CRAFTERNOONE: lazy girl's guide to embroidery

Embroidery is really easy and I know this because I am an expert on it ever since two weeks ago, when I glanced through a book about it at Barnes & Noble. Grandmas make it seem hard only because they want to protect their craft from people like me who want to abuse it to make ironic wall hangings!

For this project, I embroidered a bunted banner that says "snoozefest" to hang over my bed because every night in my bed is a party and by party I mean a time to watch Netflix Instant Watch by myself. This could also be made as a pretty special way to say happy birthday or breakup with someone, depending on what you make the banner say.


To make your own, you will need:


+embroidery hoop, available for really cheap at craft/fabric stores
+two colors of embroidery floss, also really cheap
+small piece of white cotton
+scissors
+needle
+pencil

Place the entire embroidery ring on top of the fabric. Using your pencil, lightly draw curved line across the center of the ring, on the fabric. COUNT HOW MANY LETTERS ARE IN THE WORD YOU WANT YOUR BANNER TO SAY, then draw that many triangles, being sure to evenly space them. I use caps because I care. I messed this part up and had to redo it. Twice.

+ Place the inner ring of the hoop under the fabric, and the outer one on top, around the space you just drew, and fasten.
+Trim the excess fabric from the hoop, so it looks like this:

+Stitch along your pencil drawing using a split stitch.Sew a single basic stitch. 

+Now, sew another stitch, except pull it up through the previous stitch.

+Continue the pattern.

+Once you're done outlining the banner portion, switch to another color of thread to outline the letters.

And you're finished! Once you finished your first hoop, it is easy to pop them out like you're the Michelle Duggar of needlecrafts. Happy stitching!

-Gabby