• Notice What You Like
• Part 2 - Making and using a viewfinder
• Draw a Scene
• Draw a Leaf or Flower
• Make Felt
• Felt Making Video
• Stitching onto Felt
  • Introduction
  • About stitching on felt
  • Getting started
  • Suggestion - what next?
• Stitch Doodles
• Stitching Video
• Glossary

Introduction

You will need:

• Your felt

• Threads

• Needles

• Scissors

• You can watch stitching videos or download and print stitch guides to assist you
  
  Don't know where to get your materials from - look at our useful links

 

What is embroidery?

Embroidery is the embellishment of a surface by the application of decorative stitching. It may also incorporate other materials such as beads.

 

What might this exercise offer?

Stitching:

• Helps us to feel relaxed and calm

• Can give a sense of achievement by creating something beautiful

• Slows our thoughts down by engaging our attention in something requiring careful concentration

• Stitching is a highly portable technique and is socially very acceptable to pursue even when in company – this can be great as it gives us something to do with our hands when feeling we’d prefer to be ‘busy’

• Stitching can be done anywhere that you can sit comfortably – take it with you on the train, on holiday, you can even do it in bed, but don’t sit on your scissors!

 

How long will the exercises take?

Embroidery is a relatively slow art technique, giving much satisfaction and pleasure along the way. You can spend as much or as little time as you like on each exercise, but don’t feel you need to hurry if things take a little longer than you expect. This is all part of the fun!

 

Exercises can be completed over a period of time, whether that’s a morning or afternoon, or a week or longer. We suggest you make yourself a tea or a coffee and enjoy the time to yourself, immersed in the exercise of your choice.   Take as many breaks as you need. Remember it’s a good idea when doing a creative exercise to have a break from what you’re doing and come back to it with fresh eyes.