Holiday Embroidery
If you’re new to embroidery start with our beginner pattern and work your way up! If you’ve done this before challenge yourself with a variety of stitches in our advanced pattern. You can leave these in the hoops for decoration or take them out and frame them. You could even use them to create a cushion cover.
Materials
- Embroidery Hoops
- Embroidery Thread
- Embroidery Needles
- Aida Cloth
- Cotton Fabric
- Water-soluble stabilizer
- Printer Transfer Paper
Instructions
Beginner
- Using the pattern provided trace the design onto the water-soluble stabilizer. You can also use a tear-away stabilizer if you prefer.
2. Place the design on top of the Aida cloth and secure it into an embroidery hoop.
3. Begin stitching the letters using a backstitch. Pull your thread up from the bottom and make a stitch. This time when you come up from the bottom skip a stitch length and pull the thread through. Pull the thread backwards and down through the previous hole to close the empty stitch length you left.
4. Create the line for the light bulbs using a chain stitch. Pull the thread through your needle so you have two layers of thread. Pull the thread from the bottom up and then pull it back down right next to the spot you just came up from. Don’t pull tight, create a loop and pull your needle up through the loop and back down on the other side.
5. Use a satin stitch to fill in the base of the light bulbs. For this stitch, you will simply follow the outline of the pattern and go back and forth with your thread to fill in space.
6. Again, using the satin stitch fill in the light bulbs.
7. Tear away the large piece of stabilizer and then wash the Aida cloth to remove the remainder stabilizer.
Intermediate
- Using the pattern provided trace the design onto the water-soluble stabilizer. You can also use a tear-away stabilizer if you prefer. Place the stabilizer on top of the fabric and secure it in place with an embroidery hoop.
2. Begin stitching the letters using a stem stitch. For this stitch, we are creating a twisted look by pulling the thread through at a diagonal. Pull your thread up on the left side of the line and pull it down a stitch length ahead but on the right side of the line. Pull the thread up on the left side of the line at the halfway point of the stitch you just made. Pull it a stitch length ahead on the right side of the line. For this stitch you want your working thread to always be kept below the needle.
3. For the snowflake, we will use a split stitch around the base and a backstitch for the lines. Create a stitch and when you come back through the fabric you want to come up through the middle of the stitch you just made, splitting the threads, pull it a stitch length ahead.
4. Finish the lines of the snowflake using a backstitch. Pull your thread up from the bottom and make a stitch. This time when you come up from the bottom skip a stitch length and pull the thread through. Pull the thread backwards and down through the previous hole to close the empty stitch length you left.
5. Create the dots on the end of the snowflakes using a french knot. Pull the thread up from the bottom and wrap your working thread around the needle three times. Keep the working thread pulled taught and pull down through the hole you just came up through.
6. Tear away the large pieces of stabilizer.
7. Add dots using the french knot as you desire to the rest of the embroidery.
Advanced
- Follow the instructions on your printer transfer paper to transfer the design onto your fabric.
2. Carefully pull the back of the paper off, leaving the design on the fabric.
3. Once your design is ready place it in an embroidery hoop.
4. Begin Stitching the word “Hello” using a blanket stitch. Pull your thread up on the left side of the line. Poke your needle through a stitch length ahead on the right side of the line and then poke up directly across on the left side of the line, keeping the working thread below the needle.
5. To stitch the word “Winter” use a backstitch. Pull your thread up from the bottom and make a stitch. This time when you come up from the bottom skip a stitch length and pull the thread through. Pull the thread backwards and down through the previous hole to close the empty stitch length you left.
6. For the pine tree looking branch we used a split stitch for the big lines and a backstitch, with half the amount of the threads, for the smaller lines. Create a stitch and when you come back through the fabric you want to come up through the middle of the stitch you just made, splitting the threads, pull it a stitch length ahead.
7. For the smaller lines split your thread in half so you will have a smaller stitch. Use a backstitch pulling your thread up from the bottom and make a stitch. This time when you come up from the bottom skip a stitch length and pull the thread through. Pull the thread backwards and down through the previous hole to close the empty stitch length you left.
8. For the loopy branch, we will use a lazy daisy stitch. Pull the thread up at the base of a loop and back down on the other side where the loop ends. Don’t pull tight, leave a loop and pull your thread up through the end of the loop. Pull the thread so the loop is snug and then pull down on the other side of the loop to secure it.
9 for the pinecone we will use a feather stitch which is very similar to the lazy daisy stitch. Pull your thread up through the end of one line and down where it ends, not pulling tight. Create the loop and secure with 1 or 2 tacks, pulling up one side of the loop and down on the other side.
10. For the fluffy branches, we will use a modified tassel stitch. Loop thread around two fingers nine times and slip off your fingers.
11. Place on the base of your branch and begin stitching in place using a backstitch. Tug on the ends of the loops to make sure the threads are secure.
12. Cut the loops to create multiple pieces of thread. Repeat steps 10-12 until the branch is covered.
13. For the last branch, we will use a fly stitch. Pull your thread up on the left side of a branch poke it through on the right side of the branch, not pulling tight. Poke up where the right branch and left branch meet and poke down where the next branches meet.
