Love working with your hands? Give hand embroidery a try! In this comprehensive beginner’s class, expert Kat McTee walks you through the basics from choosing fabrics and floss to hooping up and crafting 19 beautiful stitches. Learn to create a gorgeous sampler as you master a range of key techniques, including how to work with letters, numbers and finished garments, finish flat embroidery and more.
Supplies Needed
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Discover why hand embroidery is a terrific budget-friendly craft for all ages as Kat helps you assemble the best beginner-friendly supplies, including fabric, floss, needles and hoops.
Method: Transferring Designs
8:55
Learn two easy ways to quickly transfer an embroidery design to fabric, then explore some additional methods to add to your embroidery toolkit.
Method: Hoop Up & Get Started Stitching
17:06
Find out how to separate stranded floss, thread your needle, and hoop up your fabric. You'll start stitching with the running stitch, the most basic, yet versatile stitch in embroidery.
Learn & Practice: Straight & Outline Stitches
26:34
Here, Kat introduces stitch families. Find out how to use them in the class sampler as she demonstrates five easy stitches that allow you to outline any shape and make lines or expressive marks on your embroidery.
Learn & Practice: Spot Stitches & French Knots
28:17
Find out how to add all-over texture and color to your sampler, plus all of your embroidery with simple spot stitches! Then Kat demystifies the French knot, a popular stitch that'll be your new favorite with just a little practice.
Learn & Practice: Looped Stitches
14:21
Curvy looped stitches are so much fun to make! See how to add five of them to your sampler, one by one.
Learn & Practice: Fill Stitches
14:09
Complete your sampler by coloring in the shapes with fill stitches, including the seed, satin, long and short stitches. Learn how to use other stitches as fill stitches to expand your possibilities!
Method: Working With Designs
14:12
Continue your embroidery journey by exploring a world of commercial embroidery designs. Or draw your own with Kat's handy tips for creating designs and choosing stitches.
Method: Letters & Numbers
6:27
Have something to say to the world? Stitch it! In this lesson, learn how to work with letters and numbers, including handwritten script, in your embroidery. Kat teaches you the couching technique to add to your stitch repertoire.
Method: Finishing Options
24:42
Wondering how to finish and display your sampler and other beautiful embroidery? Kat shows you how to transform them into pillows, sachets or patches. Or hang them on the wall in a plain or embellished hoop, or mounted on a stretched artist's canvas.
Method: Floss Management
3:54
By now, you may be collecting embroidery floss in all colors. Kat helps you manage all those little skeins and labels by offering suggestions for bobbins and convenient cases, then shares a handy technique for color blending.
Apply It: Embroidering Denim
14:55
Flash back to the 1970s and learn to embroider jeans, jean jackets and more! Get tips for working with denim and heavier fabrics, with or without a hoop, for tricky areas such as pockets, collars and more.
Apply It: Embroidering Knits & More Embroidery Styles to Try
8:48
Now you're ready to stitch on T-shirts, baby clothes and other stretchy knit fabrics! Find out how to use stabilizers for professional-looking results every time.
Your Instructor
Kat McTee
Lifelong artist and maker Kat McTee resides in Austin, Texas. She teaches embroidery, surface design, silkscreening and color theory to students at the Austin Museum of Art School, Dougherty Art Center, Studio 1408 and The Stitch Lab. Her textile work has been exhibited at the Houston International Quilt Show, Minnesota State Quilt Forum, Rockport Center for the Arts, and Textures Gallery in San Antonio. Kat is a graduate of the Surface Design program at the Southwest School of Art & Craft.
Bonus Material
Startup Library: Hand Embroidery - Class Materials
Bonus Materials available for download after purchase.
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