Embroidery remains one of the most decorative arts whether done by hand or machine. Embroidery enthusiasts all over the world are continuously coming up with new inspirations to add taste and flavor to their designs. If you are still an amateur in embroidery, you may be mistaken to think that floral embroidery is one of the hardest forms of embroidery compared to the rest. However, the trick of the process is to start with an interest in whatever you are doing and pushing forward to achieving exactly what you are visualizing.
As you learn how to embroider flowers, one of the first things you should learn is the stiches. This is because stitching forms the bedrock of floral embroidery. This article describes the various stitches you can start learning for your small floral projects as well as the process to follow as you learn step by step how to go about the switching.
Detached Chain Stitch
If you want to learn how to embroider flowers, this stitch which is also known as the lazy daisy stitch is an absolute necessity. The detached chain forms petal shapes which when put together with their points touching at the center can form a simple flower. Depending on the number of petals you want to form, you can use 3, 5 or more detached chains. Into the pattern, you can add French knots at the center. The beauty with detached chain stitches is that they do not need a pattern traced on the fabric because they are simple to do.
French Knots
These knots are used to stitch the center of flowers, but can also be used in a number of ways to create flowers by themselves. On your journey on how to embroider flowers, you will learn the different combination of French knots and the impact they will make on the final floral design. For instance, a single French knot will design the smallest flower while putting a ring of 4, 5 or more flowers can help you design forget-me-knots and other small flowers. If you place French knots randomly along a branch or stem, you can have blossoms.
Fly Stitch
This type of embroidery stitch is used for the greenery when embroidering flowers. It can make an exceptional calyx when stitching detached chain rose buds. Arranging a number of long-tailed fly stitches in a circular format can give you a pretty flower and if you space the stitches apart, you can come with a dandelion clock depending on the floss color you use for your embroidery. In your bid to learn how to embroider flowers, you may try out varying the sizes of the fly stitches and enclosing each stitch in a bigger stitch to create leaves at the plant base.
If you stitch one fly stitch on top of the other along the length of the branch and add some French knots, you can create a spiky branch dotted with berries.
The Actual Embroidery Process
Having learnt the stitches you will use in embroidery, it is now the turn to grab some fabrics, threads and needles to create a mini-floral embroidery. In case you are worried about finding a pattern, one thing you should know is that when you are learning how to embroider flowers, you should just start somewhere and scatter the flowers however you like. You can then fill in the gaps with tiny flowers and come up with your own little garden on the fabric. Most of all, floral embroidery is about the fun and your unique artistic expression.
The size of your project doesn’t need to be large but you can give yourself sufficient room to practice the stitches. You may not come with a masterpiece at the beginning, but the fun while learning is worth it.
Your supplies for the process include the embroidery thread, a washable marking pen, embroidery needle, embroidery hoop and a plain white top.
Step 1 – Sketch a design that works well with the silhouette of your fabric. You can adjust the sketch size to fit the size of the area to be embroidered. The design is totally dependent on how you want your final work to look like.
Step 2 – You can use a light box or a carbon paper to trace the design you have sketched onto your garment. Another option is to secure your fabric on a window especially on a bright day and trace your design there. The best way to trace is to put the design which should be on paper by now inside your fabric and line up the design precisely at the area where you want the embroidery to be. Using a washable marking pen, carefully trace the design onto the front of the fabric.
Step 3 – Before beginning the stitching process, ensure your embroidery hoop is attached. The inner ring should be placed under the front side of the fabric where you want to start your stitching. Then loosen the tension on the outer ring then place it on top of the inner ring in order to stretch your fabric. Ensure the adjustment screw is tightened and this should get you started.
Step 4 – Thread the large-eyed embroidery needle with the thread of your choice. You can also separate some of the embroidery floss strands to help you make your embroidery thinner and a little bit more delicate. However, when learning how to embroider flowers, most people opt for the chunkier look meaning they don’t need to separate the thread. As you work your way through your embroidery design, you can swap out your colors at different stages. Every time you are done with stitching a flower or a section of color, create a knot on the underside of your fabric before proceeding. This is important to ensure your embroidered flower does not unravel when washing the fabric.
Step 5 – This is the final step in the floral embroidery process. After you are finished with stitching your design, rinse the fabric in cold water to drain out the ink from the marker pen. Then put your fabric in the dryer or alternatively hang it overnight to dry.
Conclusion:
This is the simplest process on how to embroider flowers. As you master the stages, you can put in any degree of sophistication depending on your desired end.