New Hobby Unlocked

A very long time ago I crosstitched a design on a sweatshirt for my mother. I remember it as being quite a tedious process. I had to hold special fabric onto the sweatshirt and stitch on the design. This new embroidery on clothes is not that. Sulky has a sticky fabric-solvy stabilizer. If you have a embroidery machine this might not be news to you but it was to me. Also it appears you can print designs and writing on this miracle.

Now like all “good” things a designer passed onto my social media, LaineIrenedesigns has an adorable Etsy storefront. She is also almost local to me based in Phoenix, AZ. I bought 2 of her designs (and have gone back to purchase more since completing this project).

She has sweet little instructional videos on youtube under her company name. Now I will not say how long I have been embroidering/needleworking but I started in my early teens and that was a a long time ago in the rear view mirror. Apparently there are different sized needles for embroidery - who knew. I just always used the ones that came in a kit. In her videos she gives you a needle size to use (size 5) - those popped right into my cart. For floss I used a variated pinkish DMC skein I received from my hair dresser.

I have been with the same hair dresser for over 25 years and she was older when I began seeing her. I believe she is in her late 80s, but a lady never tells her age. Anyway I am one of her few clients she still gets her scissors out for - she knows I am always crafting something. She recently relocated to a senior living apartment so gifted me knitting needles (from her mother) and many skeins of embroidery floss (she used to embroider way back in the day). I used her floss to honor her gift. I sent her a picture of the final product and she was so thrilled.

I used a whipped backstitch and I could not be happier with the finished product. After you are done stitching you simply wet the garment with warm water and the fabric melts away.