Based on a video by Craftsy.
Hand embroidery uses a handful of basic stitches combined in different ways. Learn four of them and you can make flowers, text, borders, and filled shapes. That covers most beginner projects.
Craftsy walks through each stitch slowly with close-up shots so you can see exactly where the needle goes. The video uses different colored thread for each stitch so they are easy to tell apart.
Embroidery floss comes as six strands twisted together. For most beginner work, you use two or three strands at a time. Hold the end of the floss and gently pull three strands to one side.
Go slowly as you separate them. If you rush, the strands twist around each other and knot up. Thread your needle with the separated strands and tie a knot at the other end.
The simplest stitch. Come up through the back of the fabric, go back down a stitch length away, then come back up another stitch length further. You are making evenly spaced dashes along a line.
Keep your stitch lengths consistent for a clean look. This stitch is used for outlines, borders, and dashed line effects.
Start like a running stitch. Come up, go back down one stitch length. Then come up one stitch length ahead, but go back down into the same hole where the previous stitch ended. This creates a solid continuous line with no gaps.
Back stitch is the most used outline stitch in embroidery. It makes clean, defined lines for text, shapes, and borders.
Come up through the back and go back down right next to where you came up, leaving a small loop on the front. Bring the needle back up through the loop and pull snug. That is one chain link.
Repeat by going back down next to where you just came up, leaving a loop, and coming up through it again. To end the chain, make a small stitch over the last loop to lock it in place.
Satin stitch fills in a shape with smooth parallel lines. Come up at one edge of the shape, go down at the opposite edge, then come back up right next to your first stitch. Keep the stitches tight and parallel.
For a polished look, outline the shape with back stitch first, then fill it with satin stitch. You can also save thread by coming up right next to where you went down instead of crossing behind the fabric each time.
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