Hand embroidery - HOW TO???

Question

I am getting married and was popping around on the internet looking for parents gifts. I found the perfect gift for my Mother. An emroidered hanky with a lovely poem. My mom is super crafty and a "cryer" and I always bust on her about both, but she always says "someday you will be a "quilter like me"" and I always say NO....I WON'T. (She also toll paints and sews and all that other good stuff).

It's really not my thing...I am not very crafty at all.

I know my mom would love the hanky if I just went out and bought it, but I was thinking...maybe just this once, I could make her proud and make this hanky myself.

Is it hard to learn to hand embroider? How do I learn and where do I buy the supplies (and what are they?)

I really want to do something special for her and this is perfect...am I in over my head?? HELP!

Answer 1

What a sweet and thoughtful gift!  I bet your Mama will cry when she sees it.  

Embroidering a full poem may be a little much for a first time project.  But you could embroider her monogram or last initial onto a lovely hanky, and then have the poem done for her in calligraphy.  She may frame both!

Embroidery is not hard.  You can find the supplies at any craft or big box store that have a craft department.  The thread is called embroidery floss, and comes in lots of different colors.  If you have your pick, choose a craft store, as the sales associates are probably going to be more experienced and helpful.  Especially the daytime sales help are usually very experienced and enjoy helping you choose what you'll need.  The only thing you may not find is a pretty hankie, which I would suggest buying a new handmade one off of ebay or etsy for this very special project.  You'll want to buy floss, needles, a seamstress pencil that washes out, and an embroidery hoop from the craft store.

The thing to remember with a hanky, is that it's going to be visible from both sides.  For a first time attempt, I would suggest the classic white (floss) on white (hankie) so any mistakes on the backside will be less noticible.  You would want to trace your pattern onto your hankie lightly with a wash out marking pencil before you start embroidering.  You can find free cross stitch alphabet pattern links below.

If you're really serious about making the whole poem, I would suggest cross stitching or embroidering it on cross stitch fabric (way easier than free-hand) and then having it stitched onto the cover of a small pillow so the back of the stitching won't show.  

Here are a couple of sites that offer good instructions and free embroidery or cross stitch patterns: