Trying to get started with embroidery....and getting very overwhelmed
#1
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Okay, I'll admit it. I never thought I'd be interested in embroidery. Too cutesy, too hard, too many guilt-ridden memories of middle school cross-stitch projects I never finished....
I should have known better:
When I got back into quilting a few years ago, I told myself I would be a piecer, exclusively. I would NEVER appliqué (too cutesy, too hard, too...). And now? My last three quilts have more appliqué that pieced strips.![Embarrassment](https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/redface.png)
Here's the thing: I keep imagining quilts I want to make, going so far as to draw and graph them out--only to realize afterward that what I see in my head is do-able...but only for someone who knows how to embroider (I wish I could train my head to want only what I already know how to do...)
Other than the aforementioned cross-stitching experiences from long, long, long ago (which don't inspire continuance, frankly), I know NOTHING about embroidery. Zero, zilch, nada. And my googling on the topic furthers my confusion--instead of clarifying meanings, it just add more to the list of things I don't know. Crewel? Stumpwork? Goldwork? Knotting? Purl? DSM? It's a whole new language and I'm getting very overwhelmed.
Goldwork looks the closest to what I want to do, but it seems a little bananas to begin with something so specialized (besides can you even do something like that in a quilt??).
Does anyone remember how they got started with embroidery? How long did it take you to feel confident and comfortable?
Is there a book out there that gives clear definitions of the different kinds of embroidery and what kind to use when (i.e., "crewel is X kind of embroidery and is used for Y")? Is there any kind of embroidery that quilters particularly use? Don't use? Do we embroider just the top or is embroidering part of the quilting process?
Okay, I'll stop now.
Thanks for listening and please, anyone, let me know if you have any words of wisdom.
(Don't know if it means anything, but I generally quilt on either one of my two Juki's--F400 or TL2010--I assume I should start embroidering by hand)
On a final note: I don't know how I would quilt anything without you all....
xo,
Aso
I should have known better:
When I got back into quilting a few years ago, I told myself I would be a piecer, exclusively. I would NEVER appliqué (too cutesy, too hard, too...). And now? My last three quilts have more appliqué that pieced strips.
![Embarrassment](https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/redface.png)
Here's the thing: I keep imagining quilts I want to make, going so far as to draw and graph them out--only to realize afterward that what I see in my head is do-able...but only for someone who knows how to embroider (I wish I could train my head to want only what I already know how to do...)
Other than the aforementioned cross-stitching experiences from long, long, long ago (which don't inspire continuance, frankly), I know NOTHING about embroidery. Zero, zilch, nada. And my googling on the topic furthers my confusion--instead of clarifying meanings, it just add more to the list of things I don't know. Crewel? Stumpwork? Goldwork? Knotting? Purl? DSM? It's a whole new language and I'm getting very overwhelmed.
Goldwork looks the closest to what I want to do, but it seems a little bananas to begin with something so specialized (besides can you even do something like that in a quilt??).
Does anyone remember how they got started with embroidery? How long did it take you to feel confident and comfortable?
Is there a book out there that gives clear definitions of the different kinds of embroidery and what kind to use when (i.e., "crewel is X kind of embroidery and is used for Y")? Is there any kind of embroidery that quilters particularly use? Don't use? Do we embroider just the top or is embroidering part of the quilting process?
Okay, I'll stop now.
![Roll Eyes (Sarcastic)](https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.png)
Thanks for listening and please, anyone, let me know if you have any words of wisdom.
(Don't know if it means anything, but I generally quilt on either one of my two Juki's--F400 or TL2010--I assume I should start embroidering by hand)
On a final note: I don't know how I would quilt anything without you all....
xo,
Aso
Last edited by QuiltnNan; 07-17-2016 at 12:59 PM.
#2
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I was shocked to find embroidery tutorials on Pinterest. Do you have an account there? If not, it might pay you to indulge yourself a few hours looking at all the different types of embroidery there and oh so many tutorials.
#3
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I have never been an enthusiastic embroidery person either, but when a granddaughter begs for a particular quilt, what do you do? You can see I have left a center block in the top open for an inscription. Then note I am just getting started on the border which requires many scattered applique pieces and thus embroidery to finish and enhance the applique pieces. It may not be perfect, but it is the best I can do without a lot of practice.
#4
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Google or YouTube Redwork. It is basically a stem stitch and a lot of patterns are done in it. Some redwork designs are worked and then coloured in with crayons. There is a whole exciting Redwork adventures waiting for you! By the way, Redwork refers to embroidery done all in one colour and embroidery is done in several colours.
#6
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Technically, I'm interested in both, just figure that hand embroidery might be the more straightforward way to begin. I welcome comments and advice on both machine and hand. My Juki F400 is not an embroidery machine, but it does have some very limited embroidery capabilities.
#8
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Victorian Sweatshop Forum
Posts: 4,096
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Either/or and both!
Technically, I'm interested in both, just figure that hand embroidery might be the more straightforward way to begin. I welcome comments and advice on both machine and hand. My Juki F400 is not an embroidery machine, but it does have some very limited embroidery capabilities.
Technically, I'm interested in both, just figure that hand embroidery might be the more straightforward way to begin. I welcome comments and advice on both machine and hand. My Juki F400 is not an embroidery machine, but it does have some very limited embroidery capabilities.
Cari
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Blue Ridge Mountians
Posts: 7,075
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Go get a redwork panel at the LQS. They have cutest Christmas ones of snowmen, and Christmas trees, and gift packages. They are red lines on a white fabric, usually in 6 inch squares, and you stem stitch red pearl cotton thread on the red lines. This is a great starting point, and you can make a quilt or place mats or table runners out of them.
#10
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,666
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Hand embroidery has tons of places online to learn with. I learned how to chain stitch at a very young age. Then the French knot. My grandmother taught me so I could do some work with thread while she was sewing. It is very peaceful. When they introduced silk ribbon to embroidery, that kicked it up a notch. Machine embroidery is a different thing all together. Pick out what you want... position your fabric and hoop and, ideally, press the button and off it goes. You can't use your machine while the embroidering is going on. Great way to monogram things or if you have the right machine you can put your own designs into the computer program and it will do it all for you.
Good luck!
Good luck!
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