Chainstitch embroidery tshirts are available for wholesale orders! If you are interested in placing a larger order of custom monogram chainstitch tshirts for your store, email contact@annleachman.com for more information.
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Chainstitch embroidery tshirts are available for wholesale orders! If you are interested in placing a larger order of custom monogram chainstitch tshirts for your store, email contact@annleachman.com for more information.
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DOING THE BEST I CAN
Custom chainstitch embroidery on a pink lady bomber jacket.
Chainstitch lettering looking good on sweatshirts, tshirts, tote bags, and so much more. Chainstitch can be added to almost any garment, and simple lettering starts at $25.
Visit the Custom Order page for more information.
There's never been a better combination than chainstitch embroidery and denim. Monstera leaf patches are embroidered on a vintage chainstitch machine with wool blend felt. When your love for plants is so strong, you have to wear it around the city to make sure everyone knows.
Monstera Chainstitch patch - get one here!
Give a pair of canvas shoes new life with a little DIY embroidery!
This project is all about finding new ways to use what’s already in your closet. This project is great for all skill levels, so grab a pair of canvas shoes and let’s get started.
Scroll down for a free printable eye pattern for both adult and child sized shoes. To save on paper, print only the page with the pattern at the end of this article.
Canvas shoes
Embroidery floss
Pins
Solvy Water Soluble Stabilizer (or your transfer method of choice)
Sharp hand embroidery needle
Scissors
Pen
Ruler
-If you are planning to stitch the eyes on the backs of your shoes, you will need to make sure your shoes don’t have a stiff backing. Some canvas shoes have a plastic or cardboard insert hidden within the canvas, which makes it virtually impossible to pull a needle through. To be honest, the more expensive the shoe, the less likely they are to have a soft backing - so, he cheaper, the better
-I used Solvy for this project. Solvy is a light-weight water soluble stabilizer that is fairly see-through. You can easily trace your pattern onto the Solvy, pin it in place, and sew right through it. One roll of Solvy will last you forever for small projects like these. You can also print the template and pin or tape it to your shoe. Stitch through the template and your shoe, and tear away the paper when you're done.
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Pattern for adult shoes:
Pattern for children's shoes:
Split Stitch - use for eyelashes, perimeter of eye and iris - you can stitch the entire pattern in only split stitch to keep it simple.
Satin Stitch - use to fill in pupil
French Knot - stitch 1 french knot in the center of the pupil to add dimension
This article contains affiliate links. I only recommend products I use and love myself.
Did you know that there are thrift stores full of really inexpensive used clothes looking for a second life? And did you know that all it takes is a few dollars worth of supplies and a few evenings of stitching in front of the television to transform an unremarkable thrift store t-shirt into a classy, one of a kind wardrobe addition.
I'm working toward my ultimate goal of owning a wardrobe that consists only of clothing that is either handmade by me, used (or "upcycled"), or from a small sustainable clothing company that I am obsessed with. Handmade clothing is a time investment and sustainable clothing is a financial investment, so I particularly love a project like this because it's both CHEAP and (relatively) QUICK.
If you have similar wardrobe goals, raid your closet or hit up the thrift store and let's get started!
MATERIALS:
-T-shirt
-Embroidery floss
-Embroidery needles
-Straight pins, safety pins, or tape
-Ruler or tape measure
-Embroidery hoop
-Pen (optional)
-Iron-On Fusible Interfacing (optional)
1. Try your t-shirt on. With pins or tape, mark the area you want to embroider. I marked an area 2.5" on each side of the shoulder seam and 4" from the neckline. I used pins to mark the general area while the shirt is on, then I took the shirt off and measured and marked more accurately with tape.
2. Cut a length of embroidery floss 10-12" long and separate into 3 strands. Thread your needle 3-4" down the floss, and knot your floss at the opposite end.
3. Put your shirt into the embroidery hoop and secure, making sure the fabric is tight in the hoop.
Note: If eyeballing the placement of all these stitches makes you nervous (it's so easy, I swear!), you can mark your t-shirt lightly with a pen or thin marker. I find this to be much more work than it's worth, but the option is yours!
Another Note: If the fabric you're working with is thinner than a regular t-shirt, you may want to iron on some fusible interfacing to the inside of your t-shirt where the stitching will be. This stabilizes the fabric and helps prevent puckering and rippling that can sometimes happen with thinner fabric. See the materials list for a link to the type I typically use - although I did not use any interfacing for this project.
This project uses a combination of three easy stitches: Star Stitch, Lazy Daisy Stitch and the beloved French Knot (my favorite).
Stitch #1: Star Stitch
1. Bring your needle up from below the hoop and pull to the knot.
2. Pull the needle and thread down about .5" from where you pulled the needle up. From below, bring your needle and thread up below and in the center of the line you just created.
3. Insert the needle the same distance above the first line you created.
4. Continue in this manner to create 2 diagonal lines that cross over the + you just created.
5. When you're done, your needle and thread will be at the underside of your work. Tie a knot and cut the thread.
Use this stitch to fill in the area, leaving lots of space for the next 2 stitches. Less is more in the beginning, because you can always go back and fill in more.
Stitch #2: French Knot
1. Bring the needle and thread up from back to front.
2. Pull the thread to the knot.
3. Hold your needle in one hand. Using your other hand, wrap the thread around the needle towards yourself twice, keeping the floss tight as you do so.
4. Hold the floss tightly and insert your needle as close as possible to your starting point. Do not use the same hole or your knot may slip through.
5. Pull the needle and thread through your fabric. Use your free hand to keep the remaining thread taut.
Use this stitch to add to the area, leaving space for one more stitch.
Stitch #3: Lazy Daisy Stitch
1.Bring the needle and thread up from back to front.
2. Pull the thread to the knot.
3. Bring the needle back down and insert it as closely as possible to the original hole.
4. Pull the thread down, leaving a loop of thread. Use your other hand to hold it flat to the fabric.
5. Pull your needle up about .5" from the original hole, inside the loop. Pull the loop to tighten around your needle.
6. Pull the all the way thread up.
7. Insert the needle as close as possible to the outer edge of the loop, securing the loop to the fabric.
Alternative among these 3 stitches until the area you marked is completely filled to your liking. Trim any long ends and tidy up the backside.
And you're done! Enjoy your new favorite t-shirt!
VARIATIONS:
The idea for this project started with finding the perfect cream wool sweater at a thrift store. I used all 6 strands of embroidery floss for this sweater, and I ditched the hoop since the fabric was much thicker.
This project would also be awesome on a jacket or hoodie!
This article contains affiliate links. I include links for supplies to make it more convenient for you to get what you need to start your next project. I only include affiliate links for products I use personally and highly recommend.
]]>Valentine's Day... some people love it, some people hate it... I say, "Who cares, it's another excuse to craft!" These adorable felt valentine ornaments are super easy to make. All they require are some very basic embroidery skills and a few basic materials. From there, you can customize the rest!
You may be asking, "Are Valentine ornaments a real thing? What do people do with a Valentine ornament?" Well, yes, they are now... and you could hang one up on your loved one's bulletin board, or around their door knob, or just give it to them and let them figure out what to do with it. Either way, so adorable!
MATERIALS
Felt Fabric
5 inches thin ribbon/yarn/string
Fabric Glue
Embroidery Floss
Embroidery Needles
Scissors
Pen or Pencil
Scrap paper
1. Create a heart template out of scrap paper. Fold a piece of paper and draw half a heart along the folded side. Cut out and unfold for a symmetrical heart. You can also find heart templates to print and cut out with a quick Google search.
2. Trace your heart template onto felt and cut out two hearts.
7. Apply a thin layer of craft glue to the inside surface of your felt heart. Depending on the thickness of your felt, using too much glue could cause it to soak through the felt. Be sure to spread evenly.
Optional: After your valentine has dried for 20 minutes, press it under a heavy book for another 20+ minutes to flatten the two pieces together.
Make a million of these to give to all the loves in your life! I want to keep just about every one I've made so far, so I probably need to make some more...
This article contains affiliate links. I include links for supplies to make it more convenient for you to get what you need to start your next project. I only include affiliate links for products I use personally and highly recommend.
There are many ways to finish an embroidery project, but the wall hanging will always be my favorite. While I appreciate the simplicity of using the hoop as a frame, I like to have options. It's surprisingly simple to turn any embroidery into a wall banner, and this project is very easy to customize any way you see fit. Take note, this DIY guide is for the actual finishing part only. The embroidery part is completely up to you!
The finished size is also completely up to you. (My piece shown is 8"x7" without the string.)
Supplies Needed:
- Finished embroidery
- Thread that matches your main fabric
- Wooden dowel (width of your finished piece + 1")
- Twine or string
- Light to medium-weight iron-on fusible interfacing (.25" smaller than your finished piece on each side)
1. Iron your finished embroidery.
Note: I used 2 layers of fabric when embroidering this project. My main fabric was a very lightweight muslin, and I wanted the finished piece to be a bit sturdier.
2. With a piece of scrap paper, create a template of your desired finished size. My finished size for this piece is 8"x7".
3. Position the template evenly over your design and trace on the back side of the embroidery. Since the lines will be covered up later, you can use any lightweight marking tool you have on hand. I’m using my favorite DMC U1539 Embroidery Blue Transfer Pen
4. Trim down each edge. Cut out around your template leaving approximely 1" of extra fabric all around.
5. Fold the 2 sides over on the traced line. Press with an iron and pin in place on each side.
6. Sew a seam down each side, 3/8" from the outer edges.
7. Fold, press, and pin the top and bottom edges.
8. Sew a seam across the bottom edge, 3/8" from the outer edge.
9. Sew the top edge with a seam 3/4" from the outer edge. This larger seam will create a casing for the dowel.
10. Trim the paper template down 1” around each edge.
11. Trace the template onto your interfacing and cut out.
12. Iron on the interfacing, following the directions from your manufacturer.
Note: Never use steam when ironing on interfacing.
13. Insert the dowel in the top casing.
14. Attach your piece of twine to each side with a knot.
Optional: add a drop of clear fabric glue to both knots to secure more permanently.
And you're done! Hang up, stand back, admire. Then start on the next!
This article contains affiliate links. I include links for supplies to make it more convenient for you to get what you need to start your next project. I only include affiliate links for products I use personally and highly recommend.
]]>NOTE: This pattern contains a basic stitch guide, but it does not include detailed how-to instructions for each stitch. The good news is step-by-step instructions for each type of stitch are easily available with a quick Google search.
Finished size: fits nicely in a 6" embroidery hoop
To access this free pattern, sign up for my mailing list below. The pattern will be sent to you via an email download link.
Share your in-progress and finished projects with the tag #easeembroidery.
You can see more examples of finished projects on my Instagram account at annleachman.
If you have any questions about this pattern, feel free to email me at aleachman@gmail.com I'm always happy to help!
Happy stitching!
What you'll need:
Lightweight fabric that is also light in color
Clips or tape
A pencil or Water Soluble Marker
A lightbox or window (optional)
Note: This is arguably the simplest method because it requires no special supplies.
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2. Trace the design onto your fabric. I love using a water soluble marker because the ink can easily be removed with a little bit of water. You can also use a pencil to trace your design. The pencil marks will be fairly permanent on fabric, but in most cases the lines will be covered by your stitches.
3. That's it! You are now ready to stitch. Stick that fabric in an embroidery hoop and get to work!
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What you'll need:
Fabric light enough in color for the black mark to show
Iron-On Transfer Pen
Iron
3. Once you have ironed over all parts of the pattern, lift a corner of the pattern up to check on the transfer. Be careful not to shift the pattern in case more ironing is necessary.
Done! You are now ready to stitch.
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What you'll need:
Transfer Paper - available in white, black, and other colors
Contrasting fabric
Clips or tape
A ballpoint pen or sharp pencil
1. Sandwich a piece of the transfer paper between your fabric and printed pattern. Make sure the transfer paper is oriented with the waxy side against your fabric.
2. Secure the pieces together using clips or tape. The last thing you want is something to shift mid-transfer. Start tracing on top of your printed pattern with your drawing utensil. Don't be afraid to give it some pressure.
3. Being careful not to shift your pieces, lift the transfer up to check that your marks are visible.
4. Once the entire pattern is traced, you are done! The transfer paper may have left some residual smudges on your fabric, which can easily be removed with a little water.
And there you have it: three different ways to transfer a PDF embroidery pattern onto fabric! If you'd like to test out this newfound knowledge, you can access this very pattern for free to get started on your own!
This article contains affiliate links. I include links for supplies to make it more convenient for you to get what you need to start your next project. I only include affiliate links for products I use personally and highly recommend.
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