Hand-Stitched Accents and Embellishments

Like most scrapbookers, do you have some orphaned hobbies that fell by the wayside when you entered the world of paper, photos and words? Could it be possible that one of those orphaned hobbies may have been sewing, needlepoint or hand embroidery? If so, you may want to take a second look at those supplies and give them new life on your layouts. Adding hand-stitched accents and embellishments is easy and can breathe new life into your new hobby.

Stitching basics

If you are an experienced hand-stitcher or embroidery artist, you already know how to create many of the stitches. However, there may be others of you who read this and want to take the plunge. There are many excellent resources online to guide you. A good place to start is Hand Embroidery Online. They have many resources listed, including online guides to creating stitches, publications and retailers who sell the supplies. http://www.squidoo.com/handembroidery/

You can always visit your neighborhood library for basic guides to hand embroidery and stitch guides as well. One that is highly recommended is The Embroidery Stitch Bible by Betty Barnden.

If you once took up needle and thread instead of scissors and paste, you probably have your supplies buried somewhere behind all that cardstock. Although the standard thread used is six-strand embroidery floss, crewel yarns, silk ribbon or even fibers are all possibilities for your projects. A pack of embroidery needles with a variety of eye sizes is useful, especially if you plan to use something other than floss for your design.

You won't need an embroidery hoop or frame for your layouts, but you will need to find ways to stabilize your paper and make it easy on your fingers when stitching. Some stitchers like using a thimble; I'm not one of them!

A couple tricks

Even if you are an experienced embroidery artist in fabric, working with paper projects requires some special tricks.

• If you are stitching right on your paper, keep the paper on the thin side. Try to work with only the paper that will have the actual stitching on it, and pre-punch your sewing holes with your smallest anywhere hole punch.

• If you choose to work on fabric that will be applied to your design, use fusible interfacing, such as Heat and Bond by Thermoweb, to add stability and contain loose threads.

Ideas as varied as the fibers in your stash

The ideas for including hand stitching are limited only by your imagination. In the first project shown, the use of a cross stitch to attach one side of the photo to its mat with fluffy white fiber adds to the winter feel.

In the next sample, an element of the photo itself was extended with the use of hand embroidery. A small leaf design was stamped onto the cardstock using gray ink, then hand stitched using a backstitch.

The last example shown here shows an actual embellishment created apart from the layout, then attached using Heat and Bond. The design is a traditional crewel work pattern, rendered using the satin stitch with embroidery floss rather than crewel yarn. It was traced onto a scrap of fusible web, then stitched. Once finished, Heat and Bond was fused to the back of this piece, which was then adhered to the layout with Glue Dots. An alternative would be a product like double-sided tape.

A second example of hand stitching can be seen in this design. To mimic the look of a birchbark picture frame, the inside frame edge was punched along the edges with a small punch. Paper raffia was placed along the edges, then stitched in place by lacing hemp through the punched holes. Although this design was inspired by one seen in a children's picture book by Jan Brett, Ms. Brett was clearly inspired by traditional designs and adapted them to her artwork. My interpretation brings the stitching back to real fibers in a new application.

Thimbles on

Using your sewing or embroidery supplies opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

• Stitch a decorative border onto a strip of fabric, then use it to accent your layout in the same way you'd use border stickers. Edge a layout, or frame a focal-point photo.

• Create your own embellishments by combining simple hand embroidery with felt shapes. You could even use your personal diecutting machine to provide the shape.

• You could punch out mittens, then accent them with a line or two of decorative stitching to give the appearance of patterned knit.

• Trace a large monogram design onto fabric or fusible web, and use the embroidered piece as the first letter in your layout title.

• Whipstich chunks of leftover patterned paper in harmonious colors together to create a custom background or photo mat with a crazy-quilt appearance.

• A simple cross stitch in each corner of your main photo adds a charming touch.

These ideas will get you started. Learn to love your old hobby all over again!

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