Getting Started Guide
I’m so excited to help you start your embroidery Journey! I hope you love embroidery,
the fun of creating beautiful pieces and the relaxing peaceful moments it can bring to each day.
The Hoop and Fabric
The hoop is made of 2 circles, one with a screw and one without. The circle with the screw goes on top of the fabric and the other circle goes under the fabric. Place your fabric between the the two pieces of the hoop and tighten with the screw. Make sure the fabric is nice and taught and doesn’t slide when you press gently on it.
I recommend a 4 inch hoop when you start out as it keeps the fabric nice and taught and helps you focus on one area, it’s ok if you can’t see the whole design at once, you move the hoop around as you go. I use 100% Beech wood hoops from Elbesee which I import from the UK, they are made by a family company in the Cotswolds.
If you want to frame the design in a hoop after you finish you can choose a larger hoop, then you have your 4 inch ready for the next project!
2. Needles
I’m often asked what needle to use, my recommendation is… a needle you can thread easily : ) and that you’re comfortable with.
Embroidery needles range from 1-15 in size numbers (1 being the biggest), I like a 3, 4 or 5 for most projects as they’re easy to thread. The size of the eye and thickness of the needle change with each number.
The general rule is, it shouldn’t leave a hole in the fabric (the thicker the fabric the larger the needle you can use) and should not be thicker than the thread you’re using. The finer the fabric and the more detailed the piece the smaller the needle should be.
I generally prefer a larger needle (in the Bohin needle pack (made in France) I provide in the Journey Box or starter kit it’s not the largest one but next or 3rd one down in size.)
A lot of my kits use 1 strand of thread, the challenge if you use a large needle can be the thread will slip out of the eye more easily. The smaller needles have smaller eyes.
Try a few and see what you’re comfortable with.
