Embroidery flowers

Modern hand embroidery, to me, is the idea of creating more with less. Mastering just a few stitches and, as I like to think of it, ‘painting with thread’ allows for less time focusing on techniques and more time focusing on the art itself. The possibilities are boundless and, with the help of this book, you will be able to begin your journey into floral hand embroidery. This collection of patterns is designed to equip you with the resources to stitch beautiful modern florals and plants. With practice anyone, regardless of skill level, will be able to recreate all of the patterns found in this book. The projects at the end of the book show where you can take these designs, and what you can ultimately create once you have absorbed all aspects of modern floral hand embroidery, the Gulush way!

Each pattern comes with a stitched reference, a pattern breakdown, and a color code key – all the information you need to paint a picture in thread! Use the stitch key at the bottom of each page to match with the color codes in the pattern (along with the required strands – or ‘str’ – of thread) and voila, you now have the map to create an endless supply of forever flowers. Working the patterns in the App may seem daunting but, with some practice, you can (and will) become a master of modern hand embroidery! Before you start, look at the pattern and take note of any stitches that would create an outline – these form the lines that you will color in with thread and should therefore be stitched first (these are not included in every pattern). Then look for the filling stitches and work these from the center outwards. Each pattern differs, but can be completed in a similar way – just make sure to start from the center of the pattern and work your way out. Once the base of the design

THREAD The embroideries have all been stitched with DMC six-strand embroidery floss (stranded cotton), but there are many other thread choices available, as well as yarns, cords and ribbons. Anything is possible, although some options are trickier than others! NEEDLES Your threading medium determines needle choice: e.g., DMC gold embroidery needles (sizes 1, 3, 5) have smaller eyes for single strands of floss, while the DMC chenille needle (size 18) has a larger eye for thicker thread types, such as cord or yarn, or for stitching with all six strands of floss. A chenille needle (size 18) was used to work all the embroideries here. Explore the options but choose a needle that has a pointed tip, rather than a blunt-tip tapestry needle. FABRIC Anything (and everything) can be embroidered onto: from linen to burlap, to silk, to paper. A favorite for modern hand embroidery, and the fabric used in this book, is a linen-look/linen-blend fabric, which can either be a combination of l

Pattern transfer, especially onto darker fabrics, can appear daunting, but with practice (and the right tools and tricks), anyone can become a transfer master. One of the easiest ways to transfer a pattern to fabric is to place the fabric over the pattern and simply trace over the pattern with a pencil or transfer pen. 1. Place the fabric in an embroidery frame (wooden hoop or PVC Q-Snap frame), and pull the fabric taut: tighten the frame until the fabric makes a sound when tapped (imagine tapping the head of a drum). 2. Take the frame and turn it upside down over the pattern, so that the fabric is pressing right against the pattern. 3. For darker fabrics, place the pattern and fabric-filled frame over an illuminated surface – such as a light box, a window or an electronic tablet – to make the pattern more visible through the fabric (1). 4. Using a standard pencil for lighter fabrics and a white colored pencil for darker fabrics, trace the pattern onto the fabric (1). 5.

If you are working on darker fabrics and you do not have a light source for the simple pattern transfer, or if the fabric you want to embroider is too thick, then a more complex pattern transfer is needed. For this method, an embroidery frame is not required, and the pattern is transferred directly onto the right side of the fabric with a carbon tracing paper (I use DMC transfer paper: see Materials & Equipment). 1. Cut a piece of transfer paper to the dimensions of the pattern and place it onto the fabric with the carbon side facing down. 2. Place the pattern, right side facing up, on top of the transfer paper. 3. Pin the pattern and transfer paper to the fabric, making sure not to smudge carbon onto the fabric, which is easy to do if you are not careful. 4. Using a ballpoint pen (or stylus), trace over the pattern, pressing down hard to ensure the pattern transfers to the fabric (1). 5. Remove some of the pins to check that the pattern has transferred successfully;

One of the best ways to show detail with modern floral hand embroidery is to split the thread into different widths, from one strand up to six strands. 1. Cut a piece of six-strand embroidery floss (stranded cotton) around 2–3ft (60–90cm) long, and slowly spread out the end of the strand between the thumb and index finger of one hand, to separate the thread into six, single individual strands (1). 2. Depending on the pattern requirements, take the desired amount of strands (1 str, 2 str, 3 str, etc.) with your other hand and begin to separate them from the main strand. 3. Slowly pull the separated strands away from the main strand, going slowly so that the thread length doesn’t knot. 4. In the image (2), a straight stitch has been worked using different widths of thread, from one strand on the left to the full six strands on the right.

1. Thread your needle (use a needle threader if necessary) with strand(s) of thread around 2–3ft (60–90cm) long. 2. Bring the needle up through the fabric, from back to front (1), and pull the thread through until there is about 2–3in (5–7.5cm) of thread left on the back of the fabric (this is called the ‘tail’). 3. Take your free hand and press down on the thread ‘tail’ to make sure the thread doesn’t pull all the way through the fabric (2). 4. Begin stitching the pattern, letting go of the tail once a few stitches have been completed.

1. After completing an area of stitching, turn the embroidered fabric over to expose the backside and two tails of thread. Split each individual tail evenly and tie 2–3 knots to secure the thread tails at the back of the fabric (1, 2). 2. Take a pair of embroidery scissors or snips and cut the tails all the way to the knots (3).

This stitch is the perfect beginner stitch as it is very versatile and easy to learn. 1. Bring the needle up through the fabric from the back to the front (1). 2. Working towards yourself, push the needle back through the fabric a short distance (about the length of a grain of rice) from the first insertion point, pulling the thread tight (2). 3. Bring the needle back up through the fabric, again about the length of a grain of rice, from the second insertion point (3). 4. Push the needle back through the second insertion point, from front to back, to join up with the first stitch (4). 5. Pull the thread tight to create a second stitch (5). Continue in this way until you have a row of stitches.

The smooth, solid finish of this stitch makes it perfect for words and outlining. 1. Complete a set of back stitches (see Back Stitch in STITCH GLOSSARY). 2. Once a set is complete, bring the needle back down to the first insertion point of the set of back stitches and stitch up through the insertion point, pulling the thread tight (1). 3. Using the needle, weave the thread under the first back stitch on top of the fabric from right to left (2, 3). 4. Pull the thread all the way through, pulling away and along the set of back stitches (4). 5. Bring the needle back around, repeating this action along the entire set of back stitches, always weaving under the stitches from right to left (5). 6. Once the set is complete, push the needle back through the fabric, into the last insertion point of the set of back stitches, and pull tight (6, 7).

This stitch, like satin stitch, is a filler stitch, albeit a less controlled one. 1. Referring to how to work back stitch (see Back Stitch), fill in the designated space with back stitches, keeping the stitches random with no consistency (1).

This filler stitch should mimic the look and feel of a piece of satin and is a sequence of straight stitches placed parallel to each other. 1. To complete the satin stitch, fill in the designated space with straight stitches (see Straight Stitch in STITCH GLOSSARY), making sure to stitch them next to each other (1, 2, 3). 2 . To keep the stitches consistent, alternate sides starting with the second straight stitch.

A glorified back stitch, the straight stitch is great for adding details. 1. Bring the needle up through the fabric, from the back to the front (1).   2. Take the needle back down through the fabric, making sure to pull the thread tight (2, 3).

This stitch mimics the look of a flower stem and is great for adding details. 1. To start a line of stem stitch, bring the needle up through the fabric, then back down into the fabric (about the length of a grain of rice) (1). 2. Do not pull the thread all the way through to form a stitch, but instead push the thread down to the side with your thumb to make a ‘loop’. Bring the needle back up through the fabric, in between the two insertion points and to the right of the loop (2). 3. Once the needle has passed through the fabric, raise your thumb and let go of the thread to pull the thread all the way through (3, 4). 4. To continue, bring the needle back down through the fabric (about the length of a grain of rice), holding down the thread loop on top of the fabric with your thumb (5). 5. This time, bring the needle back up through the end of the previous stitch, again to the right of the loop (to keep your stitches consistent); once the needle has passed through