Tools and materials for embroidery. Tools and accessories for satin embroidery

Cross stitch has long become one of the most popular women's hobbies. At the same time, many handmakers believe that such embroidery is not the most creative activity. The scheme is there, the technology is simple and clear, the result is known in advance. In addition, there are thousands of cross stitch kits, and they have already cut the canvas with threads and put in a needle. But any embroiderer will tell you that creativity is the HOW, not the WHAT. Cross stitch is both a quest and a puzzle. Where to start, where and which way to go, how many colors to work with at the same time, should you take care of the perfect backside? And what embroidery has in common with puzzles is that special pleasure when a design begins to appear out of nowhere; No wonder many embroiderers take photographs of the stages of embroidery. The finished work may well not be particularly interesting to them: for example, after boasting about the result online and offline, I roll up the embroidered picture or put it in a folder and forget about it.

Sooner or later, working with ready-made sets becomes not as interesting as it used to be. Numerous embroidery patterns on the Internet, cross-stitch themed magazines, designs spotted from friends... And here we are faced with the need to independently choose everything that was received “on a silver platter” in the kit. The choice makes your head spin, and you want to find some kind of support point. Let's try to figure out what's what (and how not to spend the entire family budget).

Here is the “Everything for Handicrafts” store. All?! Personally, I have long ago selected threads for a large project, but they are lying around to no avail - because, as it turned out, the concept of “EVERYTHING” does not include the required shade and count of blue canvas. In addition, in “convenience stores” (and, let’s be honest, in some online stores for creativity), the sellers are actually not in the know, and there is no assortment. I remember that at one time, when Burda brand stores opened in Russia, there were huge queues. There was no DMC floss, but there were well-trained salespeople who could pull out a small book from somewhere under the counter and spend half an hour helping convert color numbering from one system to another. Now I hardly know such places! In response to the prayers and curses of embroiderers, patterns began to be printed in several color systems at once.

I’ll tell you a terrible secret - in the short term it’s cheaper to buy a set. For example, for a work of average complexity of approximately 20x30 cm, you will most likely need about 30 colors (if you take the usual DMC, a skein will cost about 45-50 rubles). Multiply by 30 and get one and a half thousand (for threads only!) Yes, you can say that you will still have threads - but if embroidery is not one of your daily activities, it is still unknown when these colors will be useful to you again. Next, the outline. A piece of canvas of this size will cost you from 70-100 to 300-400 rubles.

Hence, our first advice. Think about how dependent you are on crosses and whether it’s worth starting a lifelong journey. All my friends collect collections of patterns, the coveted complete color card, and accumulate pieces of canvas of various textures and shades.

Threads

Embroiderers embroider with floss. Floss is a thread made of cotton, usually Egyptian, which, in turn, is divided into 6 thin threads. Typically, floss is sold in skeins of 8 or 10 meters, and each skein has a number written on it, indicating the shade in the color chart of a particular manufacturer. Most magazine schemes are provided with decryption in several systems, and in Russia these are usually DMC, Anchor, Madeira and Gamma. From experience I will say that buying threads for one project from different manufacturers is not the best idea: like foreign languages, color systems are not translated into each other “literally”.

Hence our second tip. Choose the system as your life partner - it will be with you for a long time.

Example of Anchor thread color chart

The ideal floss does not dye, does not have factory defects in the form of thickenings or knots, does not fray during operation, does not twist into a rope after every couple of stitches, is inexpensive, is available in all stores and has 500-600 shades. I’ll tell you right away: this doesn’t happen!

The closest thing to ideal is threads DMC(their main drawback is the high price). This is the oldest manufacturer of floss in the world: the company was founded in 1746, and floss began to be made in the 19th century. Nowadays everything is produced in China, but “made in China” does not affect the quality. Floss DMC is a luxurious card of about 600 colors of the main range plus intricate additions in the form of fluorescent, melange, metallized and “vintage” (colors a la naturel) threads. DMC can be found relatively easily in most craft stores except the smallest and most budget ones. Trade via the Internet is developed, where some suppliers sell DMC floss at almost wholesale prices.

Nuances: DMC floss is smooth, silky, not prone to curling, good dense coloring. Shades of the same number vary minimally in different batches. When working with thin needles on a gauge of 16-18, the threads fray quite quickly. Important: do not lose pieces of paper with numbers - it is extremely difficult to restore the skein number by shade.

The company provides an almost century-long guarantee against fading. I don’t know if this is really so - I haven’t lived that long yet.

Anchor- the closest analogue of DMC in our market. It is much more difficult to obtain, but is often included in English sets. I can say that I often like the Anchor shades themselves even more than DMC, because the colors are very clean, rich and at the same time quite “complex” - vintage schemes look especially good with them. Like DMC, Anchor isn't cheap. In general, the pros and cons of these brands are similar to each other.

Madeira- historically the first threads that entered the Russian market, and Burda traded them. Now they may be a little harder to find than DMC, but if there is a Golden Fleece brand store nearby, Madeira will be there. Most Golden Fleece kits also come with this floss. Madeira has non-standard packaging in a spiral in a flat bag, 10 meters each, so there is more of it than DMC and Anchor - both of them have 8 meters.

Nuances: Madeira seems more matte (and cloudy) and - subjectively - thicker and stiffer than Anchor and DMC. Personally, my Madeira quickly becomes frayed and even torn during embroidery (maybe because I embroider very quickly). With all of the above, Madeira is not a budget floss at all.

Personally, I am an embroidery snob. If I’m going to spend months of my life on a serious project, I don’t want to first suffer for a long time with tangled threads or mismatched shades, and then be sad over a faded or faded painting. Therefore, I will describe budget types of floss for reference. I almost never had the opportunity to work with Gamma floss, but most of my friends claim that these are the best of the cheap threads. Egyptian cotton is now also used for their production, they have a fairly large color card, and it is more or less adjusted to standard European cards. Considering that Gamma floss is half the price of DMC, this is a great option.

The gamma quickly overtook the Kirov floss in popularity, one of the most serious drawbacks of which is its limited color range. Among the “new” leaders in the budget segment, we note the Chinese floss Bestex, which diligently mimics DMC (but I have no desire to check what will happen to the embroidered work in a couple of years).

Over the last quarter of a century, floss threads from such brands as Mayflower, Presencia, Ariadna, Rosace, Sullivan, etc. have appeared and disappeared on the Russian market (and you may come across them). Maybe they are no worse than the market leaders, but if you seriously engage in embroidery, I I don't see much point in buying them. You still won’t be able to assemble a complete map; it’s difficult to find them on sale, and most creators of circuits and programs do not take them into account.

Tip number three. Unnamed Chinese manufacturers (no markings, cheap) should not interest us at all. Taking such floss for embroidery means saving a ruble and losing a hundred.

Tip number four: the choice of floss brand is always related to the purpose of a specific job. If you are embroidering a picture under glass or a postcard, you can easily save money by purchasing Gamma, Kirov or Bestex. If it is something more functional (pillow, towel, tablecloth, clothing decor...), I advise you to go for more expensive brands - they are better able to withstand loads and periodic washing.

Tip five. We decided to experiment - sew a sample and wash it. For samples, it is better to take blue, black, red, green colors (the most saturated and unstable). Perhaps dye fastness is generally the most important indicator of thread quality, because the fiber is now the same for almost everyone.

There are a lot of letters, but in practice everything is not so scary. As soon as you have made a choice in favor of a brand, written out the numbers and purchased threads - half the battle is done. Now the question is: what to embroider on? About fabrics for counted embroidery - the second part of our review.

Art cross stitch appeared during the primitive system, a lot of time has passed since then. Tools for embroidery have undergone enormous changes, from the stone needle to the modern metal needle.

In the Middle Ages, it was very fashionable to do embroidery. The ability to embroider was a mandatory requirement for an educated girl. It was then that each embroiderer began to have her own personalized set of embroidery tools. They were graceful and beautiful.

Embroidery needles.

For cross stitch, needles with a blunt tip and a large eye are most often used. The thickness of the needles depends on the density of the fabric used for embroidering. For example, for embroidery on Aida-14 canvas, use needles number 22-24, for Aida-16, needles number 24-26, for Aida-18 canvas, needles number 26.

The larger the needle number, the smaller its thickness. For embroidery on linen or cotton, needles with a sharp tip are used.
Embroidery hoop.

A hoop is an indispensable thing for any embroiderer. If you want to get smooth and beautiful embroidery, you can’t do without them. The hoop is used to stretch the fabric. When stretching the fabric, you must avoid wrinkles and deformation of the fabric.
There are several types of hoops:

1. Wooden - made entirely of wood, with a metal screw. Consist of two parts: External and internal;

2. Plastic - similar in structure to wood, only made of plastic. The screw is also plastic.

3. Round - represent two hoops of different diameters. A canvas is placed on the lower hoop and pressed down on top with a second one, and tightened with a screw.

4. Square - a rectangular frame consisting of two slats, between which the fabric is stretched.

5. Embroidery machines are a wooden rectangular or round frame located on a stand or legs.

Embroidery threads.

Cotton, silk or wool threads are used for embroidery. They usually consist of six folds and are easily separated. Recently, metal threads of different colors have appeared. Threads from different manufacturers have different colors and quality of materials.

Fabrics for embroidery.

A special fabric for embroidery is called canvas. Canvas is a fabric made from alternating intersections of threads that form cells.

There are several types of canvas: simple single canvas, double canvas, carpet canvas, large cell canvas, and plastic. The density of the canvas is indicated by numbers, for example AIDA 14 has a density of 5.5 cells per centimeter. The higher the canvas number, the greater its density.

Sometimes for cross stitch, fabric with an even crossing of the thread is used, for example, classic linen or cotton. You can also use pulled canvas to embroider designs on clothes. Its peculiarity is that after finishing work it can be easily removed by pulling it out.

Another type of canvas is canvas with a pattern. A drawing is applied to the canvas using a typographic method. The inconvenience of such a canvas is that the pattern often does not coincide with the cells and is not washed off when washed.

Illuminated magnifiers and magnifiers.

For people with low vision, it is convenient to use a magnifying glass to magnify a specific area of ​​work. There are desktop magnifiers, which are attached to the table, machine or hoop with a special clothespin. There are also magnifying glasses on a string that hang around the neck. Their inconvenience is that when you breathe, the magnifying glass rises and falls. Most magnifying glasses have built-in light bulbs, which helps to better illuminate the desired area of ​​work.

Embroidery scissors.

Embroidery scissors must be sharp. There are special scissors: with curved tips, or you can use small flat ones in the form of a clamp. They allow you to cut the thread as close to the fabric as possible, and thereby avoid unnecessary protruding ends.

Markers.

To transfer a design or line a canvas, it is convenient to use special washable markers. Markers come in different colors. There are also markers in the form of pencils or felt-tip pens. The choice of this tool must be approached as carefully as possible. The fact is that cheap markers may not wash off and even color your entire work.

Organizer for storing threads.

It is convenient to store threads in various organizers. An organizer is a box or drawer in which threads are stored, sorted by number and color. For storage, the threads are wound on a cardboard or plastic base and the brand and thread number are written on top. Palettes used for embroidery can also be stored in organizers. A palette is a color set of threads with symbols required when embroidering a particular pattern.

When embroidering, it would be a good idea to use a centimeter to measure the required outline.

The embroiderer's hands will be reliably protected by a thimble. When embroidering with a sharp needle, your fingers often get hurt on the sharp tip of the needle, to avoid this, use thimbles.

Hello, dear needlewomen!!!

With this master class we begin a series of publications on step-by-step training in satin stitch embroidery. We hope you enjoy the simplicity of our workshops. By following our recommendations, you will see how easy it is to embroider with satin stitch.

So, let's start embroidering!

What we need for this:

1.Needles.

Main characteristics of needles suitable for satin stitch embroidery:

a) the length of the needle should be no more than 2.5 cm,

B) the needle must be sharp,

C) the thickness of the needle depends on the density of the fabric. The denser the fabric, the thinner the needle. The thickness of the needle used by Chinese craftswomen is comparable to the thickness of a bead needle.

The cost of bead needles is 50 rubles. per package.

2. Hoops, frames.

a) we use hoops only when doing exercises and small jobs. The size of the hoop should correspond to the size of the picture or a little larger, but in no case smaller! It is important that during embroidery the same tension of the fabric always remains over the entire area of ​​the design, and the hoop has to be constantly tightened and rearranged to the desired fragment of embroidery, which is strictly prohibited in satin stitch.

b) Q-Snap frame hoop. Consists of four hollow plastic tubes, connecting corners and clips with which the embroidery base is attached. It can be used under the same conditions as round hoops: if the picture fits completely into the frame-hoop format. When moving to another area of ​​embroidery, fixing the clip on the embroidered area, the clips can break the thread (floss).

c) tubular frame with clips. Easy to use, but must match the size of the embroidered picture.

d) tapestry frames. The best option for embroidering large paintings.

e) tapestry frames with plastic clips.

e) Chinese frame. Used by Chinese craftswomen when working with embroidery.

To start training, we purchase a medium hoop with a diameter of 30 cm, the approximate cost of a wooden hoop is 250 rubles, plastic hoops cost approximately 150 rubles.

3. Base (fabric).

In Russia, we have a freely available fabric that is most suitable for satin stitch embroidery - calico. In principle, you can embroider on anything, but according to its main characteristics, calico is the most optimal for embroidery (it almost does not stretch along the transverse thread (weft)). It is best to use bleached calico (GOST - density 142).

This work was done on calico:

Bleached calico costs approximately 90-70 rubles per linear meter (1m x 1.5m).

4. Threads (floss).

a) floss (wool) - floss wool is used for simple work that does not require particularly clear drawing of details and a smooth, silky surface.

b) floss (cotton) is the best option for learning and performing work with high complexity of drawing details.

c) linen floss.

d) floss (silk) - the most exotic and difficult to obtain, both to purchase and to master.

e) metallic - floss with the addition of metallized thread. This group includes threads with various effects: precious stone, precious metal, antique, mother-of-pearl. These threads can be used to decorate any embroidery; they are especially widely used when embroidering icons.

e) melange is when in one skein of floss thread the color smoothly flows from one shade to another (for example, from pale pink to dark pink). These types of threads are perfect for satin stitch embroidery.

g) luminous floss - a very interesting floss for creating a luminous and shimmering effect.

h) fluorescent floss - floss with a stunning glow-in-the-dark effect.

Today I won’t bore you with mysterious photographs of the creation of high fashion masterpieces; I hope you have already looked at Chanel’s summer collection in detail and been inspired for exploits, so I suggest moving from contemplation to action and figuring out where Luneville crochet embroidery actually begins. Namely, what materials and tools should be in our arsenal in order to take the first step into this fascinating world.

- Hoop.

There are a great variety of them and for each individual fragment you can use hoops of different shapes and diameters. I think some people still have wonderful little round hoops from their school days. These are also suitable for small jobs. Personally, I use rectangular collapsible hoops; they consist of four parts, connecting which together, you can achieve the required shape and tension of the fabric. Good and even tension in the fabric reduces the risk of the hook catching on it and, as a result, tearing it. And this, as you understand, is two steps back at once)

- Textile.

Subsequently, making your wildest fashion dreams come true, you can use silk, dark materials, and even velvet, but for starters, let it be transparent silk organza. It should be durable and preferably translucent; you will have to embroider from the wrong side)
- Ribbon.

If a large hoop is used, where it is necessary to stretch the material for a larger work area, tape is used to stretch the base material onto the hoop itself. It should be soft, dense enough to withstand such tension for a long time, because the fabric will be in a taut state until you finish the work. The tape, in turn, is attached to the base material using pins.

- Hook.

The Luneville hook (crocket de Luneville) is definitely French. Just accept this as a rule. And its price fluctuates around 50 euros. It consists of three parts: a handle, a needle and a screw, which both holds the needle in the bulb and indicates the direction of the slot on the needle. Thread enters this slit to then become a loop in the chain stitch chain. Needles come in different sizes and vary depending on the thickness and density of the fabric, the type of work you are doing and the threads you are working with.

- Decorative elements.

All this technique of drawing a pattern, preparing pre-decorated fabric for cutting, makes no sense, of course, without the materials that subsequently serve as decoration for the product. Sequins, beads, stones and rhinestones, you can drown in their selection and forget why you actually came to the store. Here the choice depends on the result you are striving for. But I think it is not worth repeating that these materials must be of high quality. It is better to use Czech beads, and French sequins. Here, in general, if you don’t want to miss, it’s better to use everything French) If from the bag of beads you bought, 4 out of 10 beads do not fit the eye of a bead needle, you need another bead, or there is a risk of getting a nervous breakdown instead of creative meditation)

- Threads.

The thickness, as well as the composition, will depend on the work that will be performed using these threads. They can be either silk, 100% polyester, or completely cotton, but these are used primarily for sewing on decor with a needle. There are few rules when crocheting: the thread must be very strong and tie well into knots. And with almost any embroidery, except, perhaps, dark, it is good to use a color close to the color ivory; it is almost invisible to the eye and almost always in place. You can use German Mettler Seralene No. 120 or Gutermann No. 100, both 100% polyester.

- Scissors.

Of course, they should be comfortable, small and preferably with a pointed tip, but without fanaticism, in order to reduce the risk of accidental damage to both the material and the embroiderer) I use moderately sharp, small, comfortable and beautiful. And yes, of course French!)

And in the next article we will look at the basics of Luneville crochet embroidery and its differences from other techniques.

Every woman who is going to engage in embroidery should have the necessary tools for this purpose: an organizer, a hoop, a piercing machine, scissors, needles, a thimble, a centimeter or a ruler.

Organizer

First of all, you need to get an organizer for storing handicrafts. It should be remembered that embroidery will look good only if it is handled carefully during the work itself.

A wide variety of organizers can be used to store handicrafts: in the form of tables, bags, baskets, etc.

Here we will give a description of one of the organizers, which is easy to make yourself from chintz, plain linen or other material at hand. It requires a flap of 80 cm with a fabric width of 90 cm.

Cut two 30 cm pieces from this flap, put them together and sew on three sides. Turn the resulting bag over to the other side, slightly bend the edges of the fourth side inward and hem them. then fold the fabric on the same side by 25 cm and sew it on both sides so that you get a large pocket. On the folded side, sew a pocket cut from the remaining 20 centimeters, and on the rest of the fabric, pockets of various sizes. Hem the free edges of the pockets and the organizer is ready. If the organizer is made of plain-dyed fabric, it can be embroidered.

Distribute the embroidery tools and the embroidery itself among the pockets as follows: put the hoop with the work in the large pocket, put the threads in the outer pocket, and all other things needed for embroidery in the small pockets.

The organizer can be sewn in larger or smaller sizes, depending on your desire.

The photo shows a test organizer, stitched in the form of a folder, with all the tools.

Hoop

Most embroideries are done in a hoop, which makes the work easier and improves its quality. Round hoops are two wooden hoops that fit into one another. It is good if the hoops are made of linden wood, which is soft, light and durable.

The size of the hoop may vary. Usually the inner circle has a diameter of 25 cm. However, there are large hoops with an inner circle diameter of 30 cm and small hoops of 8-12 cm, which are used when embroidering small items, such as scarves, etc.

Hoops have been known since ancient times. Once upon a time, when poets sang of a woman, they also sang of her hoop. Usually a woman embroidered at a needlework table, to which the hoop was attached using a special device; thanks to this, the left hand was free.

Some experienced embroiderers work without a hoop, but for beginners this tool is necessary; keeping the material taut helps to obtain the correct image.

Before hoopping the fabric, the inner circle of the hoop should be wrapped tightly in gauze to prevent subsequent movement of the hoops.

Hoops for hand embroidery are made wider than hoops for machine embroidery. The height of the hoops reaches 2 cm.

When working with the hoop, they are held in the left hand, with the thumb on top; and the rest are below.

To embroider large items, such as tapestries, curtains, bedspreads and tablecloths, some use rectangular hoops, which consist of two transverse bars and two longitudinal rulers with through holes into which round sticks are inserted, allowing you to adjust the size of the frame. Such hoops are necessary mainly for embroidering tapestries, openwork embroidery and sewing on velvet.

Rectangular hoops have the convenience that they are large enough, and the entire product can be stretched onto the frame at once, while parts of the design are hooped in turn in a round hoop, which can cause tapestry, velvet or openwork embroidery to suffer.

Piercing

The piercing is a well-polished awl made of bone, wood or metal. Its tip should be quite sharp and cone-shaped, reaching 1/2 cm in diameter at its widest part. Closer to the base, the puncture can be round or flat.

The piercing is used to make holes in end-to-end embroidery, and when you need to get a small hole, the piercing is stuck into the fabric lightly, and when it is large, deeply. Holes whose diameter exceeds 1/2 cm are cut crosswise using sharp scissors.

Scissors

The quality of embroidery largely depends on the scissors that we use when working. They must be steel, without jagged edges, with very sharp ends. It is good to have two pairs of scissors, one with straight blades and the other with slightly curved blades.

When embroidering, scissors are used not only for cutting threads, but also for decorating certain elements, especially in welt and openwork stitch embroidery. If we do not have good, sharp scissors, we will not be able, for example, to cut evenly a leaf in English embroidery, or to carefully remove fabric when doing cutwork embroidery. All this suggests that we have no reason to diminish the importance of any of the tools needed for embroidery.

Needles

The embroiderer uses well-polished steel needles. The needle must be selected taking into account the fabric being embroidered on and the threads. When embroidering on fine materials—silk, cambric, and thin linen—they use a small, thin, very sharp needle. On thicker fabrics they also embroider with a small needle, but with a large eye. For embroidery on canvas and thinned fabric such as canvas, on which the image is usually applied with thick threads, we take a small thin needle with a large eye and a slightly blunt tip.

You should choose a needle thinner than the working thread so that the thread can fill the punctured hole. The eye of the needle should have rounded, not sharp walls that cut the thread during operation.

Centimeter

Along with other tools, each organizer should have a centimeter. It is needed already when translating the design for measuring the fabric, correct placement of the pattern, etc. When embroidering hemlines, a centimeter is the embroiderer’s main tool. With its help, not only the location of the hem is specified, but also its width, etc. is determined.

The centimeter should be made of fabric, with well-designed ends, placed in a metal frame.

If we don’t have a centimeter, we can also use a ruler when doing smaller jobs. However, for large jobs a centimeter is needed.

Markers

Markers used for embroidery come in different types:

• water-soluble - mainly used in counted embroidery for marking canvas. Indispensable when applying designs for uncounted ribbon embroidery, Brazilian embroidery, cutwork, etc. Wash off with plain water.
• light-disappearing - used for short-term markings when embroidering with free, uncounted seams. Disappears over time from exposure to sunlight and is washed off with water. When using, you must keep in mind that if the climate of your place of residence is characterized by high humidity, the marker markings will disappear very quickly.
• markers for dark fabrics - white markings, washable with water.

Under no circumstances should markings made with markers be subjected to heat (iron). The paint hardens due to heat and most likely you will no longer be able to remove the markings from your work.

Thimble

When sewing and embroidering, we have to, while pulling the needle through the fabric, press it from above with the middle finger of our hand. Although the needle on the eye side is blunt, pressing it repeatedly will create a wound on the finger. To protect the skin from injury, use a thimble.

A thimble is a thin metal, plastic or bakelite cap. Its size is selected according to the thickness of the finger: the thimble should not fit too tightly or loosely on it. The best thimbles are made of stainless metal with a stone top. Bakelite thimbles are uncomfortable and break easily.

When putting a thimble on your finger for the first time, you usually experience a feeling of great discomfort, however, with a little patience, you get used to it and become convinced that it is an excellent assistant in your work.

When performing fine embroidery work - English embroidery, Renaissance embroidery, etc., the index finger of the left hand, which supports the material from the inside, often suffers from needle pricks. To protect the finger, a special thimble made of bone, metal or plastic is used. The most practical are celluloid thimbles, which can be extended and thus accommodate fingers of different thicknesses.

Stitcher (gem-thimble)

The stitch stacker will help you give your embroidery a neater look by ensuring that the embroidery threads lay flat without twisting. The stitcher can be made from a variety of materials; wood, metal, bone, glass or even plastic. It is usually worn on the ring finger of the hand used for embroidery. Very convenient when embroidering with ribbons and threads such as ribbon or cord-like.
It is easy to make a stitcher yourself by securing a cut and blunted sewing pin to a thimble in the form of a ring using an adhesive plaster.

Thread conditioner or wax

When embroidering with metallic threads, silk and mixed threads, wax or thread conditioner will be an indispensable assistant. The conditioner makes it easier to thread the needle, reduces thread friction, removes static electricity, which causes thread tangling, and increases the service life of the threads and the finished product.