Guest Post: Emily teaches beginner embroidery

Today, I'm going to feature another lovely woman from the blogging community. Her name is Emily, and she blogs over at Scribbles from Emily. You know, she's totally guest posted before in January! I'll make this introduction short because I just got back from hiking/rock climbing and really need a nap. Have a great day everyone!

Hi all! It’s nice to be back on Liz Makes! If you remember, in January I shared a tutorial for some easy embroidery pillowcases, just in time for Valentines’ Day. One statement I heard from you then and that I hear often is, “That looks amazing, but I don’t know how to embroider!” Let me tell you a secret: embroidery looks much more complicated than it actually is. Seriously! With just a couple stitches under your belt, your can create endless combinations and possibilities. 

For example, the pattern for "Oh Snappy Day" (pictured above) basically uses two stitches: an outline stitch, and a knot. When I was in high school, I enjoyed cross-stitch, but since I taught myself to embroider a year ago, I definitely prefer it. It takes much less time! Here’s a round up of my favorite tutorials for the basic stitches you can use on these patterns.

The Stitches:

·         Backstitch stitch, video tutorial byaglanceatmyworld – your basic outline stitch, essential for most patterns.

·         French Knot, video tutorial by NeedleKnowledge – adds a special detail, and really is quite simple once you get it!

·         Satin stitch, video tutorial by Wendi Gratz – a fill stitch, this stitch gets its name from the satin finish it gives. On my patterns, I don’t do the split stitch first that she talks about, but it is an option.

·         Blanket stitch, this video tutorial demonstrates it well, but this picture tutorial is also helpful – useful for edging a blanket, but also great for unique patterns.

·         Feather stitch, tutorial by Stitch School, video by Video Jug – a decorative stitch for extra pizzazz!

On Monday, one lucky winner will win patterns to all of the embroideries shown in this post. Or if you're impatient, or you think you never win anything, you can go ahead and purchase the patterns in Emily's pattern shop! Personally, I think they're adorable. It's impossible to pick a favorite because they're all so "punny" and cute. I'm off to shower, or take a nap or something. This vacation is wearing me out! :) And if you're wondering, so far I can check off numbers 1, 2 and 4 off of my vacation bucket list!

Have a great day everyone!

-L