Stitchery 101 – Part B

Here is Part A of Stitchery 101.
Here is Part C of Stitchery 101

Note: from now on I will have all measurements in inches. Even though I live in Australia I am a quilter and in general, quilters work in imperial. Sorry if this confuses anyone. Persevere and I am sure you will get used to it quickly.

Click here to download the pdf pattern.

Cut your fabric and pellon. Approximately 7.5” x 9.5” is a good size as it leaves you with enough fabric to handle and get into the hoop.

The easiest way to trace your design onto the fabric is to stick the design onto a window (during the day of course) and then stick the fabric over the paper. Make sure you centre the design by folding both paper and fabric in half and then in half again. Line up the creases on the paper and fabric. Use the blue wash out marker to lightly mark the design onto the fabric. Gently remove the sticky tape from the fabric to avoid fraying.

Note: The blue wash out marker is heat sensitive. Once you have marked your design do not iron the fabric as it will set the blue pen and it won’t wash out.

Place the pellon on a flat, hard surface and layer the fabric design side up on top of it.

Thread a needle with a cream cotton and baste the two together. Basting is a large running stitch. For this size stitchery we only need to baste 2 rows horizontally and 2 rows vertically. Space them out evenly. This will keep the pellon in place and make sure your finished work will lay flat.



Place the basted pellon and fabric into the embroidery hoop. The fabric needs to be taught but not stretched.

We are now ready to begin stitching.

This design is mainly back stitch and we will complete all the back stitching first.
Take your stranded cotton and cut a piece about as long as your forearm. Separate the strands of cotton so you only have two and thread them onto your needle and tie a knot in the other end.

Back Stitch

1. Come up from the back and pull the thread through. (Point A)


2. Bring the needle down about a quarter inch away from point A along the design line. (point B)

Pull thread though so that it lays flat on the top of the fabric. This is your first stitch.

3. Come up along the design line a stitch length away from point B and pull thread through (point C).

4. Bring needle down into the same hole as point B and pull thread through. This is your second stitch.

Continue stitching by repeating steps 3 and 4.

Keep back stitching until you either run out of thread or design line.

To finish off the thread make sure you leave about 4”of thread to work with. Finish a stitch with your needle at the back of your work.

Loop the needle under the thread only of the last stitch and make a loop.



Pass the needle through that loop and pull the thread through. This forms a little knot.

Loop the needle under a few more stitches after that and then trim thread.

And that’s a back stitch.

Continue backstitching the design, following the design line as closely as possible. The things that aren’t backstitched are the centre of the small flowers (they are French knots) and the heart on the birdhouse (that’s satin stitch).

Tips

When you are backstitching around curves make your stitches smaller so that they sit on the design line.



Also, the centres of the large flowers are small circles. To backstitch them, use five small stitches to give you a circle rather than a square. The petals of the small flowers are one back stitch each, but you don’t need to start and finish each stitch. It will also be easier if you leave these flowers til next week so you can do the centre at the same time as the petals.

Next week I will cover the remaining stitches as well as what to do with your stitchery once it is finished.

It has been quite a while since I have written instructions for a project so if anything is not clear please email me.