New to Embroidery..

[Tink]

This is my newest project..trying to learn how to embroider. Thought it'd be fun to document my progress as I learn so I've been keeping record of what I've done so far. I'm doing all this on what I deemed the "practice pillowcase" for the ferrets room.
I'll warn you I'm not very good yet but I think it's fun to document my learning curve.

*head smack* i had the hoop on backwards but this was my first official stitching, it got much easier once i realized how to place the fabric in the hoop, i'm an airhead :lol:
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/001-3.jpg
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/002-3.jpg
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/003-5.jpg
"Love forever"
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/008-4.jpg
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/006-4.jpg
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/004-4.jpg
then the next..
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/004-5.jpg
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/008-5.jpg
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/009-3.jpg
next...(i know there's a mirror imaging of the pattern because i was darn clumsy with the iron, oh well decided to stitch it up anyway)
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/013-2.jpg
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/016-1.jpg
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/019-1.jpg
and the latest (progress..maybe?)
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/006-5.jpg
And now we are up to date on my official learning embroidery adventure :D

[dandysmom]

That's looking very good for your initial effort .... nice even stitches! It's soothing, isn't it? I switched from using silk thread to wool (crewel) quite a while back; unfortunately since I got the computer I spend too much time on here to do handiwork now .....

[angieh]

Amazing Tink! You must sew incredibly fast - it took me years to do one tray cloth. I did enjoy it, but not so much that I wanted to continue. I had (may still have) a handy little book with all the stitches. If I can find it, would you care to have it????

[yola]

Lovely! I used to have to do this at school but had 2 laft hands when it came to producing anything close to attractive. You're really got a good feel for this detailed kind of work haven't you?

[kado]

Thats realy good Tink. I also do embroidery and Jewerely making its realy relaxing apart from when the cats run off with my string.

[Shelley123]

Looks good to me Tink, i can't sew for toffee. All i can do is sew buttons on :D

[Moli]

They are lovely Tink.....

[Mags]

Very good Tink, you have lots of patience!

[Kay]

That looks lovely Tink. Keep up the good work. I love cross stitch but have never done embroidery.

[Tink]

Thanks everyone for being so kind :D
Angie, I'd love to have it if you find it!
Yes, Eileen it's very soothing..kind of like meditation.

[dandysmom]

Can you do French knots, Tink? I was so pleased when I figured that one out!

[Tink]

Can you do French knots, Tink? I was so pleased when I figured that one out!

Argh, no! It's making me sooo angry!:lol:

[dandysmom]

It's almost impossible to describe, wish I could show you! You bring the needle up from underneath, wrap the thread around it 3 or 4 times depending on the size you want, then insert the needle down thru the material as close to the entry point and pull it thru ... make any sense? Does your library have any embroidery manuals?

[dandysmom]

What did we do before Google? Here's a link that explains it better than I did!

http://www.embroiderersguild.com/stitch/stitches/french.html

[Tink]

oh, see i was putting it back through the same hole and kept pulling it through..no wonder!! :lol:

[dandysmom]

Like many things, once we figure it out we wonder why we couldn't get it before .... like me and copy and paste! Mags walked me thru that baby step by baby step, bless her!

[Tink]

lol yep i'm the same way. i almost have to have someone grab my hand and literally move it how it's supposed to be and then i'll remember forever..but if reading out of a text i'm lost...i'm visual!

[Tink]

so in the wee hours this morning i was a bit stressed so i picked up my hoop and needle. i happened to stumble across a blog recommending an easier way to go about stem stitch..and now i love it! i'll share results when the image is finished..another angel :D

[dandysmom]

Looking forward to that. Can you describe the different way to do stem stitch?

[Tink]

yep, it's like a back stitch which seems to make it easier for me to make it more accurate. here's the blog i was referring to..i really find her way easier!


http://ebscrafts.blogspot.com/2010/04/lesson-3-stem-stitch.html

[dandysmom]

Great link, thanks! This is inspiring me to get off my duff and start again! :)

[Tink]

You should!!! :D

check out these patterns...so many cool ones!

http://www.sublimestitching.com/transferpreview.html

[angieh]

Thanks everyone for being so kind :D
Angie, I'd love to have it if you find it!
Yes, Eileen it's very soothing..kind of like meditation.

Sorry Tink, I'm not ignoring you - been a bit busy here. If it's where I think it is (!!!!) I'll PM you and you can let me know where to send it. It's only a little paperback thingy, but it does have French knots - that's how I did mine, from the book!

[EmmaG]

Very nice, I have done some cross stitch in the past.

[calismum]

looks great Tink. I do cross stich and madeira trammed tapestry, never manage to have the patience for embroidery.

[Tink]

this is what i finished last night

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/001-7.jpg

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/003-8.jpg

[dandysmom]

Kooking good, Tink!

[calismum]

It looks lovely.

[Tink]

Well I finally finished my pillowcase. Here's some images..
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/001-11.jpg
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/002-10.jpg
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/011-5.jpg
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/017-3.jpg
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/019-5.jpg
and one of the recipients of my first official complete project investigating, lol...
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm211/darkpixietink/023-3.jpg

[dandysmom]

That's very nice, Tink; good work. Is that an original design of yours? Did it pass the ferret inspection??? :)

[Tink]

thank you. it is actually a kurt halsey pattern that i bought from sublime stitching. hopefully kurt would not cringe if he saw what i made of his artwork :lol: Yep ferrets approved though Monkey said I could make my stitches a little more even next time :lol:

[Mags]

Very nice, Tink ........ good to see you have a Quality Control expert making an inspection :D