I have a habit of impatiently winging it as I learn a new skill, which means I use things I already own and see where it takes me until I absolutely need to pause my project and go to the store for one or two things. Here’s a list of everything I’ve gathered and acquired while on my needlework journey!!
If you’re going to be doing any sort of needlework, you’re going to need some needles!! There are special embroidery needles you could get for your projects, but I’ve never felt the need to buy them. I use sewing needles I already had sitting around from past sewing projects.
For all of my projects, I use 6 strand embroidery thread. For my cross stitch, punch needle, and most embroidery, I use the thread as is, but for certain projects I pull a few of the strands apart from the rest to get that color thinner for details.
I got a small kit from Hobby Lobby which included the punch needle itself, a couple interchangeable needle sizes, and the super long needle threaders (which have come in handy a lot more than you’d think). I’ve used the punch needle kit for a few different projects including hat personalizations, kpop concert cheering kits, and coasters.. but I’ve also used the needle threader from this kit for pretty much anything I use a needle for. I find it much easier to use than shorter threaders, even when the length isn’t necessary.
To be honest, when I started teaching myself how to embroider, I was so impatient that I started stitching some stars onto a shirt without using a hoop.. I quickly realized that, yes, you do actually need to buy a hoop to do anything other than a messy star.. I got one small 4 inch hoop to finish that project, and then got some 8 inch hoops as well.
As a beginner, I find the plastic grid to be really easy to work with. I plan to venture out into using aida fabric eventually, but I’m sticking with the clear plastic for now! It’s flexible enough that I’ve been able to experiment with some fun 3D shapes, but stiff enough that I can make all sorts of keychains and decorations out of it.
A simple sewing kit from Walgreens seriously came in handy with the included thread scissors. This is something I wouldn’t have thought to grab from the store, but the smaller scissors make it so much easier to cut the thread in the right spot while finishing off a project.
Haystack Needlework 