Hi everyone! Hank the Tree Stump here! Welcome to the first ever LollyChops Embroidery Week (Lolly told me I could do the intro but she's taking over from here)!!
I am completely new to embroidery and figured you might as well hang out with me as I learn my way through the multitude of stitches that are out there! I have absolutely no idea what I am doing but am over-the-top excited to get started (if you know me.. you know that I am over-the-top excited when it comes to just about anything)! I'll be sharing at least a free pattern or two every day as well as loads of resources and links along the way!!
I debated the best way to approach this week. There was the option of trying to show you each stitch as I was learning it.. and then there was the option of just sharing resources. I am going to go the "just sharing the resources" route. If I was not working and just hanging out and crafting all day long I could manage... but since that's not the case we'll have to gander through all of the great tutorials and videos out there (that so many super nice folks have already put together for us)!
So what did Lolly do this weekend?
I have to admit that I spent the majority of this weekend drawing, drawing, drawing (and drawing). So today will be pretty lame all things considered.
When I mentioned having an embroidery week last week - Ann H. was kind enough to share a terrific link with me! It's a site that has loads of embroidery stitches all spelled out! You can see that site HERE (thanks Ann!!).
The stitches...
I also found a few good videos on YouTube covering some of the basic stitches (split, chain, french knot, back, blanket, etc..). You can see those HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE (in respective order). I am an extremely visual person - so those videos really helped me to see what I am supposed to be doing! Poke around there a little more and you will be really surprised at how many great tutorials are out there!
Hoop prep and some other excellent advice...
In the books I recently ordered two of them mention wrapping your embroidery hoop. I found the most amazing link that goes over some awesome embroidery do's and don'ts (including how to wrap your hoop and why (we don't want any warping or woofing right???)... you can read through this terrific post HERE (really... if you read nothing else today - please go and read that post - it's loaded with critical information)!!
I made a list of all of your requests from last week and I think have accommodated them all (I even have a small piece of sushi as a pattern)!!! If you have any other requests let me know now so I can see if I can get them done before the end of the week!
We'll start off today with some mushrooms and butterflies. A pretty simply little grouping of mushrooms and a chunky little butterfly (with some hearts on her wings for Valentine's day). I made them in two different sizes...
I am going to need you embroidery experts out there to tell me if I am doing this wrong. I made a colorful version of the pattern and then a black and white line drawing version as well (do you guys want me to do the same thing with the leaves and flower from last week???). Just let me know ok!
Mushrooms & Butterflies Pattern
Tomorrow I'll share how things went with the heat transfer pencil as well as my first few attempts at learning the stitches!
I hope today was not too much of a disappointment! All that drawing took me WAY longer than I thought it would!
HUGS for Embroidery Week from me and Hank!

I debated the best way to approach this week. There was the option of trying to show you each stitch as I was learning it.. and then there was the option of just sharing resources. I am going to go the "just sharing the resources" route. If I was not working and just hanging out and crafting all day long I could manage... but since that's not the case we'll have to gander through all of the great tutorials and videos out there (that so many super nice folks have already put together for us)!
I have to admit that I spent the majority of this weekend drawing, drawing, drawing (and drawing). So today will be pretty lame all things considered.
When I mentioned having an embroidery week last week - Ann H. was kind enough to share a terrific link with me! It's a site that has loads of embroidery stitches all spelled out! You can see that site HERE (thanks Ann!!).
I also found a few good videos on YouTube covering some of the basic stitches (split, chain, french knot, back, blanket, etc..). You can see those HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE (in respective order). I am an extremely visual person - so those videos really helped me to see what I am supposed to be doing! Poke around there a little more and you will be really surprised at how many great tutorials are out there!
Hoop prep and some other excellent advice...
In the books I recently ordered two of them mention wrapping your embroidery hoop. I found the most amazing link that goes over some awesome embroidery do's and don'ts (including how to wrap your hoop and why (we don't want any warping or woofing right???)... you can read through this terrific post HERE (really... if you read nothing else today - please go and read that post - it's loaded with critical information)!!
We'll start off today with some mushrooms and butterflies. A pretty simply little grouping of mushrooms and a chunky little butterfly (with some hearts on her wings for Valentine's day). I made them in two different sizes...
I am going to need you embroidery experts out there to tell me if I am doing this wrong. I made a colorful version of the pattern and then a black and white line drawing version as well (do you guys want me to do the same thing with the leaves and flower from last week???). Just let me know ok!
Mushrooms & Butterflies Pattern
Tomorrow I'll share how things went with the heat transfer pencil as well as my first few attempts at learning the stitches!
I hope today was not too much of a disappointment! All that drawing took me WAY longer than I thought it would!
HUGS for Embroidery Week from me and Hank!

