Freehand Needle Painting: Embroider the Beauty of Wildlife
A course by Chloe Giordano , Embroidery Artist

Learn to create realistic, nature-inspired embroidery using freehand, needle painting techniques
Delve into the world of needle and thread to create beautiful animal hand embroidery. Join embroidery artist Chloe Giordano as she shares her passion for needlework. Since university, she’s been using wildlife as inspiration in her work, which has led her to collaborate on book covers and illustrate children’s books for publishers including Penguin and Bloomsbury.
In this course, Chloe shares her expertise to guide you to create realistic animal embroidery of your own. Learn how to take inspiration from the world around you and transform it into art using freehand needle painting techniques.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 14 downloads
- 91% positive reviews (144)
- 3,636 students
- 15 lessons (2h 5m)
- 14 additional resources (5 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish (Latam), French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Intermediate
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Create a realistic embroidery of an animal using freehand needle painting techniques. Chloe embroiders a red squirrel but you can choose any animal you like.

Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in freehand embroidery.
Requirements and materials
Previous experience working with a needle and thread is required.
You will need thread, needles, thimbles, calico, embroidery scissors, and other materials specified by the teacher in the course.

Reviews

Chloe Giordano
A course by Chloe Giordano
Chloe Giordano is a UK-based embroidery artist who specializes in creating artwork inspired by the natural world. Her early years growing up in the countryside inspired her love of nature but it was during her time at university that her artistic journey began. Whilst studying illustration, Chloe discovered a fascination with stitching that went on to shape her career and eventually developed her freehand needle painting technique which combined all three of her passions; nature, painting, and embroidery.
Chloe has embroidered several book cover designs, illustrated children’s books for publishers including Penguin and Bloomsbury, and has also published a book of her own about her work. Her embroidery has even been sold at Liberty in London.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Getting Ready to Embroider
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Materials
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Sketching Your Design
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Choosing Colours
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Hoop and Practice Stitching
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U3
Embroidering the Squirrel
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Transferring the Design
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The Head 1
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The Head 2
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The Neck and Shoulders 1
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The Neck and Shoulders 2
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The Torso
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The Background
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U4
After the Final Stitch: Backing Your Embroidery
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Transferring to the Final Hoop
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Photographing Your Embroidery
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FP
Final project
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Freehand Needle Painting: Embroider the Beauty of Wildlife
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
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Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
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Certificates
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
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FAQs
What are Domestika's online courses?
Domestika courses are online classes that allow you to learn new skills and create incredible projects. All our courses include the opportunity to share your work with other students and/or teachers, creating an active learning community. We offer different formats:
Original Courses: Complete classes that combine videos, texts, and educational materials to complete a specific project from start to finish.
Basics Courses: Specialized training where you master specific software tools step by step.
Specialization Courses: Learning paths with various expert teachers on the same topic, perfect for becoming a specialist by learning from different approaches.
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When do the courses start and when do they finish?
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What do Domestika's courses include?
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
Have you been given a course?
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
Un curso en el que aprendí mucho, a crear una bonita paleta de tonos, a diseñar y tener la confianza de realizar el diseño desde bocetos. El uso de hilos de coser, permite dar pequeños detalles al diseño. Un curso muy recomendado para quienes desean seguir enriqueciendo el conocimiento en el bordado.
No puedo abrir los recursos adicionales de este curso.
Dzięki temu kursowi naprawdę wyhaftowałam wiewiórkę i uszyłam później kosmetyczkę z tym haftem. Momentami było trudno dostrzec jak prowadzić nitkę, przynajmniej ja miałam z tym problem, ale kurs pozwolił zyskać umiejętności, by wyhatować obrazek. Nauczyłam się fajnie mieszać kolory i wykonywać detale. Jeśli chcesz wyhaftować coś konkretnego, to ten kurs naprawdę to umożliwia.
Corso bellissimo! Spiegato in modo semplice anche per chi è alle prime armi
Es original, aprendí mucho y la laboriosidad de la artista es sublime