Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 36 i Love Embroidery

It might be cold (and dark) outside, but that doesn’t mean our hoops can’t be ablaze with colour and creativity! In fact we are already switching up our winter hues for punchy spring palettes (hello cover star, p14). And we’re stretching our stitching skills with Rachael Dobbins’ effortlessly stylish 3D hair tutorials (p11) too. If you’re like us, you’ll have also been thinking about your stitching resolutions – we’re welcoming in a new year after all – and finding that more time to embroider will be at the top of your list. With this in mind, we’ve packed this issue with lots of quick designs for you to try, including a tutorial for how to start your own thread journal, which you’ll be able to pick up and stitch whenever…

For your project book, turn to p85 T his issue, we’re are delighted to bring to you a LE masterclass in embroidered hair! Inside your 48-page book, embroidery artist Rachael Dobbins (@usedthreads) shares seven step-by-step tutorials for creating realistic hairstyles plus two extra-special hair portraits for you to stitch. Try your hand at creating free-flowing locks, double buns and bantu knots, as well as on-trend ponytails, a voluminous afro, and more. Plus, discover how to select the threads to match your chosen hair colour; play hairdresser with tips for trimming and combing; and find out how to attach the different styles to your fabric. As with real hair, each design can be adapted to suit your own style and there is no right or wrong way to do it -…

A shley General is no ordinary stitcher. Find her online and you’ll discover knitting patterns and handsewn garments as well as marvellous embellishments. For her, embroidery is the special sauce that complements her creative endeavours. “I’ve always been multidisciplinary, I guess,” Ashley says. “I’m into all sorts of things, and I feel like I fell in love with embroidery when I started realising that I could incorporate it into other things I’m making. It would kind of turn a little project into a huge project that had all these different steps to it.” Long-term projects are her jam. She loves dedicating a few months to a piece and taking it as far as it will go, sharing updates on her Ashley General Handmade blog and Instagram account. “I like the…

01 Stitch Guide Turn to PAGE 67 02 03 04 05 06 MATERIALS Raffia/jute placemat: 38cm diameter (approximately) Tapestry wool: 1 skein each of light green, white, yellow; 3 skeins of bright blue Permanent marker pen Felt sheet: 37cm diameter (optional) PVA glue (optional) Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED French Knot, Satin Stitch, Straight Stitch NOTES • Find the template on p80. • We recommend using a chenille needle for this project as they have large eyes to thread the thick wool through and a sharp point to pierce the raffia easily. 01 Start by transferring the design onto the mat by drawing it freehand, using the template as a reference. Because of the textured surface of the mat, the easiest way to do this is to mark out the…

TECH GUIDE Visit our website www.gathered.how for an in-depth guide to embroidery pens MATERIALS Cotton fabric: 30x30cm, coral; 35x35cm, pink; 40x40cm, dark fuchsia Kreinik Very Fine Braid, #4: 1 spool of 002C (dark gold) Kreinik Japan Thread, #5: 1 spool each of 160J (light gold), 216J (copper) Embroidery hoop: 18cm diameter (for stitching) Decorative embroidery hoop: 20cm, 25cm, 30cm diameter (for display) Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED Whipped Backstitch NOTES Find the templates on p78-79. The Kreinik Japan Threads as well as the three decorative embroidery hoops used in this project, are available to buy from www.lakesideneedlecraft.co.uk 01 01 Transfer the ‘perfect match’ design from the template onto the pink fabric using your preferred method. As accurate pattern transfer is key to neat lettering, we find it best to use…

GETTING STARTED Prepare your sewing machine by attaching a freemotion (AKA darning) foot. Next, drop or cover the feed dogs – the mechanism that grips and pulls fabric through your sewing machine. For this project, you don’t need to place your fabric in an embroidery hoop – there is enough excess fabric around the edge of the designs before trimming for you to grip and manoeuvre the project while working with your sewing machine. Before you begin working with your machine though, start with a piece of test fabric to make sure the tension is correct. Remember, the stitch length is determined by your speed – the faster you move your fabric, the longer your stitches will be. When machine embroidering, try to work in one continuous line. If you…

HOW TO TRANSFER TRACING Place light-coloured and fine fabrics over the design and trace over it. For thicker or dark-coloured fabrics, a light source such as a window or lightbox makes this process much simpler. TRANSFER PENS AND PENCILS Choose a colour that will show up on the fabric. Use a permanent marker if the stitching will cover the lines, or a removable marker if you need to erase the lines afterwards – test on a scrap of fabric first so you know it can be removed. IRON-ON TRANSFERS Press your fabric, then place your transfer sheet ink side down on top and press with a hot, dry iron (taking care with heat-sensitive fabrics). You can reuse the transfers three to four times depending on the type of fabric you…

When you’re choosing thread colours for your hair designs, the aim is to match them as closely to the hair you’re stitching. But, to get you started sooner, these are some of the DMC thread shades we used to create the designs featured here. BLONDE HAIR 422 – light blonde 3828 – blonde 420 – dark blonde 677 – gold highlight AUBURN HAIR 301 – light auburn 975 – auburn 300 – dark auburn BROWN HAIR 433 – light brown 801 – brown 3371 – dark brown BLACK HAIR 310 – dark 3371 – light www.gathered.how/love-embroidery | Love Embroidery | 11…

Happy new year to all our lovely readers. We hope you’re ready to kick off your stitching year in style… starting with all the stunning makes in this jam-packed January issue! From pennants and cushions, to gloves and hoops, we’ve got projects that will challenge, inspire, and bring colour to your home, all month long. We’re so excited to bring you Part 1 of our new stitch-along – abeautiful countryside scene by the talented Georgie Emery. We’ve even created a special subscribers’ stitch-along kit for it (see p24)! Pushed for time? We’ve thrown in a few fun and speedy makes that you can fit around the day job, plus our cover gift (a deep dive into the world of embroidered hair) is broken into lots of smaller sections that you…

Wakey wakey... Nothing beats a weekend stroll to a local cafe, enjoying the warmth of your hands wrapped around a silky-smooth latte and tucking into a freshly-baked treat. In her new book, 3D Embroidery, artist Ashley Denn (@formedfibers) captures the essence of a lazy Sunday brunch perfectly, using raised stitches to create the three-dimensional mug. With 20 exciting projects to get stuck into – we’re talking 3D plants, flowers, beach scenes, and a even a delicious ramen bowl like nothing you’ve seen before – you’ll bring new dimensions to your stitching repertoire. 3D Embroidery by Ashley Denn, £12.99, published by Search Press, www.searchpress.com…

O ur brand-new stitch-along is here, and it’s a corker! Designed by the talented Georgie Emery, this six-part pattern is inspired by the beautiful, rolling countryside surrounding her home town in the Cotswolds – just think babbling brooks, wild flowers and dreamy country houses. In Part 1, you’ll stitch three fabrics together to create a foundation for your landscape pattern, and then cover the raw edges with bustling hedgerow details in luscious green shades. Each issue Georgie will be showing you how to add new elements to your landscape, and build texture as you go, until you end up with a complete, quintessentially English scene. Don’t want to miss parts 2-6? Turn to p24 to subscribe and get issues sent straight to your door, plus get an exclusive bundle with…

GETTING STARTED Prepare your sewing machine by attaching a freemotion embroidery (AKA darning) foot. Next, drop the feed dogs – the mechanism that grips and pulls fabric through your sewing machine. Your machine manual should tell you how to do this. This project is stitched without a hoop as a stabiliser has been used to give support to the fabric. Start by stitching using a piece of test fabric and spare ribbon to make sure the tension is correct and the bottom thread doesn’t show though. Reduce your machine speed and work slowly around. Aim to work centrally along the ribbon to ensure a neat finish. As you position the ribbon along the pattern lines, you will need to lift the foot of the sewing machine to manouvre it as…

CUSHION Page 30 Pattern at 50%, enlarge by 200% Thank you for making these projects from Love Embroidery. The copyright for these templates belongs to the designer of the project (and/or Our Media). The magazine and all of its contributors work extremely hard to create projects for you to enjoy, so please don’t re-sell or distribute these patterns without seeking permission first. Please do not make any part of the templates or instructions available to others through your website or a third party, or copy it multiple times without our permission. Copyright law protects creative work and unauthorised copying is illegal. We appreciate your help. FLORAL PENNANT Page 14 Pattern at 100% JUMPER Page 40 Adjust pattern to fit size of jumper GLOVES Page 34 Patterns at 100% WINDOW HOOP…

YOUR BASIC EMBROIDERY KIT Fabric Thread Needles Scissors Embroidery hoop Transfer pens/pencils Recommended materials THREAD STRANDED COTTON This is a divisible, six-strand thread. Using one strand alone produces a thin line, while using all six strands held together produces a much bolder line. It’s available in more than 500 shades, in cotton, silk and rayon. We’ve used DMC Stranded Cotton for all of the projects featured in this book. NEEDLE CREWEL/EMBROIDERY This is the most commonly-used needle for embroidery. It’s a medium-length, sharp-pointed needle with a long eye. DESIGN TRANSFER TRANSFER PENS AND PENCILS These are either permanent or temporary, and are erasable by using air, heat or water. LIGHTBOX This is like an illuminated tablet and is worth the investment for easy pattern tracing. STYLING EQUIPMENT TIN FOIL Tin…

Thrifty stitches Scottish knitwear designer and creative mender Flora Collingwood-Norris is on a one-woman mission to make sure we never throw away a holey jumper or a pair of trusty gloves again. Her affordable video tutorials will give you the confidence to use embroidery and darning skills to fix small holes right up to more extensive damage, and create your own unique hand-stitched works of art along the way. Visible mending with an arty twist? Sign us up! www.collingwoodnorrisdesign.com Nature’s bounty  Australia’s known for some of the most beautiful creatures on the planet, so it’s not a surprise that these glorious patterns hail from down under. Designer Donna Smyth specialises in detailed butterflies and moths that look just like the real thing. They are designed to be displayed in a…

01 02 03 04 05 06 MATERIALS • Knitted jumper: deep green • Chunky-weight yarn: 1 ball each of cream, blush pink DK yarn: 1 ball each of coral, dark brown, green, dark mustard, light mustard • Wool and the Gang Tina Tape Yarn: 1 ball of eucalyptus green • Glass seed beads: size 6, gold • Machine thread: 1 spool of mustard • Large eyed needle • Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED Chain Stitch, Feather Stitch, Fishbone Stitch, Fly Stitch, Straight Stitch, Lazy Daisy Stitch NOTE Find the templates on p73. 01 We opted to stitch the floral motifs for this project freehand because of the open weave style of our chosen jumper, referring to the main image for placement throughout. However, if you prefer you can transfer the…

MATERIALS Cotton fabric: 15x15cm, magenta, cornflower blue Stranded cotton: 1 skein each of beige, blue, light blue, light pink, purple, raspberry, light magenta DMC Satin Stranded Thread: 1 skein each of S211 (light purple), S550 (deep plum) Embroidery hoop: 10cm diameter x2 Sheet felt: 9cm diameter x2, coordinating colour (optional) Sequins: 6mm, magenta Seed beads: size 6, purple lined crystal; size 8, metallic lilac; size 11 raspberry lined crystal Flat diamond shaped beads: 6x4mm, lilac Cube seed beads: 4mm, clear Acrylic paint and paint brush Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED Backstitch, French Knot, Satin Stitch 01 01 Transfer the designs from the templates onto the fabrics using your preferred method. Transfer the more circular geode design onto your light magenta fabric and the pointed geode design onto the cornflower blue…

V alentine’s vibes are heading your way and we don’t mean cuddly teddy bears or overly soppy cards, we’re talking candy-hued treats for your gal pals, little ones or that special someone. Over the page, Talia Bills-Moore shows us how to work freemotion embroidery on a small scale to spell out ‘love’, or why not adapt the tokens to stitch initials as patches or party favours? We’ve also fallen head over heels for Louisa Burtonshaw’s fashion tee. She’s taken inspiration from Picasso’s style of continuous line drawing and used appliqué and ribbon to update a plain t-shirt into a work of art. Turn the page to start stitching this issue’s machine makes.…

MATERIALS TECHNIQUES STITCH GUIDE TEMPLATES YOUR BASIC EMBROIDERY KIT For the majority of the projects in this issue you will need the following items. There are different types available, so read on to choose the correct materials for each project. Fabric Thread Needles Scissors Embroidery hoop Transfer pens/pencils FABRIC Embroidery can be worked on a wide variety of fabrics or ready-made items. It’s best to choose fabrics with a fairly smooth surface as heavily-textured surfaces will prevent the stitches from lying flat. For beginners, it’s best to start with 100% plain-weave cotton. When choosing fabric, consider its intended use, how much wear it will get, and how often it will need to be washed. Fabric can be categorised by its weave and fibre content. Plain weave is the most common…

D escribe your embroidery style... Graphic, geometric and spare. Each stitch embodies thought and patience, a record of human presence, time and decay. There is a binary simplicity, which gives the work the effect of ink on paper. The meticulous nature of my work renders each piece with a depth of presence and concentration. How long does it take you to complete one of your pieces? They range from 10 to 200 hours, and sometimes even longer. For example, my installation of Variations of a Stitch Cube involved over 2,000 hours of stitching. In my series Units of Time, the title of each cube refers to the number of hours and minutes spent stitching each piece. Why do you believe having a creative outlet is so important? Embroidery’s particular appeal…

Hair embroidery, also known as 3D hair, is the art of recreating realistic-looking hairstyles with thread. It’s easier than it sounds and, by using just a few essential stitches and a selection of carefully matched threads, you’ll soon be adding texture, movement and dimension to all of your portrait designs. In this book, we’ll teach you some of the key techniques and stitches that you’ll need to start your hair embroidery journey and give you the confidence to branch out into more complex styles. Read on to learn the basics and then turn to p12 to try your first ‘do’! CHOOSING A HAIR STYLE In this booklet you’ll find seven different hairstyles to embroider, each with a detailed tutorial to follow. From free- flowing locks to ponytails and bantu knots,…