Hand Embroidery Made Modern with Simple Hand Sewing Stitches – Quilting Daily
Hand embroidery often has an old-fashioned connotation, especially if you grew up following hand embroidery patterns for cross stitch or hand stitching Bo Peep-like ladies on pillow cases.
I love to incorporate vintage hand embroidery pieces in my fiber art, especially prayer flags. They are charming and reusing them honors the (mostly) women who spent so much time hand stitching.
But hand embroidery stitches can look modern, too. And I’m so pleased to see simple hand stitches making their way into contemporary designs.
This Poppies Pillow featured in our sister publication, Stitch, is a perfect example. Designed by Stefanie Berganini, the pillow uses modern shapes and clean lines for a sleek, minimalist look. The combination of linen and layered felt provides warmth and texture, while the simple handwork is meditative to stitch.
The running stitch and a cross stitch (or French knot?) are all the hand sewing stitches you need.
You can make this project in an afternoon. And just by altering the felt colors, you could have Poppy Pillows for every season!
The editors of Stitch have a way of featuring projects that are contemporary, even if they give a nod to the past. In each issue, I find projects I can’t wait to make. Stitch is perfect for anyone who likes to create with fabric and thread–explore past issues to find your next project.
P.S. What was your first embroidery project? Leave a comment below.
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