embroidered wallhanging {tutorial}

For nearly two years I’ve had this tutorial in a file on my desktop just waiting to be posted. I have no idea what took me so long, but I thought it would be good to finally share it.

I selected a scripture for Audrey {you can read the story here} and wanted to hang it over her crib. Coming up with a solution for a lightweight, non-permanent solution was the challenge. I didn’t want something heavy that could fall on the baby and while vinyl or handpainted letters would have worked, it wasn’t exactly the look I was hoping for.

So I invented this very thrown together wall hanging.

Here’s what you need to make one of your own:

:: a piece of heavy fabric slightly larger than your desired finished size {I used a piece of IKEA lenda curtains – a nice cotton canvas}

:: embroidery or crochet thread

:: embroidery hoop & embroidery needle

:: scissors and pencil

STEP ONE: lightly write the verse, name or other wording on the fabric with a pencil. Be sure to center it.

STEP TWO: secure embroidery hoop where you would like to begin your stitches.

STEP THREE: thread the needle and make a knot in the end. Now make your first stitch from the back. We are using a back stitch {here is a good tutorial}

STEP FOUR: make a stitch in the desired length {approximately 1/8 – 1/4 inch} and push the needle back down through the fabric.

STEP FIVE: To continue the backstitch, push your needle back up 1/8 – 1/4 inch from where you finished the first stitch

STEP SIX: make a stitch pushing the needle back down just above the first stitch mark

STEP SEVEN: pull the thread tight and make another stitch in the same backstitch manner

Once you have finished each letter, you will have a beautifully {and painstakingly} embroidered piece of fabric.

This is where you can finish your piece as you wish … and where mine became a total hodgepodge of a project.

I had a piece of foam core that I cut to size and wrapped the fabric around it, securing with packing tape {remember I was going for light weight}.

Then I poked in upholstery tacks for a fun border. Because the tacks are not completely secure, once Audrey was old enough to stand in her crib, I removed the verse from over her crib and it is now on a different wall in her room where she can not reach it.

Want more embroidery inspiration? Here are a few great projects {click on image for source}:

   

And sources for embroidery help:

the purl bee

thirty handmade days

wild olive