I’m an advocate for re-using and recycling materials for my crafting. And when there is something I need for a project I’ll often head for the local pound shops to see if they have something I can use.
But embroidery requires a degree of precision so there are some tools where it is worth investing a little money to get great quality items.
Needles
I once made the mistake of buying some needles from the pound shop. They were terrible. The shaft of the needle wasn’t smooth so they caught in the fabric. The eye of the needle was also rough and frayed the thread after just a few stitches. One needle in the batch even had a completely square eye end!
There are some brand names that I’ve had a similar experience with. All the needles I use in my kits are from Prym and they’re great. I’ve also used John James needles that I’ve been impressed by.
Scissors
For embroidery the two crucial features of scissors are sharp and pointy. You don’t want to be hacking away at your thread of fabric, you want a nice clean cut.
These are all the scissors I have sitting in a jar on my craft table. Of these the gold stork scissors and little silver pair are my go-to’s. They both have the pointiest points and a good ‘snip’.
I’ve accumulated these pairs over time as gifts or as part of kits so don’t have any recommendations of where to buy a good pair at the moment.
Hoop
A wonky hoop won’t hold your fabric tight enough to give you enough tension to create great stitches. I’ve learned this the hard way. I went on holiday for 2 weeks with plenty of embroidery to keep me busy but only one hoop. I didn’t check that hoop before packing it and spent the whole holiday cursing that hoop!
Can you see that gap on the left of the hoop in the picture? That’s a big no-no with hoops - you shouldn’t be able to see any gap with a good hoop.
Elbesee are UK made hoops with a great reputation. I also have found a great supplier of hoops and you’ll be able to buy these hoops in my shop soon.
Enjoyed this blog post? I share embroidery tips and a free embroidery pattern in my monthly newsletter. Sign up here to receive the newsletter on the 1st of each the month.