Hand Embroidery FAQ

What do I need to begin hand embroidery?

Here is a list of the basic tools you need to begin hand embroidery:

1. Fabric – A normal white cotton fabric
2. Thread – Embroidery floss or Perle cotton
3. Embroidery hoop – size #6 or #8
4. Scissors – a small one
5. Needle- Size #7 #8 #9
6. Tracing materials: Dressmaker’s carbon, Tailor’s chalk, Iron-on transfer pencil, Transfer Pen, pencil

Learn more about each of these tools in this exclusive post: Materials Required for Hand Embroidery.

What fabric do I use for hand embroidery?

The fabric you choose will be determined by the thread count per inch area on the fabric. The more the thread count, the tighter the fabric. For hand embroidery, the kind of embroidery you are doing will have to be taken into account while choosing the fabric. A counted form of embroidery like cross stitch requires an aida fabric that has a lower thread count, making the counting of threads possible and passing of needles through the gaps easier. For embroideries that are not counted forms can afford natural fabrics like cotton, linen, or muslin with a higher thread count. I would suggest a fabric that has around 80 thread count for a good texture and easy stitching. I suggest against any fabric that has a thread count higher than 150 as the needle will not pass easily and cause damage and puckering on the fabric.

What needle to use for hand embroidery?

Your choice of the needle will depend on the kind of embroidery you will be working on. Crewel form of embroidery requires a medium-sized embroidery needle, generally size#7 or #9. An embroidery needle is similar to the sharps you would use in sewing, but with a longer eye which can accommodate more embroidery threads. If you are employing a lot of knot-based stitches, particularly the French knots or the Colonial knots, using a Milliners’ needle will be apt. When it comes to cross-stitching, a tapestry needle will be just fine.

Learn more about the different kinds of needles in this exclusive post: Needles

What thread do you use for hand embroidery?

Hand embroidery can employ different kinds of threads. For hand embroidery on normal cotton fabric, you can use either the six-strand embroidery floss (also known as stranded cotton) or Perle cotton (also known as Pearl Cotton). Perle cotton comes in yarn balls in various sizes and is not divisible. You would use the thread as it is. The higher the number of the size, the finer the thread. I suggest you use Perle cotton size #8 which is as thick as three strands of the embroidery floss. If you are doing cross-stitching, you can use thicker threads like six strands of embroidery floss, or even wool.

Learn about different kinds of embroidery threads used in hand embroidery in an exclusive post – Embroidery Threads.

What are the different types of embroidery stitches?

There are over 300 hand embroidery stitches. These stitches can be categorized based on their feature- they can be Straight Stitches, Looped Stitches, Knots, and Woven Stitches. They can also be categorized based on their characteristics such as Line Stitches, Filling Stitches, and Stand Alone Stitches.

But, it is the categorization of these stitches into different families that determine the different types of embroidery stitches. Each family has stitches that follow the same kind of working technique. Here is a list of some of the families:

1. Straight Stitch Family
2. Running Stitch Family
3. Back Stitch Family
4. Satin Stitch Family
5. Stem Stitch Family
6. Chain Stitch Family
7. Woven Stitch Family
8. Feather Stitch Family
9. Knots Family
10. Herringbone Stitch Family, and more…

For the complete list and the stitches that fall under each family, check the Stitch Picture Dictionary.

What are the basic embroidery stitches?

There are over 300 different embroidery stitches! But, you don’t have to know all the 300 stitches to make beautiful embroidery. In fact, just knowing the 12 basic stitches will help you in combining them in different ways to create beautiful patterns and designs. These stitches have been used for many centuries, and are still used and relevant today. Most of them form the basis for many traditional embroideries and are used in modern embroideries with ease.

These Basic 12 must-know hand embroidery stitches are:

1. Running Stitch
2. Cross Stitch
3. Stem Stitch
4. Back Stitch
5. Satin Stitch
6. Chain stitch
7. Lazy Daisy
8. Blanket Stitch
9. Feather Stitch
10. Herringbone Stitch
11. French Knot
12. Woven Spider’s Wheel

You can find the tutorials to these stitches in this page: The 12 Basic Stitches