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Welcome to my Blog. This a place to share and learn all things embroidery. Here I post inspirational stories and free lessons in the form of tutorials and guides. I also share tips, tricks and teach stitches and techniques.

You will also find free patterns and designs for you to unlock your creativity. It is a great place for any creative looking to learn or find inspiration in this art form.

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Blog > Free tutorial

How to make Red Roses with Organza

How to make Red Roses from "Lady in Red" Kit embroidered by Karen Nell Today I want to show you how these beautiful roses were created for our Lady in Red kit. . . . If you have added ribbon sculpting to your repertoire, then this one is for you. It sounds complicated but simply explained, it’s building a rose from the centre of the flower outwards. This is achieved...

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PICOT Stitch by Di van Niekerk

Woven PICOT STITCH by Di van Niekerk This is perfect stitch for long, loose leaves and the best thread for this stitch is Perlé 8 or 12 . To make a fatter leaf, keep the tension loose as you weave in and out of the foundation stitches. Remember to use a long length of thread if the leaves are long. The soft sculpture/doll's needle (about 13 cm long) that is used...

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How to Embroider Long Hair by Di van Niekerk

  Hi, hello everyone! I was asked to write a tutorial about how to make this kind of hair – the long shiny locks of hair like this one in our popular kit “Girl with a Horse”. This kind of hair is easy to make!   . Threads to Use. I find that the Rajmahal Art. Silk threads are ideal for making hair as they are a blend of...

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How to Make Hydrangeas with Silk Ribbon

Hi everyone! I thought I would show you how to make Hydrangeas with silk ribbon, the easy way.   Here is an example of Pink and Blue Hydrangeas and how to make these...   . Start with the pink flowers and use Di van Niekerk’s Silk Ribbon 4mm no. 114 and make loosely wrapped French knots. Wrap the ribbon once around your needle. Change to no. 2mm no. 92...

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Handy Hints - How to Make an Embroidered Hat and Basket

  Hi good morning from a sunny Cape Town!  Today I thought I'd show you how to make an embroidered hat and a basket like the two in this design.   It's quite a simple technique yet it has stunning results.  This is from “The Bicycle” design where the hat and basket were made separately and then stitched on to the main design.     Make the Hat On a...

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Marguerite Daisies in Silk Ribbon Embroidery

Silk Ribbon Daisies See how these daisies are almost life-like in their appearance, raised up off the surface of the design? An as promised I will show you how these daisies are made… .   . How to make Three-Dimensional Daisies in Silk Ribbon Hi, good day from a sunny Cape Town A few weeks ago, I promised to show you how to make silk ribbon daisies with a...

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How to Make White Roses Using a French Knot Technique

  French Knot Roses See the white rose arch above the gate in this picture? These are French Knot Roses from our Lady in Red project/kit They are easy to make with stunning results and I will show you how on to this page. .   . In Karen's instructions, she wrote: . White Rose Bush Make the French knot roses in Di van Niekerk's silk ribbon: 2mm and 4mm white (103) ribbon. Add...

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About Using Embroidery Frames and Hoops for Silk Ribbon Embroidery

Embroidery Frames and Hoops   . A suitable frame or hoop greatly enhances your enjoyment of the finished piece. . About Rectangular Frames .   . Working on a rectangular wooden frame for larger designs is a good idea if the corners and sides would be covered by the customary round hoop. The rectangular frame should be larger than the design – this will allow enough space, so the edge of...

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How to Embroider a Bird's Nest

  How to Embroider a Bird's Nest Use raffia (hand-painted if necessary) to suit the colours of a bird's nest. Split the raffia to form finer blades of grass-like texture as shown below. Look for tiny feathers in your garden or on nature walks or find something with a similar texture in a down duvet or pillowcase. Some craft shops also have small feathers to buy.    Use one...

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Learn how to make cute little flowers with silk ribbon

How to make cute little flowers with silk ribbon   Loop stitch is ideal for making clusters of small flowers. It is an easy stitch to do and French knots are added afterwards to form the stamens.      .  . For this F monogram from my Embroidered Alphabets book, I used loop stitch for the little blue flowers. .      . Step 1. Use 4, 7 or 13mm silk ribbon...

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