I’ve spoken a lot to people about the importance of letting yourself be a beginner sometimes. I’ve written pieces on it for the magazine and reassured new sewists I’ve met that we’re all tackling new challenges in our own way and that’s great thing. To me being a beginner, keeps you fresh, keeps you humble and keeps your enthusiasm up. I’d certainly be pretty bored if I didn’t try to push out of my comfort zone.
My embroidery skills are slowly growing and although I know I’m still learning it’s exciting to practice each stitch and get better. The first time I did a great French knot I was so stoked. I wanted to get better at satin stitch so settled on this bike design to stitch up next.
It’s heavily inspired by Truefort who is an amazing embroiderer and wows me with their work. They have a bicycle embroidery pattern created with Martha Stewart but I didn’t really like the style of the bike or the flowers coming of both ends. I combined a few different images to sketch something myself. I used my Frixion pen to transfer the design. (I’ve heard people pronouncing it Frix-ee-on but surely it’s a pun on friction since that’s how you remove the marks?)
The problem this caused was having to come up with the design for the flowers when I don’t really know what I’m doing. I decided to put a few straight stitch blooms with leaf stitch greenery, lazy daisy and French knots. Adding the chain stitch for the chain was funny even if I didn’t stitch it that neatly.
I mixed dmc and anchor threads plus some of the vintage threads my mum gave me from her old sewing box. I really enjoyed mixing the colours. And I have to say stitching on to cotton suits me over working with aida. The sunshine yellow cotton background makes me so happy!
I used quite a large hoop so not to crowd the bike and already have it hung on my wall before I’ve even covered the back! I asked on Instagram about adding some words above the bike but got a strong no response.
Any tips for what I should include on my embroidery posts? Do you want thread colour codes? Greater stitch details? Progress photos? Up next I have this Love design by Brynn & Co but haven’t got round to starting yet. Watch this space!
A lovely embroidery! You have definitely developed some amazing skills here. Your satin stitch looks brilliant.
I free-styled some embroidery on my friends jeans for her Christmas present here: http://carolinejoynson.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/hand-embroidered-jeans.html
Thank you for your posts on embroidery. This is absolutely beautiful! I’ve followed you on Instagram for a short time as I’m a confident beginner sewer. You’ve inspired me to start embroidery.
I’d love to read anything for a beginner: tips, tutorials, notes, process pictures, patterns, etc. I enjoyed seeing your posts of your process with this. Once I get better, I’d love to make something similar. I agree that the other pattern, although beautiful, had too much on the front and back of the bike.
Thank you too for your comment about pattern vendors you’ve found. I’m about to make a purchase from your notes. Thanks!