Innehållsförteckning för Issue 72 från Love Embroidery

Get ready to spread Christmas cheer from ear to ear! We’ve packed this issue with all the projects you need to make this your most magical hand-stitched Christmas ever. From strings of twinkly felt ‘bulbs’ and cracker-shaped napkin rings, to hoops depicting snowy scenes, and THE ultimate Christmas cardi makeover – we’ve got your winter to-stitch list covered. And that’s not all. Don’t miss our festive hack for matching family PJs (p48), our fun advent tree cushion tutorial (p34), or the pattern for the super cheeky elf toy shown here (p51). Watch out though, he might just cause some mischief!…

Templates for digital readers on p71 MATERIALS Printed cotton fabric from your kit, or any cotton fabric: 16x16cm, white Stranded cotton from your kit or: 1 skein of cranberry, white, yellow Embroidery hoop from your kit or: 11cm diameter Fabric paint: green (optional) Very fine paint brush (optional) Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED French Knot, Satin Stitch, Straight Stitch 01 The stocking design is printed on the cotton fabric in your kit. But you can also transfer the design from the template on p71. To recreate the printed design, use green fabric paint and a very fine paintbrush to paint in the holly leaves, green present and main stocking section. Allow to dry completely before stitching. Mount the design into a hoop with the design central and the fabric taut. Using…

Sophie Timms wasn’t the only person who turned to craft during lockdown in 2020, but the journey it’s taken her on is extraordinary. Since discovering embroidery, she has quit her job in law, launched her full-time creative business, Mindful Mantra Embroidery, had a son and co-authored a book. Talk about a plot twist! So how did the simple art of embroidery change everything for this crafter? “I was in my paralegal position doing my Master’s in law part-time,” Sophie explains, “and then Covid-19 hit and it made me realise how unhappy I was in that job and how it didn't feel right for me. I really needed a creative outlet at that time, more than any other time in my life.” “And I was also living in my boyfriend’s flat, and…

MATERIALS Wool cardigan: pink Tapestry yarn: 1 ball each of brown, green, dark green, light green, pink, light pink, red, white, yellow Stranded cotton: 1 skein each of brown, dark pink DMC Diamant thread: D301 (copper) Adhesive soluble stabiliser Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED Backstitch, Chain Stitch, French Knot, Long and Short Stitch, Satin Stitch, Straight Stitch, Whipped Backstitch 01 Transfer the designs onto adhesive soluble stabiliser, spacing the motifs 3cm apart. Cut each design out, leaving at least 1cm around the edge. Cut out as many designs as you need to fill your chosen cardigan and arrange the motifs evenly. Peel off the backing and stick each design in place. 02 Starting with the candy cane motifs, fill every other segment using Satin Stitch in red yarn. Then, repeat…

Counted embroidery might sound a bit fancy compared to freestyle stitching, but it really just means working on a fabric with a visible grid such as aida, hardanger, and evenweave, to create uniform stitches and precise patterns (like cross stitch). But what if you didn’t want to work with those fabrics? Here Clare shares a simple hack of using soluble canvas, so you can stitch counted designs onto almost anything you fancy. Simply tack the grid in place, work your counted design, and then wash the canvas away! Turn the page to try the technique for yourself, and then make a Fair-Isle-style hoop. HOW TO WORK COUNTED EMBROIDERY ON SOLUBLE CANVAS 01 Mount the fabric into an embroidery hoop – we used cotton fabric, but soluble canvas will allow you…

MATERIALS Linen fabric: 50x25cm, green, red Cotton fabric: 50x20cm, skin tone, red and white stripes Felt fabric: 25x15cm, ivory Stranded cotton: 1 skein each of black, brown, gold, ivory, bright pink, red Metallic stranded thread: 1 skein of gold Embroidery hoop: 13cm diameter Toy stuffing Machine thread: in matching colours Sewing machine with standard foot Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED Backstitch, Chain Stitch, French Knot, Satin Stitch, Straight Stitch 01 Cut a 20x20cm square from skin tone fabric, then transfer the design from the face template onto this using your preferred method. We used a lightbox and a heat-erasable pen. Mount the fabric into a hoop with the design central and the fabric taut like a drum. Start by working a French Knot for each eye in six strands of…

We’re bringing machine embroidery bang-up-to-date this month with not one, but two seasonally-inspired makes for you to try. First up is Sophie Tarrant’s chic jumper hack, featuring a bold bow design and shimmering stars. With just a few sewing essentials and essential stitching skills, she’ll show you how to transform a simple pullover into a statement garment that you can wear with pride all winter long. Then our very own Technical Editor, Heather Nugent, will teach you how to overlap machine stitches to build gorgeous designs with thread, which you can then display in mini glass frames to create the illusion of suspended foliage. You have to try it!…

YOUR BASIC EMBROIDERY KIT For the majority of the projects in this issue you will need the following items. There are different types available, so read on to choose the correct materials for each project. Fabric Thread Needles Scissors Embroidery hoop Transfer pens/pencils FABRIC Embroidery can be worked on a wide variety of fabrics or ready-made items. It’s best to choose fabrics with a fairly smooth surface as heavily-textured surfaces will prevent the stitches from lying flat. For beginners, it’s best to start with 100% plain-weave cotton. When choosing fabric, consider its intended use, how much wear it will get, and how often it will need to be washed. Fabric can be categorised by its weave and fibre content. Plain weave is the most common type of weave and includes…

Thank you for making these projects from Love Embroidery. The copyright for these templates belongs to the designer of the project (and/or Our Media). The magazine and all of its contributors work extremely hard to create projects for you to enjoy, so please don’t re-sell or distribute these patterns without seeking permission first. Please do not make any part of the templates or instructions available to others through your website or a third party, or copy it multiple times without our permission. Copyright law protects creative work and unauthorised copying is illegal. We appreciate your help. SCAN ME …TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL-SIZED TEMPLATE AND MOTIFS FOR THIS PROJECT OR GO TO WWW.GATHERED.HOW…

Turn on the twinkling lights, pop on your fave festive tunes and grab your needle and thread. It’s time to get serious about making for Christmas. Whether you’re looking to treat your home to homemade decorations, or family and friends to hand stitched gifts, the key to success is starting early. Not only does it give you time to get everything done at a more comfortable and doable pace, it also allows you to take joy in the making, and after all, that’s what we are all here for, right? To lose yourself in the stitching. So clear your schedule, pour yourself a cuppa and make sure you have a pen and paper to hand as you flick through all the amazing projects in this issue – you’re going to…

MATERIALS Velvet fabric: 1m, dark green Felt fabric: 21x29cm, light blue, brown, green, pink, red, white, yellow Stranded cotton: 1 skein each of black, blue, brown, dark green, mint, pink, red, white, yellow Embroidery hoop: 10cm diameter 2cm Velcro/hook and loop strip – 50cm long, dark green Toy stuffing Patterned drawstring bag: 20x30cm Machine thread: dark green Sewing Machine with a standard foot Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED Backstitch, Basque Stitch, Blanket Stitch, Brick Stitch, Chain Stitch, Chevron Stitch, Feather Stitch, Fly Stitch, French Knot, Lazy Daisy Stitch, Leaf Stitch, Satin Stitch, Seed Stitch, Straight Stitch, Whipstitch GETTING STARTED All the felt shapes are worked in the same way. For each one, transfer the design on to the correct shade of felt using your preferred method. Attach all the elements…

MATERIALS Cotton fabric: 20x20cm, red and white striped Pearl cotton, size 12: 1 spool each of black, dark brown, light brown, blue, light blue, green, dark green, dark maroon, orange, dark peach, pink, white Embroidery hoop: 13cm diameter Velvet ribbon for hanging/bow (optional) Acrylic paint: mustard yellow (optional) Flat paintbrush (optional) Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED French Knot, Satin Stitch, Split Backstitch, Straight Stitch 01 Transfer the design from the template onto striped fabric using your preferred method. We used a heat-erasable pen and a light source. Then mount the fabric into an embroidery hoop with the design central and the fabric taut like a drum. When stretching the fabric, make sure the stripes are perfectly straight in the hoop. If they aren’t, it might lead to a warped design…

GETTING STARTED Zigzag Stitch is a basic function on most sewing machines and is worked using a standard sewing machine foot. The width and length of the stitch can be adjusted to achieve different effects. Changing the width setting will alter the size of the stitch (the height of the zigzag), whereas changing the length setting on your machine will alter the density of the stitches, with the highest number creating large, open zigzags and the smallest setting creating a dense, solid line, which is also known as Machine Satin Stitch. Test out your settings on a piece of scrap fabric first to check you are happy with them. You don’t need a hoop for this project as you’ll back your fabric with fusible interfacing instead, which not only makes…

HOW TO TRANSFER TRACING Place light-coloured and fine fabrics over the design and trace over it. For thicker or dark-coloured fabrics, a light source such as a window or lightbox makes this process much simpler. TRANSFER PENS AND PENCILS Choose a colour that will show up on the fabric. Use a permanent marker if the stitching will cover the lines, or a removable marker if you need to erase the lines afterwards – test on a scrap of fabric first so you know it can be removed. IRON-ON TRANSFERS Press your fabric, then place your transfer sheet ink side down on top and press with a hot, dry iron (taking care with heat-sensitive fabrics). You can reuse the transfers three to four times depending on the type of fabric you…

Letters to Santa Make this adorable felt envelope, addressed to the big man himself, and then use it to store precious festive notes from your little ones, family photos, recipes and more! Originally designed for issue 45 of LE by the brilliant, Clare Albans, this delightfully seasonal project is now available to buy as a PDF pattern from the Gathered Shop. Stitch it today and create a modern family heirloom that you can add new, magical memories to year after year. www.gatheredshop.com Little helper Looking for something cute and Christmasy to stitch this weekend? Then treat yourself to a PDF pattern of this adorable Bobbin the Reindeer design by Sew Yeah! Worked in felt for ease and speed, it’s packed with incredible details and festive accessories to sew – including…

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MATERIALS Striped pyjama set, pink and blue Stranded cotton: 1 skein each of black, green, dark grey, light grey, mustard, pink, dark pink, white Embroidery hoop: 13cm diameter Medium-weight fusible interfacing (optional) Ribbon (optional) Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED Backstitch, French Knot, Long and Short Stitch, Satin Stitch, Straight Stitch 01 Transfer the design from the template onto the pyjamas using your preferred method. Then mount the fabric into a hoop with the design central. 02 For the swan, use Satin Stitch to work the crown in pink and the beak in dark grey. For the bear, use Satin Stitch to work the nose, tummy and foot pads in dark grey. 03 Using Long and Short Stitch, fill the body of the swan in white and the wing in pink.…

MATERIALS Leatherette: 6x11cm, mint green, neon pink Top stitch thread: white Elastic hairbands Thin cord or string: metallic gold Toy stuffing Strong all-purpose glue Knitting needle or chopstick Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED Backstitch, Fly Stitch, French Knot, Straight Stitch 01 Using the cutting guides provided, cut out two cracker shapes and two ‘X’ shaped pieces from each colour of leatherette. Then glue them into place, as shown. 02 Work Whipstitch over the long edges of the ‘X’ shapes in white to join them together. Add the crease details using Straight Stitch also in white. We recommend using a leather needle for stitching as they have a triangle shaped point – perfect for perforating through stiff material like leatherette. 03 We stitched the designs freehand, referring to the templates as…

GETTING STARTED Prepare your sewing machine by attaching a freemotion embroidery or darning foot. Next, drop the feed dogs – the mechanism that grips and pulls fabric through your sewing machine. Your sewing machine manual should tell you how to do this. Now, mount your two layers of stabilser into a hoop. Do this in reverse to the normal way, with the inner hoop uppermost. Make sure the fabric is really tight in the hoop, as this stops the threads from warping. Start with test fabric to make sure the tension is correct, and the bottom thread doesn’t show though. Remember, the stitch length is determined by the speed at which you stitch – the faster you go, the shorter your stitches will be. When machine embroidering, try to work…

Backstitch Backstitch forms a neat line which can be used alone or to outline other stitches. Backstitch should be worked so that all the stitches are the same length with no gaps between them. Bring the needle up at 1, down at 2, up at 3, and so on. Continue stitching in this way, always working back on yourself. Blanket Stitch Bring the needle up at 1, down at 2 and up at 3 with the thread under the needle. Gently pull the needle through to form a neat loop. The vertical stitches should all be evenly spaced and of the same length. You may find it helps to draw spacing lines on the fabric as a guide to keep the stitches even and regular. Basque Stitch Bring the needle…