I have been thinking of getting back into hand embroidery again. I used to do it a million years ago when I was young but once cross stitch came along.....
I thought I would start again by coping a couple of iron 0n transfers onto some fabric I have which is flat so should work okay. I just want to practise some new stitches ( and some I have forgot). Trouble is I am having a heap of trouble finding iron on transfers unless from America. Does anyone know where I can get any in UK.
123 Stitch has lots! I can't help you with where to fond them locally because I live in the US. I love Aunt Martha's...it's what my grandma used when I was a kid and she embroidered flour sack dish towels http://www.123stitch.com/cgi-perl/abcSe ... ms=AM-3771" target="_blank
Calico
WIPs:
Glory of Autumn
Orchids & Hummingbird
Santa's Feathered Friend
Eagle's Majesty
Feasting Frenzy
Chickadees on a branch
Autumn Owl Trio - HAED
Thanks Calico. I have shopped at 123 before. Just wondering if I could get them in England before I order. When you are itching to stitch.... everything takes a long time to arrive.
Thanks again.
I hear ya on that! When we want it, we want it now.
You may have already thought of this, but last year when I was playing around with embroidery, I searched online for free patterns, printed one out and placed my fabric over it on my light table. (or a window works too) and used and water soluble fabric pen to transfer the design to the fabric. If it's not too detailed, it works just fine.
I have loads of these patterns saved. Yes, I could do that on the window I don't have a light box. Are useful all rounders for stitching?? maybe I should ask Santa ....
topbiddy wrote:Thanks Calico. I have shopped at 123 before. Just wondering if I could get them in England before I order. When you are itching to stitch.... everything takes a long time to arrive.
Thanks again.
On my bookshelf I have thick book of iron on transfers. The book is called "Keepsake Transfer Collection 1" by Gerry Sorkin and the editors of Cross Stitch & Country Crafts. Over 1000 designs.
I know that I bought it in the UK but not sure where and of course it was a long time ago.ISBN 0-696-70564-8
Mabel Figworthy wrote:Lovely Calico! can I ask what fabric you are using for that project?
Thank you! Goodness, I'm no expert on fabric but if my memory serves me, I grabbed it from my limited stash and it feels like the same fabric I used in my Chickadee project. If that's the case then it is 28ct Evenweave from MCG textiles.
Hope that helps
Calico
WIPs:
Glory of Autumn
Orchids & Hummingbird
Santa's Feathered Friend
Eagle's Majesty
Feasting Frenzy
Chickadees on a branch
Autumn Owl Trio - HAED
Lovely work Calico.
My late sis has/have stamped embroidery patterns by the tons. She has/had been stitching since she was an early teen. She was 65 when she passed this last July. I'll post some of her work on my website after I get this years projects framed tomorrow. She just used plain cotton fabric.
I bought 1 of those "light" tables from Hobby Lobby last year. I used it to transfer some of her patterns on the fabric. It worked wonderful. Just a tip. The light is really "bright" so I taped down 2 pieces of typing paper, then the pattern then the cloth, and I was "still" able to see light to trace. I used an ink pen, as she was that good of a stitcher to cover the pattern.
Is embroidery usually done on cotton cloth? I love the 28ct evenweave so wondered if I should try that instead when I attempt to do some hand surface embroidery?
socialsue wrote:Is embroidery usually done on cotton cloth? I love the 28ct evenweave so wondered if I should try that instead when I attempt to do some hand surface embroidery?
socialsue
Someone correct me if im wrong, butI think you can embroider on anything...cotton, silk, denim, even canvas sneakers! Thinner or stretchy fabrics require some type of interfacing for support.
Calico
WIPs:
Glory of Autumn
Orchids & Hummingbird
Santa's Feathered Friend
Eagle's Majesty
Feasting Frenzy
Chickadees on a branch
Autumn Owl Trio - HAED
calico wrote:
Someone correct me if im wrong, butI think you can embroider on anything...cotton, silk, denim, even canvas sneakers! Thinner or stretchy fabrics require some type of interfacing for support.
I agree calico---I wish I had pictures of some of the things I embroidered on over the years-----I've stitched on denim jackets, chambray shirts, and even embroidered on a pair of bib shorts that I sewed when I was a teen, I used a design from a coloring book and drew it onto the fabric of the bib before I sewed them
Work in Progress
Dimensions Passion Flower Angel
Tempting Tangles Welcome SAL
Various small designs
I have also stitched embroidery patterns on denim shirts and jackets for sure. Way back in college but I had forgotten those days. If I remember correctly mostly tarot card figures that I drew the outlines of, but don't remember how I did it then.
Carole
WIPs
Star Wars Afghan:Chewbaca
HAEDs:
O Kitten Tree
Dancing with the Cat
Everything else "on hold"
2022 Finished: Star Wars Afghan: Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Finn, Rey, Poe, Han Solo,Darth Vader, BB8,Luke Skywalker
The choice of fabric to some extent depends on the embroidery - for something really densely stitches and very detailed you need a strong and closely woven fabric, like cotton twill, but otherwise as Calico's project shows you can also embroider on counted fabric (though you'd struggle with placement if the count is too low I suppose), and on anything that you can get your needle through
Topbiddy, what sort of things are you looking for, if I have them in the book and I know that I will not use them I will cut them out and post them to you.
I had a project recently that I needed a light box for and didn't have one. Using the window didn't cross my mind but what I did was take one of those lids from a bin that was opaque. I used it as a table over a small lamp that I have. Just put the lamp on a bucket and then used the bin lid as a table. It worked fine for what I used it for and thank goodness I didn't have to hunch over for too long. I have seen those blank iron transfers that you apparently can use your printer to print on. I'm not sure how well they work. I'm always leary of things like that and sticker paper since I had a bad experience with the sticker paper. No fun taking your printer apart to remove sticker from the inside.
