Georgina Fairfax
A Craft Worth Learning Slowly
Hand embroidery has been stitched into British domestic life for centuries, from the samplers worked by schoolgirls to the linen cupboard sets passed down through families and the kneelers still being made for parish churches. It is a craft that rewards patience rather than expense. You need very little to begin: a square of cloth, a needle, a skein of thread and a decent light. What follows is the route many of us wish we had been shown at the start — from an empty hoop to your first simple floral spray.
Building a Beginner's Work Basket
Resist the temptation to buy a vast kit before you know what you enjoy. A modest, well-chosen set will carry you through your first several projects.
- Fabric: a medium-weight linen or linen-cotton mix, around 140–160gsm, in a light neutral such as oatmeal, ecru or pale stone. Linen has a lovely irregular slub and takes stitches beautifully. For counted cross stitch, choose an evenweave where you can see the holes clearly.
- Needles: embroidery (crewel) needles in sizes 7 and 9 — a long eye and a sharp point. Add a couple of blunt tapestry needles for counted work and a fine sharp for tight spots.
- Thread: stranded cotton, sold in six-strand skeins that you split as needed. Begin with six colours: an off-white, a soft sage, a faded rose, a gentle blue, a warm ochre and a mid-brown for stems.
- Hoop: a wooden hoop of 10–15cm (4–6 inches) with a screw fitting. Small hoops hold tension better than large ones.
- Scissors: a small, sharp pair kept exclusively for thread, plus a cheap pair for paper.
- Extras: a water-soluble pen or fine chalk pencil, a little beeswax, a needle magnet, and a clean cotton drawstring bag to keep everything together.
Preparing Fabric, Hoop and Thread
Cut your fabric with a good 5cm margin all round, then press it flat. Loosen the screw on the hoop, lay the inner ring on the table and rest the fabric over it, keeping the grain straight. Push the outer ring down over the top and tighten the screw gradually, easing the fabric taut as you go. Aim for a surface that sounds like a drum when tapped, but avoid pulling so hard that the weave distorts. Take the fabric out of the hoop at the end of each session so it does not mark.
For thread, cut a length of roughly 40–45cm — about from your fingertips to your elbow. Longer than that and it will fray and tangle. Split the strand and use two strands for line work, three for filling, and a single strand for the finest details. Run the tail under a few stitches at the back rather than tying a bulky knot wherever you can.
Three Stitches to Master First
Everything else grows from these. Give each one a full evening on a scrap of linen before combining them.
Running stitch. The foundation of all embroidery, and the one that exposes uneven tension most cruelly. Bring the needle up through the fabric, then take it down about 3mm along. Come up again 3mm further on, and continue. The stitches and the gaps should be roughly equal. Keep the thread relaxed — if the fabric puckers, you are pulling too hard. Work a few straight rows a pencil-width apart, then try a gentle curve.
Cross stitch. Best worked on an evenweave so each stitch is the same size. Make one diagonal from bottom-left to top-right, then cross it from bottom-right to top-left. Always work the second stroke in the same direction, or the surface will catch the light unevenly. Mark out a few 1cm squares in water-soluble pen and work a simple border or an initial.
French knot. Bring the needle up where you want the knot. Hold the thread taut between thumb and forefinger with your other hand, wrap it twice around the needle, then reinsert the needle a thread or two away from where it emerged. Keep gentle tension on the wrapped thread as you pull the needle through, and let go only when the knot sits snug against the fabric. Ten in a row on scrap, until they are all the same size, is time well spent.
From Practice Squares to a Simple Floral Spray
Once your stitches sit evenly, design something modest: a curved stem, a five-petal flower and three leaves is plenty. Transfer the outline using a window as a light box, or tack the lines in basting thread and remove it afterwards. Work in order — outlines and stems first, then filled petals and leaves, and finally the French knots at the flower centres and bud tips. Keep to five colours at most, and let the linen show through. Aim for a cottage-garden palette: sage, dusty rose, cream, soft blue, ochre.
Habits That Keep Work Neat and Enjoyable
- Sit near a north-facing window in daylight where you can; use a daylight bulb in the evening.
- Work in short sessions of 20–30 minutes and stop when your eyes tire.
- Never leave a needle parked in the fabric overnight, as it can leave a rust mark.
- Keep the back of your work reasonably tidy, but do not let perfect reverse sides stop you stitching.
- Finish a piece by washing it gently in cool water with a little mild soap, rinsing well, rolling it in a towel and pressing it face-down on a soft surface.
- Keep a small notebook of stitches, dates and colours used — it becomes a record of your progress, and a pleasure to look back on.
Traditional embroidery is not a race, and there is no wrong way to hold a needle. Start with honest, even running stitch on good linen, add a cross-stitched border, and let a scattering of French knots teach you control. By the time winter draws in and the garden slows, you will have the skills — and the quiet rhythm — to attempt something far more ambitious.
