(Sorry this isn't in a pdf that you can download. I haven't figure out how to do that in here yet.)
Basic Embroidery Equipment
So You Can Get Started
Lady Margaret of
Hollingford, CW
Barony of
Sternfeld, Middle Kingsdom
Holli Hartman
hollihartman@gmail.com
https://hollingfordmanor.blogspot.com/
An extremely practical guide to some of the items you will
need to get started on your embroidery path.
·
Blunt or Round End
o aka
Crewel or Tapestry needles
o Good
for counted work like cross stitch, long arm cross stitch, German brick stitch,
needlepoint, any fabric with open holes
·
Sharp End
o aka
Embroidery (shorter eye) or Chenille (longer eye) needles
o Good
for surface embroidery that isn’t counted like stem stitch, chain stitch, split
stitch, laid and couched work, etc.
·
Long eye vs short eye: longer eyes can be
gentler on the thread, less wear and fuzzing, and are easier to thread
·
Needle Size
o The
lower the number, the thicker the needle
o Size
will depend on the thickness of your thread or how many strands you are using
o You
want to be able to pull the thread through easily but not make a huge hole
o There
should not be a gaping hole around your thread
o If
you are hearing a loud zipper type noise, if your fabric is really pulling or
denting, or if you are struggling to pull the needle through, you need a bigger
needle
·
Needle Material
o Most
needles today are nickel-plated steel
§ Inexpensive,
easy to find
§ Some
people find they tarnish easily
§ Not
good for nickel allergies
o Gold
or platinum plated steel
§ Can
be harder to find and a bit more expensive
§ Never
seen platinum ones in the store but I hear they exist
§ Supposed
to be more tarnish resistant
·
You can definitely embroider directly onto
whatever you want to decorate if you want, so onto your garb or whatever fabric
you have, do not need to buy anything special
·
Some people find it easier or more convenient to
embroidery onto something separate, like a fabric band, and then sew that on
o Easy
to remove for cleaning or reusing
o Easier
to carry around while embroidering
·
The smaller the thread count, the less threads
in an inch, the bigger the holes in the grid
·
General types of weaves of embroidery fabric
you’ll find at your local craft store
o Aida
§ Typical
cross stitch fabric
§ Available
in cotton, linen, blends, most anything, usually cotton in stores
§ Can
be stiff
§ Not
really a good choice for being period, but in a pinch could be ok
o Evenweave
§ Available
most commonly in linen or cotton
§ Vertical
and horizontal threads are even, same count both ways
§ Forms
an open grid with nice clear holes
§ Best
for counted work, can be used for surface work
§ Canvas
is similar with a very open mesh, comes in single or double threads, good for
needlepoint and similar, comes in cotton, linen, and plastic usually
o Plainweave
§ This
is what your typical sewing linen or cotton muslin usually is
§ There
is not always uniformity vertically and horizontally
§ The
weave is tighter and more woven look and feel
§ Good
for surface embroidery that doesn’t need a grid. Can also be used for counted
work, but might not be very uniform and the holes tend to be tiny
·
Don’t have to have a hoop or frame but it
really helps with the tension of the fabric and holding your working area and
some stitches just won’t work well without one
·
Want the hoop or frame to be big enough that you
don’t have to move it around a lot and aren’t squashing the already embroidered
parts, but not so big that it is hard to hold and handle
·
Hoops
o Screw
tension: has a screw that adjust the tension
§ Inexpensive
and easy to find in almost any craft store. There are very fancy nice ones also
§ Come
in wood/bamboo and plastic.
§ Look
it over and make sure it doesn’t look warped and doesn’t have any splinters
o Spring
tension: has a spring that snaps one metal hoop inside the other plastic one
§ Also
usually inexpensive and easy to find in craft stores
o Flixi:
flexible vinyl that fits over
§ Not
a great option, but might be worth trying out
o Do
I need to remove the hoop when not working?
§ Short
answer? Yes, especially if the entire project doesn’t fit inside the hoop
§ If
your hoop circles the entire project and any creases will be outside of the
area you’re concerned with? Then you can get away with it. But you still
should.
·
Q-Snaps
o Plastic
frame that looks like pipes and comes with clips
o Useful
for certain applications
·
Slate Frames
o Wooden
frames that your project gets sewn into essentially
o Some
swear by these, especially for period embroidery
·
A stand or holder can be very useful and frees
up both hands
·
Cotton is going to be the easiest to find in
craft stores and is perfectly fine to use!
·
Silk, wool, and linen are more period choices
and can be great to work with as you get into more period embroidery and
especially if you want to enter into A&S competitions. Silk and wool are
usually the most common
·
Embroidery Floss (aka Stranded)
o This
is your typical DMC cross stitch thread
o Comes
in cotton and silk usually, though I’m sure you can get it in linen and wool
o Usually
6 strands, sometimes 12
o You
can separate out however many strands you want to use for your project
o Good
for counted work and surface embroidery
·
Perle or Pearl
o Also
usually found in most craft stores, though usually only in one size
o Usually
in cotton or silk
o The
higher the number, the finer the thread
o A
twisted thread that you DO NOT divide!
o Good
for surface embroidery, ok for counted work
·
Crewel Wool
o 2
ply wool, thinner than tapestry wool
o Do
not divide!
o Great
for surface embroidery, particularly for laid and couched work (Bayeux tapestry
stitch), also good for canvas work
o Worsted
wool for embroidery is similar and can be divided
·
Tapestry Wool
o 4
ply wool, thicker than crewel wool
o Do
not divide!
o Great
for mostly canvas work, not as good for surface embroidery but could work for
some things
You really just need fabric, thread, and a needle. The
rest is details. It all depends on how you want it to look, what materials you
can find, and what works best for you. Try different things. See how they look.
Try out the tools and see how it goes. Ask around your local group for things
to borrow and try out if you don’t want to buy first.
Links
https://carleinblog.wordpress.com/sca-embroidery-myths/
My favorite myth busting blog post
DMC’s website. My go to for regular, everyday embroidery. Easy to find in almost every craft store. They have a new wool crewel yarn which I haven’t tried yet.
https://www.rainbowgallery.com/
Rainbow Gallery’s website. Excellent company for silk
embroidery thread. Their Splendour silk floss and Grandeur silk perle are my
favorites for silk. They are available at Persnickety Stitchers in Zionsville,
IN.
https://www.persnicketystitchers.com/
My favorite specialty embroidery shop to go to in
Zionsville, IN.
https://cottesimple.com/articles/medieval-embroidery-on-clothing/
A great article on the use of embroidery on clothing. Great examples, thoughts and speculations, as well as some good how-to’s on basic stitches.
Royal School of Needlework Stitch Bank. The go to place
to look up embroidery stitches and learn about their history.
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