(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best embroidery supplies

You can go the easier route and buy a kit that'll give you everything you need to start. The fabric, pattern, needle, thread, and a guide most of the time.

You can find them in a lot of places:

Walmart

Amazon

Etsy

If you want to get everything separately, you should be able to find everything you need at a craft store like Hobby Lobby, Michael's, or an online retailer like 123stitch.

For patterns in particular, I really enjoy browsing Etsy.

If you need tutorials, Youtube has a ton! And they're super relaxing to watch. Lol.

I like making other people happy. There are actually a lot of things that make me happy. A job well done, exploring, and spending time with others are just a few of them. :)

Ummmmm. Embroidery Kit, please! 💕

To keep your fabric from puckering, the tension of the fabric is more important than your stitch tension. Stitches are like tiny drawstring loops pulling the fabric in on itself, so if the fabric is loose, it will get bunched. If your (woven) fabric is stretched to the max (i.e. stable and flat), then your stitches won’t be able to pinch the fabric together. I use hoops that have a ridge on the inside. The ridge in the hoop grips the fabric and keeps it from loosening over time. Pull your fabric taught while it’s 80-90% tightened into the hoop, then tighten the hoop up all the way. It should feel like a drum (you can hear a faint tone when you tap the fabric near your ear). If there’s still give, pull on the fabric until there’s even tension. If the thread of the fabric looks wiggly, you may need to loosen the hoop and re-tighten it, otherwise your work might be warped when you take off the hoop. The wooden hoops are pretty flimsy and usually don’t provide even tension all the way around. I only use them as the final display.

If you’re using a knit fabric like jersey, an iron-on stabilizer is better because stretching it over a hoop would definitely cause puckering and warping.

P.S. I freakin’ love your design!!! I love Parks and Rec.

Oh you’re welcome! 💜 so I went through to shipping and it won’t deliver until 2/27 - 3/4, which is a little too late I think 😔 would you like something like this instead? that’s supposed to arrive much sooner. or these fun colorful ones! Sorry! I didn’t know the single hoop would do that, and I want to make sure you have one for our activity!

I think a pattern with a large scale for the blocks would be good! Something like these star baby quilts are both cute and quick to piece, but would require some more white/light tones, which hopefully you have in reserve?

A really easy (but not free) quilt is Yellow Brick Road which would make a fairly large blanket with that many FQs. The scale of the blocks is pretty large so they piece fast, and you wouldn’t cut up as much of those cute fabrics!

I bought the Dutch Treat frame ftom Doodlin' Around Designs . I LOVE it. It has stitch-on rollers, which are great for consistent tension on your work.

This one is called a table stand. My favourite are seat frames, because I find them the best in terms of where the hoop is held in front of you. You can also get table clamps that attach the hoop to a table. Those are pretty useful, too.

I'm not actually 100% sure. I ordered this as a beginner kit off of Amazon from a seller called Berya, but it looks like they don't sell this particular one anymore. They do however, have a lot of other lovely sets!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GV58K1J/ref=twister_B07F3VBHVW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Artsy for life!

This would be really handy for my cross stitch, especially since I started my huge project. I usually just use hoops, but this project is 1 foot wide by 3 feet long, so having a nice large frame (especially on a stand) would make it sooo much easier to work with!

Thanks for the contest!

Not OP, but I've bought similar ones off Amazon: Embroidery Hoops Cross Stitch Hoop Ring Imitated Wood Circle Set Display Frame For Art Craft Handy Sewing And Hanging-3 PCS/Size-L https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077RVKFF7?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf (sorry if formatting is bad, I'm on mobile.)

They're pretty nice! The false "wood" is a stretchy rubber and it just rolls over the plastic under frame to hold the fabric taut. I actually think they're a better deal than most of the cheapo wood rings you can get online.

Thanks for the tips!!! Any tips are good tips! I bought a kit that I think may include one of those markers? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D3PYKCV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_PIJTBbJJEHVFN Thanks for the tips!!! I’m really into the subversive cross stitch kits, so I’m thinking once I’m done with my basic shell pattern kit I’ll look into those.

I ordered this starter kit from Amazon and it's been perfect for me. Has everything you need except for the patterns.

Embroidery Starter Kit,100 Color Threads,5 PCS Bamboo Embroidery Hoops,2 PCS 11.8 inches Aida Cloth,and Cross Stitch Embroidery Needle Point Kit Beginner Supplies https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PMVCNM2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4e-BDbWP46NZA

I also downloaded a few simple patterns I liked from Etsy, and the kind of patterns I want to do don't require exact color matching (words and borders versus something that looks like a painting)

For $30 total I'm off to start and can be occupied for many months.

$10 kit off Amazon! But be aware, the directions are pretty lean. I have been wanting to try embroidery for a while now so I had watched a ton of YouTube videos before hand.
https://www.amazon.com/Embroidery-Starter-Kissbuty-Including-Epipremnum/dp/B07MH12L3K/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550444993&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=kit+plants+embroidery&dpPl=1&dpID=51FadwC7kHL&ref=plSrch

Thank you! I bought this kit on Amazon and I really liked it. My only complaint is the stamped pattern lines are a little thick so you have to be careful to cover them. Also, there is a very helpful video on the listing that shows how to do the different witches.

You're welcome. I have this one. It works pretty well.

There are many different styles. I think I know which kit you're talking about, and it's a smaller design, maybe 5x7? You might want to start with a tension ring. I used to use wooden hoops and they were a pain in the ass. I have a nice tension ring now, and I love it.

For reference, this is what I'm talking about, although mine is larger than 3 1/2 inches.

If you have any questions, feel free to pm me, I'm always happy to help!

I'm particularly proud of this because I'm notorious for starting craft projects and NEVER FINISHING THEM. 😂 This was just a cheap kit from AC Moore, but it was a lot of fun!

EDIT: this is the kit for anyone who wants it https://www.amazon.com/Mini-Maker-Neon-Mandala-Kit/dp/B07QHYW5XZ

Here you go!

There’s a bunch of others, I just searched wood embroidery hoop :)

I believe the darker wood ones are actually imitation wood. Like this:
Embroidery Hoops Cross Stitch Hoop Ring Imitated Wood Circle Set Display Frame For Art Craft Handy Sewing and Hanging-3 Pcs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075S259PY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yE7yCb2WCA2TB

I’ve seen them on amazon. Embroidery Hoops Cross Stitch Hoop Ring Imitated Wood Circle Set Display Frame For Art Craft Handy Sewing and Hanging-3 Pcs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075S259PY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_c68SDb46D48MN

Here's the Amazon link. The instructions are pretty bad but it gives you everything you need!