In this world, there are two types of people. Those that are 100% technical, that with a computer in their hands can do wonders, like science, and numbers, and are purely intellectual.
On the other hand, there are the more relaxed people, who have craft skills. They are very good at making things with their hands. They are true artists, sensitive and dedicated to creativity and enjoyment.
A rare specimen is a combination of both qualities. Now, whether you have one gift or the other, whether you were born with a star or starred, it is important that you do not settle for what is given to you, but that you also develop other skills.
It has been proven that performing manual activities prevents mental illnesses that usually come with the passing of the years. In addition, they make you feel active and productive, which gives you a pleasant feeling of well-being and leaves you with a little extra money in your pocket.
An activity that is usually in high demand is embroidery. Not only because of the complexity of the designs but also because of the value that is given to the time invested. The result, as simple as it may seem, is filled with a lot of dedication. For this reason, these types of crafts usually have a high cost, which makes them a very profitable business.
Something that never goes out of style is the embroidery of letters since these allow you to personalize your belongings or give them a touch of style and originality. Now, how can you embroider letters by hand?
If you are interested in knowing the answer to this question, do not get up from your seat. Read on to find out what instructions you need to follow and what materials you need to start your own embroidery business. Let’s see…
Instructions for embroidering letters by hand
- As we have indicated, letter embroidery is one of the most popular and most requested. Thank God it is also one of the easiest because of the simplicity of the design. Sure, there are more complex lyrics. However, as we are starting, let’s stick with the basics.
- To carry out an embroidery of letters, we must divide the process into one before the embroidery and then the moment of the embroidery. It sounds complex but we already explained it to you.
- For example, before embroidery, you must follow some steps. The first thing you should do is choose the font you are going to embroider. This you can do in different ways. One of them is to draw your style of lettering freehand.
- You can also go online and download the font you like best or use the PowerPoint program to create your fonts.
- Then, you will have to transfer your letters to the fabric on which you are going to embroider, how can you do this? One way is using a laser printer. The transfer is done by applying heat to the fabric, so most of the laser ink can be transferred to the fabric.
- You can also do it using an inkjet printer. For this, the fabric must be the size that the printer accepts. Also, you will have to adhere an interface to the back of the fabric so that the ink does not bleed through.
- After you have done this step, the next thing to do is to start embroidering. For this, there are different stitches that you can use.
- You can use, for example, a cross stitch to make a striking design throughout the fabric. You could also use the braided chain stitch to work the seam line. This technique is perfect for the case of an embroidered and projected letter.
- On the other hand, there is the quilted stitch which will give a dimensional aspect to your letters.
- If it is your preference, you can use the herringbone stitch technique to fill in the embroidered letters. This is worked between two parallel lines. The idea is to make a series of crisscross stitches between these two lines that can be imaginary or drawn.
- There is also the herringbone tied stitch which is none other than the same one that we pointed out before but, with the variant that now you will have to thread the needle with another thread and make a straight stitch over the crossed stitches that you had.
- There are other, even easier, letter-filling techniques, such as making long stitches separated from each other and then finishing the job more calmly.
What do you need to embroider letters by hand?
- The basic materials you need are similar to those for sewing; they are the thread, which will vary depending on the final result you want to obtain. You can embroider with almost any thread you prefer, it could be Pelé thread, silk rayon, or Moulin.
- You can even embroider with ribbons, ribbons, or yarn. If you can imagine it, you can create it.
- You will also need to have scissors. The only requirement on them is that they must cut well. Keep in mind that the larger ones are always for fabrics, while the smaller ones are for cutting thread. If you use them to cut fabric, they will dull because they are not designed for that.
- If you want, you can use a thimble. This is with the purpose of not pricking your fingers while doing your letter embroidery work.
- Of course, without fabric, you can’t do anything. You must choose the appropriate fabric. The easiest to embroider are those where the patterns can be seen with the naked eye. These should not be too close together or too far apart. A pretty good option would be linen fabric.
- Another thing you need is the racks. They are wooden hoops with a spring and are used to fix the fabric and tighten it so that you can embroider comfortably and have a better finish.
- We cannot forget the needles. There are different needles that you can use. For example, those of embroidery, dressmakers, tailors, upholstery, etc. You have a lot to choose from.
Tips for embroidering hand lettering
- If you’re into freehand drawing, you can save money on letterpress printing. You would only have to draw the letter pattern that you want to embroider and then transfer it to the fabric in the same way.
- On the other hand, the frames are usually of different sizes, choose the one you are going to use thinking about the size of the letter you are going to embroider. You can also put some flowers or other designs on it to decorate it a bit and make it more eye-catching.
- Do not forget that this is an art that requires time and patience. If you are in a hurry because you need to do another task, it is best to leave the embroidery for another time, since you run a greater risk of making a mistake and the remedy will be worse than the disease because you will have to undo the work that you had already done.
- Remember that, since it is a new activity for you, you may make a couple of mistakes before mastering it perfectly.
- You must keep in mind that the easiest letters to embroider are those that are printed and capital letters. In general, the lowercase letters have other variants that can complicate things for you, not to mention the runs.
- When you gain a bit of experience you can increase the degree of difficulty of your designs and make them more elaborate both in colors and textures. You just have to have a little patience and take things easy.
- If you add your personal touch to the tips we gave you, surely the embroidered letters that you make by hand will be a dream. Remember that the variety of your designs will depend on the materials you use.
- Embroider your letters by hand and pass the time in the best possible way.