How do you store and carry your larger embroidery projects? I'm a fan of tote bags for both storing and toting, personally. I am a sucker for tote bags of all types! With that in mind, I thought I'd show off one of this year's Christmas presents. Knowing I love tote bags, Mary Grace of Hooked on Needles sent me a fabulous one, and here it is....

The one thing I require in a tote bag is room - I have to be able to stick my embroidery project on the frame in the bag, along with all the tools, threads, and so forth required to complete the project. When I've got a needlework project stored up in a tote bag, I feel secure - like I can grab it and go at any time, even if I'm just going into the other room! A tote bag with a project nestled within is great for long trips, for short trips, for those times when you know you're going to be sitting somewhere, waiting.... and waiting.... Well, in general, I just like tote bags for my projects!



I like the fabric on this bag, and I love the coordinated lining! But most of all, I like that it can do this:



See the difference? The inside facing of the bag - made from a coordinated fabric - is not sewn down to the inside of the bag. It folds out for added space, and it can still be zipped shut.

Closing is important! Raindrops off roses, whiskers (and other hair) off kittens, dust that might settle and snow from my mittens - all must be kept off the embroidery! And so having a tote that expands in height and that zips closed is terrific!



Roomy isn't the word for this one - I can easily fit an 18" x 20" frame in here, along with all the necessities to complete the framed-up project. In fact, if I really wanted, I could pretty much fit all my current pending / possible projects in this bag! It's very roomy.

There are a couple separate pockets inside the tote.



And there's this little hidden pocket fitted inside the bag facing, where I can keep things I don't want to lose.



And - a nice little touch - there's a key hook on a nice long strap.

It's a terrific tote! And the fabric is fun! And the construction and finishing - excellent!

If you're looking for a nice tote for your work and you're not into sewing your own, you can contact Mary Grace at Hooked on Needles. Right now, it looks like she's selling website samples and a few tote bags, but I'm pretty sure she'll also do custom orders, if you have your own fabric and patterns.

I was lucky to receive this as a gift, because we drew each other's names for a Christmas swap. I bet you're dying to know what I made and sent to her.

I'm afraid I was a fink and didn't send anything hand-made. But hey, I included some entertainment for her kids - some audio stories - which is even better! She can plug the kids in and sew in peace.

See, I think of everything.

(Ok, fine, I'm a fink.)

Thanks, M-G! I love the tote, and it's serving its purpose well!

Labels: needlework accessories, needlework tools

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, February 17, 2010
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Since I'm exploring a bit of crewel embroidery these days, I thought I'd share some resources with you for different things relevant to crewel embroidery. You'll find that most of these resources are relevant to other types of hand embroidery as well, though, so even if you aren't into crewel, you'll probably find something here that entices you!

Transferring Your Embroidery Design

For transferring crewel designs, a reader suggested using a sepia colored micron pen, as it will be less likely to show (with anything except white). I totally agree! But sepia colored art pens are not always available at craft and art stores, so they're harder to come by. I just ordered a couple from Blick Art Materials. They have both the Sakura Micron Pens and the Prismacolor Illustration Markers. I like both. A product search for "micron" pens will bring these up.




A light table is also a great instrument for transferring designs. If you like to embroider your own designs instead of pre-printed designs, investing in one of these is a good idea. You can use it for all kinds of applications - not just for tracing onto fabric. I use mine for lots of things - card-making, embossing, designing layouts for needlework, etc. You can find these at Blick's as well, in all sorts of types and price ranges.

Fabric for Crewel Embroidery - Hedgehog Handworks Sale!



Traditionally, linen twill is favored for crewel work. Besides linen twill, you can also use a plain weave linen. Hedgehog Handworks carries Legacy linen twill for $84 / yard - and right now (through January) they're having a 15% off sale (on everything!), but the twill is 30% off - so it's $58.80 yard. That's an absolute steal. If you want to use plain-weave linen, they also carry Strathaven linen, which works well for crewel when backed by muslin. Both linens can be used for other needlework applications as well. I was thinking the twill would make a nice ground fabric for goldwork and needlepainting, so I'm planning on trying that out later. Hedgehog Handworks is also a great place to pick up Renaissance Dying wool, cotton floche, Gilt Sylke Twist, Soie d'Alger (best price online, while it's on sale!), and Hardwicke Manor hoops.... not to mention goldwork threads... and the list could go on. Do check out their January sale - it's a great time to stock up!

So whether you're exploring crewel embroidery with me right now, or you're playing with other surface embroidery endeavors, the above resources will help you find the tools and supplies you need for your needlework.

Try not to go hog-wild at Hedgehog! (Well.... I suppose you can if you want to!)




(I did.)

Labels: embroidery links, embroidery resources, fabric for embroidery, linen, needlework tools, supplies

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, January 08, 2010
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I'm on a crewel kick, if you hadn't noticed (and the crewel puns are probably getting pretty old!) But as life would have it, one interruption after another has prevented me from setting up the Crewel Rooster. I suppose I could be really unsociable and mean and lock all the doors and put a "Go Away" sign out - but that would hardly be very holiday-spirited, now, would it? (Forgive me a crewel chuckle... while I go post the sign....)

Recent e-mails and comments on previous posts have raised a few questions that I want to address here, and I also want to show you how I set up these little crewel "smalls" that I've been working on lately. They've turned out to be great little embroidery projects that are quick to work.

We'll start with setting up a crewel embroidery project on a stretcher bar frame. Now, what I'm doing here really holds true for practically any embroidery project set up on stretcher bars. I'll try to elaborate as I go along and explain any differences.



What you see here is one of the smalls from Tristan Brooks Designs. I wrote about Tristan Brooks Designs at length recently, so I won't go into explaining what these are - you can read about them on the previous post. But what you want to note here is that the ground fabric for the crewel work in these little kits is actually a regular weave linen. That is, the threads that form the fabric are horizontal and vertical threads, perpendicular to each other. I believe it's Strathaven linen that comes in the kits, and it's a nice, solid plain-weave linen.

The linen requires a lining fabric behind it, to support the stitches used in crewel work and the weight of the thread. When you're cross-stitching with linen, you wouldn't put a lining fabric behind it. After all, you're working in holes naturally formed by the intersections of the threads in the fabric. But with surface embroidery, the stitches don't necessarily conform to the holes in the fabric, and so you end up splitting the linen threads as you stitch, and stitching in the holes. A lining fabric helps you maintain smooth edges and curves. So, behind the linen here is a piece of regular cotton muslin (aka calico).

The point of this is to let you know that, although I will definitely be working on linen twill in my upcoming rooster project (more on the subject of linen twill later!), crewel embroidery can be done on a plain-weave linen. Just make sure you line it with a piece of muslin.

What you see in the photo above is the muslin in the background, with the linen placed over it. The grain of the linen and the grain of the muslin need to match! Make sure you line up your lining fabric when lining any piece of embroidery with the grain of the ground fabric. If one of the fabrics is off - if the fabric grains don't match - you risk your embroidery puckering. Actually, it's not just a risk - it's definite! Imagine having your linen "square" - the grain of the fabric running perfectly horizontal and vertical on your work table - but putting behind it a piece of muslin on the bias. The muslin will be stretchy, because it's turned on the bias! This will create puckers.

So line up your two fabrics on the grain, and pin them all the way around.



Double up some sewing thread, and stitch your linen ground fabric to the muslin lining, using a herringbone stitch.

Now, a little bit about this: on these little projects that I'm working on here, a close running stitch around the inside of the linen (though the linen and the muslin) will work fine. And it's a lot faster than working a herringbone stitch. But if you're working a bigger project that will be framed up for a while, stick with the herringbone stitch!



Once you've stitched all around the edges of the linen, you're good to go.

It works out well for me that the muslin is much larger than the linen square, because I don't have a frame small enough to accommodate just the linen. If you're working on a larger frame than the size of your ground fabric, make sure you cut your muslin large enough to fit your frame. In these circumstances, you'd actually be pinning the muslin to stretcher bar frames, rather than the linen.



For crewel work, your fabric must be drum tight. You have three options for achieving this: a hoop, a stretcher bar frame, or a slate frame.

If you don't have the latter two options available, then use a hoop. I have my druthers about hoops! Previously, I've presented an argument for good embroidery hoops, and I've also talked about binding an embroidery hoop. You might want to read both of those articles, if the question of hoops is confusing to you. At the same time, though, if you're just starting out and you don't want to invest yet in supplies, and you have a regular "Susan Bates" plastic hoop that you use, by all means, use it. Just don't leave your fabric in it when you aren't stitching! They are more prone to catch dirt than other types of hoops, because of the little "lip" on the inside ring.

Stretcher bars are sold at specialty needlework shops. You can find them as well at Michael's in the needlework aisle, but the ones sold there are made of a hard wood and are unfinished, so it's difficult to push the tacks in them, and they're splintery, which is never quite comfy on the hands. The stretcher bars that I love to use - and I don't use any others anymore - are Evertite stretcher bars. This is also a topic I've already discussed here on Needle 'n Thread, so you might want to read my previous review of these stretcher bars if you don't know anything about them. I just love them! I've slowly invested in practically every size, and I use them All The Time. (I should have stock in that company - I plug them a lot, too... but we aren't affiliated!)

Slate frames are a little more complicated and a little harder to come by, but not as impossible to come by as they were three or four years ago! I use a slate frame (I have two, a medium and a large size) for larger pieces that will be set up for a long time. It is true that slate frames are the best when it comes to providing consistent, drum-tight, adjustable tension for your embroidery projects. But they are sometimes a pain to set up (you can see my previous tutorial on dressing a slate frame), and for smaller projects, I find the Evertite stretcher bars a better choice all around. But if you're keen on using a slate frame, then you'll find them available through Hedgehog Handworks and through Tristan Brooks.

All that having been said, the 8" Evertite stretcher bars work perfectly for these crewel smalls, and I'll be using a set of 10" Evertite stretcher bars for the rooster.



The review of the Evertite frame is really more of a tutorial on how to set one up, so if you don't know how to set up stretcher bar frames, you might want to take a look at that article, too.

Now, if the house is quiet today - if no company stops in - then I'm setting up that rooster! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

(Actually, really - what would life be without friends and family stopping in?! I'll get the rooster set up eventually!)

More on crewel work later, with a bit of information on threads and so forth. Crewel work, by the way, is really just surface embroidery worked (normally) in wool threads. You don't have to limit yourself to wools, and if you want to join along and try out a bunch of stitches typical of crewel work but you don't have wool, don't worry about it! Use what you have on hand!

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!!

Labels: crewel work, Embroidery Projects, embroidery resources, embroidery tips and tricks, needlework tools, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, January 02, 2010
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A couple weeks ago, I took my Mom to a small cross stitch shop here in Kansas. She was looking for some kind of magnetic something-or-other to mark her filet lace crochet patterns, and I was happy to oblige her with the journey - I'm always in the mood for a needlework shop, after all! While we were there, I came across an interesting "tool" that captured my interest, so I bought it, thinking (if it does what it says) it would be an interesting tool to share with you.

But as it turns out, I am majorly perplexed by this needlework tool. Maybe someone out there can enlighten me on its value!



This is what it is: "thread straightener" rods, for silk or synthetic threads that are kinky, curly, etc.

Now, in concept, I am not opposed to a tool that would easily assist in relaxing the kinks out of silk threads. I, too, have been befuddled and frustrated by silk threads that are so boingy that they are a pain to use.

So I was more than willing to give this little miracle tool set a try.



These are two four-inch plexi-glass or pastic dowels, with a purple rubbery foam cushion hugging the middle of the dowels. The purple stuff feels a lot like the stuff that's used on the outside of drink bottles to insulate them.



According to the directions, you're supposed to wrap the cut ends of each thread around the purple foam center, and gently pull until you feel the thread relax. This is supposed to remove kinks, curls, etc.

For my first attempt, I took out some curly silk that was wound on a small, narrow spool, so it was a bit out the curly-bouncy side. I wrapped only the cut ends (about an inch or an inch and a half) around the purple stuff, one end to each dowel. And I pulled gently.

What I felt was the cut ends sinking into the foam center on the dowels. I didn't "feel" the thread relax. ??!! And the thread didn't look any different when I removed the ends from the dowels, except that the ends were a bit staticky.

Then I looked at the instructions again, and I thought that perhaps they really meant that, starting from each cut end of the thread, I was to wrap the thread all the way around the purple foam, into the center of the thread, so that the thread was wound onto the dowels, and then I was supposed to pull gently, pulling the thread off the dowels.



So I tried that, too, and ended up with a staticky mess of curly silk thread. I'm assuming my second interpretation of the directions was entirely incorrect - curly-boingy thread is one thing. Staticky-curly-boingy thread is another matter entirely, and practically impossible to stitch with.

Yes, I'm stumped. This isn't exactly my idea of a useful needlework tool. But perhaps I've got the whole thing figured wrong, and there's some way to make this $5 set of 4-inch plastic sticks useful? Any clues?

A tried and true method for relaxing kinked, curly, or bouncy silk thread: Take the whole bundle (assuming it's coming off a skein) and cut it to your preferred length for stitching. Then put the tea kettle on. Once it starts whistling, hold your bundle of threads in both hands, and pull gently on it while running it through the steam from the kettle. In this way, you've relaxed your whole bundle of threads in one go. Then fix yourself a cup of tea and let your threads dry out. You can also use Thread Heaven on particularly cantankerous threads, to good effect.

Labels: needlework tools, pictures, silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, October 05, 2009
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Gold embroidery needles! A somewhat exciting concept, don't you think? The richness of gold, coating the outside of the needle for a beautiful and smooth finish - to make the needle better for stitching. This is the concept, anyway, but does it hold true?

Some embroiderers have told me that they stitch exclusively with gold needles because of allergies. They find that other needles tarnish quickly in their hands, or bother their skin. In these cases, they've found that gold needles are a good solution for them. But if you don't have skin allergies or reactions to regular steel needles, what is the advantage of stitching with a gold needle?

Most needles today are made out of high carbon steel that is stretched to the correct size, cut, sharpened, punched, and plated with nickel. Hence, folks with nickel allergies usually look for specialty needles that are plated with something else. That something else can be gold or platinum. Here, we're looking specifically at gold-plated needles.

According to various descriptions of gold needles (in retail shops, manufacturers websites, etc.), gold needles are superior to other needles and are resistant to corrosion from humidy and body oils. According to one website, "gold needles cost a little more than steel but they impart a real sense of quality to your needlework."

Available here in the US, the most common gold needles are made by DMC, which offers 18k gold plated embroidery and tapestry needles in various sizes. John James (made in England, but widely available in the US) also makes a line of gold needles, though I am uncertain of the range of gold needles they produce. I know they produce gold tapestry needles in sizes sizes 20 - 28, and petite tapestry needles in sizes 22 - 28. If you have a popular needle company in your own country and are interested in gold-plated needles, you might want to check to see if they produce any gold plated embroidery needles.

Now, about the needles specifically. Are they really "better"? Do they really "impart a sense of quality to your needlework"? (Um - logically speaking, I don't think that claim flies, but anyway...) They cost more, certainly. For about a dollare more than a package of six John James regular tapestry needles, you can purchase three John James gold plated needles. So they cost more than twice as much as regular needles. Incidentally, John James platinum coated needles cost about $2.50 more per package, and you get... 2.



In the photo above, the needle on the left is a size 26 gold-plates tapestry needle (by John James). The needle on the right is a regular steel needle plated with nickel, John James, tapestry #26.

I started using the gold-plated needle because I was looking for a #26 needle, and I had a package of gold plated ones close at hand, so I grabbed 'em. I used this particular gold-plated needle in the photo above for several hours of stitching - probably six hours all told.

When I first started stitching with it, I did notice a different "feel" to the needle. Really! It feels different as it passes through the fabric. It is pleasantly smooth, and it almost seems "squeaky" smooth as it goes through the fabric. There's no resistence or anything, but there is definitely a different feel to it. It glides in a squeaky clean kind of way. (How do you describe how a needle feels??!)

So, away I stitched.



I really hadn't thought too hard about gold-plated needles before this particular incident of stitching. I have a few gold needles, but have never used them any length of time.



In the photo above, the needle on the left is the one I used for about six hours. The needle on the right is new from the package.



But, this is the thing - and I realize it may just be an individual difference in skin and body chemistry, so you can't take this as an absolutely "objective" review of gold-plated needles. After about six hours of stitching with the gold-plated needle, it started to feel "sticky" as it passed through the fabric, rather than smooth and squeaky. I had to push it through - it had stopped gliding smoothly.

On closer inspection, the wear on the coating was obvious. On the shaft of the needle, there were darker areas of wear, and, as you can see in the photo above, the shaft is dull rather than softly shiny.

I still like the initial feel of the gold needles, and I am going to use the other two. I'll try cleaning my hands a different way to see if that helps allay the corrosion of the gold finish.

But I have to admit, since I haven't experienced any allergy problems with nickel, or any corrosion problems with the standard list of needles that I use - John James, Richard Hemming (not my absolute faves, but they're ok), Bohin, and some Wendy Schoen needles - I probably won't make a habit of paying extra for gold coating.

That being said, I really do think I need to try platinum! Just for curiosity's sake!

What are your experiences with gold plated needles? Do you use them? Have you ever had corrosion issues? How about with regular nickel-plated needles? Any insights!

Have a terrific Friday!

Labels: needles, needlework tools, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, September 11, 2009
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Do you ever get to that point in your stitching where you have just a couple more stitches, but ooooooh - your thread is running out and you're pretty sure your needle isn't going to let you go any further? I experienced that a couple times last week. What's the solution? Petites.

Tapestry petites are little needles - a full quarter inch smaller than a regular sized tapestry needle - and they are ideal for getting the most out of your thread.



These needles, stuck in the needle felt block I keep my Japanese hand-made needles in, are both size 28 tapestry needles. Tapestry needles have a long eye and a blunt tip and are the ideal needle for counted thread work, needlepoint, petit point, and other techniques where you need a blunt tip that will help you avoid splitting fabric threads.

The needle on the left in the photo above is the tapestry petite.

You would not think that a quarter of an inch on a needle would make all that much difference, but it really does! The short needle allows you to work closer to the end of your thread, getting the most stitch coverage out of it, while still being able to manipulate the needle underneath the threads on the back when you're ready to tie off.

Tapestry petites do require some getting used to! That little needle, especially in a size 28 (which is relatively small for tapestry needles) is much more delicate, so your fingers have to get used to finding it. But once you're used to the smaller needle, you'll find it's a great tool for your stitching needs.



Tapestry petites come in different brands, but the local needlework shop where I bought my last bunch of needles only carries John James. That's quite ok - these are pretty good needles. I've never had a problem with them, even after long-term use.

One online source that I really like for needles, especially if I'm buying in bulk, is Colonial Needle. They have just about every type of needle you'd want for regular handwork, and their prices, shipping, and customer service are hard to beat.

So, if you're looking to get a bit more out of your thread, next time you buy needles, consider picking up some tapestry petites. I think you'll like them!

How about you? Do you use petites? Do you like them? What's your Favorite Needle?

Labels: needles, needlework tools, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, September 08, 2009
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After speaking with Joey about Luzine's Schwalm Whitework embroidery project I'm getting ready to start, I decided to try out a different method of transferring a design: using watercolor color pencils to trace. Now, we already know about regular dressmaker pencils that have "water soluble" blue chalk in them - but what I'm looking at today is not found in the sewing notions section of your local store. You'll find watercolor pencils in the art section of hobby stores or art stores. In this little test piece, I went a little overboard (actually, I went a lot overboard!) with Faber Castell watercolor pencils - but I learned something at the same time.

Watercolor pencils are normally used to mimic the effects of watercolor painting, by drawing or coloring first with the pencil, then dabbing it with water to blend the pencil marks into a watercolor finish. They're fun to play with, on the art side, and they're equally as fun to play with on the embroidery side...



For this article, I used Faber Castell watercolor pencils. Other brands exist: Prismacolor, Caran d'Ache, Derwent, etc., and I intend to test Derwent and Prismacolor as well (eventually). I selected four colors of blue. Since I'm working a whitework project, blue is a good color for a design transfer. White "absorbs" blue, so even if there is a little residue, it generally only makes the white look a bit whiter (unless there's a lot of residue... then it looks... well. Blue.) I tried all four colors on the little piece I worked.



In fact, I went a bit overboard on the color - I drew the design darker than it needed to be. After all... I was testing to see if it would disappear, so why not go dark - because then we would really know, right?



You can see the four colors here on my fishy friend, and you can see that they are all pretty clearly drawn on the linen. No problem seeing the lines, that's for sure!



On the front part of the swashy tail, I used the darkest pencil. I drew with a heavy hand. (I know you're waiting with Baited - oh, no pun intended! - Breath to see if this has a happy ending!)



I stitched the fish in white coton a broder, size 25, using a variety of stitches - pretty much anything that popped into my head.



You can definitely see the blue lines on the front of the swashy tail.



And, in fact, you can see blue on the head, too.



I wasn't sure if I had drawn quite enough blue, so I penciled in a little more, for good measure.



Then I decided that testing with white threads only was a little restrictive - so I started adding some colored bubbles. And I drew some Very Dark Circles for the bubbles. (Well, why not? This is a test, this is only a test...) Since yellow and pink would definitely turn if blue soaked in, I chose yellow...



... and a wee bit of pink. I also left a few bubbles blank - it would be interesting to see if traces of them were left on the fabric.



I decided there wasn't quite enough blue around the yellow, so I colored in a bubble.



Then, on a whim, I went back to the swashy tail because I couldn't leave well enough alone. I added more blue around the tail.



Then, the fish was introduced to water. I dribbled a bit on at first, just to see what would happen. Would the blue run? Noooo. It didn't really do much of anything. So I soaked the thing. And soaked it. And soaked it a bit longer. (In fact, I got busy doing something else, forgot about it, and came back to it the next day!)



I removed the fish from the water and committed a Grave Error - but one I felt necessary for the sake of photographing the thing - and I ironed it before all the transfer color was removed. Actually, I figured if the color weren't gone after 16 hours of neglected soaking, would it really ever leave?



Much of the blue did indeed leave - but not all. Considering the heavy dose around the tail, this actually isn't that bad when it comes to residue. Still, it's more than I'd want on a finished piece of whitework.



There's a faint bit of blue around the fishbone fish fins. From farther away, this is, in fact, not too noticeable.



The buttonhole back of the swashy tail actually came out terrific - nary a hint of blue, or if there is, it is ever-so-faint.



The bubbles are a bit of a different story. I drew them with all four blues at first, but then I went back over them (in my frenzy to add Enough Blue) with the darkest blue. I don't really like the removal results here. The unstitched bubbles are still quite visible, as is the blue inside the yellow bubble, and faint circles of blue around all the rest of the bubbles.



The lighter of the four blues - 140 & 147 of the Faber Castell pencils - worked best as far as removal went. Would I use these again? Well, yes. In fact, I did - to transfer my Schwalm design.

I would not use the two darker blues again, even with a light hand.

My conclusions on the Faber Castell watercolor pencils: the lighter ones work ok, but go easy in applying the marks.

You may wonder why I would try the watercolor pencils at all, when "water soluble" dressmaker pencils are widely available. The fact is, I've never had good luck getting ALL the blue out, after using a dressmaker's transfer pencil. I am hoping to find the "perfect" tool for tracing an embroidery design - the pencil that leaves No Trace Behind!

I'll be trying Prismacolor watercolor pencils next, as soon as I have a chance. Joey has used Prismacolors with very good results. The Faber Castell pencils (which are called Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils) have the highest amount of pigment in them, according to the description. There may be a significant difference between the two types of pencils, so I'm looking forward to giving the Prismacolors a try.

Incidentally, I didn't wait to buy a Prismacolor watercolor pencil before transferring the Schwalm design...

Perhaps I should have!

Labels: embroidery tips and tricks, needlework tools

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, August 12, 2009
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Following up on yesterday's post about selecting a good hand embroidery hoop, here's a little tutorial on how to bind the inside ring of your hoop in order to maintain better tension for a longer period of time.

Binding a hoop isn't absolutely essential in embroidery, but it does have its advantages. When you bind at least one ring (I bind the inside ring), you supply a little extra friction to keep your fabric tighter, longer. Also, the binding adds a bit of protective "padding" that will make the hoop a bit easier on your fabric. And though binding seems as if it would be a time-waster or a pain in the neck, really, it's very simple, and once it's done, you don't normally have to do it again. I have four hoops with the inner ring bound that I've been using for three or four years, and the binding job is just as good now as it was when I first did it. They work great! I'm glad I took the time to bind them.

That being said, not all my hoops are bound; I often work with hoops that aren't. If you want to bind the inside ring of one of your hoops, here's a little tutorial to show you how. Keep in mind that the tutorial focuses on the inside ring of the hoop. If you decide to bind the outside ring of the hoop, you'll need to begin and end your twill tape on the outside of the outside ring. Binding doesn't really work well on the plastic Susan Bates-style hoops that have a lip.



First, gather your supplies. I'm using the same Hardwicke Manor Hoop I spoke about yesterday (7" round x 5/8" deep). (By the way, it's HardwickE Manor Hoop, with an "E" - seems I spelled it wrong ...)

I'm using 1" twill tape, the kind you buy in the notions section at a sewing store. It's polyester. For better friction, I'd suggest cotton twill tape, but I didn't have any on hand. Cotton twill tape is easier to bind the hoop with, too, as it's not as slippery as polyester and it has a little more body to it. You can also use narrower twill tape, but the 1" works well on the 5/8" hoops. On smaller hoops - the 5/16" ones - I use narrower twill tape.

Twill tape vs bias tape: I like twill tape better. You can use bias tape, but the folded bias tape has a noticeable edge where the fold ends, so you don't get smooth coverage. Any overlapping or any spots of bulging thickness reduce the effectiveness of binding the hoop.

You'll definitely want some clothespins to help you out, unless you have four hands. I've always wanted four hands, but since I haven't managed growing extras, I just use clothespins.

You'll also need scissor, sewing thread, and a sewing needle.



Begin by laying your twill tape at an angle across the inside of your inside embroidery ring. You want the beginning and the end of the length of twill tape to meet on the inside of the ring, because that's where you'll stitch them together, avoiding a bulge from your stitching on the outside of the ring, where it meets the inside of the outer ring of the hoop. (Wow.... confusing...!)



Wrap the twill tape around the hoop once to establish the angle needed for the tape to lay perfectly parallel to the wrap before, and then use a clothespin to hold the edge.



Continue to wrap the twill tape around the hoop, lining up the edges of the tape so that they are parallel and not overlapping. Pull the tape tight, and work with it to reduce any bulging or buckling. You want it to hug the hoop.



When you get to about the halfway point, if everything is looking good, go ahead and clamp another clothespin on to secure the tape at that point. This way, if you mess up a bit on the second half, you don't have to re-wrap the whole ring.



When you arrive back at the beginning of your twill tape, fix the end with another clothespin. You may have more space than you want between the wraps, or you may need to adjust to fit the last wrap in just right. Clamp the end with another clothespin, then work the twill tape around with your hands, running the hoop through your hands and shifting the tape around as you need to. You might have to tug a bit here and there, or twist the hoop in your hands a bit, adjusting until you line up the edges of the wraps as close as possible to each other and until wraps of the twill tape are hugging the hoop all around.



Undo the clothespin on the beginning of the wrap, and cut the extra off, so that the twill ends at the farther edge of the ring.



Then, take the end of the twill tape (it'll be the end with the long tail) and finish wrapping it so that it overlaps the beginning of the tape. Don't trim it just yet. Stick a clothespin on to hold both ends in the right place.

Then, take your needle and thread (with a knot in the end of the thread), and begin stitching over the overlap. I just use a whip stitch, and I stitch down the edge of the inside of the ring, through both pieces of twill, and then back again over the same path.



I also stitch down one side of the twill wraps, stitching two edges of the wrap together. Then, clip off the extra twill tape...



... and the inner ring of your hoop is now bound!

Try binding one hoop - I think you'll like it!

Tomorrow, stay tuned for the first "action" installment of the Long and Short Stitch lessons. I'll discuss materials, talk about transferring the pattern, give you the design to transfer, and show you my transfer and set-up process.

Incidentally, I've had a jolly awful time editing the first video, soooo... I gave up and will try again this weekend. I bit the bullet and invested in a new camcorder today, so you should be getting a better quality video, at any rate. But yikes! After hours in front of the computer yesterday, and practically all day today, I was ready to pull out my hair.

Instead, I shopped! My Mom always says, "Get your hair done and go shopping - you'll feel better." Her solution to every gal's problems! And... she's right! It worked! I can't wait to get back to the whole video process!!

See you tomorrow!

Labels: embroidery tips and tricks, needlework tools, needlework tutorials, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, July 30, 2009
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