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Fun with Stitching E-Book

Fiona Goble

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Herausgeber: IMM Lifestyle Books
Kategorie: Lebensstil
Sprache: Englisch
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

Did you think embroidery was complicated, confined to flowers, and a major undertaking? This cute, quirky, and clever little book will dispel those myths and inspire you to take up a needle and thread, even if it's for the first time ever.Fun with Stitching offers simple and easy embroidery ideas to add a light-hearted touch to clothes, home accessories, and gifts. Each design is shown on a different object, whether it be a French café on an apron, cheerful weather clouds on canvas shoes, or a beaming moon on a lampshade, and is accompanied by straightforward instructions and suggestions for other uses. This is a book for new sewers, young embroiderers, and anyone looking to bring a light-hearted touch to their home or wardrobe.

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Leseprobe

Originally published by

New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd

Published 2015—IMM Lifestyle Books

www.IMMLifestyleBooks.com

IMM Lifestyle Books are distributed in theUK by Grantham Book Service.

In North America, IMM Lifestyle Books aredistributed byFox Chapel Publishing1970 Broad StreetEast Petersburg, PA 17520www.FoxChapelPublishing.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and copyright holders.

Fiona Goble has asserted her moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

eISBN 978-1-60765-310-3

2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3

Printed In China

Some of the projects in this book are unsuitable for children under 3 years of age due to small parts. Always keep small or sharp objects (such as needles or buttons) away from small children.

Introduction

The stitcher’s kit

Stitching essentials

How to use the patterns

The projects

Eat

Sleep

Work

Relax

Play

Dress

Bath

Celebrate

Make your own stuff to stitch

The patterns

Index

Acknowledgements

Introduction

There is something of a buzz in the air about embroidery at the moment. I don’t mean everyone’s about to start stitching delicate flowers onto linen tablecloths all over again, but people are beginning to want clothes and home accessories that are a bit different. To my way of thinking, there’s nothing easier and more enjoyable than customizing a few possessions with some carefully chosen stitches.

You probably know some of the basic stitches already. Even if you don’t, I’ve explained them all here and I’m sure you’ll be able to pick them up in no time. You can buy embroidery thread and needles in almost any sewing or craft shop and in some big department stores, and get going right away. You can transform something ordinary into something special really swiftly – sometimes in just a few minutes.

There are so many things that can be embellished by a bit of embroidery – some items you may already have and some you can make yourself. I’ve only used a small selection of handmade items here, and I’ve written some brief instructions on how to make them on pages 106–109.

But you don’t have to stop with these. You can make and embroider spectacle cases, fabric photo frames, wash bags, table runners, peg bags… the possibilities are almost endless.

Sometimes embroidery is about trial and error. And sometimes it’s just about what takes your fancy. So browse through the book and have a look through your home and wardrobe and decide where you want to start. Above all, I hope you have fun.

Fiona Goble

The stitcher’s kit

One of the best things about the stitching bug is that you only need a few basic bits of equipment to get started. Better still, all the items are relatively inexpensive. If you don’t already have these items in your sewing or craft box, you can easily get hold of these from most craft shops or from online craft or sewing stores.

The basics

Embroidery needle

Embroidery needles have sharp points and eyes that are big enough to thread six-strand embroidery thread. A medium-size embroidery needle is suitable for all the projects in this book.

Embroidery thread (floss)

I have sewn all the projects in this book with ordinary six-strand embroidery thread (floss) that comes in a rainbow of different colours. The colours you buy will depend on the projects you want to make but it’s a good idea to start out by buying a selection of basic colours that you can then add to. Most embroidery threads sold in craft shops are colourfast but it is worth checking just to make sure. Even if you are embroidering something you don’t plan to wash, you will probably still need to spray it with water to remove the marks from your water-soluble pen or quilter’s pencil (see Methods of transfering your pattern, right).

For most of the projects in this book, you will need to use three strands of embroidery thread. In other words, you will need to cut a length of six-strand thread then divide it in two. In some cases you will need to use fewer or more strands of thread.

Embroidery thread comes in little skeins that are kept together with one or two paper loops. These skeins can easily get tangled so you might want to take some steps to make sure your threads behave. The easiest way to do this is to wind the whole skein of thread onto a special bobbin that you can buy in craft stores. Alternatively, you could wind the thread around a piece of card with a little slit along one side to hold the end of the thread in place.

Fabric

You can embroider almost any fabric. Good fabrics for beginners are medium-weight woven cottons, tightly woven linen and felt. Avoid fabrics that are very stiff, shaggy or very heavily textured. Also avoid fabrics with a very loose weave, since these could pucker easily and stitches such as French knots (see page 16) could slip through your work and spoil it.

You can embroider stretchy materials such as cotton T-shirts and fleece, although these aren’t ideal for beginners because they need a little bit more care.

Methods of transferring your pattern

There are three main methods to transfer your pattern to your fabric:

• A water-soluble pen or quilter’s pencil (these work like an ordinary felt tip or pencil but are easily removed with water);

• Dressmaker’s carbon paper or transfer paper and an ordinary pencil;

• A special transfer pen or pencil, some tracing paper, an ordinary pencil and an iron.

For the first two methods you will also need access to a photocopier, a computer with a scanner, or some tracing paper and a black pen.

Each of the three pattern transfer methods will produce a clear outline for you to stitch. For more details about transferring your pattern, see page 17.

Embroidery scissors

These are small, sharp scissors and I strongly advise you to buy a pair if you do not already have some. Because they are small, they’re easier to use than other scissors when snipping thread when you’ve finished stitching.

The small points are also useful if you need to undo any work. You can use them to pull the thread to undo a few stitches or to snip stitches before pulling them out.

Helpful extras

Trimmings

For some of the projects you will need trimmings such as buttons, braid or bias binding. It’s a good idea to build up a selection of items like these so you have a choice. The type of trimmings you choose can make a big diference to the look of your project.

Standard sewing needle

You will need this sort of needle in order to sew any embellishments on to your embroidery, such as the buttons that feature in some of the projects.

Embroidery hoops

Embroidery hoops consist of two rings – a smaller fixed ring and an adjustable ring. The idea is that you stretch your fabric across the smaller ring then fit it inside the adjustable ring. Hoops are available in a range of sizes and in wood or plastic.

Many people find that hoops make embroidering much easier, but they are not essential, particularly when you are stitching quite sturdy fabrics. Also, you should not use a hoop when embroidering on felt as it will pull the fabric out of shape.

Thimble

If your fingers become sore from pushing the needle through your fabric, it is worth getting a thimble – though it can take a bit of getting used to.

Stabilizer fabrics

If your fabric is very flimsy or stretchy, you may want to add a stabilizer fabric to the back of it (although I find it perfectly easy to embroider T-shirts without a stabilizer if I stick to a small chain stitch). The most popular stabilizer fabric is an iron-on version that you can tear away from the back of your fabric once your stitching is complete. You can buy this in shops that sell embroidery and sewing supplies, and in online stores.

Iron

You don’t have to iron your embroidery projects, particularly if you are embroidering felt or fleece, but an iron is useful for projects you’ve stitched on crisp cotton or linen. Always press your work on the back and be careful not to press your embroidery work too heavily as this will make the stitches look flat.

Sew your own

If you’re planning to make your own items to embroider you will also need:

Sewing scissors

A good-quality pair of sewing scissors is essential for cutting fabric. Remember to keep them strictly for cutting fabric as they will quickly become blunt if you use them for cutting paper or card.

Pins

Sharp pins are essential for pinning most of the projects together before you sew. The ones with coloured glass heads are useful as they are less likely to get left in your work by mistake.

Sewing machine

This is optional as you can sew most of the items in the book by hand. However, a machine will make sewing-up much quicker and help give you professional-looking results.

Supply of fabrics

The exact fabrics you need depend on what you are making, but a collection of neutral or pastel cottons and linens is a great starting point. Some floral fabrics that you can use to make your own binding will also come in useful (see pages 105 and 108). Remember to pre-shrink your fabrics by washing them before you unleash your creative talent. Once your work is complete, wash the items by hand in cool water only, just to be on the safe side.

Stitching essentials

There are loads of embroidery stitches, but all the stitches and techniques you need for the projects in this book are listed below.

Starting and finishing your work

The easiest way to secure your work at the beginning is simply to tie a knot at the end of your embroidery thread that is large enough not to slip through your fabric. If you prefer not to have knots on the back of your work or are embroidering a particularly fine fabric and using small stitches, leave a 4-cm (1½-in) ‘tail’ of thread at the back of your work and simply start stitching. Once you have finished your work you can weave the tail through the back of your stitches.

Once you’ve finished, the easiest way to secure your work is to sew a knot at the back.

To do this, take your thread to the back of your work. Pass your needle under the last stitch, then through the loop you have just made. Tighten the knot and snip your thread close to the knot. If you prefer not to have a knot and are using small stitches, you can simply weave the thread through the stitches then snip it off.

Stitch library

All the stitches used within this book are explained and illustrated over the next few pages. Most of the stitches are extremely easy and you may be familiar with them already.