heart it is.

I'm starting to cover the knots family of stitches and, naturally, the first post will be about the French knot. This stitch is an absolute must-have in your hand embroidery stitches range, because hardly any other stitch can compete with this one in versatility.

With April coming to the end and May rolling in, I decided to sum up my first month of constant blogging and voice my plans for the next month :)

The textile bag which I started earlier is now complete! I'm really happy with the result. It turned out just like I thought it would be. And more than that, I ended up adding some unexpected touches – like the buttonhole edging with bullion picot, which has a lovely “lacy” look. And today I'm sharing a how-to on this stitch.

I'm super excited to share this free hand embroidery design with you! Dancing poppies is one of my most favorite patterns that I developed myself. It was supposed to be matching with the Yellow poppies wreath, but somehow in the middle of stitching, it just got its own character and mood.

Recently I made an inventory of my fabric stocks and once again realized that I have to do something with the pile of rather small scraps. They are left from the days I was into patchwork. My passion for it faded away, but the fabric is still taking place in the drawers. So, I decided to make a challenge for myself – to get rid of all the fabric by making some useful stuff! Naturally, featuring hand embroidery. The first product of this challenge is going to be a textile lunch bag!

This week I already posted twice about stitches, so I thought why don't I finish it on a similar note? I consider lazy daisy stitch and chain stitch as relatives, so it was easy to pick a new stitch for today: the most logical candidate would surely be fly stitch! That will make the family complete.