{A Crafty Version of Pay it Forward}

Embroidery.
Who knew?

Carlene taught Lindsay.
Lindsay taught me.
And I love it.
Embroidery is so much fun.
If you're slightly interested in learning about it, read on...

I went to Joann's to pick up what I needed for my first lesson.
This stuff is cheap. The most expensive part is whatever you
want to embroider on. I paid $10 for a four pack of flour sack
towels. So, even that's not much. You could do it on a onesie or
any number of things. I bought:


Towels


Patterns -- They're iron ons and reusable. Since they were
cute and only $1.29 each, I bought five of them. :)


Hoops -- I wasn't sure what size I needed. So, I bought three.
They were all between $0.99 and $1.99. Practically free!


Embroidery floss -- Since I wanted lots of color options,
I went with the big pack for $14.99. You could easily spend
a third of that and have what you need to get started. Each
thread is six strands, but you only embroider with two of
those strands at a time. So, a little goes a long way.


Needles -- this pack was just over a dollar. All you need is
a needle with an eye large enough to get the thread through.

I read this quick article. It's a nice intro that reassured me
embroidery is simple, and I could totally do it. It also got me
kind of excited about it. This is not your grandma's craft
anymore. You can do some really cool stuff with embroidery!
So, here's the skinny:

1) Pick a pattern
2) Choose what material you'll put the pattern on
3) Iron it onto the material
4) Place your material into a hoop so it's nice and tight
5) Cut thread; length = from finger tips to elbow or so
6) Separate 2 strands from the 6 stand thread
6) Slip your 2 strands through the eye of the needle

You're almost ready!

The part that's difficult to explain in written word is how to make
the stitch itself. Lindsay was able to show me in three minutes, but
it's a visual thing. Never fear. YouTube is here! This chick gives a
fabulous tutorial. The whole video is like seven minutes, but she
tells you everything you need to know in the first three and a half
minutes.



My first project will be posted tomorrow. I'm just waiting for
daylight to take a picture of it. Hope you all have a nice night!