My abuela always said my backs need to look like the front. She embroidered mostly table cloths, runners and doilies, she would say that they have to be reversible. Thank you for sharing your time and energy. I so enjoy learning from you.
Also, presumably she wanted her work to be washable - and that makes it a lot more important to have a tidy back, even if you don't need the work to be reversible. The last thing you want is to spend hours and hours on a nice runner - and then have it come undone the first time it's washed!
@@flamegremlin5918 I've only recently begun embroidery - but I want to do stuff that can go in the washing machine, so loose threads are just not an option. The back doesn't have to be as nice as the front for me - but it needs to be secure! So it has to be fairly neat and tidy. Your abuela had a good point! (Grandmothers often do...)
Every time I start an embroidery project I can still hear my grandmother, who taught me how to cross stitch when I was very young, that the back had to be neat also. She was such a great inspiration to me, as you are.
I found that threading 2-3 needles ahead of time with the thread I'm using makes it so much more pleasurable, not having to stop & start so many times.
I am new and was practicing and was having a hard time. So this was the tip I came up with myself. It is awesome it was a tip other knew 😀 I am a newbie at this
I know this is an old vid, but thank you! I am a crocheter who self-taught embroidery. Weirdly enough, my crochet experience traveled to my embroidery, because I do not knot in crochet, but crochet over or weave my ends as I go. When I started embroidering, I leave a bit of a tail and embroider over it to anchor it, and then when I need to travel across the work for a short or mid-sized space, to prevent loose threads, I weave the thread over and under the already worked threads on the back until I reach the area I want to work. It's extra work, I guess, but since I work rather densely, anything to minimize bulk! From the lovely pieces shown, I feel like I'm not alone!
Nice.....but I'm sticking with what my embroidery teacher said "if the front looks good and you are enjoying the journey, don't worry too much about the back". Having said that, she did like our work to be tidy. Carrying threads across the back was a real no-no. 🙂
Lol, I've done that. I make sure to run the thread under a few existing stitches, though, and I don't usually go across more than about an inch. I'm just too lazy to finish off a thread and start another when they're close together.
I think the enjoying the journey part is important. The main reason I want to learn how to have a neater back is because I keep getting the needle stuck in knots and having threads pulled to the front from the back.
I remember as a very young child my great grandmother telling and showing me the back should be as pretty as the front. I’m still striving to reach that goal! :)
You made some excellent points about why it should be neat in the back, especially when you had pointed out the threads that are stretched across the pattern so as to continue on another section. I never considered the fact that if that if any of those threads broke, it can lead to loose or undone stitches on either end. Same with loops. So the value is not just to provide a pretty back, but also one that is secure. ☺Thank you Sarah! And thank you to all who donated their projects to be displayed! I consider them as brave people who don't mind some constructive criticism! (Maybe one day I may have the courage to submit one to you Sarah!)
Hi! I just wanted to thank you for this video. I’m new to embroidery, and learning on my own. I learned so much just by watching. I’m going to pay more attention to the back side of my work! Thank you!
I’m new at this but wanted to share one tip I have quickly learned. Regarding jumping because you don’t want to start another needle…that’s me. What I started doing is threading a few needles before I start. I’m more likely to end one and start a new one if I already have one ready. Some fun and beautiful pieces shared by others!
I do the same thing! When I am working on a large section with the color red, for example, I have 6 needles threaded and ready to go! As soon as I am done with one, I just pick up another threaded needle and keep going! I personally think it speeds up the project!
I like using dryer sheets for backing fabric that have been well used and pressed. If I need something larger I simply sew one to another by overlapping the fabric rather than making a seam. It isn't woven and works well for me.
I got some basic kits from amazon for Christmas as I fancied trying needlecraft for a break from knitting. Then I found your videos - the progress I've made over the 3 small projects is amazing and my backs are far neater 😂. I really appreciate the effort and time you take to be so thorough and clear. Thank you!
I'm not sure about in other countries, but here in America if you submit any kind of handiwork in competition at the county or state fair you are judged on the back of your work as critically as you are the front.
When it comes to small flowers and french knots along a stem, I've learned to do them them first so I can anchor the thread with the stitching of the stem.
I want to take a moment to thank you, Sarah, for all this valuable knowledge and experience you share with us. I just discovered your channel, maybe three weeks ago. Learning so much! I was looking for some advice as I was jumping into a rather large project with a very short deadline. It was crazy, really, but thanks to the advice I found here more successful than I could reasonably have hoped for. Assignment was to decorate a tea towel, expressing the story behind a favorite recipe. I appliqued a tajine surrounded by the main ingredients and embroidered a well known image of the face of a girl wearing tradional headdress from Zeeland, the Dutch province both my parents come from. Piece reflects on the contrast between my cultural background and my favorite dishes from different cultures so different from my own. How most of us happily meet with other cultures in our kitchens, while we seem to struggle so much more in other areas of our lives. I had this image in my mind as soon as I heard about the project. Told myself it was crazy to try it as the deadline was so close. And small detail 😉 I have little experience with especially the embroidery. The heart won over the mind and I decided to go for it. That did mean I had to find out a lot of how-to’s in a very short time. Thank to you, Sarah, I realised I had to back the tea towel with calico; that I should frame the whole thing on a large enough frame (husband improvised one with some wood he had lying around); that this also ment I had to present the finished piece stretched (we resized the frame I worked on to the size of the finished piece); I knew about the stitches I wanted to use (have some experience) but very helpful to see you do them with all the nitty gritty details you share. Sure I picked up even more; bingewatched anything from this channel that seemed relevant. As I said the piece turned out so suprisingly good. It hangs in a musuem for the rest of the current textile exhibition. A lot of this success is thanks to what I learned here. So one more time: Thank you so much! 💕
This is just what I needed! I am planning out an elaborate vintage style dresser scarf with flower embroidery, and hand crochet lace edging for my granddaughter's hope chest. The back of a dresser scarf cannot be a mess! Thank you.
One other reason, I also embroider on organza. It is a beautiful “clear” fabric that is so cool to work with. BUT, your back does matter as much as the front. Thank-you for teaching a beautiful and easy way to be neat and look great!
Thank you so much for the feedback! I’ll send you the fronts so you can see what they look like. Everyone has such beautiful pieces 💖 I’m really impressed!
Thank you for taking the time to address this! I've jumped from crochet to embroidery and I'm having a lot of fun! I enjoy a challenge, so making the back neater is something I am very interested in! I do embroider in the dark, in bed, with a reading light while my baby sleeps. It definitely makes for an interesting time!
I get ya! I do not have a baby, but I am a night owl while my spouse is a morning person, and being comfy in bed with my reading lamp doing crochet or embroidery while my spouse sleeps peacefully is just sooooo homey and lovely and I wouldn't trade it for the universe.
Gracias!!! Este tutorial es oro, te felicito por tomarte el tiempo y la dedicación para que nuestros bordados sean ordenados y prolijos, eres una excelente maestra, y estos detalles hacen la diferencia , saludos y bendiciones.
You've always offered very wise tips and I thank you. I have found in my case the longer I embroider the more I care about the back. I've never traveled my thread of one color to various points because it does unsightly to me. My biggest issue are the loops - - failing to pull my thread all the way through in length. I hate that❗❗
I’m dabbling with FlossTube videos so I really appreciate the quality and the huge amount of work that goes into your videos. Thank you! I’m usually really good about keeping the back neat but I’ve run into a problem with silk shading. I use multiple colors in threaded needles and park the colors I’m not using out of the way on the front always in regions inside the pattern that will be covered in stitches. Then I go back down the hole with the needle to start using a different color. The problem I kept having was that I didn’t always manage to go down the exact hole, I often caught a thread or two of the fabric, which is a dense weave, so I ended up with a long carried thread from where I was stitching with it to where I parked and back again. It all gets covered with stitching so in the end I can’t see it on the back but as an experienced linen cross stitcher, I’m very careful with carrying my thread on the back and this makes me a bit nervous but I don’t have a good solution for it and I’m now wondering if it even matters. I’d appreciate your thoughts. Thanks!
'Park' your threads on the top very close to where you are stitching Nerdy Needle to minimise this! To get the needle back down the same hole, pull the thread back in the direction it came from to open up the hole. The back of silk shading will probably be as dense as the front so have reasonable expectations as to what it will look like!!
Mise en place. Good advice for the culinary as well as fiber arts. Excellent video. I'm always looking for improvement on my work and I see mistakes that I'm making and your advice on how to correct them. Thanks!
Very interesting video! I work on clothing and functional pieces so I have the added importance of durability as they will be worn and washed. Lots of helpful information!
Thank you so much for this interesting video. It is so good to see other peoples work. I don’t have any embroidery acquaintances and in these isolated times it can be difficult.
Do follow me on the comminuty page Sue and join in the converstaions. You can find it by clicking on my name which will take you to the home page of my channel and you will see the 'community' tab at the top x
I'd love to see some tips on embroidering on tulle. I have no idea if it's called something special, but I've dubbed it "floating embroidery." I've done a couple pieces as wedding gifts. I'm in no way an expert at all; I just stumble around trying different techniques until something works so I'm sure there are actual methods or tricks that can make working with that fabric easier.
Me too! I have it on my (huge) list of to-dos, but I need more experience before trying it. A) My backs are not yet up to snuff, B) I assume every little piece of the design has to be started and ended individually or you’ll see the connecting line through the fabric and C) I think tulle would tear easily and if I was getting somewhere and then it ripped, I’d sob.
That was a great video. Thanks. I need to do more embroidery. I know cross-stitch is embroidery but not sure how else to word it. I have downloaded the pattern for the peacock you did and a couple of others. The tips will really help. I wondered about the French knots and carrying threads so I was glad to hear that tip. I always travelled with them, thinking of conserving my thread. I'm going to re-watch the peacock video and the one where you talk about the direction of stitching to keep the angle correct.
Really interesting to see the different designs. I will remember from now on to use a backing fabric.It makes so much sense ,especially when it's time to mount ,stretch the embroidery. Thankyou
Thank you Sarah. Very helpful. Starting my RSN course next week and haven't picked up a needle in God knows how long. If I need some guidance on anything I know where to come.
This has been incredibly helpful. Thank you for your time in putting this together - you have a great way of explaining (giving enough info and easy to understand). I have bookmarked your website and subscribed to your RUclips channel so i don't miss anything.
I would like to learn how to make the back neater when doing cross stitch words. My back was neat but someone else's actually looked the 'same' front and back! Wow! So, how does that type of neat get stitched?
Dear Ms. Humphray, I really enjoyed the embroidery of the hippo, he's quite lovely. I would like to enquire about the French knots. Why is it that I can accomplish the Bullion Knots nicely but, I'm 58 years old now, and I still cannot do a French Knot. I always end up tying on seed beads.
Check out my 'Ultimate Guide to French Knots' video Catherine, if you can do bullion knots then I can only think you are overthinking your french knots!
Dear Ms. Humphray, I went to the DMC web sight to price the 24K floss which I couldn't find. So I contacted them, sighted you, and asked them why not regarding the thread. Their reply was that the thread was not available in the U.S.!
Thank you for such an informative video! I am doing embroidery on a hanky .....I used only 3 threads together and letters were very thin so I then went to using 4 threads and now the back looks very thick. What is your thought on how many threads should be held together in doing intials and lettering on a hanky? Thank you in advance
May be look at the stitch you are doing instead Cindy? Stitches like stem stitch and back stitch can be quite thick on the back. Try a whipped running stitch instead. Practice on a spare bit of fabric first to see what it looks like!
Great video! There are several of these that I would love to give a try. Do you think we could get a list of the various patterns and where to get them? I am especially interested in learning the Japanese or the silk shading and the sampler!
Sarah, again so very helpful. Also brings the community of viewers together to admire the lovely work done by people around the world. You mentioned that a particular silk was very fragile. I have been struggling to understand the different types and usage of the various Au vers du Soie threads. Went to their website and got in a complete muddle. Would this be something you could review with us or direct me to a source that reviews it well? Thank you again for your wonderful lessons!
Your videos are so informative Sarah and help make US better embroiderers, whatever our style. Thank you, and please keep them coming 👏👏👏. Psssst..... planning any more 'Stitching Around The World' for next year??🤔🤭💜
@@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery Perhaps after the steep learning curve of Sype and Zoom meetings being the only way to stay in touch with so many having had to work from home... and for many of us having been in long lock-downs, well, maybe this new skill of feeling (slightly) more comfortable with being on camera will make it easier for your powers of persuasion to work??? It was such a great concept of bringing stitchers together that it would be sad to see it go. But whatever you decide, keep your other videos coming, please! And a happy Christmas to you and Jonathan🎅🎄
I have a question. What if you are making it to be used, like a table cover or a napkin? Do you do the start and finish different? Because something used will need to be washed.
You can do a few extra starting and finishing stitches Janiece for extra piece of mind and mkae sure your threads are colourfast before you start stitching with them!
I hate it when I'm sewing merrily along, and I look on the back and discover a loop several stitches ago! 😆 I can't just leave it, so I have to undo some of my work, or else figure a way to secure the loop.
In Ukrainian folk clothing, the embroidery is often super neat and sometimes almost looking like the front, probably because you could see the back. There's some stitches that are woven like a double sided jacquard, so it's the negative imagine on the back, and it's even embroidered backwards from the wrong side.
Yes! And, to ensure a really neat back, many stitches are made not one punch at a time but two (when you finish your current stitch and start the next one with one move of the needle). @@SarahHomfrayEmbroideryCould you please advise on using backing fabric for this "two punches at a time" technique? Would backing fabric work well with it?
I got concerned about the back of my work, so got one out to look at. When I noticed the tea pot on the back of the work just like the front decided not to worry about it.😉
WHY do people jump a long way with one thread? lol Because you don't want to Stop & RE-THREAD another Needle! I now have a System - Before I begin, I LOAD up a FEW Needles with Thread. I've found that doing that preparation at one time eliminates having to stop for long, especially when I've found my "groove" or "rhythm". When I'm working and end one color, I just finish off & reach for the next Needle, ready to go. (usually lined up on my Sofa Arm Cushion, threads dangling off the other side. If you have a Kitty around you might need to find a different spot to park your Pre-Loads!). Loading Needles ahead and all at one time eliminates random threads all over the place as I usually separate my DMC's. My Scissors, Needle Threader, Color Cards are right there, then I put them all away before I start. Also, you find a rhythm of motion when doing only one action, which is threading Needles. If I stop work for the day and still have Pre- threaded Needles, I take a piece of paper, run the needles thru at the top & lay the threads down length of paper, then fan fold each so they don't tangle and tuck away in my Kit. I don't really mind threading Needles but I DO MIND when I have to Stop, put down my Work, adjust my vision, change action and then find my way back again into my Embroidery Piece!
I believe they are called 'orts' Stu and people put them in their 'orts jar'! You can use them to stuff things, or machine embroider over for textural effects or add them to felting projects...you need to get creative!
Am I able to send in one of my embroideries? The one I would send in would be my first ever one in which I did not use instructions to help with the design mainly on how to start it, heh...
Trying to get the back as neat as the front is a recipe for disaster and enough to put people off embroidery for life ! absolutely no point whatsoever to stress yourself out if the back is never seen - life is too short !!
It's not about getting the back the same as the front Frugal Raggy Life, which you will see if you watch the video! It's about good working practices which will actually make the stitching less stressful and more fun because you won't have any problems to deal with!
I love your knowledge, work, and articulate delivery as a RUclipsr, but could you get to the visuals faster? How long do we have to look at the yellow wall and the sewing machine on the little shelf? Also, I am getting really, really tired of speakers who can’t say more than one sentence without having to put a jump cut in the video. I would far rather see you mask the many, many, many cuts with a variety of visuals relevant to what you are speaking about. Instead of describing characteristics of embroidery and saying “we’ll be looking at that in a minute,”how about showing it to us it now?
I think that when someone has given up their own time and put so much effort into providing you with a free service of such high quality that it sounds churlish to make such nit picking criticisms. Maybe find a channel that suits your taste, because Sarah has plenty of viewers who really appreciate her style just how it is; clear and patient.
I've listened through the entire video Vee and there isn't anything wrong with it, could there be something wrong with the speakers you are listening on perhaps?
My abuela always said my backs need to look like the front. She embroidered mostly table cloths, runners and doilies, she would say that they have to be reversible. Thank you for sharing your time and energy. I so enjoy learning from you.
Also, presumably she wanted her work to be washable - and that makes it a lot more important to have a tidy back, even if you don't need the work to be reversible. The last thing you want is to spend hours and hours on a nice runner - and then have it come undone the first time it's washed!
That's a good time when the back needs to look like the front!
Good point Søren!
@@CopenhagenDreaming Fair Point, i didnt think of it that way.
@@flamegremlin5918 I've only recently begun embroidery - but I want to do stuff that can go in the washing machine, so loose threads are just not an option.
The back doesn't have to be as nice as the front for me - but it needs to be secure! So it has to be fairly neat and tidy.
Your abuela had a good point! (Grandmothers often do...)
Every time I start an embroidery project I can still hear my grandmother, who taught me how to cross stitch when I was very young, that the back had to be neat also. She was such a great inspiration to me, as you are.
I found that threading 2-3 needles ahead of time with the thread I'm using makes it so much more pleasurable, not having to stop & start so many times.
Great Idea Kay!
I am new and was practicing and was having a hard time. So this was the tip I came up with myself. It is awesome it was a tip other knew 😀 I am a newbie at this
I know this is an old vid, but thank you! I am a crocheter who self-taught embroidery. Weirdly enough, my crochet experience traveled to my embroidery, because I do not knot in crochet, but crochet over or weave my ends as I go. When I started embroidering, I leave a bit of a tail and embroider over it to anchor it, and then when I need to travel across the work for a short or mid-sized space, to prevent loose threads, I weave the thread over and under the already worked threads on the back until I reach the area I want to work. It's extra work, I guess, but since I work rather densely, anything to minimize bulk! From the lovely pieces shown, I feel like I'm not alone!
Nice.....but I'm sticking with what my embroidery teacher said "if the front looks good and you are enjoying the journey, don't worry too much about the back". Having said that, she did like our work to be tidy. Carrying threads across the back was a real no-no. 🙂
Lol, I've done that. I make sure to run the thread under a few existing stitches, though, and I don't usually go across more than about an inch. I'm just too lazy to finish off a thread and start another when they're close together.
I think the enjoying the journey part is important. The main reason I want to learn how to have a neater back is because I keep getting the needle stuck in knots and having threads pulled to the front from the back.
I remember as a very young child my great grandmother telling and showing me the back should be as pretty as the front. I’m still striving to reach that goal! :)
You made some excellent points about why it should be neat in the back, especially when you had pointed out the threads that are stretched across the pattern so as to continue on another section. I never considered the fact that if that if any of those threads broke, it can lead to loose or undone stitches on either end. Same with loops. So the value is not just to provide a pretty back, but also one that is secure. ☺Thank you Sarah! And thank you to all who donated their projects to be displayed! I consider them as brave people who don't mind some constructive criticism! (Maybe one day I may have the courage to submit one to you Sarah!)
Hi! I just wanted to thank you for this video. I’m new to embroidery, and learning on my own. I learned so much just by watching. I’m going to pay more attention to the back side of my work! Thank you!
I’m new at this but wanted to share one tip I have quickly learned. Regarding jumping because you don’t want to start another needle…that’s me. What I started doing is threading a few needles before I start. I’m more likely to end one and start a new one if I already have one ready.
Some fun and beautiful pieces shared by others!
Good advice Dara!
I do the same thing! When I am working on a large section with the color red, for example, I have 6 needles threaded and ready to go! As soon as I am done with one, I just pick up another threaded needle and keep going! I personally think it speeds up the project!
I really love the sense of satisfaction that a tidy back gives, and I've learned a lot from this video to make it even more satisfying! 😆
I like using dryer sheets for backing fabric that have been well used and pressed. If I need something larger I simply sew one to another by overlapping the fabric rather than making a seam. It isn't woven and works well for me.
It’s always great to come back to your videos Sarah! If I am unsure and need guidance, I always come back to you…🙏🏽🙋🏻♀️👍🏽 Mia
I got some basic kits from amazon for Christmas as I fancied trying needlecraft for a break from knitting. Then I found your videos - the progress I've made over the 3 small projects is amazing and my backs are far neater 😂. I really appreciate the effort and time you take to be so thorough and clear. Thank you!
Thank you Rebecca! Glad you are finding them helpful
I'm not sure about in other countries, but here in America if you submit any kind of handiwork in competition at the county or state fair you are judged on the back of your work as critically as you are the front.
When it comes to small flowers and french knots along a stem, I've learned to do them them first so I can anchor the thread with the stitching of the stem.
Thanks so much, Sarah! Grandma would be tickled!
Thank you to every one that sent in their work it will help me so much x
I want to take a moment to thank you, Sarah, for all this valuable knowledge and experience you share with us. I just discovered your channel, maybe three weeks ago. Learning so much! I was looking for some advice as I was jumping into a rather large project with a very short deadline. It was crazy, really, but thanks to the advice I found here more successful than I could reasonably have hoped for.
Assignment was to decorate a tea towel, expressing the story behind a favorite recipe. I appliqued a tajine surrounded by the main ingredients and embroidered a well known image of the face of a girl wearing tradional headdress from Zeeland, the Dutch province both my parents come from. Piece reflects on the contrast between my cultural background and my favorite dishes from different cultures so different from my own. How most of us happily meet with other cultures in our kitchens, while we seem to struggle so much more in other areas of our lives. I had this image in my mind as soon as I heard about the project. Told myself it was crazy to try it as the deadline was so close. And small detail 😉 I have little experience with especially the embroidery. The heart won over the mind and I decided to go for it. That did mean I had to find out a lot of how-to’s in a very short time.
Thank to you, Sarah, I realised I had to back the tea towel with calico; that I should frame the whole thing on a large enough frame (husband improvised one with some wood he had lying around); that this also ment I had to present the finished piece stretched (we resized the frame I worked on to the size of the finished piece); I knew about the stitches I wanted to use (have some experience) but very helpful to see you do them with all the nitty gritty details you share. Sure I picked up even more; bingewatched anything from this channel that seemed relevant. As I said the piece turned out so suprisingly good. It hangs in a musuem for the rest of the current textile exhibition. A lot of this success is thanks to what I learned here. So one more time: Thank you so much! 💕
Glad to be of service Lily, thank you for your kind feedback!
Wonderful video! I cross stitch but always watch your embroidery videos. Much of what you present also applies to cross stitch.
That's because cross stitch is also embroidery Mari!
This is just what I needed! I am planning out an elaborate vintage style dresser scarf with flower embroidery, and hand crochet lace edging for my granddaughter's hope chest. The back of a dresser scarf cannot be a mess! Thank you.
As a beginner hand embroiderer, I'm grateful for this info. I assumed it didn't matter how the back looked!
One other reason, I also embroider on organza. It is a beautiful “clear” fabric that is so cool to work with. BUT, your back does matter as much as the front. Thank-you for teaching a beautiful and easy way to be neat and look great!
Yes, it definitely matters on Organza Robin!
Good tips, very helpful. I'm generally happy if the front doesn't look like the back.. ☺️
Thank you so much for the feedback! I’ll send you the fronts so you can see what they look like.
Everyone has such beautiful pieces 💖
I’m really impressed!
This is a very good video.You are very right before starting embroidery we should know the actual technique .Thanks a lot .Very vey good tutorial.👌👌👌
Thank you for taking the time to address this! I've jumped from crochet to embroidery and I'm having a lot of fun!
I enjoy a challenge, so making the back neater is something I am very interested in!
I do embroider in the dark, in bed, with a reading light while my baby sleeps. It definitely makes for an interesting time!
You embroider in the dark Terri?!
I get ya! I do not have a baby, but I am a night owl while my spouse is a morning person, and being comfy in bed with my reading lamp doing crochet or embroidery while my spouse sleeps peacefully is just sooooo homey and lovely and I wouldn't trade it for the universe.
Gracias!!! Este tutorial es oro, te felicito por tomarte el tiempo y la dedicación para que nuestros bordados sean ordenados y prolijos, eres una excelente maestra, y estos detalles hacen la diferencia , saludos y bendiciones.
I did Hardanger about 28 years ago, this was a great refresher. Love your videos, thank you so much!
You've always offered very wise tips and I thank you. I have found in my case the longer I embroider the more I care about the back. I've never traveled my thread of one color to various points because it does unsightly to me. My biggest issue are the loops - - failing to pull my thread all the way through in length. I hate that❗❗
We have a video on what to do if you get loops, check that out!
Thank you for a very informative video. Thanks to the brave people who let us learn from your sewing. ❤️❤️
I’m dabbling with FlossTube videos so I really appreciate the quality and the huge amount of work that goes into your videos. Thank you!
I’m usually really good about keeping the back neat but I’ve run into a problem with silk shading. I use multiple colors in threaded needles and park the colors I’m not using out of the way on the front always in regions inside the pattern that will be covered in stitches. Then I go back down the hole with the needle to start using a different color. The problem I kept having was that I didn’t always manage to go down the exact hole, I often caught a thread or two of the fabric, which is a dense weave, so I ended up with a long carried thread from where I was stitching with it to where I parked and back again. It all gets covered with stitching so in the end I can’t see it on the back but as an experienced linen cross stitcher, I’m very careful with carrying my thread on the back and this makes me a bit nervous but I don’t have a good solution for it and I’m now wondering if it even matters. I’d appreciate your thoughts. Thanks!
'Park' your threads on the top very close to where you are stitching Nerdy Needle to minimise this! To get the needle back down the same hole, pull the thread back in the direction it came from to open up the hole. The back of silk shading will probably be as dense as the front so have reasonable expectations as to what it will look like!!
Love the mandala idea for practice piece!! Thank your. Great idea.
Mise en place. Good advice for the culinary as well as fiber arts. Excellent video. I'm always looking for improvement on my work and I see mistakes that I'm making and your advice on how to correct them. Thanks!
Very interesting video! I work on clothing and functional pieces so I have the added importance of durability as they will be worn and washed. Lots of helpful information!
I found your process of reviewing the submitted pieces invaluable!
Thank you thank you thank you for this video! Exactly what I needed!
Thank you so much for this interesting video. It is so good to see other peoples work. I don’t have any embroidery acquaintances and in these isolated times it can be difficult.
Do follow me on the comminuty page Sue and join in the converstaions. You can find it by clicking on my name which will take you to the home page of my channel and you will see the 'community' tab at the top x
that eagle was a delight, i do alot of crosstitching :D its super fun.
I'd love to see some tips on embroidering on tulle. I have no idea if it's called something special, but I've dubbed it "floating embroidery." I've done a couple pieces as wedding gifts. I'm in no way an expert at all; I just stumble around trying different techniques until something works so I'm sure there are actual methods or tricks that can make working with that fabric easier.
Me too! I have it on my (huge) list of to-dos, but I need more experience before trying it. A) My backs are not yet up to snuff, B) I assume every little piece of the design has to be started and ended individually or you’ll see the connecting line through the fabric and C) I think tulle would tear easily and if I was getting somewhere and then it ripped, I’d sob.
Great observations and good solutions. Thank you ! 🧵🪡
So much fantastic information for this newbie. Thank you again for a great video.
That was a great video. Thanks. I need to do more embroidery. I know cross-stitch is embroidery but not sure how else to word it. I have downloaded the pattern for the peacock you did and a couple of others. The tips will really help. I wondered about the French knots and carrying threads so I was glad to hear that tip. I always travelled with them, thinking of conserving my thread. I'm going to re-watch the peacock video and the one where you talk about the direction of stitching to keep the angle correct.
Really interesting to see the different designs. I will remember from now on to use a backing fabric.It makes so much sense ,especially when it's time to mount ,stretch the embroidery. Thankyou
Check out our video all about backing fabric Jude and it will make more sense!
@@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery Thankyou I will ,I am slowly learning to prep better ,rather than make more work for myself as I go on .x
great tips thank you so much it will make my work so much better x
Thanks! Lots. Of good suggestions I’ll be working at !
I recognize the character from ~6 minutes in. It's Tendi from Star Trek Lower Decks!
This is sooo good and educational, thank you very much 💖
Thank you Sarah. Very helpful. Starting my RSN course next week and haven't picked up a needle in God knows how long. If I need some guidance on anything I know where to come.
Enjoy that Andrea!
Thanks Sarah!
This has been incredibly helpful. Thank you for your time in putting this together - you have a great way of explaining (giving enough info and easy to understand). I have bookmarked your website and subscribed to your RUclips channel so i don't miss anything.
Welcome onboard Gladys!
Superb, and very thorough, explanation, Sarah, Thank you! Happy holidays!
I would like to learn how to make the back neater when doing cross stitch words. My back was neat but someone else's actually looked the 'same' front and back! Wow! So, how does that type of neat get stitched?
if not securing the ends with knots, then what should we do?
Thank you for all your words of advice…they will help me very much 🙏🏽🙋🏻♀️👍🏽Mia
So helpful!!!
I totally agree
Dear Ms. Humphray, I really enjoyed the embroidery of the hippo, he's quite lovely. I would like to enquire about the French knots. Why is it that I can accomplish the Bullion Knots nicely but, I'm 58 years old now, and I still cannot do a French Knot. I always end up tying on seed beads.
Check out my 'Ultimate Guide to French Knots' video Catherine, if you can do bullion knots then I can only think you are overthinking your french knots!
Dear Ms. Humphray, I went to the DMC web sight to price the 24K floss which I couldn't find. So I contacted them, sighted you, and asked them why not regarding the thread. Their reply was that the thread was not available in the U.S.!
Thank Sara, for this video I just learned many beautiful tips and ideas from your channel 🧵🌸👍
Thank you for such an informative video! I am doing embroidery on a hanky .....I used only 3 threads together and letters were very thin so I then went to using 4 threads and now the back looks very thick. What is your thought on how many threads should be held together in doing intials and lettering on a hanky?
Thank you in advance
May be look at the stitch you are doing instead Cindy? Stitches like stem stitch and back stitch can be quite thick on the back. Try a whipped running stitch instead. Practice on a spare bit of fabric first to see what it looks like!
Great video! There are several of these that I would love to give a try. Do you think we could get a list of the various patterns and where to get them? I am especially interested in learning the Japanese or the silk shading and the sampler!
I will ask the participants! I know the silk shading flower is a Trish Burr design
But, I will tell you I've recently learned of a new way to secure abd do the first stitch.... the loop stitch. So next project will look MUCH BETTER
Sarah, again so very helpful. Also brings the community of viewers together to admire the lovely work done by people around the world. You mentioned that a particular silk was very fragile. I have been struggling to understand the different types and usage of the various Au vers du Soie threads. Went to their website and got in a complete muddle. Would this be something you could review with us or direct me to a source that reviews it well? Thank you again for your wonderful lessons!
I've not used their threads much Nathalie, but I'll have a look at their website
@@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery Probably will make more sense to you given your experience:). Thank you for responding🤗
Very helpful Sarah, thank you :)
What material would you practice on please and would you practice before you do the actually design? Thank 😊 🙏 😊 you from a beginner
See my latest video on sampling Rita
Your videos are so informative Sarah and help make US better embroiderers, whatever our style. Thank you, and please keep them coming 👏👏👏.
Psssst..... planning any more 'Stitching Around The World' for next year??🤔🤭💜
I could try one more Jane! There are lots of people doing beautiful work out there, persuading them to come on camera is a bit harder...
@@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery Perhaps after the steep learning curve of Sype and Zoom meetings being the only way to stay in touch with so many having had to work from home... and for many of us having been in long lock-downs, well, maybe this new skill of feeling (slightly) more comfortable with being on camera will make it easier for your powers of persuasion to work??? It was such a great concept of bringing stitchers together that it would be sad to see it go.
But whatever you decide, keep your other videos coming, please! And a happy Christmas to you and Jonathan🎅🎄
Great advice!
Thanks!
💖
Do you put your backing on before or after stitching?
Before. Check out my video on backing fabric
I have a question. What if you are making it to be used, like a table cover or a napkin? Do you do the start and finish different? Because something used will need to be washed.
You can do a few extra starting and finishing stitches Janiece for extra piece of mind and mkae sure your threads are colourfast before you start stitching with them!
I hate it when I'm sewing merrily along, and I look on the back and discover a loop several stitches ago! 😆 I can't just leave it, so I have to undo some of my work, or else figure a way to secure the loop.
You need this video here ElveeKaye!
ruclips.net/video/bpkkpj0yum4/видео.html
In Ukrainian folk clothing, the embroidery is often super neat and sometimes almost looking like the front, probably because you could see the back. There's some stitches that are woven like a double sided jacquard, so it's the negative imagine on the back, and it's even embroidered backwards from the wrong side.
A great example of why the back is important thank you!
Yes! And, to ensure a really neat back, many stitches are made not one punch at a time but two (when you finish your current stitch and start the next one with one move of the needle). @@SarahHomfrayEmbroideryCould you please advise on using backing fabric for this "two punches at a time" technique? Would backing fabric work well with it?
Most of the examples look like they were done by very experienced stitches. I should have sent mine, omg, you would have had a field day on mine lol
I got concerned about the back of my work, so got one out to look at. When I noticed the tea pot on the back of the work just like the front decided not to worry about it.😉
WHY do people jump a long way with one thread? lol Because you don't want to Stop & RE-THREAD another Needle!
I now have a System - Before I begin, I LOAD up a FEW Needles with Thread. I've found that doing that preparation at one time eliminates having to stop for long, especially when I've found my "groove" or "rhythm". When I'm working and end one color, I just finish off & reach for the next Needle, ready to go. (usually lined up on my Sofa Arm Cushion, threads dangling off the other side. If you have a Kitty around you might need to find a different spot to park your Pre-Loads!).
Loading Needles ahead and all at one time eliminates random threads all over the place as I usually separate my DMC's. My Scissors, Needle Threader, Color Cards are right there, then I put them all away before I start. Also, you find a rhythm of motion when doing only one action, which is threading Needles. If I stop work for the day and still have Pre- threaded Needles, I take a piece of paper, run the needles thru at the top & lay the threads down length of paper, then fan fold each so they don't tangle and tuck away in my Kit.
I don't really mind threading Needles but I DO MIND when I have to Stop, put down my Work, adjust my vision, change action and then find my way back again into my Embroidery Piece!
Julieta and I are simpaticos!
Is there anything interesting or useful you can do with the offcuts of thread that you end up with after finishing a stitch?
I believe they are called 'orts' Stu and people put them in their 'orts jar'! You can use them to stuff things, or machine embroider over for textural effects or add them to felting projects...you need to get creative!
@@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery thankyou very much x maybe make multi coloured tassles?
Am I able to send in one of my embroideries? The one I would send in would be my first ever one in which I did not use instructions to help with the design mainly on how to start it, heh...
I am doing a show and tell with Channel Members and Patrons Spirits Art, so do check those out if you want to share your work!
hay Sara do you not do enymore hardanger ?
Maybe I will do some more in another video Sophie
Any chance that you use an iron on for your lining?
I tend not to as these have glue on the back but you could yes!
I weave my way across long distances. Very informative Sarah. =^^=
Trying to get the back as neat as the front is a recipe for disaster and enough to put people off embroidery for life ! absolutely no point whatsoever to stress yourself out if the back is never seen - life is too short !!
It's not about getting the back the same as the front Frugal Raggy Life, which you will see if you watch the video! It's about good working practices which will actually make the stitching less stressful and more fun because you won't have any problems to deal with!
I am embroidering a supper cloth so the back needs to be as good as the front
I am a very new embroiderer and my backs look like a dogs breakfast!
Try my tips Kathleen!
I love your knowledge, work, and articulate delivery as a RUclipsr, but could you get to the visuals faster? How long do we have to look at the yellow wall and the sewing machine on the little shelf? Also, I am getting really, really tired of speakers who can’t say more than one sentence without having to put a jump cut in the video. I would far rather see you mask the many, many, many cuts with a variety of visuals relevant to what you are speaking about. Instead of describing characteristics of embroidery and saying “we’ll be looking at that in a minute,”how about showing it to us it now?
I think that when someone has given up their own time and put so much effort into providing you with a free service of such high quality that it sounds churlish to make such nit picking criticisms. Maybe find a channel that suits your taste, because Sarah has plenty of viewers who really appreciate her style just how it is; clear and patient.
I believe if you worry about the back of your embroidery you're not enjoying the embroidery anymore ( that's me 😊)
😅
I'LL have to give a BIG ? I suggest myself DON'T look at the back
My stingy personality doesn't allow my to leave long jump on the back :"))))) If it wastes my thread I would cut it there.
So the back of your handkerchiefs don't look hideous like mine
Ensina mais e fala menos
The talking part is the teaching
Horrible noises spoiling this video....screeching scraping high pitched sounds!
I've listened through the entire video Vee and there isn't anything wrong with it, could there be something wrong with the speakers you are listening on perhaps?