Finding and Choosing Great Embroidery Designs

Embroidery has become a hobby for most of us nowadays. Some do it just for hobby while some do it to earn extra income. Yes, you can sell some of your embroidery masterpieces. But, in order to create marketable embroidered products, you should know what embroidery designs most people would consider buying.

Now, there are lots of ways for you to find great embroidery designs which you could use when creating your embroidery. But, there are only 2 kinds of place where you can find them.

• Traditional. Yes, the department stores, those gift shops, and the prints. These are the places where you can find designs for your next embroidery project. You can go to the malls and your favorite gift shop to look for new patterns. They usually offer exclusive embroidery patterns and designs along with embroidery supplies. If you can’t find any, you can always get the new issues of your favorite embroidery magazine

• Conventional. The good news is that when you can’t find any design from the shops and magazines, you can always go online. There are many embroidery dedicated websites where you can find new embroidery designs. Also available on the Internet are software which let you create your own designs in just a few easy steps.id

So, you know now where to head straight when you think old patterns and designs aren’t giving you the satisfaction anymore. But, wait a minute. Don’t just grab the first design that caught your eye. If you are planning to sell your embroidered products, you must choose the design carefully.

Here are the things to consider when choosing embroidery design;

• Type– Be sure to decide what type of embroidery you are using. This way, you can decide whether the design is suitable to your project or not.

• Style – Consider the style of embroidery you want to use. Like, if you are using Elizabethan style of embroidery, you have to consider whether the design suits the materials used in this kind of style.

• Hand-stitched or machine embroidered? Some embroidery designs will only look good when done using sewing machines while some are great for handworks. So you have to make sure that the design you are choosing will suit your preferred way of embroidering.

The Last Thing to Consider

The cost of the embroidery designs you are choosing is also a big factor that you need to consider before finally grabbing those patterns. Let’s face it; not all embroidery designs are free. And sometimes, the most fabulous and great designs that you love are too pricey. But, worry not. There are still great designs out there that are almost free for you to grab.

The internet is actually where you can find them; mostly, on forums and embroidery online community where members share their designs to one another. There you can find some of the rarest designs; most are original creations of members. You can also ask tips from other members; tips such as where to get free but fabulous designs, where to get cheap but quality supplies, etc. You can also ask for advice regarding a project you are doing.

Having great and very marketable embroidery products rely not only on the quality of the work and how dainty are the pieces. It all comes down to the embroidery designs that you use. After all, it wouldn’t be any dainty without an ingenious embroidery design.

Embroidery Floss Bracelets; the Friendship Bracelets!

In embroidery, there are different types and kinds of threads used. Depending on the designs of the project and the preferences of the embroiderer, one can use any embroidery thread available. You can use pearl cotton thread, tapestry yarn, crewel yarn, Persian yarn or embroidery floss. The latter is not only used in embroidery. You can also make embroidery floss bracelets out of them.

You might have heard of the term “friendship bracelets.” These are mostly made out of embroidery floss. This is very popular especially among teens that are eager to exchange memorabilia among their friends, peers or organizations. But, do you know what these embroidery floss bracelets mean? Here are some possible meanings;

• If you have done friendship bracelets before, you might have noticed that creating it includes knots. The knots are said to be the sign of a friendship that cannot be broken.

• Also, you can mix your friend’s and your favorite colors when making embroidery floss bracelets; this also symbolizes that you may disagree on some things but is still bonded strongly.

• Since this is handmade, it means that you care enough for your friend and will give efforts for him or her.

Making embroidery floss bracelets is fun and is worth it especially if you value your fiends that much. But, if it’s your first time to do this kind of project; you have to find all the information and instructions on how to do it right.

Where to Find Instructions and Tutorials?

a.) If you have embroidery books and magazines at home, you may want to browse them. There can be some tips and even step by step instructions listed on these printed materials. Embroidery magazines usually features other handicrafts related to embroidery and you might just find useful information about embroidery floss bracelets.

b.)Embroidery shops may also offer patterns and printed instructions on how to make embroidery floss or friendship bracelets. You might also want to ask your favorite shop’s owner on tips regarding this kind of project.

c.) Searching online for tutorials and complete instructions on how to create embroidery floss bracelets. There are lots of how-to and e-guide websites on the internet where you can find detailed information and tutorials about crafting a friendship bracelet.

So, now you have details on how to create your friendship bracelets made from embroidery floss, you can start buying and preparing the materials that you will need. Of course, you will need embroidery floss, scissors to cut of excess floss, yardsticks to measure the floss that you will need in the project and clipboards to secure the end of the floss. You can also use beads to add decorations to the bracelets.

With your efforts at making beautiful embroidery floss bracelets should be enough reason to delight your friends. They will value it as they value your friendships. These can also be for your new friends especially at summer camps and student conferences where you have to say goodbye after few days or weeks.  These bracelets are also great as gifts for your high school friends especially if most of you are going to college in different schools.

Friendship bracelets are really good especially since you’ve made them personally. It doesn’t need to be expensive; it’s the thought that counts anyway, right?

Useful Embroidery Software

Gone are the days when people spent long hours just to embroider intricate designs by hand. With the advent of embroidery software, you no longer need to trace your pattern by hand and look over it from time to time to make sure you’re on track.

This user-friendly software usually comes available with a machine where you may use it in. You simply need to pick a design, program it into the machine, and the software will allow this machine to do the tracing for you. With this way-too-easy and oh-so quick method of making embroidery patterns, even those women who aren’t really into embroidery have gone the extra mile to afford themselves a machine that would make it easy for them to learn the best possible embroidery one can make in a just a mere push of the button.

Embroidery software comes in different types. It doesn’t matter what you choose; they all offer you great help in making your embroidery projects.

Types of Embroidery Software:

• Digitizing Software: This popular and easy-to-use software provides various tools which you can use to make your own design. Through this, you can edit, change, and create custom patterns of your choice to make it your own. The important thing here is that you are free to put your personality into a certain pattern without having to start from scratch.

• Lettering Software: With such software, you would be able to make and insert letters in your embroidery design. It comes with various tools that can help spice up your design by laying letters or words in it. Of course, you have a choice of fonts and colors to match the design you want to use. You can download such software from the internet. What’s more interesting is that it gives you the freedom to edit, auto digitize, and photo stitch the design you choose.

• 3D Stitch Editor: This is used to help you come up with an original embroidery design. That’s why it comes with manuals and guides that you can use to formulate a pattern that’s distinctly your own.

The list of embroidery software doesn’t end here. There are still other types that you may choose and each of them have distinct characteristic that sets them apart from other software. No matter what type you purchase, it sure will give you a one-of-a-kind embroidery experience.


Embroidery Software at Best Deals

Now that designing a pattern for embroidery no longer eat up much of your time, you have more and more reasons to get one for yourself. There are lots of software stores nowadays that provide discount on embroidery software products. But don’t just settle for the cheapest one you see. Before purchasing, make sure to shop around first, check into the price, and compare them.

Read the details carefully so you won’t end up paying for hidden charges. It is good to get the best deals but be cautious as there are companies that sell unlicensed software. You will not enjoy the warranty when you purchase such item because the company will not claim ownership of it.

Once you’ve found the software you need at the right price, you better contact the dealer first and inquire about the services offered along with the product. Also ask about their return policy, software support, and shipping or handling costs. Your money will not go to waste if you’ve found the best deals on quality embroidery software.

(Image Source: paulamay.hubpages.com)

Crewel Embroidery

Photo Courtesy: flickr.com

Men and women are usually into fashion, and that is where the importance of Crewel embroidery came from. The lightly stenciled patterns in the fabrics of dresses, which are then embroidered over by a cotton thread, are samples of this needlework. It is the type of artful stitching that gives elaborate handwork on every pattern or design on clothing, may it be on shirt, jacket, shawl, hat, or pants. It is classified in the free style art of weaving or needlework, which means that the craftsmanship lies solely on the finished design net of the underlying fabric. It also involves distinct materials to ensure perfect needle craft:

-  Embroidery needles- are especially designed needles varying in sizes and holes. There are some that are straight while some are curved for even easier stitching. For Crewel embroidery, there is also a set of these needles applicable for the handwork alone. These are usually sharp and elongated eyed needles.

-  Embroidery threads- are cotton threads that vary in color, thickness, and materials. These are usually named in numbers to easily identify which will be used in a specific design. When doing Crewel embroidery, using the right number and set of materials for its thread is very important as it heavily influence the end product of a design.

-  Embroidery Floss- is a kind of thread composed of six loosely twisted strands. It is available in a variety of material: cotton, silk, rayon, sheen, linen, and metallic ones. Usually, it has a length of 8.7 yards or 8 meters as a standard.

-  Embroidery hoops-are oval or circular rings that comes in two’s. These are used in fitting in the cloth to avoid any miscalculation in the needlework. The larger of the two circles have an adjustable screw for tightening the hoops together so the fabric will be stretched for easier stitching. Machine frames are different as these are in rectangular shapes.

- Crewel Embroidery demands sturdy and weaved tightly base fabrics to keep the needlework from sagging. It also provides tension while the design is being done but the use of frames like hoops is still very important. It ensures that the design will never distort of crumple during and after the needlecraft is done.

The stunning technique of Crewel embroidery is also a long way to follow. In fact, these are museum pieces traced back to the early 1500s as part of European culture. It was introduced when the East started trading their fine wool, although the word crewel was used even earlier in 1494. It refers to wool yarns used in crewelwork. The word is also used as a joke that means the cruelty of the needle’s pricks every practicing person will need to endure.

To date, the culture lives on and it spread across continents. Women, especially, are drawn to the relaxing process of crewel embroidery. Mothers love designing and producing designs they love their families to wear and homes to use. Also, this technique of needle craft is among the best employment nowadays due to the high demands of fashionable dresses and home fabric decorations.

It's materials are also widely available over the counters and even online. On top of that, formal trainings and schoolings are also offered to those willing to embark on it as either a business or simple pastime.