Fun with Stitching: 35 Cute Sewing Projects to Turn Everyday Items into Works of Art
By Fiona Goble
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About this ebook
Did you think embroidery was complicated, confined to flowers, and a major undertaking? This cute, quirky, and clever little book will dispel those myths and inspire you to take up a needle and thread, even if it’s for the first time ever. Fun with Stitching offers simple and easy embroidery ideas to add a light-hearted touch to clothes, home accessories, and gifts. Each design is shown on a different object, whether it be a French café on an apron, cheerful weather clouds on canvas shoes, or a beaming moon on a lampshade, and is accompanied by straightforward instructions and suggestions for other uses. This is a book for new sewers, young embroiderers, and anyone looking to bring a light-hearted touch to their home or wardrobe.
Fiona Goble
Fiona Goble is the author of more than 20 popular craft books, including Stitching, Fun With Stitching, Fleecie Pets, and Fleecie Dolls. Fiona owns a textile business making woollen bags, cushions and throws. In addition to regularly contributing to a number of craft magazines, she currently teaches sewing and other crafts to local teens and adults.
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Book preview
Fun with Stitching - Fiona Goble
Originally published by
New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd
Published 2015—IMM Lifestyle Books
www.IMMLifestyleBooks.com
IMM Lifestyle Books are distributed in the
UK by Grantham Book Service.
In North America, IMM Lifestyle Books are
distributed by
Fox Chapel Publishing
1970 Broad Street
East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
Text and project design copyright © 2011, 2015 Fiona Goble
Photographs copyright © 2011, 2015 IMM Lifestyle Books
Copyright © 2011, 2015 IMM Lifestyle Books
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and copyright holders.
Fiona Goble has asserted her moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
eISBN 978-1-60765-310-3
2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3
Printed In China
Some of the projects in this book are unsuitable for children under 3 years of age due to small parts. Always keep small or sharp objects (such as needles or buttons) away from small children.
Contents
Introduction
The stitcher’s kit
Stitching essentials
How to use the patterns
The projects
Eat
Sleep
Work
Relax
Play
Dress
Bath
Celebrate
Make your own stuff to stitch
The patterns
Index
Acknowledgements
Introduction
There is something of a buzz in the air about embroidery at the moment. I don’t mean everyone’s about to start stitching delicate flowers onto linen tablecloths all over again, but people are beginning to want clothes and home accessories that are a bit different. To my way of thinking, there’s nothing easier and more enjoyable than customizing a few possessions with some carefully chosen stitches.
You probably know some of the basic stitches already. Even if you don’t, I’ve explained them all here and I’m sure you’ll be able to pick them up in no time. You can buy embroidery thread and needles in almost any sewing or craft shop and in some big department stores, and get going right away. You can transform something ordinary into something special really swiftly – sometimes in just a few minutes.
There are so many things that can be embellished by a bit of embroidery – some items you may already have and some you can make yourself. I’ve only used a small selection of handmade items here, and I’ve written some brief instructions on how to make them on pages 106–109.
But you don’t have to stop with these. You can make and embroider spectacle cases, fabric photo frames, wash bags, table runners, peg bags… the possibilities are almost endless.
Sometimes embroidery is about trial and error. And sometimes it’s just about what takes your fancy. So browse through the book and have a look through your home and wardrobe and decide where you want to start. Above all, I hope you have fun.
Fiona Goble
The stitcher’s kit
One of the best things about the stitching bug is that you only need a few basic bits of equipment to get started. Better still, all the items are relatively inexpensive. If you don’t already have these items in your sewing or craft box, you can easily get hold of these from most craft shops or from online craft or sewing stores.
The basics
Embroidery needle
Embroidery needles have sharp points and eyes that are big enough to thread six-strand embroidery thread. A medium-size embroidery needle is suitable for all the projects in this book.
Embroidery thread (floss)
I have sewn all the projects in this book with ordinary six-strand embroidery thread (floss) that comes in a rainbow of different colours. The colours you buy will depend on the projects you want to make but it’s a good idea to start out by buying a selection of basic colours that you can then add to. Most embroidery threads sold in craft shops are colourfast but it is worth checking just to make sure. Even if you are embroidering something you don’t plan to wash, you will probably still need to spray it with water to remove the marks from your water-soluble pen or quilter’s pencil (see Methods of transfering your pattern, right).
For most of the projects in this book, you will need to use three strands of embroidery thread. In other words, you will need to cut a length of six-strand thread then divide it in two. In some cases you will need to use fewer or more strands of thread.
Embroidery thread comes in little skeins that are kept together with one or two paper loops. These skeins can easily get tangled so you might want to take some steps to make sure your threads behave. The easiest way to do this is to wind the whole skein of thread onto a special bobbin that you can buy in craft stores. Alternatively, you could wind the thread around a piece of card with a little slit along one side to hold the end of the thread in place.
Fabric
You can embroider almost any fabric. Good fabrics for beginners are medium-weight woven cottons, tightly woven linen and felt. Avoid fabrics that are very stiff, shaggy or very heavily textured. Also avoid fabrics with a very loose weave, since these could pucker easily and stitches such as French knots (see page 16) could slip through your work and spoil it.
You can embroider stretchy materials such as cotton T-shirts and fleece, although these aren’t ideal for beginners because they need a little bit more care.
Methods of transferring your pattern
There are three main methods to transfer your pattern to your fabric:
• A water-soluble pen or quilter’s pencil (these work like an ordinary felt tip or pencil but are easily removed with water);
• Dressmaker’s carbon paper or transfer paper and an ordinary pencil;
• A special transfer pen or pencil, some tracing paper, an ordinary pencil and an iron.
For the first two methods you will also need access to a photocopier, a computer with a scanner, or some tracing paper and a black pen.
Each of the three pattern transfer methods will produce a