Embroidery 101

  • Dates: Tuesday, 11:30am-1:30pm, 10 Weeks
  • Tuition: $90
  • Instructor: Cam Leon

Embroidery is the art of decorating fabric or other materials with a needle to stitch and yarn or threads. It may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads and sequins. It is an ancient art practiced around the globe with some of the earliest stitches being the chain stitch, buttonhole or blanket stitch, running stitch, satin stitch, and cross stitch. These stitches remain the basics of hand embroidery today and are seen on denim pants and jackets, dresses, linens, and quilts using various thread types, materials and colors.

The course will begin with a sampler to learn setting up embroidery hoops, anchoring threads, threading needles, and experimentation with various threads and stitches. Methods for transferring designs to fabric, waste canvas for counted cross stitch and finishing techniques will be examined. Students may then undertake individual projects with teacher support.

With this course students will gain an understanding of basic embroidery stitches, how to transfer designs and various techniques for finishing projects.

Materials

Note: Students are responsible for purchasing their own supplies

  • Chenille needles  (size 22 recommended)
  • Sharp embroidery/thread scissors
  • 8” wooden or plastic embroidery hoop
  • 12” wooden or plastic embroidery hoop
  • Embroidery floss, 10 skeins of various colors (DMC recommended)
  • 1 yard muslin

Optional:

  • Pencils and notebook for sketching ideas
  • Clip on light
  • Other yarns or fabrics of interest to you

References

  • The Embroiderey Stitch Bible by Betty Barnden
  • The Embroidery Book: Visual Resource of Color & Design – 149 Stitches – Step-by-Step Guide by Christen Brown
  • The Stitches of Creative Embroideryby Jacqueline Enthoven