Embroidery is the art of embellishing or adorning by means of a needle and thread. The variety of fabric and thread suitable for embroidery is unlimited. Creating beautiful pieces of embroidered art is an investment not only in costly supplies, but time and energy as well.
When planning about a design, you need to consider what size it should be. Remember that the space you leave should compliment the design, it is just as important as the design itself.
Five stitches form the basis for hand embroidery. The stitches are: Outline, Satin, Lazy daisy, Cross and French Knot.
WORK IN PROCRESS :
Generally most plain fabrics, such as linen, cottons, wools and wide range of coloured furnishing fabrics, are suitable for free style embroidery.
Threads, like fabric has a grain. If you sew with the thread going against the grain it is more likely to become twisted and tangled.
Needles come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They may be sharp or blunt and with a large eye or a small eye. Always use the correct size and type of needle for the particular method you are working. Embroidery needle are numbered like knitting needles. The correct size needle should be easy to tread.
You need to keep the fabric in the hoop drum tight, so keep tightening it up as you work as it will loosen over time. If you need , use a screwdriver to tighten the screw.
Probably the most simple and successful methods of transferring a pattern is to trace the design directly onto your frame. Begin your work by tracing your design on to tracing paper. Always take two tracings, one to transfer your background fabric and one to keep as a reference.
When you have finished your stitching,or are happy that the stitching you have done is secure, cut off the knot.
To finish off, turn the fabric over and weave the needle several times into the threads. Cut off the end.
Cut any loosen threads from the back of your work as they may show through when the pieces is mounted. Weave the ends of a new thread under a previously worked area or leave a tail long enough to re-thread and be woven into place.
When your embroidery is complete, wash that fabric in lukewarm water with pure soap suds, even if it doesn't appear dirty. Don’t try to rub it, rather swish the piece around in the soapy water. Then rinse under cold running water. If color appears to run, continue rinsing until the water runs clean.
You can remove any excess water by placing the fabric flat in the folds of a clean, white towel. Lay the embroidery work, right side down, on top of a towel and steam dry.
Don’t leave your wet fabric to dry naturally as the threads are more likely to bleed, and never try to press embroidery on the right side as the flattens the stitching.
When you have completed your cleaning the embroidered fabric, place it face down in a clean cloth and cover it with a fine, dry cloth. Apply warm iron gently and lightly to that the stitches are not flattened or distorted.
If you have decide to frame and display your beautiful embroidery work, find out the center point of the design, and push the eye of the needle on the center of a measured white acid- free mounting board, so that the center of the design is positioned correctly on the center of the board. Place pins through the fabric and at the board’s edges, sticking outwards so that the board can be turn over easily. Then trim the excess fabric about 5 cm all around and turn the embroidery over, face down. Cover the corners, fold in the sides and pin them down. Sew the edges of the fabric together at each corner and carefully remove the pins. Fix the edges of the fabric with double-sided tape, or lace across the back using strong thread. Remove the pins and place the mount in a picture frame.
The type of frame you select can completely alter the finished effect of an embroidery. Hang or place your framed embroidery work away from direct sunlight and rotate your treasures often. Avoid storing your embroidered pieces in air-tight plastic boxes. Also, never frame a piece under glass without spacers. Spacers allow air to flow between the fabric and the glass and help prevent mold. Fabrics like fresh air. Air flow prevents the build-up of mold and dirt that can damage the fibers in the fabric and threads used to embroider a project.
