Stitched on Sunday basics

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Preparing to stitch

Transfer your design to the fabric by:

iron on transfer

Use a hard ironing surface – if your ironing board is soft and squishy use a towel or woollen blanket on a bench – if you don’t you will get blurry lines.

TURN OFF THE STEAM AND EMPTY ALL WATER FROM IRON. Have the iron as hot as possible without scorching the fabric.

Press the fabric first to warm it up.

Remove any markings from your transfer sheet that you don't want on your fabric! – cut it off and just leave the design bit.

Place paper transfer face down onto your fabric.

Place iron and press firmly on top – hold for about 7-10 seconds – every iron differs so you may want to test on a scrap first. Do not slide the iron across the paper. Use a finger to hold down the paper, lift the iron and reposition to the next spot. Carefully lift a corner to see if it is dark enough. The longer you press, the darker it will be but the less number of times you can use the paper.

IF you follow these instructions to the letter your transferred design will have lines just as thin as those on the paper.

Light box and pencil

Place the design sheet face up on a light box or a window light source.

Place the fabric right side up on top.

Trace all elements of the design using your ceramic pencil, or mechanical pencil, purple pen (if you are going to stitch now) or pigma pen.

Attach stabiliser

Following the manufacturer’s directions fuse your stabiliser to the back of your fabric. If not using a fusible, baste or hoop into position.

For Iron on Pellon – you use a steam iron – so you can fill it up again now!

Hooping your work

If using the plastic hoop with a lip place the inner ring – lip side up on a surface.

Position the prepared fabric right side up on top.

Loosen the screw

and place the outer ring over the top and lower until the lip pops through the top of the outer ring.

tighten the screw and then pull the fabric from the sides to tighten it. Finish tightening the screw.

The fabric needs to be taut but NOT stretched. If you over stretch it, it will spring back in and appear puckered once you remove it from the hoop.  

For a scooping stitch method such as I use you need to be able to reach the centre of your hooped fabric – I prefer a 6” hoop but an 8” is also fine.

When not stitching – remove the fabric from the hoop to prevent permanent creasing of your fabric or distortion of the weave.

Threading the needle        Yes I know, a real basic but there may be some who have trouble with this, so a few tips:

Cut the thread end with your lovely sharp special embroidery scissors on a 45 degree angle. Hold the end of the thread between the thumb and finger of your left hand (if right handed) and pull the thread back until you can no longer see it.

Push the eye of the needle onto the thread (you know where it is you just watched as you pulled it in)

hold the thumb and finger together until you have passed some thread through the eye, just enough to grab it and pull through further. By pushing the needle onto the thread instead of pushing the thread through the needle, you are keeping all those little fibres tightly together as they pass through the eye..

If you still have trouble try turning the eye of the needle around – or the thread to the other end. In most cases you should find it easier to thread the end you cut from the reel.

knotting the end   I know, another simple thing but this is my favourite method of doing a knot – hopefully you can ‘get it’ by these step by step pics, Maybe a video version to come if you can’t.

Place the threaded needle in your right hand.

place the long end of the thread between the thumb and finger where its holding the needle.

With your left hand wrap the thread three times around the needle.

Pull firmly down inside your thumb and finger.

hold the needle tip now with your left hand and with the right thumb and finger pull the wraps down the length of the thread until you reach the end.

and you will have a knot! If you need a bigger knot for loose weave fabrics use more wraps. It never fails!

now, if you can just twirl a thread with a quick flick and come out with a knot – go for it – i have just never perfected that technique that Grandma used!

If you are thinking – why a knot – you can’t use those – sorry, I'm not the embroidery police, nor will I ever exhibit in the Royal School of needlework – I stitch for pleasure and just want finished results – I think knots are fine and whatever works for a great result on the front – who cares, what’s on the back.

I think that’s enough for one day :) I’m sure you have lots to share with me about your techniques or versions of my knots! please do… and I’ll get onto stitching next weeks first page!

hugs for today

Helen

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