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So I sat down and thought about what kind of advice I would give to beginner stitchers and managed to write a whole essay, haha. These tips are mostly for those who only start hand embroidery, I tried to remember myself at that stage and think about what I wish someone told me back then and what I would tell my “students” if I were an embroidery teacher. Which, in some way, I actually am here on Stitch Floral. So, take a cup of tea or coffee and sit comfortably because, apparently, I had a lot to say, haha. Related: Needlepainting for beginners e-course 1. Be kind to yourself First and foremost, I hope you don't pressure yourself too much. There are sooo many beautiful hand embroidery works out there, right? We stumble upon them on Pinterest and Google all the time. And maybe you got inspired by one of such works and decided, hey, I'm going to start embroidering like that! But then... your results are a bit underwhelming compared to what you had in mind :( Does it sound familiar? Well, you should remember that we all need practice to master something. And the beautiful needleworks you see on the web were produced after the artist had gained enough experience. So, comparing your works as a beginner to the works of someone who has existed in this world of hand embroidery already for a while, is not fair to yourself. If you compare yourself to someone, then only do that in a positive way – as a motivation to work harder, as a goal to look forward to, If you fail at that and instead, feel disappointed, then better avoid comparing at all. You have to remember that, at the very least, you and your body have materials and tools to get used to. As simple as fabric, thread and needle sound, they will still require some time for you to get familiar with and learn to use with maximum efficiency. And then, after a while, your hands will get more used to moving the needle the right way, your eyes will adjust and spot where to insert the needle for the better look, and so on. As long as you keep practicing, you will get where you want :) Related: 4 things to remember when talented stitchers intimidate you 2. Start small The thought here is that you shouldn't overwhelm yourself with big projects and choose something adequate to your skills instead. You might find a really beautiful pattern or design, but if it is on a bigger scale, consists of many different techniques, some of which are very new to you, then... it may happen that you overwhelm yourself with too much information and eventually get lost in all the stitches and techniques, and as a result won't be able to finish the project. And that would lead to disappointment. Of course, no one knows your capabilities better than you do. It may be that such projects, in fact, will work perfectly as a learning ground for you! That is, if you have enough positivity and patience to tackle it. In this case, you will most certainly finish the project and will feel like a Hercules who tamed Cerberus! Otherwise, don't overwhelm yourself too much. It is okay to start small, to try something simple first – no matter how big or modest your steps are, they will still form a path that will lead you to your goals :) 3. Consider practice before theory This is a suggestion based on my personal experience. And it is mostly for those of you who are only taking your first baby steps at hand embroidery. Take any needle you find, any thread, any piece of fabric and try to make some stitches: back stitch, stem stitch, french knots, for example. Well, anything you want, actually. You can just move your needle around randomly, playing around until you figure out how this whole “embroidery” thing works. Then you can read some posts on fabrics and needles, take a better thread (DMC is a common option), find a hoop, and upgrade your practice a little. Having different materials and tools, you will notice the difference it makes on your embroidery. Now, you can start with other stitches, try working a little flower, a leaf, a small animal etc. Whatever you want. After practicing like this for a while, you will make your own observations on what works better, develop your own habits and tricks. With these observations, new questions will come as well. You might find the answers in books, tips, or ask an experienced stitcher for their personal insight. After that, your practice will upgrade again. Of course, this pattern is exaggerated. You can very well be researching the topic of hand embroidery fabrics and practicing at the same time. But I hope you understand the general idea. There is a lot of theoretical information on hand embroidery out there, but it will be easier for you to understand it if you already have some experience, have something to compare. Well, that's my personal opinion. I believe that the new abstract knowledge glues itself better on practical knowledge – at least, that's what I observed during my own journey. 4. Don't be scared of working with 1 strand of thread Majority of what you see on my blog can be referred to as “fine embroidery” - meaning, worked with 1 strand of thread most of the time. On my Instagram account, I've recently done a little survey, where one of the questions was about working with 1 strand of thread. The answers showed that there are quite many stitchers who want to try it, but are actually afraid/anxious about using 1 strand of thread, thinking it is too difficult or too time-consuming. Now, if you don't really like working with 1 strand of thread – that's another topic. You do you! Just do whatever makes you happy! But if you actually like fine embroidery but think that “it's not for you”, that “it is too complicated”, that “it is for some specially gifted artists”. then you couldn't be further from the truth. Just give it a shot! All the difficulties you might face can be tackled with time. And if you are only at the starting point of your hand embroidery adventures, my tip is to try working with 1 strand of thread in any case. If you don't like, if you decide it's not your cup of tea – switch to 2 strands or more. But at the very least, you won't have any prejudice/fear about using 1 strand of thread. You will know that it is possible and you can do that, but it is your conscious decision to work with more strands because you like it more. No regrets. You know what I mean? In my case, the very first stitches I made were with 1 and 2 strands of floss. It was a piece of wild grass, so I worked the stem with 1 strand and the elements – something like little leaves, with 2 strands of floss. Later I moved to using 2 strands mostly, even for long and short stitching, because it seemed like the effect was pretty much the same, while in terms of time, working with 2 strands was faster. However, after a while, I returned to 1 strand stitching because I missed the “delicate” feeling. It was easy for me to switch back to 1 strand of floss because I didn't have any prejudice. I knew I was capable of that. And that's what I wish for you too: that you know that you are capable of finest stitches. And then you can decide what you like more. 5. Take it easy with materials Seems like we are at the point where some handy tips come up, finally. :) What I mean by “taking it easy” is that... generally speaking, one would recommend you to get specialty fabrics for your hand embroidery. Even weaved linen from needlework stores – the best option. However... it is costly. To be very honest. And it is that type of material that you don't want to mess up, haha. Soo... I wouldn't call it a nice option for beginners. But also... I wouldn't recommend you to use something really cheap. Because when you work with bad quality materials/tools, it really affects your experience in hand embroidery. That's why my tip is to strive for the golden middle. Between cheap but bad quality and expensive but high quality, there are lots of affordable options for your needlework adventures. Affordable but pleasant to work with. That's what I would call that. But at the same time, you can use some cheap pieces of fabric if you need to just train some stitches or techniques. 6. Get your tools as you learn You might find very explicit articles out there on which tools you need for hand embroidery. The list is usually quite long and you might find out that fabric + needle + thread are not the only things you need. Surprise! However, I think you don't need to pressure yourself too much about these things. Invest in your materials and tools according to the stage you're at, taking your skills, style and goals into account. Like, if you are just making your first steps in hand embroidery, the only things you need are: fabric, needle, thread, scissors (to cut fabric and thread) and a hoop. That's pretty much it. It will be enough for you for quite a while. I will tell you more – I didn't even have a hoop when I started. I used a photo frame, stretched the fabric over it and secured with office clips. I still use it sometimes, for example, after ironing – you can catch a glimpse of how it looks like in the end of the post. And only then you can consider the secondary tools. Thimble if you hurt your fingers (I don't hurt mine, so I never bought one). A mat and fabric cutter – if you want even, nice looking squares of ground fabric (if you use linen you can cut without scissors or fabric knife, by the way). Threadener if you have difficulties with threading your needle without wetting it with your saliva. Thread conditioner - I still do without it, to be honest, so I will leave it up to you to look for advantages and see if you need it. Fabric glue – well, I can think of a few instances where you might use it (including making a brooch) but I personally still didn't buy one because there is no need yet. I mean, if you want to buy all of these to feel better prepared then you do you. All of us crafty folk are like little hamsters, haha. I just prefer to invest in threads and fabrics so I think twice whether I need this or that instrument or not :) And at the beginning of your hand embroidery journey, you won't need much. Related: 5 hand embroidery rules that I break 7. Take your project out of the hoop I have spoiled one of my needleworks because I didn't come across such a tip in my time. So, when I started stitching a pattern, I hooped it and left it there in the hoop until I finished it. Which took a few weeks. As a result, there were very visible wrinkles – traces from the hoop – which didn't disappear even after I washed and ironed multiple times. That's how much the ground fabric “remembered” this position. So, always, always take your needlework out of the hoop when you stop stitching for the day. When you want to take it up again, you hoop it up again. In between the stitching sessions, your fabric needs to have some rest. Also, bind your hoop! If you follow the link, I explain there all the advantages of hoop binding and also, there is a tutorial on how to that without any glue. 8. Health matters Health issues are something that we don't talk about enough in hand embroidery world. Which is a pity. I actually think it is an important topic that deserves a separate post. But to put it briefly, think of hand embroidery as a desk job. You sit in your chair/couch for a few hours, moving only your arms and hands, your head is in the same position most of the time and your eyes are straining. That's why, like with any desk job, it is important to be careful with your health. Make sure to stand up once in a while and move your body, stretch your muscles a little, including neck, maybe jump and do some sit-ups? No need for a full work out, just move a little so that your blood keeps circulating as it should. Kep your posture upright! I've struggled with my posture for a long time, even before embroidery, but I noticed that after I picked up this craft, it actually became worse. So now I watch myself and have family members watch after me, I also do push-ups, planks and other exercises that help my back “memorize” the right position. Thank God, it got better and right now I'm sitting perfectly upright and it actually feels wrong and uncomfortable when I slouch. You should also take care of your eyes! I experienced something bad with them that you can read here. When I say be careful, I really mean it. There are real consequences to our mindlessness, don't repeat others' mistakes and don't be careless just because “nothing bad happened yet”. Consult with your ophthalmologist about glasses, you might need ones for hand embroidery and others for daily routine/reading. Also, you might consider using a magnifying lens if your sight requires it. There are special ones for hand embroidery and other crafts. And make sure to embroider under good lighting, whether from a window or from a daylight lamp. Never embroidery under bad lighting! 9. Do what you like Now, about pressure from your family and friends. Unfortunately, not always people from our circle support us in our craft, our dreams, and ambitions. The only thing I can tell you is that if you are really passionate about it, you need to persevere. Uh... to be honest, I had experienced this kind of thing and still receive some kind of side-eyeing. Not only in relation to my hand embroidery ambitions per se, but I also received comments saying if I do this, then at least I should do ribbon embroidery instead, that I'm better at it and it looks prettier. Well, I don't really want to talk about it in detail. But I will just say that I held my ground quietly: shrugging my shoulders and saying with a smile that “this is what I like and want to do”. You know better what makes YOU happy, so do what YOU like. You can't please everyone. Arguing and fighting your close ones will definitely bring the mood down for both sides, and it is possible that, whatever you have to say, they will still not change their mind unless you show them some kind of “success” or achievement. Deal with this with love and/or patience. Demonstrate that this is what makes you happy. Show your smiles and joy. Maybe they will understand you and accept your interest as it is, without any “proof of success”. If not, at least, they will hopefully see that you're stubborn enough to keep at it despite negative remarks. It happens with many of us, so if that is any consolation, you're definitely not alone. Keep moving and be proud of yourself. And I'm proud of you too :) 10. Pat yourself on the back Whether metaphorically or literally, but pat yourself on the back. Give yourself the credit, approval, praise you deserve. You're doing great! And you will do even greater! Being your own support system is not anything to be shamed for. If there's no one beside you to tell how awesome your embroidery is, then spoil yourself so much until you have cavities. And even if there is someone that praises you, then why can't you add something from yourself? Look at that stitch! How neat! And this one, look how perfectly it is lying on the fabric! Wow! The precision. The excellence. Top class! Can anyone else do it like that? No, you're the best in the world. Period. Pamper yourself, feel no shame! :) * Aaand, here is the end of this 5 page essay, haha. Sorry of the tips here were not practical enough. But these things are also important to know and remember :) If you are an experienced stitcher, share your own tips in the comments! And if you are a beginner, you can leave your questions below, we will help!
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04.20.2016 0845 Although I do enjoy using a sewing machine to stitch together projects, I initially learned how to hand sew as a child. Hand sewing isn’t as daunting as it sounds, alth…
If you're a beginner at stitching, you might get confused why some artists use less number of strands, and the others more. What is the big deal? What is the difference at all? Can I work a pattern designed for using 6 strands, with 1 strand? And can I work a pattern design for 1-2 strands of thread, using 6 strands? Let's take it one step at a time :) Related posts: 10 tips for hand embroidery beginners Top 10 beginner mistakes in hand embroidery How many strands should I use? There is no correct answer for that because it depends purely on your taste. Take a look at the little chart below. Here I stitched short lines in stem stitch using from 1 to 6 strands of thread. As you can see, the difference between the first line and the last line is quite striking. In short, the more strands you use, the bolder and more raised and dimensional your stitching is. You also will need less time to work an element. And the lesser the number of strands, the more delicate and “flat” your stitching is. However, you will need more time to work the same element. It is also important to mention, that the thread consumption will be lower if you use a lesser number of strands. If you stitch with 6 strands all the time, be prepared that your skeins of thread will finish quickly. Speaking of time, stitching the same element with 1 strand of thread will take more time than with 6 strands. That's why, if you want to make some cash by selling your needlework, adjust your resources and time wisely. Stitching a larger scale artwork with 1 strand will take quite a lot of time and effort and you will need to charge quite a lot for it. If you want to charge moderately, it would be reasonable to increase the number of threads – it will speed up the process but it will increase expenses. Or you can stitch smaller works with 1 strand of thread – either simple, minimalistic designs, or something of a brooch scale. Yeah, it is tough maths! However, I hope that you choose what you ENJOY first! That is our priority, since making art that you are not enjoying is very sad :( Now, as for embroidery patterns, most of them are designed with a specific number of strands in mind. If you use a bigger/lesser number of strands, you will definitely get a different result than intended. Will it be better/worse - no idea. In the best-case scenario, it will be just as pretty but either bolder or more delicate. Sometimes switching up number of strands is not even possible. Because, let's say, a pattern designed for 1-2 strands may have tiny elements that will be very inconvenient to work with a bigger number of strands. In the end, it all boils down to your preference!
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Little by little I've mentioned in my posts some mistakes that you might be making as a hand embroidery beginner and warned you from some other things that you can do as a rookie. But all of it is scattered around the blog, so I thought it is a high time I make a compilation and gather all of that in one place. So here we go! The list of the most common mistakes as a hand embroidery beginner: 1. Not taking your fabric out of the hoop after stitching session So, let's say, you have an embroidery project. Or, you just stitch some random stuff on a spare piece of fabric, experimenting with your first stitches. And after you stitched a little, you put the hoop away with the fabric still trapped between the rings. Don't do that :) Fabrics are more delicate than they might seem and embroidery hoops put more pressure on them than you would imagine. So, if you keep your fabric in a hoop for a long time – several days, a week or even more – the creases from the hoop will be veeery hard to get rid of later. The fabric will sort of “remember” that position in the hoop, and it will just stay in that state. You won't be able to iron the creases out completely. And doing some hardcore washing rituals will likely hurt the embroidery that you did on that fabric. So the tip is: after every stitching session, take the fabric out of the hoop. Let it rest, because it was under a big pressure while you were stitching your heart away :) *By the way, consider binding your hoop. There are some very serious benefits of doing that, and your fabric will be thankful!* The only exception is when you want to keep your embroidery in the hoop after finishing it, or you just use that fabric as a “draft” of sorts. 2. Using the wrong needle I know that the classification of needles can be too complicated and overwhelming to understand at first (I mean, it kind of still is for me), but choosing the right one is going to make your life as an embroidery artist so much easier. I have a post on my blog that briefly talks about the classification of needles and points out the most important features of each type, so do check it out. And here's a little lifehack from my personal experience. When I started out and was still confused about the needles too, I simply took some books and magazines where they publish the projects suiting my taste and style of stitching and looked at what kind of needles they recommended. And then I tried to source them. Actually, there is a different classification of needles in my country so sourcing exactly that type was difficult even online, and impossible in my local shops. But I kind of learned to go with the flow, decided on the most important characteristics and figured out some of my favorite needles. For my style of embroidery it is important that the shaft is thin (and preferably long) and the tip is sharp. So that's what I focus on. And, as for the other characteristic, the eye of the needle, I have them both with small eyes and larger eyes. So, take it easy here. Read about the 4 things to consider when choosing a needle and even if you are still confused about the classification and variety of types, you can go to your local store, look at the characteristics of the needles they have there (shaft, eye, tip) and make your choice based on that. 3. Stitching in the dark Please, don't do that, it will hurt your eyes! The best option is to stitch in the daylight close to the window. But surely we tend to have our daytime affairs and work, so if your usual stitching time is in the evening please do get a nice lamp for that. Like, not a ceiling or wall lamp, but a table lamp or something that is closer to your work area and with a good daylight bulb. I can't stress enough how important it is to be careful with your eyes when stitching. I've messed up very badly with my own eyes back in the days because I thought that it wouldn't be a big deal to quickly make a couple of stitches even though it was a bit dark. And what happened after that was so scary that I stopped embroidering for a while. Damaging your eyes for a couple of stitches is NOT worth it. Your eyes are more valuable, so be careful. 4. Bad posture High five to everyone who has posture problems. We're in the same boat here! Ever since high school I've always been bending my back quite low over the desk. My family calls that “writing with your nose”, is it a common saying anywhere else? Well, the thing is, I brought this habit to my needlework as well and in needlework you tend to sit in that position for quite a while. So, long story short... I've always tried this and that to improve my posture but nothing hard a long-lasting effect. So the habit stayed. And a few months ago, when I was working on “Needle painting for beginners” course, this habit brought some health issues. Because I've been filming the process of working exercises and the final project, and I was doing it in a very bad position (worse than usual so that the camera would have a better angle) and I stayed in that position for 5-6 hours. Every day. For about two weeks, I think. Soon after that I started literally having problems with breathing – I couldn't take a deep breath, only very shallow ones and I was yawning all the time. I guess my body needed oxygen? I don't really know, I just know that I didn't have enough air, I felt like my ribcage was squeezed. And my pulse also increased. Usually, you don't feel your heartbeat as you go with your day, do you? But I was feeling its beating and was conscious of it, and, not going to lie, because it was beating faster than usual, I got pretty scared there :D Anyway, after that I started doing yoga and jogging and it helped with breathing and heart beating. You might think that, well, this is an extreme example of an extremely bad posture for an extreme period of time. But I think it is simply a fast-forwarded example of what can happen in the long run. So, let's be careful! Personally, yoga became exactly what I needed. You can do some sets and compilations on Youtube for beginners. There are special videos for back and shoulders. Even just after several sessions I already felt like my back muscles were holding themselves upright and I didn't need to remind myself to sit correctly. On the contrary, it became inconvenient to sit in a bad posture and bend all the way down. Maybe you can find some other exercises for back, or wear special vests. But do consider starting to work on this problem right now! 5. Overstretching or under stretching your fabric Okay, back to embroidery-specific matters! When you hoop your fabric, the most important is that it is drum taut. For that, you will probably have to adjust the screw on top of it. It is not hard, I'm sure you will get how to achieve that. And while you are embroidering, it is normal that the fabric's tension will weaken a little bit. When it happens, you can adjust the tension again by pulling the fabric a little in the vertical or horizontal direction (not diagonal). However, under stretching your fabric is just as harmful for your embroidery as overstretching it. Both can result in puckering. You can usually see if you overstretched your fabric when the grid of the weaving gets wavy. It means that you pulled the fabric in one place more than in other places. Actually, I have this problem too! If I'm embroidering for a while and need to adjust the tension of my fabric, I just can't seem to be able to do it evenly. So I either pull the fabric very slightly, or take the hoop off completely and put it on again. And if the fabric still started puckering, here's what you can do to fix it. 6. Thread is too long This mistake is also what I remember from my own experience as a newbie. I used to think that it is easier to cut a long piece of thread and work with it until it finishes rather than cut shorter ones and start and end them again and again. Well, that was wrong of me to do :D First of all, your thread wears down while you are stitching. The end which you use when you just start stitching will look fresher, shinier and “healthier” than the other end after some stitching is done. You will surely start to notice it if you pay some attention. And the length of thread will not improve anything in this situation. You will just have about a half of that length completely worn out and not looking so pretty on fabric. Secondly, the longer thread you are using, the more prone it is to tangling. Which is another headache (here are some tips on how to avoid thread tangling). So, cut the thread shorter. With time you will figure out the length that you prefer the most but it definitely shouldn't be more than two forearms. Besides, starting and ending thread extra time will not actually take you that long :) 7. Dirty hands Be honest, do you drink tea or coffee with cookies at your desk while you are embroidering? ;) Because I do :D But I'm careful! It is really hard to resist to have some snack by your side while you're working/doing homework/doing any brainwork or even physical labor. Maybe that's why many of us crave to have a cup of favorite beverage and a treat when we embroider. But let's be smart about it, okay? We don't want to smear the fabric or thread with greasy and dirty hands. That's why cookies, candies, and fruit are allowed at the desk when the needlework, fabrics, and thread are hidden in the drawer/put away in a safe distance. After we have our snack and get a bit of rest, we wash our hands (+optional: apply hand cream), and only then we take our embroidery out again and continue. By the way, don't forget to have a bottle of water at your desk and keep hydrated. 8. Clumpy thread, long thread stretches at the back We don't look at the back of your embroidery all the time so sometimes there are some “amazing” things happening there that we discover too late. For example, clumpy thread. It's when your thread tangles on the backside but you don't see it and you continue stitching happily. And if you are attentive then you will probably wonder why your thread suddenly feels shorter. That's because a chunk of it got stuck at the back. Or, when the stretches of thread are too long at the back. That's not good because in case you pull your thread even just slightly too much, it can result in puckering. And if you keep the stretch weak, the last stitch before that would weaken and get loose. So, our prevention methods: To avoid clumpy thread and other “surprises” at the back, constantly feel it and track it with the free fingers at the back. In case the tangle happened after all and it annoys you, here's a way to fix it. To avoid long stretches of thread, when you need to travel from one point to another, couch your thread under some stitches in between. I have an old post here which is not exactly about it, but it shows how you can do it. I do that with small stitches there, but you can slide your needle under the body of long and short stitching, for example, too. Just slide your needle under some stitches until you get to the desired destination. You can also make a few tiny anchoring stitches on your way to the next point. Or simply end the thread and start it at the new place :) 9. Investing too much I already warned about it in my tips for beginners post, but I thought it is still important to include here too. At the very beginning, when you are still not sure which style of embroidery you like the most, what kind of fabric you actually enjoy working on, which thread brings you joy, when you still don't have a clear idea what exactly you want to do, it is better to be a bit more modest in your expenses. Because chances are that you will see beautiful Crewel pieces there on Pinterest, and being so in awe and inspired, you will buy wool thread, crewel needles, twill fabric, books, and kits, only to discover after a couple of weeks that the experimental blackwork stitches you made a day ago actually brought you more joy. You know what I mean? 10. Focusing on earning money / followers If you are into it because you want to have a following or you want to earn good money... I personally think it is better to do a self-check here. That is definitely not something that should be your priority, especially at the very start. Dear friend, if that is your main goal, then I'm afraid that the embroidery you do will be lifeless, lacking personality and spark. Instead, focus on what brings you joy, what makes you feel better and how you can actually spread that joy and happiness with people around you :) Popularity and money might come, or they might not. But at the very least, you did something that you enjoy! Don't get me wrong, having long-term goals and aspirations is cool. Making embroidery your main occupation is cool. But don't let it cloud your vision so much that you lose your own individuality and betray your passion. Focus on your art, be sincere, work hard and the rest will come, God willing! -BONUS- 11. Overthinking This is actually common among all newbie artists, whatever art form they are pursuing. But we all tend to think low of ourselves and that we will never reach the same level of skills as that one cool artist. But have you ever sat and considered that all the “cool” stuff from that one artist you see in the books or online is actually a result of thousands of hours of training? We all started somewhere. There is not a person who was born with a needle and thread in their hands and started making masterpieces in the crib. It's all the result of work and practice. You just don't see the start of that journey. You only see the result. I ramble more about this topic in my Fear of talent post, so if you need an extra reminder that no, you are not talentless, and yes, you can achieve the same level of skills and even more, then head there :) Wow, looks like this essay came to an end. Congratulations if you made it this far! Keep embroidering, don't be afraid of making mistakes and enjoy this journey!
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Here are the best types of embroidery fabrics and some things to keep in mind when choosing materials to embroider on.
I encourage you to use additional resources if you need more instruction than this simple guide. I have found video to be very useful in understanding stitches. Please click on the links below to watch very quick clips of the stitches. You can also find a directory of longer videos here, with more detailed instruction.
When learning to embroider, there are several beginner embroidery tips that you will need to know before you start. Some of this can be a bit difficult to explain in …
Whether you're an experienced sewist or a beginner just starting out, here are 15 sewing tips and tricks you need to have in your arsenal.
I'm spilling some major secrets of embroidery: here are some beginner embroidery tips and tricks as well as mistakes to avoid...
