Fun Ways to Learn New Stitches

This is a picture of my latest Bargello, mostly done at Maker Faire. It shows a great way to try out new stitch or pattern ideas.

Begin by picking out a simple and small shape. I used an egg because I wanted enough space to show off several repeats of the color sequence. Other shapes might be hearts mittens, or circles. Simple shapes of animals, such as a bird or fish also work well.

You want a design which a mainly an outline and one which could be lots of different colors without looking too strange.

Trace the outline onto canvas using a permanent marker made for canvas. I like Pigma Microns or FabricMate.

You can even trace several of the shapes, especially smaller ones, onto a single piece of canvas, making a fun composition. Wouldn’t a basket of smaller eggs overlapping each other be neat?

Pick your pattern or stitch. Since this is a kind of sampler, use more than one thread so that contrasting colors or textures will show the different elements of the stitch. If you have chosen a pattern to stitch, pick several threads to make a pleasing color scheme.

Then start stitching. When the outline is full, you’re done. My plan is to make this egg into an ornament, but it could also be stand-up or a small pouch.

When the outline is filled, you are done.