Hello everyone
This week we are going to start the stitch along for project 12 of the mini journal. I will post each step of the project on this Blog every Friday and you can stitch it at your own pace using the instructions in the post. If you are subscribed to this blog you will receive weekly updates by email, if you are not subscribed you will need to check for new posts. If you have a question please post a comment on this Blog and I will endeavour to answer it asap. If you are joining us from Facebook or Instagram please post your comments here as I may not have time to answer comments placed on all three venues! Thank you.
Firstly I am going to give you a list of materials so that we can start stitching the project next week, and secondly I am going to give you a blow-by-blow account of my process of designing and stitching a new piece of embroidery. So lets get going!
List of materials needed for this project
You can find a list of online stockists in your country here. It may prove difficult to get delivery in time so don’t worry if you are not ready on Friday you can catch up when possible.
- Fabric. Piece of linen/cotton fabric approx 28 x 28cm (11 x 11 inches)
- Hoop. Supergrip embroidery hoop size 150 – 170cm ( 6 – 7 inches )
- Thread. DMC Stranded cotton – download the list here. If you want to use substitutes you can find conversion charts here, but please be aware the results will not be the same as mine.
- Needles. Needles sharps size 10 or crewel embroidery size 10
- Scissors. Small sharp pair of embroidery scissors
- Light. Magnifying light. This will help you to see those tiny little stitches, but if you don’t have one use a bright daylight light and some reader specs to magnify the work.
DOWNLOADS FOR THIS PROJECT
You will need Adobe Reader to download and print these files. When printing please use the actual size printing option as shown below:
- Tracing outline (this is the new updated outline)
Process of creating an embroidery design
All designers have their own way of creating an embroidery design, this is how I do it and it works for me. I have realized over the years that it is vitally important that you spend extra time on preparation, as it will make all the difference to the outcome of your work.
1. Reference photo
As mentioned in my previous post I have chosen this lovely fuschia flower photo as a reference for our design. I should mention at this stage that it is important that you do not infringe on copyright – all my reference images are either licensed from the artist, stock image sites/museums, used with permission, or the source is acknowledged. I often re-draw an image completely or use aspects from several different sources to create an image, to make it my own.
The reason that I chose this photo is:
- It is a good reference photo because the flower picture is clear and will be easy to follow
- As our project is small we want something that is fairly simple, with not too many details.
- The colours appeal to me and I can see them stitched up in embroidery
2. Creating an outline
The first thing I do is scan this picture into Corel Draw. Corel Draw is a graphic design software programme that is used for illustrating. It is similar to Adobe Illustrator, but I have been using Corel for almost 30 years so am more familiar with it. I want to remove the background as this is too fussy and I want to create a portrait of the flower.
Here is a short video of how I trace the outline in Corel using the drawing tools. This video is sped up 5 times, so you can imagine that it is quite a lengthy process, depending on the size of the project it can takes several days.
To view videos full size click on YOUTUBE bottom right of screen.
3. Finalizing design outline
Once I have the outline the way I want it, I need to resize it to fit into a specific hoop size. Then I will print it out so that I can check all the components of the design are suitable for embroidery. There may be some areas that are just too small or fussy so I can amend these before I finalize the design.
Again I use Corel Draw to do this – here is a short video to show you how I draw in a circle the size of my hoop, (in the case of this fuschia project I want it to fit nicely into a size 6 inch hoop) and then resize the outline to fit inside the hoop. So there are no surprises when I come to mount my fabric into the hoop.
4. Creating a mood board
Next I will make a mood board to use as a reference whilst stitching. I use the main reference photo and often l include some extra images, in different light or compositions and a simple colour scheme which helps when choosing threads. I print this on good quality photo paper and past it onto cardboard so I can keep it beside me whilst stitching.
5. Preparing the fabric
Cut Fabric
Now my design is ready to transfer to the fabric, I will cut a piece of fabric to the size I need – to do this I place my hoop on the fabric so I can see the size that I need and add approx 8cm (3 inches) extra as shown below.
Wash and iron.
Next I wash it in tepid water with a mild, chemical free, hand soap (castille is good). Then I iron it till dry. This ensures that the fabric is pre-shrunk and removes any sizing that is on the fabric. If you don’t wash your fabric two things will happen:
- Sizing is a substance that is often applied to textiles to act as a protective glaze. This needs to be removed otherwise the fabric will not accept the transfer. Wash or steam iron the fabric to dissolve the sizing and ensure the fabric is bone dry before using the transfer.
- Most fabric will shrink slightly when washed. As mentioned earlier when your stitching is complete and you wash it, the fabric will shrink and cause the embroidery to distort.
NOTE: If you have purchased your fabric with the print already on it, do not wash your fabric as it will distort the print. Keep your fabric clean whilst stitching and block afterwards, do not wash.
Edges
Next I will overlock (serge) the edges, because I have an overlocking machine so I can! But you can also use a zig zag stitch on your sewing machine or fray stop or even masking tape to bind the edges. If you don’t bind the edges the frayed strands of thread will interfere with your stitching and are a nuisance.
Backing fabrics
A quick note at this stage about backing fabrics – I don’t use one. If your fabric is of medium weight and sturdy enough to support your stitching there is no need to use one and it makes life much easier! But if you normally use a backing fabric or if you are concerned that your fabric is not sturdy enough then use one, it is your choice.
NOTE: It is essential to keep your fabric very taut in the hoop whilst stitching so that you have a good tension. One of the major causes of puckering is due to slack tension.
6. Transferring the outline
So now I am ready to transfer the outline. There are a few ways to do this – I have a sublimation printer so I print out an iron on transfer and iron it on to the fabric, or if you have purchased one of my iron on transfers you can use this.
If you don’t have an iron on transfer here is another method – of using a light source and tracing the outline on to the fabric – you can find details here.
7. Mounting fabric in the hoop and needles
At this stage I will get out a size 10/11 sharps needle. I use Bohin needles exclusively now they are awesome but you could use any good brand of needle, more info here.
Finally I mount my fabric into the hoop – don’t forget to bind the inner hoop first. Most of you know how to mount your fabric so am not going to repeat this – if you are new to embroidery you can find details here or in my handbook.
8. Choosing Colours
I use my mood board to choose my colours. Here is a photo of my DMC stranded cottons – they are all housed in clear acrylic drawers so I can easily see which colour I am looking for. Right beside this is the colour chart – so I can refer to the chart and then find the colour. I try to do this in daylight and then check my colours again under my magnifying light to make sure they are correct.
The process of choosing colours does not end here, it is an ongoing exercise where I will change colours continuously whilst I am stitching.
I select more colours then I need so that I have a good selection to choose from whilst stitching and put them into little drawstring organza bags so I can see them at a glance.
9. Preparing instructions
I have a ton of spiral bound notebooks like this. I print out an enlarged outline or parts of the image and glue them onto a page in the notebook ready for making notes whilst I stitch. While I am stitching I will pencil in each thread colour and any specifics I have used for each part of the stitching.
Every now and then I stop stitching and go up to my studio to scan the embroidery so I can show step by steps in the pattern. I use a scanner rather than a camera because 1) photography is not my strong point and 2) the scanner captures the image using a consistent light source and picks up little details.
When the project is complete these notes have to be transcribed into a pattern, which I do in either Indesign or Corel Draw. The process of scanning and writing up notes is my least favorite part of embroidery as it can be very disruptive and spoil my creative flow!
10. Preparing for Stitching
I put everything I need for my project, mounted fabric, threads, needles, and scissors into a clean white cotton bag – you could also use a pillowcase. Then march off to the living room with my notebook under my arm, where I have a comfortable chair and my magnifying lamp and start stitching. I often watch a good TV series or listen to a podcast whilst stitching so this is my happy place!
11. Conclusion
So thats my process for the preparation of a design. If you are not sure about anything you can find all the information you need under Resources. Next Friday we will start the stitching. Meantime, please assemble all your materials and prepare your project so that you can follow along. Don’t worry if you miss any of these blog posts you can access them by looking for the previous posts on my Blog and stitch at your own pace in your own time.
Till then, wherever you are in the world keep smiling and happy stitching!
Trish
Merhaba ,islemelerinize zevkinize ve paylasimciliginiza hayran oldum
Bilgileriniz benim icin cok ogretici oldu tesekkurler
Hi, I just wanted to sign up for the newsletter
Hi trish thanks for sharing the process
I wanted to know if we can use a smaller piece of fabric or it always has to be 8cm longer than the hoop?
You are welcome to use a smaller piece as long as your hoop fits in comfortably. Trish
Trish, does Project 12 go on page nine (9) of the journal? And is the interfacing attached before stitching commences? Actually, interfacing, like elastic, is currently in short supply in some parts of Australia because they are being used for face masks.
Hi Robyn it can go on any page you like but yes I think it does go on page 9. The interfacing is attached after the stitching. You can find the instructions here:https://trishbembroidery.com/collections/mini-journal/products/pdf-mini-journal
Trish
Thank you, Trish. Whew! Glad I got those two things right.
Hi Trish! I’m Brazilian and I live in Curitiba. The first time I saw your embrodery was in the magazine “Les Broderies de Marie & Cie”. I loved it so much! So, at that moment, I decided to learn needle painting, and I bought your book “Needle Painting Embroidery- Fresh Ideas for Beginners”. I made all the flowers from levels 1 and 2 and now I’m starting the level three projects, with the Apricot Dahlia flower. I’m in love with these embroderies.
Your book is excellent, a lot of details, all the steps clearly explained. And I already bought your new book “The Kew Book of Embrodered Flowers.It’s wonderful!!! I admire your always perfect way of doing your job.
I’m excited about this new project and I will follow it on this blog. Thank you so much for provinding us with such valuable information.
Cheers
Izabel
thats lovely Izabel and thank you for your message. Trish
Hola Trish! Mi nombre es Sandra, soy de Guatemala, estoy muy emocionada e ilusionada con este proyecto, estoy lista! Ya tengo todos el listado de materiales para poder arrancar contigo el viernes!
Agradezco que compartas tu arte y conocimientos! Muchas bendiciones para tu vida!
Thank you so much Trish for the detailed directions. I can’t wait to get started. I have to ask, where did you get the fabulous storage containers for your thread. That looks amazing!!
Tank you for the beautiful project. You are very generous whith yours experiences
in the drawing, you are missing part of the flower . you are missing the long pink part that comes out of the flower with all the other dangly things. The photograph you chose cuts this piece off. Just sayin’
Hi Gail the photo is a reference only, I amend the drawing to make it suitable for embroidery. So yes there will be parts of the original missing, it is never exactly the same. Trish
Thank you so much Trish for sharing your knowledge and skills so generously – its really interesting to see how you work.
Thanks again
Cheers
Margaret
Trish I am delighted with your willingness to pass on information about this complex embroidery, I am certainly your number 1 fan.
I have already covered the first 9 designs of the mini newspaper, they are published on my instagram @ primopunto.bordados all with credits to you, thank you very much.
Looking forward to starting this new stage …
Cristina Lovisaro
thank you will look on Instagram:) Trish
Thank you so much for the details of your process, Trish. I am a new learner of Corel Paint Shop Pro. On the video I tried to see how you drew your outline, but I couldn’t make it out. Can you tell the tools/tool palette you used? Thanks again, Janet.
Hi Janet. I had to laugh because someone on Instagram said you make it look so easy – obviously they did not know that I was doing this by hand using the tools!! I mostly use the 3 point curve and freehand tool to draw. Trish
Thank you!! I’ve been planning a piece featuring a Puerto Rican Tody (look him up, he’s adorable) and have been stumped at getting a decent line drawing. I’m going to try to work on this today.
Trish, I carefully prepared all the pages according to your original instructions, i.e. 10cm x 11 cms + 6cms and completed the flower and the bee but…the fuschia is 11 x 11 cms and does not fit on the parameters of the first measurements. What is my best option now?
sorry about that Robyn I have amended and put the correct outline on the Blog. Trish
I am overwhelmed by your generosity with this project. It’s helping us all during this pandemic. Must say I love the insight into your workroom with all those fabulous threads ad it is fascinating seeing the processes behind all your projects. Thank you so much Trish I really appreciate your hard work in bringing us all your designs. Can’t wait until next Friday.
such a pleasure Jenny and glad you are enjoying getting a peak into my studio! Trish
Really interesting can wait to start
Your tutorial is great. I hadn’t realised what goes into choosing and creating a design piece. I look forward to next weeks instalment. Thank you for doing this.
Thanks Susan and yes lots and lots involved…….. Trish
Thank you Trish. Lovely instructions. Looking forward to the project. I just completed my first needle painting project of the little bird from your book. I think I am now addicted to needle painting 😊You are an exceptional artist, thank you for sharing your skills 💕
Great Lynda this is good timing for you! Trish
won’t print out I am in Calif,usa
Hi As mentioned in the blog post you need to download Adobe Reader. Open it in Adobe and look for the print button at top left of the page. It should print out with no problem, if it is not it is probably your PC settings, can someone help you with this> Trish
Is there a hashtag for use on Instagram for people sharing their progress?
Not that I am aware of but I am not very savvy on Instagram. You are welcome to form a group or a hashtag or whatever you like:) Trish
Merveilleux, C’est très gentil de votre part de nous l’offrir
Im overwhelmed by your generosity in providing us with such amazing tutorials. We are blessed to be among so many wonderful stitchers.
thank you its people like you who make this all worthwhile! Trish
What sort of thread count should the linen have for the project? Thanks.
Hi Stephanie we do not use counted linen for Needlepainting, it is very different to cross stitch and counted work. If you click on the fabric link in the Blog post it will explain exactly what you need. Trish
Hi Trish – could you please add The Stitcher’s Muse Needleart to your list of stockists for Canada? #101 – 890 Crace Street, Nanaimo, BC, V9R 2T3, phone 250-591-MUSE (6873) or 1-888-591-6873. Email info@thestitchersmuse.com. Website https://thestitchersmuse.com/. Thanks!
Sure it has been added, and thank you for making us aware of your online shop! Trish
Thank you Trish! I have so many of your designs and just love them! And you are so giving and a wonderful teacher. I really appreciate you. You bring much happiness and joy into our lives along with bits of thread everywhere :-). Happy stitching, Susan
It is such a pleasure Susan and thank you for your kind words it means a lot. Trish
I love your designs and am looking forward to the stitch in. I have been faithfully printing out all your projects but I somehow have missed projects 10 and 11. Is there anywhere on your website that I can find them for download? Thanks so much for sharing all your beautiful designs.
Thanks Cathy. You can find all the projects on my shop site https://trishbembroidery.com/
– Main menu – SHOP – MINI Journal. Trish
Thank you very much! This will be fun! Just read through your notes and am going upstairs to see what colours I have…
Great Kristen!
Thank you Trish, I love your work and will be attempting to follow along!
Jamie C
Hi Trish! I Live in Brazil! I’m new in this wonderful world of embroidery and I really admire your work. I bought your book Needle Painting Book for begginers and I’ll follow this fucsia project. Let’s see what will happen!!! Thank you so much for providing this project. 😀
Thats great Fabianne, hope it will be helpful. Trish
WOW. I’ve learned so much and haven’t touched a needle! Thank you so much. Can’t wait to start sewing.
thats wonderful Judy! Trish
I understand better the perfect results of your embroidery !!. THANK YOU very much for having detailed so much to let us know about your profession, best wishes, Chantal
Thank you Chantal, I am so glad it has been helpful. And believe me it is not always perfect! Trish
Muchas gracias por compartir este proyecto!! Me encanta leerte y seguir tu trabajo.
super clear instructions, preparation is everything. only hope I can do your hard work, in bringing this to us, justice. thank you
Thanks Tilly – the main thing is that you enjoy the process, no pressure at all! Trish
How exciting! Thank you so much for sharing this endeavor! I’ve already learned so much!
Am so glad and thanks Jessica. Trish
un tres grand merci pour votre générosité !!!!
Mon plaisir Claudette:) Trish
Muchas gracias por compartir el proceso de tu fabuloso trabajo, estoy feliz de hacer este proyecto y muy agradecida contigo por tus consejos y enseñanzas para poder realizarlo, saludos.
el gusto es mio. Trish
Thank you very informative
A pleasure Linda:)