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Embroidery Basics: Everything You Need to Get Started

Are you new to embroidery or looking to refresh your skills? Welcome to our comprehensive embroidery guide! Whether you're just starting your first project or want to expand your technique repertoire, this resource will help you create beautiful handcrafted pieces with confidence.

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Getting Started with Embroidery

Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric with needle and thread to create beautiful designs. It's an accessible art form with a rich history that anyone can learn!

Why Embroidery?

  • Relaxing and mindful activity that reduces stress
  • Portable craft you can take anywhere
  • Affordable hobby with minimal startup costs
  • Personalized gifts and home décor
  • Creative expression with endless possibilities

Types of Embroidery

While there are many specialized embroidery techniques around the world, we'll focus on surface embroidery (also called freestyle or hand embroidery)—the most versatile and beginner-friendly approach.

Download our free 'Getting Started' cheat sheet - Coming soon!

Essential Embroidery Supplies

[Image of basic embroidery supplies laid out]

The Must-Haves:

1. Embroidery Hoop

  • Keeps fabric taut while stitching
  • Wooden or plastic, 6-8" diameter recommended for beginners

2. Embroidery Needles

  • Look for "embroidery" or "crewel" needles
  • Sizes 7-9 are versatile for most projects

3. Embroidery Floss

  • Six-strand cotton floss is standard
  • DMC is a reliable and accessible brand with 500+ colors
  • Start with basic colors and expand as needed

4. Fabric

  • Medium-weight cotton or linen works best for beginners (synthetics like polyester are rough on embroidery floss and harder to work with)
  • Light colors make it easier to see your design

5. Small Scissors

  • For precise cutting of threads

6. Embroidery Patterns

Optional (But Helpful):

  • Water-soluble marking pen
  • Needle threader
  • Thread organizer
  • Embroidery floss bobbins
  • Thimble
  • Fabric stabilizer

Transferring Patterns to Fabric

Before you can start stitching, you'll need to transfer your pattern onto fabric. Here are the most reliable methods:

Light Source Method

Perfect for lighter fabrics:

  1. Tape your pattern to a light source, such as a window, a computer or tablet screen, or light box.
  2. Position fabric over the pattern.
  3. Trace the design with a marking tool (we recommend water-soluble markers for beginners).

Pro Tip: The type of marking tool you choose makes a big difference! Water-soluble pens are just one option. Read our comparison of 5 different marking tools to find the best option for your specific project type and fabric color. 

Iron-On Transfer Method

For our iron-on pattern sheets (including our popular cat designs):

  1. Cut around design to transfer, cutting away any portion not wanted in stamping.
  2. Iron fabric for transfer before applying transfer, to smooth wrinkles and warm up fabric. Warm fabric transfers best.
  3. Place printed side of transfer down in position on fabric. Pin or baste transfer in place if desired to prevent slipping.
  4. With iron on wool or cotton setting, slowly press back and forth on transfer until you have a clear transfer on your fabric. Lift a corner (carefully, to prevent slipping) to check the transfer. Keep ironing if you’d like to make it darker.
  5. Store remaining transfers for future use.

Carbon Paper Method

Works on any color fabric:

  1. Place carbon transfer paper between pattern and fabric.
  2. Trace over design lines with a pencil.
  3. Remove papers and start stitching.

Water-Soluble Stabilizer Method

Great for complicated designs:

  1. Trace pattern onto water-soluble stabilizer.
  2. Secure stabilizer to fabric.
  3. Stitch through both layers.
  4. Dissolve stabilizer with water when complete.

Basic Embroidery Stitches

These foundational stitches will help you create virtually any embroidery design. Each includes step-by-step instructions and diagrams.

Running Stitch

Best for: Dashed lines, basic outlines, and foundation for more complex stitches

Quick start: Simply bring your needle up through the fabric, then back through the fabric at a distance equal to the desired length of your stitch. Then bring it back up a little bit away from where you ended the previous stitch.

Satin Stitch

Best for: Solid shapes of a single color

Quick start: Working from one side of your shape to the other, bring your needle up on one edge of the shape, and bring it back down at the other edge. Work like this, making long, parallel stitches, until you fill the shape.

Stem Stitch

Best for: Clean outlines and text that require precision

Quick start: Bring your needle from the back of the fabric through to the front at point A, and insert it back into the fabric at point B. Bring it back to the front between points A and B, at point C. Pull the stitch tight. Insert your needle back into the fabric at point D and bring back to the front at point B. Continue like this, following the line.

Ready to try these stitches?

The Lucky Clover pattern shown above combines all three basic techniques. Find this pattern and other free beginner designs in our practice section below.

Intermediate & Decorative Stitches

Ready to expand your repertoire? These stitches add texture and dimension.

Back Stitch

This is a blockier outline stitch that will show your handiwork more clearly.

Bring your needle up through the fabric at point A, then back down at point B, the end of the previous stitch. (Hence the name, since you are stitching back to the previous stitch each time.) Bring your needle back up at point C, and continue.

Chain Stitch

This fun stitch can either be used in a single line as an outline or in concentric lines to fill a shape.

Bring your needle up through the fabric at point A, then back through the fabric at the same point A. Before pulling the stitch tight, bring the needle back up through point B, looping the previous stitch through the one you are about to make. Continue along, making a chain.

Straight Stitch

A single stitch, used wherever you’d like to add a small detail.

Just bring your needle up through the fabric, then back down, however far away you’d like to. Ta da!

French Knots

Perfect for adding dots, centers of flowers, or textural elements.

Bring your needle up through the fabric. Wrap your thread around the needle twice in the direction indicated. Insert your needle back through the fabric a very small distance away from the exit point. Holding the wrapped thread tight, pull the needle to the back.

Advanced Embroidery Stitches

If you're ready to experiment with more stitches, give one of these a try:

Long-and-Short Stitch

Perfect for adding gradients to a solid shape, like the dog's ear in the Ouroboros Dachshund pattern below, often used for flower petals and leaves.

View full long-and-short stitch tutorial here

Hungarian Braided Chain Stitch

This stitch creates a bold raised line of stitching, shown on the monkey's hat below, that works nicely as an accent in any embroidery

View full Hungarian braided chain stitch tutorial here

Want to expand your stitch repertoire?

Explore our complete stitch library where we regularly add new tutorial guides for both traditional and unique embroidery stitches. Each tutorial includes step-by-step photos and creative ways to use the stitch in your projects.

Bookmark this collection and check back often—we're constantly adding new stitch techniques!

Creative Embroidery Projects & Tutorials

Ready to take your embroidery beyond the basics? Our embroidery tutorials collection features unique techniques and creative projects to expand your skills!

Special Techniques

Creative Applications

Want to keep up with our tutorials? Join our mailing list, where we send a creative newsletter once a month.

Troubleshooting Common Embroidery Issues

[Image of common embroidery problems]

Tangled Thread

Problem: Thread getting knotted and tangled.
Solution: Work with shorter lengths (18" maximum) and try using a thread conditioner.

Uneven Stitches

Problem: Inconsistent stitch length.
Solution: Practice maintaining even tension and mark stitch guidelines when learning.

Fabric Puckering

Problem: Fabric bunching around stitches.
Solution: Maintain proper hoop tension and avoid pulling threads too tight.

Finishing & Displaying Your Embroidery

After completing your stitching, properly finishing your piece preserves your hard work.

Blocking Your Embroidery

Blocking your finished embroidery helps remove wrinkles and prepare your piece for its finished use, whether that's for a functional item or for display.

Pro tip: As this process involves getting your embroidery wet, you'll need to test your embroidery floss for washfastness first. To do so, wet a piece of your embroidery floss and press it with your fingers between two pieces of white paper towel. If any color transfers to the paper towel, it is likely to run when you wet your embroidery. If that happens, use an iron to press your embroidery rather than blocking it.

Supplies needed:

  • Straight pins (a lot of them!)
  • Foam board or clean cardboard, at least a few inches larger on all sides than your embroidery
  • Clean spray bottle of water

Directions:

  1. Use straight pins to carefully pin your embroidery in place on the foam board or cardboard, as in the photo below. Be mindful not to warp your fabric out of shape as you do this.
  2. Spray your embroidery gently with water, until the fabric is well saturated. If you used a water-erasable marker, ensure that the embroidery has been dampened enough to erase the ink.
  3. Set your embroidery someplace safe to dry. This will take a few hours to overnight.
  4. Once your embroidery is dry, you're ready to remove it from the foam or cardboard.

Display and Framing Options

  • Hoop Framing: Leave your piece in the embroidery hoop for a classic look
  • Traditional Framing: Mount on mat board behind glass (using acid-free mat board for best longevity)
  • Use in other crafts: Turn your embroidery into pillows, patches, or other textile items

Free Patterns for Practice

Ready to put your new skills to work? While we offer a complete collection of premium patterns with detailed instructions and design options, we also maintain a generous library of free designs.

Our free embroidery pattern collection includes many designs for all skill levels, with new patterns added regularly. Each free pattern includes transfer instructions and stitch suggestions.

Below are four beginner-friendly designs specifically created to practice the basic techniques covered in this guide — but be sure to explore our complete free pattern library for many more options!

Practice Three Basic Stitches with Free Beginner Patterns

Perfect your technique with these simple, free patterns designed specifically for beginners:

Lucky Clover

Practice stem stitch leaves, running stitch details, and a satin stitch stem.

Download free Lucky Clover PDF pattern

Flying Bee

Practice stem stitch wings, running stitch motion lines, and satin stitch body.

Download free Flying Bee PDF pattern

Rabbit

Practice stem stitch outlines, running stitch details, and satin stitch face and heart

Download free Rabbit PDF pattern

Venn Diagram Love

Practice stem stitch outlines, running stitch details, and satin stitch lettering

Download free Venn Diagram Love PDF pattern

Popular Embroidery Pattern Categories

Find the perfect design for your next project in our specialized pattern collections:

Cat Embroidery Patterns

Feline designs from whimsical to realistic, perfect for cat lovers

Witchy & Mystical Designs

Magical motifs featuring moons, crystals, and enchanted elements

Botanical & Nature Patterns

Bring the outdoors in with flowers, plants and natural designs

Iron-On Transfer Patterns

Ready-to-use transfers including popular cat designs

Browse all embroidery patterns →

Embroidery Inspiration Gallery

Coming soon!

Need inspiration for your next project? Browse completed pieces featuring our patterns.

Share your work with us using #BeesKneesEmbroidery or tagging @BeesKneesIndustries on Instagram or TikTok.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long does it take to learn embroidery?
A: The basics can be learned in an afternoon! Most beginners can complete a simple project within a week.

Q: How many strands of embroidery floss should I use?
A: Standard embroidery floss has 6 strands. For most projects, separate and use 2-3 strands for detail work and up to all 6 strands for bold areas.

Q: Can I embroider on any fabric?
A: While you can technically embroider on most fabrics, beginners should start with medium-weight cotton or linen with an even weave.

Ready to Start Your Embroidery Journey?

Browse our collection of embroidery patterns designed for all skill levels to get started today!