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Floss and Fern

Practical embroidery how-tos for beginners

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Macro close-up of a running stitch row in blue floss on white linen, needle mid-stitch, crisp thread detail, soft daylight
October 7, 2026 admin

10 Basic Embroidery Stitches Every Beginner Should Learn First

I learned my first five stitches from a library book with diagrams drawn in the 1970s, and my next five

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Flat lay of a travel embroidery kit on cream linen: small wooden hoop, colorful floss skeins, needle book, small scissors, wa
October 7, 2026 admin

Travel Embroidery Kit: What to Pack

Denver airport took my stork scissors in 2021. No drama, just a tired TSA agent sliding my $28 Dovo gold

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Hands holding an open thread color card with real thread samples, colorful floss skeins blurred behind
October 7, 2026 admin

How to Read a Floss Color Card Like a Pro

I bought the DMC floss color card in 2021 for $32, unfolded it, stared at 500 tiny thread samples in

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Dimpled metal thimble on a middle finger pushing a needle through folded denim in natural daylight
October 7, 2026 admin

Thimbles Worth Buying and How to Find Your Fit

I refused to wear a thimble for two full years because every one I tried felt like a tiny torture

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Small gold-handled embroidery scissors snipping thread above colorful stitched linen, crisp focus on blades
October 7, 2026 admin

How to Sharpen and Care for Embroidery Scissors

In 2019 I bought a pair of Dovo 3.5-inch gold stork scissors for $28, and I loved them the way

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Hands stitching a small floral motif on a denim jacket with colorful thread in natural daylight
October 7, 2026 admin

Must Have Tools for Embroidering on Clothes

My first garment project was a plain white tee with a sunflower in DMC 725. I treated it exactly like

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Hands embroidering on fabric in a wooden hoop clamped into a floor stand, warm craft room lighting
October 7, 2026 admin

How to Choose a Stand or Lap Frame for Long Sessions

Last spring I stitched a blue tit panel, six inches of satin stitch on Zweigart linen, and by the third

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Two identical embroidery floss skeins compared under cool window daylight and warm lamplight showing color difference
October 7, 2026 admin

Daylight vs Warm Light for Stitching: What Shows True Colors

I stitched an entire floral border in what I believed was dusty rose. Under my living room lamp it was

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Cozy small embroidery corner with wooden chair, side table holding a hoop project and basket of colorful floss by a bright window
October 7, 2026 admin

How to Set Up an Embroidery Workspace in a Small Room

I stitched hunched over the left arm of our old IKEA couch for a year. The one with the spring

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Open plastic organizer box filled with embroidery floss wound on white bobbins in rainbow order, hand placing a bobbin
October 7, 2026 admin

How to Organize Embroidery Floss So Colors Are Easy to Find

For my first year of stitching, my floss lived in a gallon Ziploc bag. Forty-seven skeins, one bag, and every

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Recent Posts

  • How to Stitch Perfect Circles Without a Template
  • Bullion Knots That Hold Their Shape, Step by Step
  • How to Make Your Stitches Look Even Every Time
  • How to Embroider Small Details Without Splitting Threads
  • Backstitch vs Stem Stitch, When to Use Each One

Recent Comments

  1. How to Stitch Perfect Circles (No Template Needed) on 7 Beginner Tools Worth the Money and 5 That Are a Waste
  2. Bullion Knots That Hold Their Shape: Step by Step on How to Do a French Knot Without It Turning Into a Mess
  3. How to Make Your Stitches Look Even Every Time on Backstitch vs Stem Stitch, When to Use Each One
  4. How to Embroider Small Details Without Splitting Threads on How to Choose the Right Needle for Your Fabric
  5. Backstitch vs Stem Stitch: When to Use Each One on How to Embroider Letters That Actually Look Neat

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