I’m here to share some of my tips and tricks to help you complete your tiny masterpiece. These steps are not requirements; they’re just suggestions and work-arounds I’ve picked up after 50+ years of stitching.
Setting up the linen
I’m a firm believer in using a frame for stitching – it minimizes warping and reduces (or eliminates) the number of creases that show up from being stored in between sessions. I have another blog post in which I compare the different kinds of frames, with an emphasis on embroidery hoops versus stretcher bars. Bottom line – while any will work better than nothing, I’ve found that stretcher bars have led to greater success for me.
Rather than attaching the linen or silk gauze directly to the frame, I recommend you attach scrap fabric around the edges of the material. I machine sew pieces of cotton fabric that have been cut wide enough to ensure they will fit on the frame. If you don't have a machine, you can hand baste the pieces together. Before attaching the strips to the linen, I iron about a 1/2" seam allowance to each piece.
Next, you will attach the prepared linen to the frame. I recommend you attach the middle of each side, then use the brass brads to complete one side, then the opposite for each of the four sides.
Do your best to ensure the lines of the linen are as straight as possible.
Once you have fully attached the material to the frame, it's time to start stitching! Many sources recommend that you begin with the center of the pattern and my designs have small arrows at the top and side that enable you to do that. However, I usually start with a color that is prevalent near the center (not precisely at it).
As you'll see in the next photo, I decided to begin stitching Mrs. Norris at the bottom of her left eye. The needle tool points to the first stitch's location on the pattern and you can see in the photo where that first stitch appears on the linen. Also notice the placement of the waste knot: I enter the linen about an inch away from the first stitch, in line with the first row of black stitches. This ensures that I will capture the thread as I'm stitching and it will not pull out.
I use continental stitch for my work - both on linen and silk gauze. Here is a diagram that provides a basic understanding of the stitch. The odd numbers indicate where the needle comes up from the back and the even numbers identify where the needle goes down from the front.
As you can see, it is a bottom left-to-top right stitch (or in the opposite direction, top right to bottom left). Each square in the design represents an angled stitch. There are countless YouTube videos regarding needlepoint stitches and if you're unfamiliar with the craft, I encourage you to check them out.
Please let me know in the comments if this was helpful and if not, what more you need to know to begin work. After some time, I hope you find it is a calming, meditative activity.
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