What do I need in my embroidery toolkit?
In your embroidery toolkit, there are a few items that are necessary.
These are the tools that I use the most. Take a look and see if I missed anything.
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Embroidery tools
Scissors
Sharp scissors are a must. If possible, have both small thread snips and large fabric scissors.
Needles
Make sure you have the type of needle that is best for your fabric, thread and type of stitching.
Pins and pin cushion
You won’t use pins a lot in hand embroidery, but it’s good to have a few on hand.
Marking pens
There are lots of options for marking your embroidery design on your fabric. You will probably use more than one.
Needle threader
Needle threaders can be very useful. There are multiple types of needle threaders. Try a couple of different ones and see which kind you like the best.
Needle gripper
A needle gripper is a small piece of rubber or plastic.
These can be used to help grip the needle more securely so you can pull it out of a tight space.
Ruler
Small rulers are very useful – both for measuring and for drawing straight lines.
Sewing thread
Sewing thread is useful for basting, making reference lines and finishing your embroidery pieces.
I like to store sewing thread on bobbins to save space.
Seam ripper
No one ever wants to rip out stitching, but sometimes it is inevitable.
Thread gloss
Thread gloss or wax can reduce tangles in your thread.
Hoop
Eventually you will collect embroidery hoops of different sizes, but one good one is all you need to get started.
More Embroidery Resources
Detailed Tutorials
Get detailed embroidery tutorials to help you make your own hand stitching projects more easily. Lots of pictures and videos to make everything clear.
Embroidery Stitches
Check out the Embroidery Stitch Directory for lots of inspiration.
Hand Embroidery Patterns
Get fun embroidery patterns in my shop.