A life long Cross Stitcher interested in learning Embroidery. Where do I start?

[Janet Conrad]

Hello!

The title says it all.  I want to start exploring embroidery because it looks like a lot of fun and much more interesting than cross stitch.  Over the last two years, I've lost interest in needlework because I'm bored with cross stitch.  But, I'm not sure how to start an embroidery project.  Are there kits?  Do I pick a pattern and go?  Anyone have any suggestions?  So excited to be here and part of this wonderful, creative community.  <3  Janet

[Elizabeth Braun]

Are there kits?  Oh yes!  Many and varied and they're a great place to start any new techniques, because you get full instructions and all you need to complete the design.  You could try searching for 'embroidery kits'.

Also, try your local library for books to give an overview of all sorts of techniques.

Enjoy!

[Le Rinart]

I would say : Needle 'N Thread (Mary Corbet's website). You'll find everything from video tutorials to free patterns and all the needed tips and tricks to begin. Needle 'N Thread is a fantastic place where anyone can just jump in and feel at ease right from the beginning. And Mary is the soon to be new admin of Stitchin Fingers, making things even easier.

You should also find some fellow embroiderer mates in your area. Learning from a distance is very nice, but there's nothing like the community feeling to make you progress.

And last thing : I personally find cross stitch MUCH HARDER than free embroidery -> in cross stitch you have to be focused all the time otherwise you make mistakes and everything goes wrong. In free embroidery it's the contrary : when making your own choices, when modifying a pattern, there can be lots of pretty fantastic surprises around the corner. My personnal advice would be : start with stem stitch; it's an easy to learn outlining stitch, you can pick any model and learn a lot in both regularity and tension while playing with stem stitch (and even if simple, its outlining capacity enables you to venture in quite intricate designs without too much technical issues).

I wish you a very pleasant journey in embroidery,

M.

[Susan Low]

I, too, am a cross-stitcher and I have broaden out to learn hand embroidery as well.   I am interested in sewing to turn my stitching projects into something practical instead of framing them all to put up on the wall.  I don't have very many wall spaces.     socialsue

[Janet Conrad]

Thank you Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Braun said:

Are there kits?  Oh yes!  Many and varied and they're a great place to start any new techniques, because you get full instructions and all you need to complete the design.  You could try searching for 'embroidery kits'.

Also, try your local library for books to give an overview of all sorts of techniques.

Enjoy!

[Janet Conrad]

Great Advice.  Yes, I'm familiar with Mary Corbet's website.   That's how I found this site.  Will explore Mary's site and find something for beginners.  Interesting thought about embroidery being easier than cross-stitch.  You are absolutely right.  I'm looking forward to "enjoying" the work instead of feeling like I have to be "in the mood and mentally ready" to work.  Thank you so much, Le Rinart.

Le Rinart said:

I would say : Needle 'N Thread (Mary Corbet's website). You'll find everything from video tutorials to free patterns and all the needed tips and tricks to begin. Needle 'N Thread is a fantastic place where anyone can just jump in and feel at ease right from the beginning. And Mary is the soon to be new admin of Stitchin Fingers, making things even easier.

You should also find some fellow embroiderer mates in your area. Learning from a distance is very nice, but there's nothing like the community feeling to make you progress.

And last thing : I personally find cross stitch MUCH HARDER than free embroidery -> in cross stitch you have to be focused all the time otherwise you make mistakes and everything goes wrong. In free embroidery it's the contrary : when making your own choices, when modifying a pattern, there can be lots of pretty fantastic surprises around the corner. My personnal advice would be : start with stem stitch; it's an easy to learn outlining stitch, you can pick any model and learn a lot in both regularity and tension while playing with stem stitch (and even if simple, its outlining capacity enables you to venture in quite intricate designs without too much technical issues).

I wish you a very pleasant journey in embroidery,

M.

[Deborah-Anne Odendaal]

Hi Janet,  I am also a 'cross-stticher' who has branched out into embroidery work.  I have found two very nice books from Country Bumpkin/Inpsirations (an Australian company) very useful, they A-Z of Embroidery Stitches Books 1 and 2.  SharonB on pintangle.com also has a very useful Stitching Dictionary online (inaminuteago.com) is her website.  I used it a lot for the TAST 2012 challenge.

Also a nice way of learning new stitches is to join something like TAST (Take A Stitch Tuesday); Sharon will be leading a new series in the coming year.

Plus of course all the lovely 'Eye Candy' her on Stitchin fingers will help you too.

Welcome and Enjoy!

[Deborah-Anne Odendaal]

The other nice thing about embroidery is that you don't necessarily need 'special' fabric any of the leftover fabric that you have from your cross stitching will do.  Even Aida!

[June Lane]

I too found this site through Mary's Needle and Thread. It is fascinating to read and she has almost convinced me to leave counted thread work and give some of those stitches a try.

[Deborah-Anne Odendaal]

June, I actually found that doing other embroidery work gave me a new interest in my cross stitching.  I look on it as 'Cross Training', like that athletes do running and cycling or gym and swimming.  You just don't get sweaty (LOL)!

June Lane said:

I too found this site through Mary's Needle and Thread. It is fascinating to read and she has almost convinced me to leave counted thread work and give some of those stitches a try.

[Janet Conrad]

Thank you Deborah-Anne.  Very useful information that I plan on checking into.  ;-)

Deborah-Anne Odendaal said:

Hi Janet,  I am also a 'cross-stticher' who has branched out into embroidery work.  I have found two very nice books from Country Bumpkin/Inpsirations (an Australian company) very useful, they A-Z of Embroidery Stitches Books 1 and 2.  SharonB on pintangle.com also has a very useful Stitching Dictionary online (inaminuteago.com) is her website.  I used it a lot for the TAST 2012 challenge.

Also a nice way of learning new stitches is to join something like TAST (Take A Stitch Tuesday); Sharon will be leading a new series in the coming year.

Plus of course all the lovely 'Eye Candy' her on Stitchin fingers will help you too.

Welcome and Enjoy!

[Janet Conrad]

I'm with you, June.  Time to venture out....

June Lane said:

I too found this site through Mary's Needle and Thread. It is fascinating to read and she has almost convinced me to leave counted thread work and give some of those stitches a try.

[Sue Noble]

Join an embroidery group they usually do work shops of lots of different things to try.  My Groups is doing one next April learning how to make handbags :-)