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customizing with oliver + s: adding embroidery with Rebecca Ringquist
Recently, it struck me that you might enjoy learning a good embroidery tutorial, particularly if you're new to it. The Hide-and-Seek Dress is practically calling out for a beautifully embroidered yoke, don't you think? And who better to teach embroidery than our wonderful friend Rebecca Ringquist?
Many of you may already be familiar with Rebecca. I first encountered her work through her contributions to CreativeBug, where she offers some fantastic embroidery courses. Rebecca is an artist who works both by hand and machine, but she also teaches embroidery and designs charming hand-drawn samplers for her company, Dropcloth. These clever samplers are designed to teach various stitches while creating a stunning piece of art. She even has a monthly sampler subscription.
Rebecca kindly agreed to guide you through two essential embroidery stitches: the running stitch and the backstitch. I gave her full creative control for this project, and she crafted this delightful plaid design. As she'll tell you, this month's Dropcloth sampler features a plaid motif.
Hello everyone! I was thrilled when Liesl reached out and asked me to introduce you to the idea of incorporating embroidery into your sewing projects. While I may not be a garment maker, I’m definitely a big supporter of adding embroidery to almost anything!
I spend my days creating embroidered collages and drawings as an artist, and I also design embroidery patterns for my company, Dropcloth Samplers. Recently, we launched a new subscription program called Colorburst, which focuses on small, abstract patterned samplers. Next month’s design will feature a plaid motif, so I thought it would be fun to incorporate that same design into a garment for this project.
To inspire my design, I referenced one of my favorite books, *Textile Designs: Two Hundred Years of European and American Patterns*, which includes countless pages of plaid examples spanning decades of textile history. This simple motif has endless possibilities and can transform plain fabric into something truly intricate and beautiful.
Before jumping into embroidering fabric for a garment, I recommend spending some time drawing up samples on paper and possibly stitching a few samples on a scrap of the fabric you plan to use. Use a ruler to draw parallel lines in one direction, then perpendicular lines at 90-degree angles. By experimenting with different spacings and widths, you can create a wide variety of plaids and discover the one you love.
To create your own plaid, you'll need the following materials:
- Fabric, with your chosen pattern traced onto it
- Freezer paper to stiffen the fabric while you draw your plaid lines
- Disappearing ink pen or chalk pencil (I used a Frixion pen; see note below)
- Ruler
- Needles (sharp chenille or embroidery needles)
- Threads: I used perle cotton (size 8), embroidery floss, and cotton tapestry yarn
- Embroidery hoop
- Sharp embroidery scissors (or snips)
*Note about Frixion Pens*: Frixion pens contain thermo-reactive ink, originally developed for writing on paper. Their ink can be easily erased by rubbing when used this way. The exciting part is that they can also be used on fabric, and their ink can be instantly removed by ironing. However, they can sometimes cause a bleaching effect on fabric, leaving a white mark after the color disappears. I suggest testing the pens on your fabric first to ensure they work well.
1. Once you've transferred your garment pattern onto your fabric, prepare your fabric by ironing a piece of freezer paper to the backside. Place your fabric face down on your ironing board and press the freezer paper glossy side down onto the fabric.
2. Draw your plaid onto the fabric using your pen or pencil and ruler. I drew my plaid diagonally, spacing the lines ruler-width apart. To make your first diagonal line, fold a piece of paper over to form a 45-degree angle and align the straight edge with the grain of your fabric. Lay your ruler along the diagonal edge and trace your first line.
On the front of the yoke, I filled the entire surface, but on the back, where there will be buttons, I kept it a bit sparser by drawing the plaid only on the top section.
3. Remove the freezer paper and place your fabric in the hoop. Embroidery hoops consist of two parts. Place the hoop without hardware on your table, drape your fabric over it, and then place the other half over the fabric and tighten the nut and bolt until the fabric is taut, pulling it from all sides to create a flat surface.
4. Embroider your lines using two of the simplest stitches: the running stitch and the backstitch.
- **Running Stitch**: If you're a sewer, you might recognize this as a basting stitch, and quilters may know it as a quilting stitch. It’s the simplest embroidery stitch and often the first one children learn. Don’t underestimate its simplicity—it’s also very beautiful. Start by knotting your thread and coming up from beneath the fabric, leaving the knot on the back. Begin stitching, moving the needle in and out of your fabric along your drawn line to create a dashed line. You can take multiple stitches on your needle before pulling it through or stitch one at a time, stabbing the needle up and down.
- **Backstitch**: This stitch creates a continuous line with no gaps, providing a nice contrast to the running stitch. Begin with a knot on the end of your thread and bring your needle up from the back of the fabric. Make a small forward stitch, similar to starting a running stitch. Then bring your needle up slightly ahead and work the back stitches, always moving a bit forward and backfilling to create a straight line.
For the yoke I made, I alternated between these two stitches every other line, creating the appearance of overlapping plaids. You’ll need to rotate your hoop around the fabric as you go to cover everything.
If, like me, your pattern extends all the way to the edge of your fabric, you might need extra room to fit your fabric into the hoop. Simply baste another strip of fabric onto the edge of your cloth with a contrasting color that you can remove later.
5. Once you’ve completed all your embroidery, take the fabric out of the hoop and iron it upside down to avoid flattening your stitches.
That’s pretty much all there is to it! Embroidery, especially with these two stitches, is straightforward yet adds significant flair to your fabric. I hope you give it a try—I can’t wait to see how you all use it to enhance your garments!
For more stitch ideas and video tutorials, check out my videos on CreativeBug.
To finish the dress, I simply cut out the yoke and sewed it like usual. It turned out beautifully, didn’t it? Thank you so much, Rebecca!
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