Monday 2 February 2015

Made: Slogan embroidery hoop


I love having words - be they lyrics, quotes, slogans, or lines from books - displayed in my home. So when I was trying to think of ideas for a DIY gift swap I'm doing at the moment, it was inevitable that one of the gifts would involve words. In this case, embroidered words.

Sitting by the fire with the hoop in my lap, carefully sewing, was a lovely way to spend a cold afternoon. And although I know we all decided long ago that there's nothing inherently anti-feminist about crafts, it still felt gloriously subversive to be embroidering this slogan. After making two of these - one to send and one to keep - I'm already planning what other alliterative hoops I could make... 'Vegan with a vengeance' next, perhaps?

You will need:
1 embroidery hoop
A piece of fabric just larger than your hoop
A skein of embroidery thread, preferably in a bright or contrasting colour
2 or three buttons
Text to trace
A fabric marker
(And, of course, a needle)

1. Write out your text (I used the font English 157 BT in size 92 on Microsoft Word) and print.
2. Place your fabric over the paper and trace the words using the fabric marker. Depending on the thickness and colour of your fabric, you may need to do this against a window or light box.
3. Unscrew the hoop and place your fabric over the smaller of the two. Top with the larger hoop and tighten the screw.
3. Thread your needle with two strands of thread (or one long strand that you double up) and knot.
4. Using split stitch, stitch along your letters, trying to cover as much of the fabric marker as possible (although this will fade over time, it obviously looks a lot neater if you cover it with your embroidery). The split stitch - where you loop backwards with each new stitch to split the last one before stitching forwards - can be fiddly to begin with but is extremely satisfying once you get into a rhythm.
5. When you've finished your slogan or song lyric, choose a couple of contrasting buttons and sew onto a corner of your hoop.
6. Cut the excess fabric away from the edges of your hoop, then stand back and admire!

21 comments:

  1. Oh this is great! And yes to 'Vegan with a vengeance'! I'd like to make one of these but wouldn't be able to decide on a phrase.

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    1. I want to make all of the hoops now, they're so much fun to make. Trying to decide on a song lyric to have a go at next.

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  2. This is fab! I'm definitely digging out the embroidery now!

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    1. Do it! I was pleasantly surprised at how quick the whole process was, too.

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  3. You have combined two of my great loves: sewing and sayings. Extra bonus points for alliteration and a mention of feminism :D aces.

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    1. And I'd add in another of MY great loves - swearing!

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  4. I love this! I've been debating cross stitching a quote for ages, but have no idea how to start and it all seems a bit of a faff. I might go the embroidery hoop way instead, this looks great!

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    1. Yeah, I find cross-stitching too much of a faff, this kind of free-hand embroidery suits me much better.

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  5. Awesome! Never tried embroidery but I love this :)

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  6. This is SO cool!!!! I love what you did with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!xxx

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  7. You need disappearing pen! It's my favourite and best tool. You draw on your fabric and it's gone within a day.

    I still have not done anywhere near as much embroidery as I would like to. I did one cute piece and then started collecting things that I might like to embroider and have done absolutely nothing with it.

    *Adds something else to her list of Things That I Would Like To Do But Will Never Actually Do*

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    1. Amazing, I definitely need disappearing pen in my life!

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  8. Love this!
    When I have finally finished my patchwork quilt I want to do something like this.
    I love having phrases about the house (yes, I admit to having a Keep Calm and Carry on Poster - but in my defense I had it way before it became trendy).
    Oh the ideas you've triggered!

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    1. Haha, yep I had one too - and insisted on telling everyone I had it before it was trendy. I took it down some time last year when it got too all-pervasive and I was sick of seeing it.

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    2. I can't bear to take mine down. Despite the over use of it I think it's a classic piece of design... I'm hoping that one day it will be socially acceptable to own again

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  9. I absolutely love this. I need to think of my phrase - so hard to pin one down!

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  10. I love this! "Learn embroidery" is on my Day Zero list and I feel this would be a great entry-level project. Watch this space! x

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  11. Found it! Turns out it isn't cross-stitched after all, but it even seems easier that way. Thanks for directing me here from Instagram, definately putting this on my to-make list!

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  12. It really is SO easy, I hope you share it on Instagram when you make it!

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