filling with backstitch - an embroiderer's guide

After yesterday's cherri-fying (thank-you Joan!) episode, I had a request from the extremely talented Tacha to explain how I stitch up my embroideries.  So even though the big C is now well and truly over, I will be the Santa who keeps on giving, with my step by step guide on how to colour in your embroidery designs stitchy style.

All I ask in return is, if you use this tutorial, please, please be courteous and link back to it should you happen to display what you make from it, online or otherwise.  That way other's in stitchy need will find their way to it too.  If you happen to upload any pics to flickr, please add them to the Stitching with Comfortstitching pool too.

 

Let's start from the beginning.  You will have a pattern of sorts.  If your pattern happens to be one of mine, you will need to print a copy.  Take a transfer pencil (mine is made by Prym) and draw over your pattern copy.  Note the image is a mirror copy as it will reverse when transferred.

 

Place your drawn over pattern picture side down onto your fabric.

With a fairly hot iron, gently press the back of your paper for a few seconds.  Do not slide the iron across, as your image may blur.

 

magically a mirror image will appear!!!!!!

 

Fix your fabric into a suitably sized hoop and gently tighten the screwtop with a screw driver.  This may seem very obvious to most of you but I only realised that this is how you got your hoop nice and tight last year!!!!!!!!!!!  and I have been embroidering for years!

 

I am using Backstitch here to both outline and fill the dress.

Thread up your needle.  I am using 6 strands of floss.

Start stitching at any point on the outline of the dress.  I always go left to right.

Make a stitch, mine is around an eighth of an inch in length.

 

When you bring your needle back to the front of your embroidery, do so a stitch length away from where you took it out at the back of your piece.

 

 

Now re-enter your work at the same point where you ended your first stitch.

 

Bring your needle and thread back out, again a stitch length away from your previous stitch (are you still with me??????!!! - I do hope so))

 

Continue as above for the whole of the outline of the dress.  I would also stitch the curved line around the collar and button placket at this stage but to save time and get this tute to you I skipped this part today.

 

Start a second line of stitching adjacent to your first.  This is how your stitches will appear magically neat and tidy!!!!!.

Bring your needle out,

 

Notice above that the needle enters the cloth both,

a stitch length away and

midway down the length of the stitch next to it (the one in the first row).  This is how you get the lovely woven looking texture that everyone loves so much.

 

bring your needle back out, again a stitch length away and midway down the length of the stitch next to it.  (Please tell me I have not lost you!!!!)

 

 

Continue your line all the way down........

 

to the hem of the dress, then

 

start another row, this time going up the dress and continuing in exactly the same way until.......

 

Done!!!!!!

 

This is the same way I filled Little red's cape (only horizontally rather than vertically).......

 

and belle's hat!

If the above sounds confusing, try it with needle in hand.

I really hope I haven't made it sound more taxing than it is.

Trust me, once you learn, there will be no stopping you!!!!  alll you will want to do is fill!

And I really think embroideries with some filled area's look so much better than outline only.

Please let me know how I did on this tute..................I get really worried that everyone will get so confused that they might never embroider again!!!!!!!!

For info on the  types of needle and floss I use go here (note. you will need to scroll down a little).

Comments

[fleur]

Thank You so much for this tutorial - it's great - sometimes things seem so simple when you have been doing it for years and this the tutorial can skip essential need to know basics - but yours was super!!!

Fleur
xx

[Kelly]

I thought the tut was very clear, and I love pictures along the way as I'm very visual and sometimes words without pictures leave me totally confused (probably because I was confused to start with! LOL).
Thanks for this Aneela, these little tips make all the difference.
Hugs
Kelly :-)

[Anita]

Wow - so beautiful. You are such a clever girl. I really need to find some time to have a go, it looks so pretty. xx Ps Happy New Year

[Tacha]

Absolutely fabulous Aneela! Thank you so so much! Beautifully photographed too. Next I will be asking you how you get such good photos....

I'm off to find one of those transfer pencils. I have been tracing them on a lightbox and it is a pain in the ****.

And I am totally with you, embroideries need a bit of filling here and there to bring them to life.

[amy]

Thanks for the tutorial, Aneela! Love the look of your fill! So cute!

[Angela]

Wonderful tutorial! Once you explain it, it seems so obvious. I'll have to fill some areas on my next project - thanks!

So what needle do you use (that's muslin?) I have the hardest time getting all 6 strands through some eyes.

[wendy]

Very easy to follow! My husband is a cartoonist and i'd love to make him an embroidery of his characters.

[Kaye Prince]

Great tutorial Aneela! Don't worry, I think you did a great job of explaining and the instructions are clear.

[kerri]

such a great tutorial, aneela!! thanks for sharing!!

[Megan]

Thank you so much for this Aneela! I was wondering how you made your stitches so neat. Now you have given me the confidence to try some stitching again!

[Fruitful Fusion]

Hi! I've been stopping by at your blog for a while now for all it's loveliness. I don't embroider at all. But, your tutorial has really made me want to give it a go!!! Thank you!

[Krista - Poppyprint]

Not lost, not confused. I totally get it! Thanks! I've never used a whole skein of 6 strands before - that will be the ticket to quick filling, no doubt. Thanks Aneela.

[Amy]

I'd like to try more of this. Thanks for the push! Now, you said 6 strands of floss. This must make a huge difference. I've only ever used one! Is it just DMC floss or something different? Is there a trick for getting that much floss in a needle?

[aneela (Comfortstitching)]

Angela - I use embroidery needles, they look just like regular needles but have a longer eye to get all those strands through.
I'm using regular 100% cotton fabric. Nothing fancy.

Amy - When I say I'm using 6 strands of floss, I mean 1 thread of dmc/anchor type floss. One thread is made up of 6 thin strands which can be seperated if wished.

[Sherri]

I think the tute is fab!!! Can't wait to start some embroidery!

[machenundtun]

wow, that´s amazing aneela!! i won´t start stiching soon (so many things to do still :-) but i am going to keep this great tutorial for that day..
happy new year to you!!
claudia

[Rachel]

This is so clear and just darling! Thanks so much for the how-to, I'll be linking.

[Lorraine]

Hi Aneela , this is a great tute !
Very clear & the pictures demonstrating all the instructions just so .
Makes me want to get stuck right in to some embroidery , shame I've got 2 or 3 quilts that are calling me .

[Jennifer]

Thanks for the tutorial! I am definitely going to have to try that on my next stitchery! Do you always use 6 strands of floss, or only on the areas you plan on filling in?

[Laura Bray]

Your tutorial was perfect and very inspiring. Thanks for taking the time to explain it to us!

[Denise]

Excellent guide. Thanks for sharing! You do very nice work!

[Jan]

That was a great tutorial! I have never stitched before but that was so clear I am going to try embellishing some appliques. Thanks Aneela!!

[Jenny]

Great instructions Aneela. Truely makes me want to pick up a needle and floss and GO.

[Jennifer]

This was super clear and so helpful! Really great! Thank you!

[Marianne]

Fantastic tutorial. Thanks so much for sharing.

[Floh]

Thanks a lot for your tutorial! It is great and helpful. It encourage me to do the stitching again.
*Floh*

[Gina]

Beautifully done!
So inspiring. Thank you

[Louise.papas@bigpond.com]

Excellent tutorial Aneela and beautiful embroidery. I am really enjoying some quiet embroidery at the moment and will get stuck into this one very soon. I am going to frame it and put it up in my daughter's room! She LOVES pictures of cherries and I am enjoying eating lots of cherries!!!

[Julie]

Aneela, you are so clever. Thank-you for the tute, you explained it really well.

[alisonb2]

Brilliant! So clear and precise. Thank you so much!

[shelly]

Beautiful! Happy stitching!

[sew katie did]

So pretty. I love your little drawings.

[Fanie]

This is a great tutorial, thank you so much for sharing! :-)
Where's my embroidery, now? :-p

[elsa]

thanks so much for sharing your technique! the tutorial was great! love your creativity!

[Miri]

Very nice! I never thought to fill with backstitch-it looks great and is easy to do. Thanks!

[Sumea]

Thankyou for this x You are indeed a most Generous as well as talented and Lovely lady. I am so happy to be visiting Your blog again after my loooong (over 6 month!) break. I very excited right now because I have a large mug of tea beside me and a good half hours free time to catch up on Your Gorgeous post :o) Hurray!

xxx
Sumea

[Sumea]

nearly forgot! Happy Happy New Year!!!

[Mary on Lake Pulaski]

Thank you so much Aneela! This is a wonderful tutorial on your exquisite embroidery technique!!

[Aileen]

Great simple and well illustrated tute. This seems to have the same look as 'short and long stitch' but much easier to work. My short and long stitch is often a mess coz its hard to line up the rows consistently. Thanks, I am grateful for this! You are very generous with time and knowledge.

[Mary on Lake Pulaski]

I just got your pattern (so so cute) and am following this great tutorial! Thank you again Aneela!

[Patty]

Thank you for explaining it. I was just looking at one of your embroideries and wondering which stitch you used. And now I know. :) I'll have to try this now. I have a question about your needle: which size do you use? I can't seem to figure out which one has a big enough eye for six strands of floss.

[Allison]

Beautiful fill method and you made it look easy! Do you always use 6 strands and what is your preferred needle? Also - do you make any changes when stitching on muslin vs. cotton?

Thanks!

[aneela]

Hi Allison
Glad to hear you are finding my tutorial useful!

In answer to your questions, please take a look at this post regarding needles (note you will have to scroll down a bit!)

http://comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/comfortstitching/2010/01/skipping-and-stitching.html

I do use 6 strands alot when filling with backstitch but not always, It's alot slower when using less strands so I would only do that on very small area's.

I always embroider on a 100% cotton fabric, the kind you would use for quilting. I'm not sure if fabric terminology is different in the US (I'm in the UK), here muslin is a very fine, sheer fabric like a gauze. It's not something I would embroider on.

[Andie]

Hi. I am using this tutorial to embroider the Cherry pattern I just bought a few days ago. It is so sweet and I just filled in her red dress arm and am so pleased with the results! I have always felt my outlined embroidery was lacking something but didn't know that filling could be so simple, yet look so cute. Thank you so much for sharing it and no worries, your explanations & pictures were very clear and helpful. Thanks again!

[Tina @ Squirrel Acorns]

Super tut! Thank you!