5 Tips for Working With Embroidery

Get expert advice on how to improve your techniques and turn pro

People have embroidered for centuries, using this technique to decorate and customize garments and make them more special. Over time, this practice has evolved. Once embroidered pieces were something only the rich and powerful could afford. Now, they are commonly owned by people from all different walks of life.

Embroidery is a versatile form of expression with few restrictions, popular across numerous cultures, from east to west, and which has become a very accessible art form. Paula Linard (@paula.linard) has over five years of experience as a professional embroiderer. For her, this medium offers infinite possibilities, from decorating paintings, personalizing clothing–both old and new–to making more elaborate pieces.

"There’s a great demand for pieces made for babies or to give as gifts. We just need to develop our drawing skills a little more in order to put our stamp on a piece. We need to focus on the artistic side of this craft, which is a form of expression. It's good to try and create your own drawing, evolve your own line–it doesn't have to be perfect. I like to observe and appreciate the imperfections in my stitches and drawings. It doesn't always look so attractive at first but the final result always makes me happy, because I have created it with my own hands, from start to finish. That is invaluable", she says.

"Embroidery, essentially, is a technique for decorating fabric or any surface that can be perforated. When we free our imaginations, we can embroidery almost anything. It is a technique that can be applied across the market", summarizes textile artist, embroidery teacher, and clothing designer Flavia Lhacer (@misslhacer).

If you are thinking about starting embroidery as a hobby or as a profession, check out these tips:

Don’t ever stop studying

When it comes to starting out in embroidery, a key piece of advice is to never stop studying. Keep exploring new techniques so that you are constantly improving what knowledge you already have. When evaluating ways to embroider well, visual artist Pedro Luis says: "You have to investigate a technique in several different ways–go to museums and exhibitions, meet new artists, find inspiration in different ways. Don't copy what’s already done. Being inspired is not the same as copying. Everyone has stories to tell, so why not tell them your way?”.

Paula also recommends studying, and suggests practicing as often as you can so you can perfect your stitches. If you want to put your own stamp on your embroidery, it’s essential that you study design.

"Experiment. Tell people about your embroidery, create pages on social networks to show off your art and share your work. I think it is important that you inform everyone that this is one of the ways you express yourself. It's also important to find places where you can display your work: specialist stores, fairs. The web is an excellent way, especially during the pandemic, to show our face to the world!”, insists Paula.

Embroider, embroider, embroider!

Do you know the saying “practice makes perfect?” Every expert we interview insists that this mantra is applicable to all manual arts, and when it comes to embroidery, even more so. "You have to embroider, embroider, embroider. Create a routine to get to grips with this technique, if possible, every day. Take courses, meet teachers who speak different languages and can help you discover your own story. I heard Gimena Romero once say: 'work until you no longer have to talk about your own work'. That's exactly what you have to do", insists Flavia Lhacer.

Use social networks to your advantage

Social networks have transformed all sorts of professions, and embroidery is no different. Use these platforms to promote your work, to interact with other artists, to stay up to date with trends, to study, and more. Social networks like Instagram, which have strong visual appeal, are great for promoting embroidery projects.

"Social networks help you to promote your work, because they give you visibility and enable you to reach people, with photos and videos, who otherwise wouldn’t be able to see your work. That's why it's very important to advertise on social networks. Use Instagram a lot and get a website for the same purpose", recommends Paula.

To make your work easier to find, we recommend using hashtags. Some suggestions are:

#embroideryart #handmade #embroidery #embroiderydesign #handembroidery #embroidered #crossstitch

Learn how to put a price on your work

Not knowing how to price one’s own work is a common problem when starting out, especially when it comes to creative work that’s wrongly perceived as subjective or abstract. When it comes to setting a price, aside from the finished work itself, you need to consider such factors as the number of hours worked, the tools used, courses you’ve done, your experience, and all the other parts of the creative process and production process.

Although it can be a difficult task, learning to price your work is essential: "Generally, I give a figure based on how many hours I’ve worked, taking into account all these factors. I also consider how much time I was given, which is very important in embroidery, and the cost of the materials I am going to use. Even so, there isn’t a mathematical equation for working out a price. I think everyone has to work out for each job", says Flávia.

For Pedro Luis, the important points to bear in mind when setting prices are: taking into account the value of the material you use, your working hours, and also how much profit you make. "It's great to see how much other people, who are putting out similar work, charge, to get an idea. I think, deep down, we all know how much our work is really worth", he reflects.

"I've always struggled a little when it comes to putting a price on what I do. Lately, I've started making a spreadsheet and calculating how many hours I’ve worked and how much material I use, more or less, so I can keep track of it all. I also do some market research and look at other embroiderers’ work to get a better idea. Anyway, this is very subjective. Everyone has their own way of working out the value of their work", says Paula.

Another way to make a living out of embroidery is to invest more time in techniques that are considered more costly, such as Luneville Embroidery. This is a technique for embroidering beads onto a fine material, such as tulle–it is usually used for decorative pieces, haute couture, and wedding dresses. Or even free-hand embroidery, which gives you the freedom to put your own unique stamp on your work.

For Pedro, every piece that is made with love is valuable, which is transmitted to other people, so the value of his work increases.

Define the message you want to convey

Finally, there is one last thing to bear in mind to make your work stand out: make the message you want to convey clear. Know what you want to communicate through your embroidery, the techniques, and the materials. Defining your values will help make your work stand out from the rest and draw attention. "Try to understand what message you want to send with your embroidery. Always ask yourself: why do I embroider? You can read this message in the lines of your work. Look for inspiration in the work of other artists; they don’t have to be textile artists. It is good to soak up different influences and then reinvent them in your own way," assures Pedro.

Did you enjoy these tips? If you want to learn more about embroidery, check out all of our online embroidery courses.

English version by @eloiseedgington.

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–What Is Embroidery and What Are the Main Types of Embroidery?
–Macramé Tutorial: Create Your Step-by-Step Necklace
–Embroidery Tutorial: How to Transfer Your Design from Paper to Fabric