I hope you are able to join our stitch along and make this colorful little embroidery on black wool. Every few days I’ll show a few steps and offer valuable words of wisdom from my basement studio. Well, maybe “wisdom” is not the right word. But I can offer a tip or two on making the piece.
You’ll find steps on how to make the design added to the Tools of the Trade Stitch Along page as we go. It’s all free and you can join at anytime.
Our first step was to transfer the downloadable Tools of the Trade pattern to a background fabric using a Running Stitch. This is a quick way to transfer a design to fabrics that you can’t draw on like wool and felt. You can use fabrics other than wool or felt. But when we stitch this design, we do not use an embroidery hoop.
Yes, we are hoopless, totally hoopless.
So a heavier, firmer fabric like felted wool or felt (made with at least 20% wool) will give the best results. (See the Leaf Stitch Along to learn how to felt wool fabric.)
And now the next steps in making Tools of the Trade.
Step #3
- Stitch Chain Stitches to outline the vase shape following the Running Stitches. Use a size 8 pearl cotton thread (like Aquamarine) and a size 3 embroidery needle.
- Fill in the rim of the vase with horizontal rows of Chain Stitches placed right next to each other. Remove the Running Stitches around the vase shape.
- Stitch one row of Chain Stitches horizontally and about 1/4″ below the rim of the vase.
Step #4
- Stitch 8 more horizontal rows of Chain Stitches across the vase to make stripes.
- Stitch row #2 about 1/2″ below row #1. Stitch row #3 about 1/4″ below row #2.
- Add 3 more sets of rows with this same spacing.
Steps #5
- Stitch Stem Stitches horizontally and on top of the rows of Chain Stitches. Use a size 8 pearl cotton thread (like Peas in a Pod) and a size 3 embroidery needle.
- Stitch a row of Stem Stitches across the base of the vase.