“Drawing with thread” or Free Embroidery is something I recently started doing. I guess you could just call it embroidery but I like to distinguish this from embroidering-by-number kits you can buy. Everything on this page is just drawn on the fabric and then embroidered.
Drawing with thread is probably my favorite of the various handicrafts on this website … so far. I first started using gingham fabric as a background and quickly decided I didn’t like the look – too busy, too many things going on at once. So, I started using various scraps of fabric I had lying around just to see if I could actually embroider something from my imagination; as I’ve said, I am not much of an artist. But, I was motivated with the results and look forward to continuing this newest of hobbies!
Last week, I made a short trip to Vienna (was supposed to go to Brno but that is another story!) and wandered around my favorite museum for hours. M.A.K (Museum für angewandte Kunst … Museum for Applied Arts) is one of my favorite places for inspiration. And, this trip was no exception.
August 21, 2023: I saw a little vase/bowl and loved the simple linear design. Like a bolt of lightning, I suddenly had a vision for a design for one of my summer blouses. Here is a photo of the Objet d’art and what it inspired.
This shirt took about 4-5 hours of work. An easy design that made for a nice design! There were some other exhibits that made triggered the creative side of my brain. Those ideas still have to gel a bit, though.
Various Projects
I first started out embroidering on gingham using mandalas as the pattern. Looks too busy, right? I then decided to try a mandala pattern on a shopping bag – looks much better, right?! I have a bunch of coloring books I use for inspiration. I’ll leaf through and see a mandala I like and will use that as the basis for a design, adding things in here and there, removing things here and there, until I think it looks good. Then, using the adhesive stablizier, I trace the pattern and then affix the stabilizer to the fabric. Stitching a shopping bag can be a bit challenging in that you have to be careful not to stitch through both sides of the bag! Won’t be much help carrying groceries if it is stitched shut!
And, as with bobbin-lace and sashiko, I also use free embroidery to decorate clothing. I really like the look of embroidered pants cuffs. I picked up some summer tops a while back and I’ll be using free embroidery to jazz them up.
Pretty much anything can be made to look like a one-of-a-kind with some free embroidery designs added to it. T-shirts, skirts, pants, sheets and pillow cases, hand-towels. Really, there is no limit to what you can “make your own” using embroidery!
Claudia's Atelier 