Step by Step Guides

Woodland Wonder

Welcome to our step by step guide for your Woodland Wonder embroidery kit! I'm so grateful that you've chosen to try embroidery with one of our kits.

This step-by-step guide can be used in addition to or instead of your paper instructions. The benefit of this guide is that each stitch tutorial is listed below, making it even easier to complete your piece without stress!

If you find yourself having any trouble with stitches, reach out to me at hello@craftclubco.com to book a one-on-one 'help me!' session.

Without further ado, LETS GET STITCHING! 

 

Prepping Your Hoop & Thread

Before beginning your kit, you'll be setting up your hoop and threading your needle.

Setting Up Your Hoop

  • To put your fabric into your hoop, separate the inner and outer hoop by loosening the metal screw at the top. 
  • Place your inner hoop (the one without the metal piece) under your fabric, roughly centering your design in the middle. Then place your outer ring on top of the fabric.
  • Use the screw to tighten the hoop until the fabric is taut like a drum. This can take a bit of time. Start by screwing it a little tighter, then adjust the fabric, then screw again before finally pulling the fabric so it's nice and tight in the hoop.
  • Don't worry if the design isn't perfectly in the middle of the hoop, as you'll be able to adjust it after you've completed!

Threading Your Needle

  • Your thread comes as six individual strands combined to make one string. When stitching we will often split the string and used the desired number of strands for the stitch.
  • Cut approximately 60cm (or roughly an arms length) of thread then separate the number of strands you'll need for the following stitch.
  • For your very first step you'll need 3 strands of your #801 (dark brown) thread to fill in your acorn. You'll be splitting the thread in half into two sections of 3x strands.

  • Use one of your pink needle threaders to thread your needle, pulling the thread partially through the needle. Don't pull the thread all the way through to the middle, just enough so it feels secure and your needle won't slide away.
  • Then tie a knot at the end of your thread. You can do a double knot if you like, but just a single knot is usually enough for the type of linen included in your kit.

 

Beginning Your Woodland Wonder

For this piece you'll be using 6x beautiful stitches. Each of these stitches is great to have in your stitch 'toolbox' because they're commonly used in other patterns. Meaning that you'll be able to stitch a range of pieces after completing your Woodland Wonder piece.

Stitches Included:

  • Satin Stitch
  • Straight Stitch
  • Stem Stitch
  • Whip Stitch (aka. Whipped Back Stitch)
  • French Knots
  • Lazy Daisy Stitch

Step 1

We're going to start your woodland piece by stitching the three brown acorns using 3 strands of thread and SATIN STITCH. Start by filling in the upper shape with #801 (dark brown) thread followed by the lower shape with #436 (mid brown) thread. Your stain stitches will be vertical for the whole acorn shape.

Next, use long STRAIGHT STITCHES to create a criss-cross effect on the top of the acorn. You'll use 2 strands of #436 (mid brown) thread for this section.

Satin Stitch Video Tutorial - by Cutesy Craft

Straight Stitch Video Tutorial - by American Quilting

 

Step 2

Next, we'll stitch the yellow flowers using SATIN STITCH. These flowers use 3 strands of thread both for the petals and for the centres.

Using #3852 (yellow) fill in the petals, making sure your satin stitch goes in the direction of the blooming flowers. Use #3776 (orange) to fill in the centre of your flowers. These stitches can be horizontal or vertical, depending on what you like the look of the most.

For the Satin Stitch Tutorial, see Step 1.

 

 

Step 3

To stitch our green oak tree leaves, we're going to start by filling the leaf shapes using SATIN STITCH. You'll use 3 strands of #3345 (dark green) thread for this section. Stitch each side of the leaf in the direction of the centre line.


When the sides are done, you'll stitch down the middle of the leaf using STEM STITCH, with 3 strands of #732 (olive green) thread.

Stem Stitch Video Tutorial - by Cutesy Crafts

For the Satin Stitch Tutorial, see Step 1.

 

Step 4

Now it's time to stitch your cosy toadstool mushrooms. The entire toadstool uses SATIN STITCH with 3 strands of thread. But the direction of your stitches changes which makes the elements of your toadstool stand out.

Start with the stem of the mushroom using #ECRU (Ecru) thread. Then move onto the brown underside of the mushroom with #436 (mid brown) thread. For the white and red top, you want your stitches to be going in opposite directions. Stitch the white spots using #ECRU (Ecru) in a horizontal direction. And your red background using #816 (red) in a vertical direction.

For the Satin Stitch Tutorial, see Step 1.

 

Step 5

Next you'll stitch your red and mauve blossoms in the centre of the piece. Using 3 strands of #732 (olive green) thread, stitch the stems of the flower using WHIP STITCH. The leaf of the flower also uses 3 strands, and can be filled in using SATIN STITCH.

To stitch the blossom flowers you'll use FRENCH KNOTS in #315 (maroon) and #816 (red) thread. These knots use 3 strands of thread.

Back Stitch Video Tutorial - by Mary Corbet

Whip Stitch (aka Whipped Back Stitch) Video Tutorial - by Cutesy Craft 

French Knot Video Tutorial - by River Birch Threads

For the Satin Stitch Tutorial, see Step 1.

 

Step 6

Your orange leaves will be stitched in a very similar way to your oak leaves, just a lot smaller. Fill in the sides of the leaf with 3 strands of #3776 (orange) thread using SATIN STITCH. When both sides are complete, go in with a STEM STITCH to cover the middle line of the leaf using 3 strands of #436 (mid brown) thread.

For the Satin Stitch Tutorial, see Step 1.

For the Stem Stitch Tutorial, see Step 3.

 

Step 7

Now you'll fill in your little yellow flowers using LAZY DAISY STITCH. These lazy daisies use 6 strands of #3852 (yellow) thread to create nice texture. Add a single FRENCH KNOT using 6 strands of #732 (olive green) thread to make the bud at the centre of your mini flower. Be gentle but forceful when pulling through your knot, it can be tricky pulling your needle through with 6 strands so be patient.

Lazy Daisy Video Tutorial - By Cutesy Crafts

For the French Knot Tutorials, see Step 5.

 

Step 8

You're almost finished! The last step in your piece is to fill in your mini maroon flowers using SATIN STITCH. Use 3 strands of #315 (maroon) thread for these flowers. Then add tiny FRENCH KNOTS using 3 strands of #ECRU (ecru) thread. If you're having trouble stitching all three french knots, you can change it to one larger french knot like the previous flower and it'll still look wonderful.

And now you're done! YAY! Congrats on completing your gorgeous masterpiece.

For the Satin Stitch Tutorial, see Step 1.

For the French Knot Tutorials, see Step 5.

 

You've Finished Your Masterpiece!

Washing Your Piece

If there are blue lines from the pattern still visible when you've finished your piece, it's time to give it a rinse. If you can't see any blue lines (or they're small enough not to be noticeable) skip this step and go straight to backing your hoop!

To wash your lines off, take your fabric out of the hoop and rinse under warm water. You can gently rub the ink with your fingers to remove it. If the ink is being stubborn you can even rinse your fabric with a mild soap.

Once it's clean, leave your piece to dry on a flat on a hand towel away from direct sunlight. You can also press another hand towel gently on top of it to soak up excess water.

 

Ironing Your Piece

If your piece is very wrinkled, you may want to iron it. Generally, you won't need to do this unless it's very creased because the action of tightening the fabric in your hoop will remove small wrinkles.

Place your embroidered piece upside down on a towel on top of your ironing board. You want the back of your embroidery facing upwards. Next place a tea towel on top of your embroidered piece, to protect it from the direct heat of the iron.

Iron your piece on a medium setting, checking your piece as you go. If the creases are stubborn you can increase the setting of your iron, as linen and cotton are okay with higher temperatures. I always suggest doing this gradually, rather than going in straight away with full heat, as the last thing you want to do is burn your piece!

 

Backing Your Hoop

  • When you've finished your design, it's time to back your hoop so it's ready to display! Before backing, make sure your design is centred in the hoop.
  • With your hoop facing down, cut off your excess fabric, leaving approx. 1.5cm around the edge of your hoop.
  • Using approx. 70cm of any thread colour, thread your needle and tie a knot at the end.
  • Starting at the top of the hoop, we are going to use a running stitch around the hoop, across the excess fabric. When you've reached the top again, you can pull the thread firmly to pull the fabric towards the middle. This will stop it from showing at the front.

  • Once it's tight, secure your thread at the top with a knot. You can even knot the two ends of the thread together - just make sure they're as tight as possible so that the fabric at the back lies flat.
  • If you find the fabric is bunching up a bit, simply sit your embroidery piece under something heavy like a book for a few hours. This will flatten the fabric at the back, and make your hoop sit flush when you want to display it.

 

And you're done! Congratulations on finishing your Woodland Wonder embroidery piece. I hope you had a fantastic experience stitching it! 

Nakisah x

Craft Club's Founder

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