A handmade quilt is a true work of art, and embellishing it with embroidery elevates it to a masterpiece! The addition of lovely hand-stitched flowers, vines, French knots, and other decorative designs puts the icing on your layer cake!

Hand embroidery is an art that has been practiced for thousands of years. Archeologists have found indicators of embroidery done by ancient civilizations, and ornate embroidered pieces from centuries ago still exist. Today, you can carry on that tradition with simple embroidery on quilts, clothing, and items for your home. It’s easy, economical, and very portable. Embroidering on quilt squares, pillow covers, and other small projects is a great activity to take along on road trips or to do while waiting for appointments.

Getting Started with Hand Embroidery

You don’t need a lot of supplies to begin embroidering, but having the right tools will make the task more enjoyable and produce the best results.

Hand Embroidery Needles

Embroidery needles are medium length, sharp, and have elongated eyes. They are meant to be slender enough not to leave holes in your fabric but have eyes that are roomy enough to insert the strands of thread or floss you’re using for your project.

Embroidery needles are numbered by size, with size 1 being the largest and size 12 being the shortest and finest. Sizes 7-9 are appropriate for most embroidery projects.

Types of Embroidery Thread

Six-strand embroidery cotton, also called embroidery floss, is the most common thread used for embroidery. It is sold in small skeins consisting of six strands of thread that can be separated depending on the look you want to achieve. You can use just one strand for a very fine effect, all six for a thick, full look, or any number of strands in between!

Perle cotton is another very popular embroidery thread, particularly for adding a bit more texture to your work. It is twisted in varying thicknesses, but the strands are not meant to be separated. Common weights of Perle cotton are #3, #5, #8 and #12, with #3 being thickest and #12 being the finest. Many quilters prefer #8 for embellishing crazy quilts.

When you are ready to delve deeper into embroidery, you might want to explore some other threads, including metallic and silk threads, tapestry yarn, and more.

Embroidery Hoops

An embroidery hoop is an essential tool for maintaining the correct tension of your work and creating consistent stitches. Hoops are two-piece rings that hold your fabric taut. To maintain the proper tension of your fabric, choose a hoop that is just a little larger than the area on which you’re embroidering. If the hoop is too big, you’ll have too much play in your fabric. If it’s too small, you’ll have to keep moving the hoop and potentially damage the stitches you’ve already made.

Embroidery Scissors

Because you’re not cutting fabric with your embroidery scissors, they can be quite small. But they should also be quite sharp! Scissors made specifically for embroidery have fine, sharp points. The sharpness allows you to cut your thread cleanly to reduce fraying. The fine point allows you to slip beneath an “oops” stitch to remove it. Some embroidery scissors have curved tips to make that task even easier.

Spring-loaded snips are convenient for cutting threads and are preferred by some people who have arthritis or hand pain. Snips tend to be a bit thicker than embroidery scissors, though, so you may have to reach for a seam ripper to remove stitching mistakes.

Embroidery Patterns and Designs

Options for hand embroidery patterns & designs are limitless! Anything that can be drawn, can be embroidered. If you are comfortable drawing freehand, use a washable fabric pen to create your own designs. If you need a little help, pattern transfer paper comes to the rescue! Find a printed design you like, place the transfer paper between your fabric and the printed design, and then just trace it. You also can purchase iron-on designs that transfer lines of ink onto your fabric.

Best Fabrics for Embroidery

Many different fabrics can be used for embroidery, depending on the look you want to achieve.

Medium-weight linens or linen blends are good choices for wall art, pillows, and other home décor. Cotton is the perfect fabric for embroidered quilt squares. And lightweight denim is a fun fabric to embroider on for a casual, boho look.

Regardless of the fabric type, solid neutral colors will provide the best backdrop for showcasing your embroidery stitches.

Learn Basic Embroidery Stitches

Because embroidery has been practiced for so many years, creative people have had lots of time to develop hundreds of beautiful stitches! But don’t worry– you have to learn only a few basic embroidery stitches to be on your way to embellishing garments, housewares, quilt squares, wall hangings, and more!

Satin Stitch: The satin stitch is one of the most common stitches in embroidery. It is used to fill in small areas with color. You fill in those areas, such as flower petals or leaves, by stitching lines of floss from one side of a design to the opposite side.Think of it as a closely spaced zigzag stitch. Watch the video above & follow these simple steps:

➤Bring the needle up at the edge of the shape to be filled.

➤Insert the needle down at the opposite edge of the shape.

➤Bring the needle back up closely beside last stitch without overlapping.

➤Continue until the shape is filled.

Tip: For a smoother, more satiny look, make sure the stitches are parallel, not intertwined.

Back Stitch: Use the back stitch to create solid lines. Those lines might be floral vines, lines of written text, or outlines of areas you satin stitched. You create the line by leaving a short space between the end of one stitch and the beginning of the next stitch and then working backward to fill in the space. Watch the video above & follow these simple steps:

➤Bring the needle up through the fabric.

➤Insert the needle down one stitch length from the first stitch, moving backwards near the last stitch.

➤Bring the needle back up a stitch length.

Tip: Use shorter stitches for outlining shapes and curves for a more precise look.

Running Stitch/Straight Stitch: The running stitch is similar to the back stitch, but you leave short open spaces between the stitches you make. The result is a broken, dashed line of stitching. A straight stitch is one isolated segment of the running stitch. Watch the video above & follow these simple steps:

➤Bring the needle up through the fabric.

➤Insert the needle down about a stitch length away from the starting point.

➤Bring the needle back up from the end of the last stitch.

Stem Stitch: As its name suggests, the stem stitch often is used to make the stems of flowers. It also is called a crewel stitch or stalk stitch. It works well for outlining, too, and is sometimes referred to as an outline stitch. Watch the video above & follow these simple steps:

➤Bring the needle up just slightly above the pattern line. Insert the needle down one stitch length away from your starting point, slightly below the pattern line.

➤Bring the needle back up about halfway between these first two points, slightly above the pattern line.

Tip: Always work from left to right. Use shorter stitches for curved lines for a more precise look.

Lazy Daisy: This simple flower stitch will add a charming touch to your embroidery project. Loops extending from around a center point are held in place with a single stitch to create petals. Watch the video above & follow these simple steps:

➤Bring the needle up through your fabric.

➤Insert the needle down near the same hole to create a hoop.

➤Bring the needle back up as far away from your starting point as you want the petal length to be, looping the thread under the needle.

➤Pull the stitch snug but not so tight that it loses the teardrop shape.

➤At the top of the teardrop shape, make a tiny stitch to secure it in place.

Tip: To create a flower shape, continue making stitches in this manner, working from the center.

Star Stitch: This stitch can be so much more than stars! Put them among lazy daisy stitches to create a garden of flowers, use white floss to make snowflakes, or make them tiny and metallic for sparkles.

➤Bring the needle up in the center, then insert the needle down at the edge of the star.

➤Start the next point of the star by bringing the needle back up in the center and then back down at the next edge.

➤Continue in this manner until the desired number of points of the star are complete.

Tip: Create different looks by varying the length of the points, the number of points, or by leaving an opening in the center.

Fly Stitch: This easy stitch is great for adding stems to flowers. The V shapes that point upward from the center line resemble leaves.

➤Bring the needle up on one side of the V.

➤Insert the needle to the opposite side, creating a loop under the needle.

➤Pull the floss through snugly in the center (or wherever you want it to end) to catch the loop until the stitch forms a “V”. To secure the stitch, insert the needle close to the other side of the stitch.

Tips: Change the look of the “V” to a “Y” by making the anchor stitch longer. Connect the “Y”s vertically to make a fern-like stem.

French Knot: The French knot is a great accent stitch that adds texture to your project. Think of them as bumpy polka dots! Scatter them among stitched leaves to look like flower buds, use them as eyes on snowmen, or pack them together to fill in an area.

➤Bring the needle up through the fabric.

➤Put your needle close to the fabric and wrap the thread twice around the needle, from front to back.

➤Hold the thread taut and insert the needle in or near the original hole.

➤Pull the thread through the fabric until a knot is formed on the surface of the fabric.

Tip: To make larger dots, wrap the thread around the needle 3 to 4 times.

Taking Your Embroidery Skills to the Next Level

Now that you know the basics of embroidery, you’re on your way to embellishing all kinds of things! Start small by adding a few stitches to give detail to a pillow cover or quilted wall hanging. Embroider a flower on the collar of a denim shirt. Embellish a few quilt blocks or create a personalized quilt label.

You’ll soon be on your way to crafting beautiful embroidered pieces, carrying on a tradition performed by people for generations and creating treasures for generations to come! Love what you just read? Keep the inspiration coming by subscribing to BLOCK Magazine! Every issue includes 10 exclusive patterns, skill-building tips, technique guidance, trend insights, and plenty of ideas to spark your next quilting project. It’s more than a magazine – it’s an idea book offering a creativity boost. Whether you are new to sewing or an experienced quilter, there’s inspiration to be found in every issue. Subscribe to BLOCK Magazine today so you never miss a stitch!