Hand embroidery is a decorative art form that involves stitching designs, patterns, or images onto fabric using a needle and thread and beyond this rhetoric, it is such a rewarding and life changing hobby; even without drawing or painting skills, you can create beautiful artworks with just some thread, needle and fabric, even if you are a beginner to embroidery.

It has been the recourse of humans for a very long time. In fact, it can be traced back thousands of years – we have seen evidence of this from remains from the ancient civilizations of India, Egypt, China, etc

When there was no television or phones to distract and hold our attention, I can imagine all those people finding pleasure and pride in creating beautiful embroidery work with their hands. If you want to learn embroidery, I respect you because the temptations outside of creative work are aplenty, and I would not blame you for not succumbing to it.

And if you are eager to learn, there is nothing in your way – read this post and start. Do not overthink.

Learn Hand embroidery in 10 steps

Step 1. Choose your fabric

It is important that you choose the best fabric for your project because the beauty of your embroidery work is largely dependent on the base it is worked on. 

And, the material you choose for the embroidery will largely depend on the type of embroidery stitches you mean to do on it and the intended use of the finished piece.

A purse or a bag with some ribbon embroidery will need a different fabric from the fabric you will choose for a baby dress with little flowers embroidered on it.

I have here a cotton twill, and, it is perfectly alright (Usually, plain weave fabrics are used for embroidery). 

There are a variety of fabrics available for you to start your embroidery project. You would not want the hours of work you have done to be on a weak, old-stock fabric. Choose a high-quality fabric for your best work.

A 100% cotton or linen fabric is said to be the best fabric for all embroidery work. Linen, which has a good weave looks gorgeous with embroidery.

Experiment and innovate – Basically, some embroidery techniques like canvas work, counted cross stitch, etc., are said to be better on certain types of fabrics like aida, but that need not be the case, strictly speaking. You can experiment with the fabric and the stitches you want on them. If you are innovative, that will result in a special embroidery work you will cherish for a long time.

When you are cutting the fabric for the project, ensure you have enough fabric around the design, atleast 2″ would be ideal.

Checkout the post for more details on the different fabrics available for embroidery. 

Step 2. Select embroidery thread

 Embroidery floss consists of loosely twisted 6 strands of cotton thread which can be pulled apart to be used in the thickness of your preference. They are available in a rainbow of colours in all the shades you want.

Silk and rayon embroidery threads are also used for specialized embroideries. Checkout all the hand embroidery thread used for embroidery you can use for embroidery.

It is very important that you select the appropriate stitching thread. Threads may be clear soft bright dull transparent. Separate stitches call for particular thread.

Embroidery floss is the most popular choice for embroidery.

Pearl cotton is the next best choice for embroidery. It is a thicker thread (almost 2.5 times thicker than a single embroidery floss) and has a nice sheen – best for some types of embroidery like french knots.

Use a silk-wool combination thread when you want really smooth work. Silk, cotton, cotton-wrapped synthetic are the obvious choices of embroidery thread for smooth work.

Avoid nylon mono filament thread as it is too stiff. It may damage delicate fabrics.

One important tip for selecting the best embroidery thread that will result in a great-looking finished project is to buy your embroidery floss for a particular project from the same manufacturer to ensure consistency in the colors and thickness. 

Depending on the thickness you want for your project and the effect you want to produce you can choose the number of strands you want. The six strands twisted together in the embroidery floss may be used together at once or used as one thread singly or in groups of two three or four.

When separating out the embroidery strands, keep the bunch of six embroidery threads in one hand and pull out, one by one, the strands you need.

Another method to separate the floss is to first cut the length you want and then by holding one end tight and keeping them in place with a tape or a knot, separate the strands with a needle. More the number of strands thicker and bulkier the stitch.

Usually 2-3 strands are used on even weave fabrics like cotton, poplin, rayon, but if you want to sew on very fine fabrics like silk, better to use just one strand.

Needle painting with a beautiful painting like effect is made with just a single strand of embroidery thread.

The full 6 strands are usually reserved for denim, canvas, felt and other thick fabrics

Checkout the post on Different types (12 ) of Hand embroidery threads and 12 types of Metallic threads.

Step 3. Choose the right embroidery needle

Hand embroidery needles are available in varying lengths. Usually their eyes are thicker than ordinary needles to accommodate the thicker embroidery floss. Checkout all the hand embroidery stitching needles you can use. 

For hand embroidery crewel needles are the best as it has long eye to take more than one thread of stranded cotton silk or wool. For stranded cotton embroidery number 9 and 10 is the best crewel needle. 

Choose Tapestry needle for embroidering on loose weave fabrics.

• Use small needles for stitching on thin delicate clothes. Large needles leave large holes. But beware that small needles have small holes and sometimes have difficulty in passing through the fabric.
•  Never use blunt or rusty needle. 
• Round eye needle is the best for making french knots and bullion stitch.
• Higher the number of the needle finer will be the needle. 

Generally, we use No. 7 embroidery needles for two strands of cotton embroidery floss, No. 6 for 3 strands and No. 5 for 6 strands.

Checkout the detailed post on the 14 different types of hand embroidery sewing needles and on threading the sewing needle easily. 

Step 5. Other embroidery tools

As I already said, you do not need any fancy things to start embroidering. You can start with some colorful embroidery thread you get in any haberdashery or fabric store and a garment of your own. But extras don’t hurt.

Step 6. Prepare your fabric for embroidery

Nothing can be more frustrating for you than to realize when you are half way through your project that the fabric you have chosen has started to come apart due to your fault – not preparing it properly for the project. 

• PREWASH OR NOT – Consider the use to which the item you are embroidering will be put to. If it is a bag or a purse you will not have to prewash the fabric before starting the project. But if the item is going to be washed multiple times like a little kid’s dress, you had better pre-wash the fabric according to the specified care instructions to test for shrinkage and colour fastness.The rinsing will remove unwanted sizing. Take care not to use any fabric softeners on the cloth.  
• IRON – Press the fabric while it is a little damp so that you get a wrinkle free cloth to embroider on. When you are ironing make sure that the  ironing board cover or iron is free of any dirt . If you suspect there is dirt keep a clean cloth to iron on top. You can also spray a little starch to stiffen the cloth slightly. This is an optional step if you are not using interfacing. 
• INTERFACING – Professionals fuse a light interfacing to the back of the fabric; This will give loose weave fabrics the needed strength, preventing any fraying.  There will also be less coloring of loose threads on the cloth’s front side. Always choose interfacing that is lighter than the fabric.
• NEATEN EDGES -To prevent the raw edges fraying while stitching the embroidery, neaten all the edges of your work with a machine zigzag or overcasting stitch. You could also serge the edges if you have a serger. Alternatively you can hand stitch the edges with a whip stitch. Some use tape to seal the edges but this is slightly risky as the glue may discolour the fabric. Using fray check is also a quick fix option.

Step 7. Find designs for embroidery work

Designs are everywhere. It can even be your simple scribble.

Fill up your roughly drawn design with embroidery stitches; you can start your first embroidery project this way.

Checkout this post on designing embroidery – the 10 easy sources for making your own embroidery designs ;   How to design a cross stitch pattern

 Step 8. Transfer designs on to the fabric

When you have chosen a design in a printed book, the best method is to trace it with a tracing paper and then transfer it on to fabric with the help of copying paper (Carbon sheet).

Checkout the 9 best ways of embroidery transfers  and how to do them. 

Step 9. Choose frames or hoop

Embroidery hoop is made of two rings, one that fits inside the other. Typically a 12″ embroidery hoop is what you need to buy, though there are smaller and bigger ones available. You just need to make sure that your fabric when it is inserted will leave atleast 2″  outside the rings. Checkout the post on the different types of embroidery hoops you can use to stretch fabrics.

A frame is used to keep the work flat and even. There are two types of frames used in embroidery work. Round frames and square frames

Round frame is typically an embroidery ring which is mostly used in small works. The ring consists of two wooden or metal rings fitted closely together with a screw so that the fabric is stretched tightly. The rings are available in different sizes. Any weight of fabric can be used with these rings as they are adjustable.

The warp and weft threads of the fabric must be straight on the ring. 

How to place fabric on embroidery hoop ? Place your fabric over the smaller hoop, then push the larger, or top, hoop down around the bottom one. This sandwiches your fabric and holds it taught. Tighten the nut as you pull the fabric to straighten it. You may have to adjust the fabric and nut as you embroider to maintain the tightness of the fabric.

After the fabric is mounted on the ring do not try to tighten the screw or pull the fabric down too harshly ; this may cause tear in the fabric. 

A square or rectangular frame is used to mount large pieces of fabric

Checkout this post on Hoops and other 4 methods to stretch fabric for more details. 

Step 10. Start your work

So what are you waiting for? Start your work already!

When using the needle, always hold the needle perpendicular (at right angles) to the fabric, taking one stitch at a time; This is the best way to prevent splitting the yarns while stitching.

Do you want to learn the basic embroidery stitches?

Some embroidery stitches work best for some areas more than others. Checkout this post on the different embroidery stitches – it is a work in progress. But most of the basic and important stitches are covered; and there are step-by-step instructions and illustrations for each stitch.

After practicing for some time, patiently, you are soon no longer a beginner in embroidery. You can start embroidering on your own clothes and household linen and even on other people’s. 

You may also want to checkout

• 6 of my favourite filling stitches
• Cross stitch tutorial for beginners
• How to do Smocking
• Chikankari embroidery Tutorial
• Shadow work
• Hardanger embroidery
• Drawn thread embroidery
• Redwork
• White work
• Pulled thread embroidery
• Couching stitch
• 10 Paisley / Mango designs embroidered 

FAQ answered for hand embroidery beginners