Embroidered items make great gifts for family and friends, and you can even create keepsakes for your kids or grandkids. If you’re new to the embroidery scene, things may seem a little complicated to you at first.

There are so many different patterns to choose from, where would you even begin? Stop right there. Don’t get ahead of yourself. There are a few essential things that you’ll need before you begin picking out a design.

The first thing you should know is that you can embroider by hand, and thanks to technology, by machine as well. And yes, you could also embroider on wood, but we won’t we be getting into that here. This is just the basics.

Machine Embroidery

Machine embroidery provides an easy setup to start with embroidery for the first time. You won’t need to learn how to create any stitches or patterns yourself as the machine does it for you. You simply need to download your pattern, input it into the machine and thread your needle.

This is not to say you won’t require some patience. You can’t simply sit back and enjoy the process. You need to be an active participant.

The Basics

Essentials:
● Embroidery machine
● Hoops
● Embroidery needles
● Embroidery thread (various colours)
● Stabilizer
● Scissors
● Fabric
● Design or pattern of choice
● Temporary spray adhesive

Method:
The very first thing that you will need to do is, of course, go out and buy your embroidery
machine. Already have one? Great! Then let’s get started.

Pick your fabric (this could be anything from linen to a towel, the choice is yours), next pick your design or pattern, being careful to ensure that it matches the type of fabric you’re using. Basically, delicate designs work best on delicate fabrics.

This next part is incredibly important: you will need to stabilize your fabric to ensure that it does not ruffle or wrinkle while you’re working. Cut a piece of stabilizer, making sure that it’s a little bigger that your hoop, then spray on the temporary adhesive and stick the stabilizer to your fabric quickly. Ensure that it is smoothed out and there are no bumps or wrinkles.

Input your design onto your embroidery machine. If you don’t know how to do this, please check your manual, as different machines may have different input methods. Also, be sure to download or print the thread list from the site that you got the design from, or once you’ve bought the design – it could come in handy.

Now, for the fun part.

Hoop your fabric-stabilizer combo and attach the hoop to your machine. Make sure that you tighten the hoop appropriately, because if it’s too loose, your design will not turn out the way that it should. The fabric should be tightened firmly, but not stretched.

Thread your machine with your first chosen color and begin stitching. Don’t stress about remembering to change colors as the machine will let you know when it’s time.

Once your embroidery is completed, remove the hoop from the machine and un-hoop your fabric. You can now remove the excess stabilizer.

How you remove the stabilizer depends entirely upon the type that you used – for example, a cutaway stabilizer can simply be cut off. You can do this pretty close to the embroidery; but be careful, as you don’t want to damage the stitching or the fabric.

Getting the hang of your machine may take some practice, but once you’ve gotten used to it, the entire process should become incredibly easy.

Now, go give it a try.

Hand Embroidery

Hand embroidery requires much more focus and attention than machine embroidery. You will need to master the stitches, which requires tons of practice. If you’re committed to try this method of embroidery, you will need quite a few hours of spare time and a steady hand.

The Basics

Essentials:
● Sewing needles
● Embroidery thread (various colours)
● Hand embroidery scissors
● Hoops
● Magnifier
● Fabric
● Water-soluble marker

10 basic stitches you’ll need to master:
● Running stitch
● Backstitch
● Split stitch
● French knot
● Stem stitch
● Satin stitch
● Seed stitch
● Chain stitch
● Lazy daisy
● Feather stitch

Method:
As with machine embroidery, choose your fabric and thread. Hoop your chosen fabric, being
sure to tighten the hoop appropriately without stretching the fabric.

Next, you will need to draw your design or pattern onto the fabric. This is where the water- soluble marker comes in, as it will be a simple thing to wash your completed embroidery to
remove the marker.

When threading your needle, don’t double the thread as you would do when sewing broken clothing. Simply knot one end only, leaving about a ½ inch of space behind the knot to avoid tangling.

Now, begin carefully stitching along your design or pattern. You will need to do practice stitches with small shapes first, before attempting any bigger design.

The best stitches to begin with are:

Running stitch
● this is basically just normal sewing, where you can create long or short stitches,
depending on your preference.

Backstitch
● Bring the needle through on the marked line of your design (stitch line) and make a
small backward stitch through the fabric on the same line.
● Next, bring the needle through the fabric again, but this time make it a little in front of
the first stitch.
● Now, take another stitch, bringing the needle through at the point where it first came
through.
● Repeat this until your pattern is complete.
● Remember to always try to use the hole at the end of one stitch to begin your next
stitch.

Split stitch
● Works like the backstitch.
● Pull the thread up and make a small stitch. Come back through the middle of that stitch and take it back down through the fabric a short distance away in the direction you’re going in.
● Best to keep stitches short (1/8 – 1/4 of an inch). If you make them any longer, your
stitches will look messy and won’t confirm to curves very well.

French knot
● Pull the thread through the fabric at your desired point on the stitch line, hold the thread down with your thumb (left thumb if right-handed and vice versa) and then encircle the thread with the needle. Encircle once for a small knot, twice for medium and thrice for large.
● Hold the thread firmly around the needle and then insert the needle very close to
where the thread originally emerged.
● Pull the thread-encircled needle all the way through to create your French knot.

Practice is essential for mastering anything, including embroidery. Whether you’re using a machine or have decided to embroider by hand, practicing is the best way to get the best results.

As you can see from above though, hand embroidery takes a lot more practice, patience and time. For those like me, who have neither the time nor the patience, an embroidery machine is the best option.

Pick your design, thread that needle, and create something wonderful.

We’re turning another page on the calendar today and you know what that means – it’s almost Back-to-School time! Whether you’re celebrating or mourning, you only have a few more days to prepare yourself and your kids. Make the transition back easier by getting into these five habits now!

Sleeping: Summer sleep schedules are all over the place with travel, special events, and the fact that the sun never goes down but staying up until midnight isn’t going to fly during the school year (Hello, 6:00 a.m.). Start gradually working on earlier bed and wake times now so you’ll all be in the habit by the time school starts. Backing up in 15-minute increments tends to work well. For example, if the kids are sleeping in until 10:30 a.m. now, wake them at 10:15 for a day or two, then 10:00, 9:45, 9:30, etc. On the other end, start the bedtime routine 15 minutes earlier every few days until they’re eventually in bed on time a few days before school starts. Ensure that your child’s bed and wake times during the school year allow the recommended amount of sleep per night by checking out this handy chart from the National Sleep Foundation. Most elementary school-aged kids need 9 to 11 hours of sleep per night but some may require a bit less or more. If your child is hard to wake up in the morning, she’s probably not getting enough rest or the sleep is of poor quality. Although it can be tempting to let kids go to bed late or sleep in on the weekends, that practice could cause problems. If your child’s normal bedtime is 8:00 and he usually wakes up at 6:00, shifting to 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekends should be fine but don’t allow a lot more wiggle room.

Eating: If meals have been a little loose (e.g., a handful of grapes and some Cheetos) this summer, it’s time to get things back on track. Skipping breakfast may have been fine when your kids slept until noon but won’t work once they’re out the door by 7:15 a.m. Plan on three meals a day plus two healthy snacks. Once school starts back, most kids are hungry when they walk in the door so get something in their systems before they go play or start homework. If your child has afterschool activities, keep some fruit, nuts, and water in the car for on-the-go snacking.

Moving: If your kids have been on screens all summer, it’s time they start preparing for the physical demands of the school day now. Brainstorm together a few ways to get them out and moving for at least 45-60 minutes for each of these remaining summer days. Remember there are indoor options like McWane Science Center and trampoline and climbing parks. Once the school year starts, plan for at least 30 minutes of outside time at home either before school if your child’s an early riser or right after school before homework time. For many kids, the time they spend in recess and P.E. may not be enough physical activity so get them moving at home, too.

Playing: Your kiddos probably have several after-school activities that keep them active and engaged, which is great. However, they also need totally unstructured, mindless free time in their daily schedules. Screen-free, ideally. Try to find pockets in the day where your kid isn’t expected to be anywhere doing anything in particular and just let him figure something out. Denise Pope, Stanford University professor and co-author of the book Overloaded and Unprepared, recommends that kids get playtime, downtime, and family time, or “PDF,” every day. A good rule of thumb is to try and make sure the time spent on PDF roughly equals the time spent in structured extracurriculars (e.g., soccer, piano, etc.). Tough to do if your kid is overscheduled so prioritize and don’t try to do everything all at once.

Working: Make homework time less chaotic by creating a quiet space and stocking it with pencils, paper, etc. Prioritize keeping this space clutter-free to reduce stress and make it easier for kids to find what they need. If possible, start homework at a consistent time every day. As a general rule, homework time should last 10 minutes per grade with 1st graders having 10 minutes of work, 2nd graders having 20 minutes, etc. If homework is taking significantly more time, check with your child’s teacher to figure out what’s going on. It can be really problematic for kids to lose sleep or playtime in order to complete homework so problem-solve how to get it all done in a reasonable time frame. Ease your kids back into homework time before school starts by spending some portion of these remaining summer days engaged in reading, science experiments, or internet research on a topic of their choosing.

About Kristen:

Kristen Berthiaume, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist with Grayson and Associates. She obtained her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Kentucky. She completed a predoctoral internship in clinical psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a post- doctoral fellowship in the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD) Program at Duke University Medical Center. She specializes in providing assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and families dealing with the following issues: ADHD, learning disorders, social skill deficits, organizational problems, behavioral difficulties, anxiety, and depression. She generally focuses on behavioral and cognitive- behavioral techniques, but maintains a flexible approach to therapy. Her other day job is as mom to her daughters, ages ten and four, and seven-year-old son.